Longcroft School had the wonderful opportunity to welcome a delegation from Futaba in Japan as part of a cultural exchange visit to the region. Futaba had to be evacuated following a devastating earthquake and is currently in the process of being rebuilt.

Officials from the area who are leading the redevelopment were joined by Education Board Members, the Superintendent of Education and a range of teachers amongst others to explore our school and education system as they prepare to build a new school for their community.

The delegation also included pupils from Year 8 and 9 at Futaba Junior High School. It was a pleasure to introduce them to life at Longcroft and representatives from the student body presented to them before touring areas of the site and engaging in some cultural exchange tasks. Visiting pupils learnt about school life in the UK, and our pupils learnt about school life in Japan.

Philip, a former East Riding pupil, moved to Futaba-machi to teach children English and he now works at the Futaba Town Board of Education. He has facilitated a number of visits for Futaba educational representatives and is keen to work with the school and local authority to strengthen the opportunities for young people to take part in cultural exchanges.

Shiro Izawa, Mayor of Futaba town said: “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Longcroft School for kindly hosting a visit by our Futaba Town delegation. Through this international exchange programme, we truly look forward to promoting interaction among the students and fulfilling mutual learning experiences between our two towns, deepening their friendship and further strengthening their relationship through continued cultural and educational exchanges.”

Mr Perry said: “It was a privilege to welcome the Futaba Town delegation to Longcroft School and Sixth Form. It has brought great excitement across our community and it was wonderful to see the children interacting together and embracing this special opportunity.”