TWO Chinese teachers recently visited the King Edmund School, Rochford, where they taught eager pupils about their country’s complex and ancient language.

Ding Yunyan and Wen Yibo, from Kind Edmund’s partner school, Suzhou High, in eastern China, spent eight days in Rochford as part of the Essex Jiangsu Festival.

Vice principal Mr Yunyan, and art teacher Mr Yibo came to Britain on a teacher exchange programme organised by Essex County Council.

They introduced a Year 7 group to Mandarin Chinese and showed them how to write Chinese characters.

Assistant head Marc Feely, visited Suzhou High School in May on a similar visit. He said: “We hope the school partnership will develop, initially through video conferencing, and then student exchanges.”