A pioneering group of 10-year olds from Yu Cai Primary School in Wuhan have spent the past month immersing themselves in British culture.

The 12 children have been uprooted from the bustling Hankou district of Wuhan to the tranquil location of St Albans, 25 miles from London, surrounded by green fields and woodland.

They study, play, eat and sleep in the 150-year-old "Harry Potter"-style building that is Bell Educational Services, an organisation offering a range of British Council accredited English, activity and academic course options for younsters aged between seven and 17.

The program helps students grasp the concept of harmony between humans and Mother Nature, the preservation of ancient culture and the notion of respecting each other.

The experience has brought out the best in the children, who seem to delight in the beauty of the environment and the dynamic nature of the Bell program.

The "Learning by Doing" approach sees teachers explain an object or a custom from the textbook and then offer students the chance to experience it in real life.

He Jialu, 11, from Yu Cai Primary School told China Daily: "On one occasion, our teacher presented different British foods and table manners to us in class and afterwards we were all allowed to try the real food, I found this a very interesting and helpful way for us to learn."

The program is jointly organised by Yu Cai Primary School, Cambridge Creative Learning and Bell Educational Services. It is a programme Bell is keen to repeat for Yu Cai and other schools.