ESB Centre News, Spring/Summer 2019 edition

Having previously assessed for ESB International in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, I thought I knew what to expect when I was chosen to deliver some training and assess for ESB International in Shanghai – I was mistaken! Shanghai has a very different vibe and was full of (pleasant) surprises. Quite by coincidence, shortly before my trip, I assessed a candidate who spoke about the People’s Republic of China, so I had a little insight (you learn so much as an ESB assessor!). However, one of my favourite things to do when visiting new climes is to board a hop-on-hop-off tourist bus to really get a feel for the place. On doing this, I discovered a number of interesting things about Shanghai, which was founded during the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Today, Shanghai is the most populous city in

China and the sixth largest city in the world – its port is one of the busiest on the planet. I certainly got a sense of this bustling hive of activity during my visit. The first part of my visit to Shanghai involved assessing candidates at Shanghai Concord Bilingual School. A relatively new school, it is located in the heart of Huangpu District which is a regional, cultural and international centre, giving the school the opportunity to develop an internationalised education catering for the different needs and demands of students in the region. SCBS offers a bilingual curriculum combining the very best of the compulsory Chinese curriculum with access to IGCSE and A- levels, making ESB an ideal platform for their students. ESB has had a long association with their English counterpart school in Shropshire.

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