To start their trip, students were reunited with their pen pals, who visited Shoreham last month, to experience a day-in-the-life at a secondary school in France. Upon arriving at the school, College Croix Maitre Renault, the students and staff from Shoreham Academy were given a warm welcome and a tour of the school. Together they also competed in groups doing a general knowledge quiz in both French and English, and a basketball tournament was held between the two schools.

 

After saying a sad goodbye to their French friends, the group of 45 students continued their trip to visit some of the most renowned sights Paris has to offer – Montmatre, the Sacre Cœur, Montparnasse – as well as experiencing a boat tour of the Seine. Alongside practising their French skills, the students also enjoyed tasting typical French cuisine at Bouillon Chartier Restaurant.

 

On their final day, students took a fun trip to Parc Asterix before heading home from what was a unique and unforgettable experience.

 

Evelyn, a Year 10 student on the trip, said:

 

"This trip was the highlight of my time at Shoreham Academy so far."

 

Another student on the trip, Luke, said:

 

"I got to try so many different things I had never tried before, it was great."

 

William Tromans, member of staff at Shoreham Academy who has been running the trip since 2003, said:

 

“It is a pleasure to run yet another successful trip for the students, who got the opportunity to take their language skills from the classroom and apply them to real life. Every year, it always a nice moment to witness them meeting their French pen pals and making friends with young people their age who have grown up in a different environment to them.

 

“I would like to thank the accompanying teachers for their hard work: Mrs Messent, Ms Hill, Miss Belgeone and Miss Martin. Thanks to them we are able to run trips like these, and offer this memorable experience for our students, and we hope to continue doing so for many more years to come.”