Students at Nexus, Camborne Science and International Academy’s STEM Centre of Excellence, recently sat the first unit of their FCSE exams in Mandarin, with all students passing with merit or distinctions.

“At CSIA, we are very proud of our links with high-performing schools worldwide, offering the very best educational opportunities here in Camborne,” said Dr Jo Foster, director of Nexus and the Gifted STEM Programme.

"We have very strong relationships with a number of schools, including in Singapore and China, and learning Mandarin as well as the culture of these countries is an important part of the curriculum at CSIA.”

Student Faith Cortis said: “I feel very lucky to be able to study Mandarin so I put my all into it. I’m so happy with my result and I can’t wait to keep learning more of the language.”

Students have been able to choose to study Mandarin as one of their co-curricular choices at Nexus since September 2016. “We believe that learning another language is a gateway to the world," said principal Ian Kenworthy. "Mandarin is spoken by over 955 million native speakers which is more than any other so essentially, our students are unlocking the potential to speak a very significant language.

“It enhances a student’s sense of achievement and for many, it’s the beginning of a skill that will lead to better future choices at college, opportunities for travel and inspiring job opportunities.”