A group of trainee teaching assistants from the Netherlands have been visiting primary schools in Lincoln to see how they do things differently.

The 13 students and their tutors, from Alfa College in Groningen, are spending four days in the city as part of an exchange visit organised by Lincoln College.

As well as meeting staff and pupils at several schools including Ermine Primary Academy, Lincoln Carlton Academy and St Faith’s C of E Infants School, the Dutch visitors have attended childcare lessons with their UK counterparts at the college.

Instructor for the Lincoln College Group Emma Olivier-Townrow explained: “We’ve enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Alfa College and every year we take a cohort of students to the Netherlands as part of a European exchange programme.

“It’s a fantastic experience for them as they get to find out about different methods of teaching and experience a new culture at the same time. It’s the same for the Alfa College students and it’s always a pleasure to welcome them to our beautiful city.

“All of the schools we’ve visited have been very welcoming and it’s been empowering for the UK teaching assistants who were invited by their head teachers to explain their roles, share planning and assessment documents and exchange knowledge of best practice in both countries.

“It was really useful to compare the two systems as there are some interesting differences. For example, in the Netherlands there are just one or two teaching assistants in each school whereas in England they make up approximately 50% of the workforce.

“Display boards in English schools were also widely discussed as in Holland it’s not usual for teachers to display work this way and the visitors could not believe how much work and information we have on our walls.”

Rachel Kievit, a trainee teaching assistant from Alfa College, added: “The primary schools here are very different from the Netherlands. Teaching assistants here can have a lot of different functions in the school team.

“The schools we’ve been to have a lot of teaching assistants which I think is very positive. I am very impressed by the schools and Lincoln College – it was fun and so interesting to meet the students there.”

As well as doing course-related activities the trainee teaching assistants will be going on a tour of Lincoln’s world-famous cathedral and castle followed by a visit to a local café for cream tea.

Ends

Notes to Editors

About The Lincoln College Group:
• Founded upon a concept of ‘synergy’, The Lincoln College Group comprises a number of like-minded organisations with a shared purpose of providing exceptional education, training and related services to their students.
• Currently providing secondary, further and higher education, the Group includes Lincoln College (with its campuses in Lincoln, Newark and Gainsborough and operations in China) and two secondary school academies: The Newark Academy and The Gainsborough Academy. It also encompasses Deans Sport and Leisure, a commercial sports centre based in Lincoln City Centre.
• Lincoln College International, a project to develop and run three Colleges in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the latest addition to the Group.
• The Lincoln College Group is also the lead sponsor of the Lincoln UTC which opened in September 2014.

For further information about this release please contact:
Kate Strawson
Director, Shooting Star
Kate@weareshootingstar.co.uk
01522 528540
07733 230293
@KateStrawson
weareshootingstar.co.uk