Before the sun even rose, Year 7 arrived at school wide-eyed and ready to go on their adventures in Barcelona and Normandy. The French and Spanish teams spent three and half days speaking the language they have chosen to learn at Westbourne House, eating the good food of the country, living and breathing the culture.
These trips are invaluable to language teaching. They are what the lab is to a scientist: they make the world of languages real, enriching, empathetic and intriguing for our young people. Thank you to the wonderful team who helped make these trips possible including Mme Bennison, Miss Barrow, Mr Tyrrell, Miss Williams, Mr Dichmont and Miss Hannan.
Barcelona
In Barcelona the children absorbed all the cultural richness that the city has to offer. We took in the grandeur of the Olympic Stadium, currently the training ground for the Barça team, where we also followed in the footsteps (literally!) of famous sporting legends, like Michael Jordan and Roger Federer.
We continued our tour around the city, taking in the delights of churros and helados (ice-creams!) on more than one occasion, as well as the beautiful architecture and history that is hidden around every corner. We took in many of Gaudí’s legacies, including the breath-taking Sagrada Familia, his intricately designed houses and the fun and colourful Park Güell.
Our trip to a local school was a highlight for many, realising their ability to communicate in Spanish with other children during a lively games session. An afternoon at the beach was also a highpoint, taking in the sun, sand, and a paddle in the sea, alongside football and sand fortress making. Finally, paella making proved popular and we hope that the culinary delights created in Barcelona appear on your tables at home very soon!
Normandy
In Normandy the children visited a goat farm and were able to brush and feed the goats. The brave ones tasted the cheese that Tony, the farmer, makes.
"Tony spoke French the whole time and when I pointed this out to some of the children, they were so surprised, they didn’t realise, and this is the true magic of learning outside the classroom."
Mme Bennison, French teacher
We walked seven kilometres across the bay of Mont St Michel, went (safely) through quick sand and rivers and discovered the stunning historic island.
We walked through the countryside and took a rest to draw the beautiful view from the top of the gorge.
We visited the Bayeux tapestry and William the Conqueror’s castle, which supports our History curriculum; we went on a town trail around Falaise and had to solve all the clues in French. The children shopped at the market to buy their own picnic lunch. Food is always a highlight in France and the snails on the last evening were yummy!
For both teams, French and Spanish, besides practising their language skills, discovering art and history, they also learnt to budget money, cross the road safely, keep their belongings safe in Las Ramblas and support friends when necessary. The trips were filled with big smiles, new discoveries and fond memories which will hopefully last a long time.
