Thirty Year 8 students from Springwood High School and 40 from Smithdon High School travelled to Chateau de Warsy in Northern France, near Paris, where they stayed in luxury camping pods in the castle grounds.

Accompanying the group from Smithdon were Head of French Judith France and French teacher Di Prestidge, along with fellow members of staff Amanda Wright, Mark Birks and John Croft, while staff from Springwood included French teacher Elodie Favris, Pupil Premium Manager Luke Thurlow, and Head of RE Alison Dennis, plus trip organiser Charlotte Hannah, who is Head of Modern Foreign Languages and Internationalism at the school.

“I have been running the trip for about six years,” she said. “I first went on the trip in my first year of teaching and then took over the organisation the year after that, but we have been visiting the same location for even longer and have also visited Chateau de Broutel, their partner accommodation, in the past as well.

“We travel by coach and ferry to stay at the Chateau and to travel around, for example to visit Paris.”

In the city, the group was able to take in the historic sights of the famous capital, spending time at the Sacre Coeur in Montmatre, as well as visiting the city’s souvenir shops and seeing the street artists.

“We also visited Tour Montparnasse, where we had a panoramic view of the city – a great opportunity for photos,” added Mrs Hannah. “In the afternoon we took a boat ride on the Seine.”

Among other highlights of the three-day trip was an expedition to the nearby town of Montidier, where the visitors completed a trail to learn about the area's history, and honed their French skills in the local shops and patisseries. In addition, there was a visit to a World War One cemetery, which related to the students’ humanities studies in school.

Further activities enjoyed by the group included an ‘accrobranche’ high-wire experience and a tour of a traditional French chocolate factory, while there was also time to relax at the beach at Berck-sur-Mer and enjoy the local shops and cafes.

“I really loved the trip, and it was one of the best experiences I have had,” said Springwood student Justas Kaminskas. “I like that we went everywhere in Paris, being with my friends, the food, and seeing what France is like.”

Classmate Roxy Webster agreed, “I enjoyed going to Paris and the beach – we had a lot of fun with friends,” while Will Overton said: “I tried the snails and the frogs’ legs and they were both delicious!”

“Teachers at Springwood believe these trips are essential in enriching our students’ school experience,” continued Mrs Hannah. “The opportunity for students to visit France, practise their linguistic skills with native speakers, and absorb real French culture is an experience that just cannot be fully replicated in the classroom.

“We hope that these kinds of extra-curricular activities will be remembered by students long after they leave school.”