Welcome to Herts Mandarin St Albans and Potters Bar

Join our engaging, small-sized Mandarin classes designed for children aged 3 years and up—from playful early learners to students preparing for the GCSE Higher Tier.

🌟 Start your journey today:

Sign up for a Free Trial Lesson and watch your child grow in confidence as they begin learning the world’s most spoken language.

📘 Explore Our Programs:

Scroll down for full details on our course structure, age levels, and class schedules.

We look forward to welcoming your child into our warm and vibrant Mandarin learning community!

St Albans and Potters Bar Bar Class Schedules

  • St Albans Saturdays Classes

    Current Availability:
       •    9:00 – 10:00 AM | Mandarin Singer & Reader (1 space left) — Ages 4+
       •    9:30 – 10:30 AM | Independent Reader and Writer (Full) — Ages 5+
       •    10:35 – 11:35 AM | GCSE Mandarin Phrase 2 (Full) — Ages 7+
       •    1:30 – 2:30 PM | Independent Reader and Writer (Full ) — Ages 5+
        •    2:30 – 3:30 PM | GCSE Foundation Building Phrase 1 (Spaces available) — Ages 7+

  • St Albans Monday evenings Classes

    Starting from September 2025

    • 4:30–5:30 PM | Mandarin Singer & Reader (Spaces available) — Ages 4+


        •    5:30-6:30PM | GCSE Foundation Building Phrase 1 (Spaces available) — Ages 7+

  • Potters Bar evening Classes

    Starting from September 2025

    For Students with Chinese Background on Tuesdays

    • 5:30–6:30PM | | GCSE Mandarin Phrase 2 (Spaces available) For Dame Alice Owen’s Y7 and Y8 Students and also for Y4-6 students

    For Students with No-Chinese Background on Wednesdays

    • 5:15–6:15PM | | GCSE Foundation Building Phrase 1 (Spaces available) For Dame Alice Owen’s Y7 and Y8 Students

Leve1: Mandarin Singer and Reader 绘本与童谣 3-5Years Old

Level 1: Mandarin Singer and Reader
一级：绘本与童谣
Age Group: 3–5 years



At Herts Mandarin, our Level 1: Starter Singer and Reader program introduces young learners to Mandarin in a joyful, immersive environment that sparks curiosity and fosters a lifelong love of language.

Program Highlights:
   •    Theme-Based Learning: Children explore 30 engaging topics through charming, panda-themed storybooks tailored for beginner learners.
   •    Music & Rhythm: Students sing 30 popular Mandarin children’s songs, developing listening and speaking skills naturally through repetition and melody.
   •    Playful Immersion: A nurturing setting encourages natural language acquisition, independence, confidence, and enthusiasm for learning.

This level lays a strong foundation in Mandarin, supporting early language development while building meaningful connections between children, families, and the language.

Homework: Weekly reading task required.

Level 2: Independent Reader and Writer独立阅读与写作 5Years+

Level 2: Independent Reader and Writer
二级：独立阅读与写作
Age Group: 5 years+

We are delighted to welcome your child to our four-year Independent Reading and Writing Program for Mandarin learners. Carefully designed for children aged 5 and above, this program supports students through every stage of literacy development—from character recognition to confident, independent reading and expressive writing.

🎎 Culture in Every Lesson

In addition to the reading and writing curriculum, each session includes a cultural learning component featuring:

  • “小小探索家：发现中华文化” (Little Explorers: Discovering Chinese Culture)

  • “小小旅行家：走进中国城市” (Little Travelers: Exploring Chinese Cities)

These mini cultural journeys help children connect language learning with real-world knowledge and foster a deeper appreciation of Chinese culture.

Year 1 – Building the Foundation (180 Chinese Characters)

Focus: Character recognition, writing habits, and simple reading

  • Learn 180 high-frequency characters through engaging visuals and short stories

  • Read 30 fun storybooks that bring characters into context

  • Develop strong writing habits using a stroke order workbook

🧠 Cultural Element: Students explore topics like Chinese festivals, traditional foods, and family values through the theme “小小探索家：发现中华文化” (Little Explorers: Discovering Chinese Culture).

Year 2 – Whole Book Reading (Cool Panda Series)

Focus: Fluency, comprehension, and enjoyment

  • Read full storybooks from the Cool Panda series in guided sessions

  • Retell stories through drawing and simple writing in personal reading folders

  • Continue at home with leveled online books (Levels C–E)

🧠 Cultural Element: The theme “小小探索家：发现中华文化” continues, deepening students’ understanding of everyday life and customs in Chinese-speaking communities.

Year 3 – Thematic Reading & Critical Thinking

Focus: Genre exploration and comparative reading

  • Read around central themes such as friendship, courage, and nature using more advanced books (Levels F–I)

  • Reflect on characters, summarize plots, and compare texts across genres

  • Access 500+ books in our Mandarin Online Library for continued reading at home

🏞 Cultural Element: “小小旅行家：走进中国城市” (Little Travelers: Exploring Chinese Cities) introduces students to the geography, history, dialects, and customs of cities across China.

Year 4 – Reading & Writing Integration

Focus: Opinion, narrative, and informational writing

  • Opinion Writing: Express likes/dislikes using phrases like “我喜欢…因为…”

  • Narrative Writing: Write simple stories using sequencing and descriptive language

  • Informational Writing: Create factual writing, diagrams, and how-to guides

🏞 Cultural Element: “小小旅行家：走进中国城市” continues, offering a deeper look into regional culture, architecture, cuisine, and lifestyle through reading and writing activities.

🎯

Looking Ahead

This program is more than a curriculum—it’s a four-year journey of language growth, creativity, and discovery. With strong classroom support and your encouragement at home, your child will gain the confidence to read and write in Mandarin with joy and independence.

By the end of the program, students will be well-prepared for the GCSE Mandarin Course (Higher Tier) or other advanced learning pathways.

GCSE Route Mandarin 7 and 11 Years old +

Level 3: GCSE Route Mandarin

三级：GCSE中文课程

Age Group: Key Stage 2 and above

The GCSE Route Mandarin at Herts Mandarin equips students with the essential skills and confidence to succeed in Mandarin GCSE exams—paving the way for top results, including Grade 9.

Who It’s For:

Suitable for complete beginners and those with some prior Mandarin experience. The course provides differentiated support to meet individual learning needs.

📘 Course Journey

• (Jinbu 1 & 2): Build confidence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing Mandarin.

• (Edexcel GCSE): Step-by-step preparation for the official Mandarin GCSE exam — typically by Year 10 or 11, depending on individual progress.

Learning Approach:

✔️ Comprehensive focus on listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

✔️ Practical communication through engaging, real-life activities.

✔️ A blend of language and cultural learning

✔️ A clear, long-term path to GCSE Mandarin

Homework: Weekly task (approx. 30 minutes).

  • Ting Ting

    Ever since Isla started attending Jenny's weekend Chinese classes, her enthusiasm and curiosity for the Chinese language have remained strong since her return from a vacation in China. Isla has shown a great willingness to participate in the weekend classes, and she thoroughly enjoys having Jenny as her teacher. She proudly brings home newly acquired words, sentences, nursery rhymes, and concepts learned in class.

    Isla also enjoys the company of her fellow classmates and their parents who attend the classes. As a parent, I greatly appreciate the supportive and non-intrusive atmosphere, which allows the children to engage in independent learning opportunities.

    I am also deeply impressed by the quality of the course materials and admire Jenny's ability to instill confidence in the children, especially when it comes to reading and writing. I never expected three-year-old children to possess the willingness and ability for such tasks, but Jenny excels at nurturing their curiosity and self-assurance. This makes learning Chinese feel entirely natural and enjoyable for the kids.

    I personally feel that we are very fortunate to have Jenny and her Chinese classes in our community, and we plan to continue attending them. Go, Jenny!

  • Zoe

    My child has been learning Chinese with Jenny for nearly a year, and there has been significant progress. Not only has my child become more confident in speaking Chinese, but his social skills have also improved. From initially being shy and reserved, He can now confidently engage with others. This progress is inseparable from the guidance and encouragement provided by the teacher.

    The small classroom environment is lively and engaging, with learning through games. It's evident that my child enjoys it very much, as he eagerly look forward to every Saturday morning class, even giving up the opportunity to sleep in. This enthusiasm is the biggest motivation for their continued learning!

  • Ling

    My child loves Jenny and is always enthusiastic about going to their Chinese class. Jenny is also dedicated to creating engaging classroom content and teaches in a lively and animated manner.

    孩子很喜欢Jenny老师，每次说去上中文课都很积极，Jenny老师也很用心设计课堂内容，教得生动活泼。

  • Lily

    Jenny is patient and enthusiastic with the children, and in the small class, the young students absorb the content more effectively.

    Jenny老师对孩子们很有耐心和热情，而且小班上课小朋友们吸收更好

  • Ashley

    Jun Jun grew up in a Cantonese-speaking household and developed an interest in Chinese after studying with Jenny for half a semester. He now voluntarily speaks and writes Chinese at home. The teaching materials provided by the teacher are also well-suited for younger children.

    雋雋本身在粵語家庭長大，在上Jenny老師半學期後對中文產生了興趣，回家也會主動說和寫中文。老師發的教材也很適合比較小的小孩.