ALCESTER Grammar School has forged a link with an eastern counterpart after headteacher Iain Blaikie visited China.

Mr Blaikie joined representatives from seven other Warwickshire schools on the trip.

The group spent a week in Shenzhen, in south-east China, during a tour organised by Warwickshire County Council and funded by the British Council as the first stage of development of a range of ties with the economically booming city.

Each head made a link with a particular school as well as touring a number of different education establishments.

Mr Blaikie said the visit had been an eye-opening experience as the schools in China were much bigger, with primary schools having up to 2,000 pupils.

"It was absolutely amazing, like going to a different planet - they treated us like royalty, gave us fanfares at the school gates and all sorts," he said.

"I signed a memorandum of understanding with one of the schools in Shenzhen which is very keen to link up with us."

Pupils from schools across Warwickshire and Shenzhen are starting to write and email each other and plans are being made to share lessons over the internet.

Teachers from the Chinese region are expected to come to England to teach their language while the Warwickshire schools will share their expertise in other subjects.

Mr Blaikie said he was looking forward to a delegation coming on a return visit, and although Alcester Grammar School already offered the chance to learn Mandarin Chinese in the sixth-form and in some classes further down the school, there were plans to build on it as part of the new partnership.

He added: "China is growing very fast, I think a lot of our students' futures lie over there."