Martin Humphreys, Principal at King William’s College, this month joined the British Council to promote the UK’s boarding school sector in China, in a UK Government sponsored bid to showcase the nation’s finest educational institutions.

As part of the fourth delegation to visit China this year, Mr Humphreys joined 4 head teachers from leading UK boarding schools to tour the Shanghai region, including Jiangsu and Hangzhou, on the eastern Coast of the People’s Republic. This forms part of a three year overall project which aims to bring 100 boarding school head teachers to different regions based on their school’s individual specialties and characteristics. King William’s College was chosen on the merits of its high academic performance, various extracurricular opportunities and high-quality educational and boarding facilities.

The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Founded by Royal Charter in 1934, and established in six continents and over 100 countries, it aims to bring international opportunity to life through forming international partnerships to co-create, sponsor, fund and deliver a range of innovative, high-performing educational initiatives and promote a wider appreciation of British culture.

‘Destination: UK Boarding School’ is a dedicated campaign under the GREAT Britain project. GREAT Britain is the UK Government’s most ambitious international marketing campaign to date and showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer in a bid to encourage the world to visit, study and do business in the UK. It is part of the Prime Minister’s ‘global race for growth’ and supports the UK’s Olympic Legacy programme by acting as an enabling platform to establish effective and sustainable partnerships to encourage high-net-worth investment and support recruitment.

Commenting on the invitation before the trip, Mr Humphreys stated: “Ensuring the portability of our various cultures and educational values is increasingly vital not just to the development of our pupils as they enter a global employer marketplace, but also to the future wellbeing of our economy. UK independent schools already enjoy a reputation in China which is unrivalled, and initiatives such as this can only serve to strengthen relations and provide the pediment for future investment. I’m very proud to represent King William’s College and the Isle of Man in China, and look forward to taking as much as I can from the trip.”