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Last week, I had the privilege of spending time in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, attending the Bespoke Education Fair and meeting students and parents from across the region. It was brilliant to meet such a wide variety of people, from prospective students to parents and agents. Chatting to them and to the young people who helped us with translation really gave me insight into their culture and I feel very lucky to have experienced it.

Arriving on that first day in Tashkent gave me some perspective into how our students must feel, especially those who come from so far away, if only there'd been one of the Whitgift Team there to greet me. Having said that, the locals made me very welcome. When we had a little down time between fairs (and we didn't have much so I had to race to get there!) I was able to see some of the sights, including the Minor Mosque in Tashkent, The Astana Grande Mosque, and the St Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty. I hope my very amateur photography skills can accurately show just how stunning these locations are.

But I wasn't just there for tourism, it was primarily to get to know people from the region. And thanks to the wonderful organisation from the Bespoke Education team, I was able to do plenty of that. It was interesting to hear what the priorities of the parents and students were, with many questions, not only about our 4 distinct courses, but about our mobile phone policy and the security on site. Thankfully those are two areas which Whitgift has locked down (pardon the pun!).

With a phone policy which keeps phones locked safely away overnight, and students so busy that they only have them for around 2 hours a day, and never during lessons, meals or activities, I was able to recount parents of times I've seen students lock their phones early so they can spend more time with their friends. This kind of behaviour which encapsulates exactly what we want here at Whitgift Summer School, and we saw improvements in engagement, and reductions in anxiety as the course went on.

After being asked how safe students were here, I was able to assure parents that Whitgift Security is comprehensive, with a closed campus patrolled by 24 hour security and has state of the art CCTV. Students can feel comfortable and safe in our leafy surroundings, despite our close proximity to London. This means that our students can make the most of our campus, and parents will know that they're doing so in a secure way.

Travelling to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan was an unforgettable experience, and I thank every person I spoke to! I hope to return to such beautiful countries in the future, hopefully with more time to really get to know the places... and eat more of the local food of course!

Where will Whitgift School be heading to next? Keep your eyes peeled to find out!

Remember that bookings are open now: Book - Whitgift Summer School

Or email us at: summerschool@whitgift.co.uk