Norwegian Exchange Celebrates 20th Year

West London College was delighted to welcome twenty-seven Norwegian students earlier this month to our Hammersmith & Fulham College on a six-month study visit. The students are aged between 16 and 17 and are all from a high school in the Stovner suburb, which is northeast of Oslo, Norway’s capital city, called Stovner Videregående Skole. Our partnership with them is long-lasting – a new group of students have been coming to the college each year for the last twenty years!

The Norwegian students will follow an AS-level-type study programme, which is the same as the school curriculum in Norway, but taught in English. At the end of the course, the students will return to Norway to sit their end-of-year exams. 

The students go through a selection process to join the study visit based on their academic achievement, behaviour and attendance. Their trip is mainly funded by the Norwegian Education Loan fund to cover their accommodation costs and tuition fees.

The students live with host families during their stay. West London College’s International Officer, Carla De Abreu, has visited each of the host families to make sure the accommodation is suitable. 

The Norwegian visitors will have the opportunity to meet West London College learners through the students’ union and the college’s sports academies. West London College has also avoided a trip to Brighton for the Stovner school pupils. The school’s staff believe the annual visit to be very beneficial to their students as it helps to develop new and valuable life skills.

Finn Brevik, the students’ Norwegian cohort coordinator says: “The hope is that the students’ exposure to a different culture helps broaden their perspective. The aim is that they develop the skills required to adapt easily to environments and experiences outside of their comfort zone. The school believes that the experience of living abroad is an advantage for any plans they may have for their future. After completing their schooling in Norway, we have had students from previous cohorts return to the UK to attend university so the programme does have a ‘soft power’ effect.”

Alex Hallawell, Head of the International School at West London College, said: “The high point of our year is hosting the study visit on behalf of Stovner High School and we are delighted to be continuing our twenty-year tradition of providing an excellent educational experience and fostering good relations between our two countries.”