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Fifty of QE’s younger pupils joined four sixth-formers to learn together about the Normandy landings in a new activity arranged especially for their summer visit to France.

The Lower School boys and French A-level students were on the School’s long-running trip to the Château de la Baudonnière in Normandy – an action-packed week of French language, culture, history, and adventure.

In previous years, QE groups have visited the Bayeux Tapestry, but since that is currently on loan to the British Museum, this year’s trip organisers seized the opportunity to take a close look at D-Day – the Allied landings on 6 June, 1944 – and other aspects of France’s World War II history.

Their excursion day started with a visit to the Mémorial de Caen museum.

French & German teacher Fiona McAndrew, who led the trip, said: “This provided a useful introduction for the Year 7s, and gave valuable context to the A-level students, who study Un sac de billes by Joseph Joffo, a novel set during the Nazi occupation of France.”

In the afternoon, a museum guide accompanied them to see the American Cemetery – which is close to one of the landing beaches – and a German gun emplacement, where the pupils learned more about the German defences.

“Having a guide with us really brought this critical period of modern history to life for the students and gave them a better understanding of the importance of the Normandy landings to the outcome of World War Two and of the human sacrifice that required,” Mrs McAndrew added.

Set in 100 acres of beautiful woodland and countryside, the château provided an immersive environment in which boys could practise their spoken French while taking part in a wide range of activities and working together as a team.

The pupils were encouraged to challenge themselves. The programme included raft-building, archery, and climbing.

There was also the somewhat infamous assault course, offering opportunities aplenty to get wet and muddy. Jason Xu, who has just entered Year 8, said: “There were moments when it was tempting to give up, but everyone encouraged each other and kept going. Finishing the course felt like a real achievement.”

Naturally enough, the trip featured French cuisine, including croissants, baguettes, cheese and even snails.

Beyond developing their confidence in French, the week encouraged the boys to work collaboratively, experience a different culture, and live communally with their peers. For the younger boys, it was an introduction to learning beyond the classroom, while the Year 12 students were able to put their A-level French into practice in an authentic setting.

Lele Cen, of Year 8, said: “It is very different using French in a classroom compared with hearing people speak it in France! I tried to listen carefully, recognise familiar words and use French whenever I had the opportunity. Even when I was not completely sure what to say, it was good to have a go.”

Afterwards, Kush Thakore, also of Year 8, reflected on the whole experience: “The Normandy trip proved that a challenge does not always have to be something huge. Sometimes it is about stepping outside your comfort zone, trying something difficult and being willing to make mistakes.”

The pupils were accompanied by Mrs McAndrew and by: Assistant Head (Destinations & Progress) Robert Hyland; French & German teacher Elisa Perra; QE Flourish tutor & Biology teacher Sam Acors; and Biology teacher Darren Goffin.

• Click on the thumbnails to view the images. 

Twenty-four French pupils visiting QE as part of their language exchange had ample opportunities to express themselves during their week-long stay – and not always with words!

The boys and girls from the Institution Saint-Pierre gave free rein to their creative side in activities that included a hip-hop workshop held just for fun, as well as an English literature and poetry class led by Head of English Robert Hyland.

Having worked up an appetite through the dance and through outdoor team-building activities, they were sent on their way on their last day with a full English breakfast, courtesy of the School canteen.

Head of Languages Helen Shephard said: “We welcomed our French visitors by providing a range of varied and enriching cultural visits and activities, and giving them a taste of QE life in which staff across the School delivered a series of fun and educational activities.

“They stayed with QE families, benefitting from language immersion, and had the chance to participate in classes with their QE correspondents, who are drawn from Years 8 and 12.

Highlights of the week at QE included visiting the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio and taking in iconic London sites.

“With bonds developed and friendships made, we now look forward to the return leg to Bourg-en-Bresse [between Lyon and Geneva, at the foot of the Jura mountains in south-east France] in June.

“Immersion in a foreign language is a key aspect of language-learning in Key Stage 3,” Dr Shephard said, explaining the importance of the exchange, which has been running since 2010.

“By the time boys become A-level linguists, they are fully conversant, and confident in their speaking, reading and writing skills.”

One prime example of this is the participation of QE sixth-formers in the Institut Français’ annual Joutes Oratoires Lycéennes national debating competition.

This year, four students (Year 13’s Edward Muscat and Colin Copcea, and Year 12’s Akira Norimura and Jun Lin) reached the Final d’Or – Gold Final – at the London heat, hosted by St Paul’s Girls’ School, after achieving high scores in the qualifying rounds.

Edward and Colin finished fourth in the Final d’Or, thus narrowly missing out on progressing to the national final held at the London headquarters of the Institut Français.

The competition involves debating complex and thought-provoking motions entirely in French.

The motion they had to support was: Centrist political parties should not collaborate with extremist political parties. With 15 minutes to prepare and no access to the internet (by phone or laptop), the boys had to rely on their knowledge of politics in the past and present. “It was certainly a pertinent topic in light of the current political climate,” said Dr Shephard.

Colin said: “This was a highly enjoyable experience, which helped us improve our spontaneity in French oracy.”

Year 10 linguists and historians teamed up to explore how Berlin emerged from a 20th-century history stained by Nazism and the Cold War to thrive as a modern capital.

Forty boys – 15 more than last year – headed to the German capital for the four-day trip, with German linguists this year joining GCSE History students.

The Deutschlandmuseum – an immersive museum of German history opened in 2023 – was added to the 2026 itinerary, together with a cruise down Berlin’s River Spree.

History and Politics teacher John Haswell said: “The entire landscape of Berlin is marked by its traumatic past. I hope visiting will have given the students a taste for further travel in Germany, but also helped them see how the ruptures of the 20th century continue to shape this dynamic city.

“Given our Year 10 historians have covered both Nazi Germany and the Cold War, there really isn’t a better place to visit.”

Day 1 began with a walking tour, which ended at the Reichstag – Germany’s historic legislative government building – where the group enjoyed stunning night views of the famous Brandenburg Gate landmark.

On the second day, it was time for a closer look at the Third Reich: the boys and their accompanying teachers visited: the Jewish Museum Berlin (the largest Jewish museum in Europe); Topography of Terror (a history museum on the site of the SS and Gestapo headquarters); and the German Resistance Memorial Centre.

Day 3 brought a whistle-stop tour of Cold War history. The party took in iconic sites such as the Berlin Wall, which from 1961 to 1989 divided East and West Berlin, also visiting the DDR Museum (covering the former East German republic).

On the final day, the group took a sunny walk along the East Side Gallery – the most famous section of the Berlin Wall, which is today one of the world’s longest outdoor art galleries.

Pupil Shuo Zhen Long said visiting different parts of the Berlin Wall had underlined for him its significance in the control that the East German government, supported by the USSR, had been able to exert over the city. He added that he enjoyed the guided tours “where we visited many historic and recently built buildings and learnt about the history of the areas surrounding them”.

Click on the thumbnails to view the images. 

While his 20 fellow pupils savoured the culture of the German capital during a four-day trip – and then told their classmates about it afterwards in the local language – Year 13 pupil Amogh Somayaji enjoyed making his escape over the Berlin Wall.

His light-hearted attempt to flee – an action which could once have resulted in him being shot – came part-way through the busy trip, during which the group of senior pupils focused on Berlin’s history over the past 100 years or more.

Languages teacher Katrin Hood said: “Year 12 have a module on Berlin: we learn about the architecture of the city, its cultural and social role, and how immigration plays a part in making modern Germany. So, to experience the city’s atmosphere first-hand is wonderful.”

The group comprised mostly sixth-formers, with a small number of Year 11 boys joining them. They were accompanied by Assistant Head of Languages Burgunde Lukasser-Weitlaner, Ms Hood and Languages Assistant Corinna Illingworth.

Arriving in Berlin from London City Airport after a very early start, the boys wasted no time before setting off on the first of a number of guided walking tours.

Over the four days, their activities also included:

• Visiting the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Jewish Museum
• Enjoying a boat trip, an open-air art gallery and a bowling trip
• Visiting a TV tower, going on an underground tour and seeing a nuclear fallout shelter
• Going to the (East) German Democratic Republic (DDR) museum and to the Berlin Wall
• A trip to the Reichstag (parliament building).

The groups formed from those staying in each room at the hotel had to deliver a presentation in German about a cultural highlight. Pictured is one group delivering theirs on a visit to the Treptower Park, a popular spot with Berliners, which houses the Soviet War Memorial. Each room also prepared a round for the party’s quiz night.

Year 12’s Felix Calder said: “This trip was amazing – so much history to study, some beautiful views of the city at night, and a valuable insight into German culture. So many amazing memories were made, and I hope to visit the city many more times in my life.”

During Year 12, the German A-level students watch a film, Goodbye Lenin, set around the fall of the Berlin Wall, so the trip was useful in helping them understand more about that time, Ms Hood said.

After their return via Heathrow airport, Ms Hood reflected on the four days. “What a pleasure it was to spend a few days with our wonderful students in Berlin. It was great to see them engage so fully in all of the planned activities, and to see lots of what we have already talked about in the classroom come to life.”

2024 School Captain Chanakya Seetharam relished learning about German culture, benefitted greatly from his deep dive into the language, and met many  “incredible people” – including an Old Elizabethan – during a three-week trip as a Dresden Scholar.

An A-level German student, Chanakya was nominated by the School for one of the prestigious scholarships offered by the Dresden Trust, a British charity that fosters relations with the eastern German city of Dresden. One of the greatest centres of European culture, Dresden, which is in Saxony, was destroyed by Allied bombing in February 1945.

His visit was hosted by a German family and included lessons at the St Benno-Gymnasium (a ‘Gymnasium’ is roughly equivalent to a grammar school), as well as plenty of time to explore.

In his report on his visit, Chanakya said: “My time in Dresden was simply unforgettable. I have learned so much about German culture, the German language, and have met such incredible people. Most of all, however, my experience is a testament to the profound benefits of language-learning.”

Like QE, the St Benno-Gymnasium, has a long and proud history, having been established in 1709 to educate boy choristers (‘Kapellknaben’).

“Each school year begins with a church service in the Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross) at which new students receive a model fish representing the school logo (the ichthys) to symbolise their acceptance into the school community. This year, the Year 6s were kind enough to make extra ‘Benno fish’ to be presented to the school’s exchange students. I certainly felt incredibly welcome being presented my fish at the end of a service that had otherwise been full of lovely German choral music,” he wrote.

“I also took great pleasure in noticing smaller differences between QE and school in Germany. The lack of uniform was perhaps the most immediately noticeable, but equally surprising was the discovery that chalk boards remain a common feature of classrooms across the country.

“Far from the stereotype that Germans are cold, all the students and teachers I met were incredibly lovely.”

Similarly, he greatly appreciated his host family’s “incredible warmness and openness to conversation”. He was able to talk to them about “the legacy of the GDR [German Democratic Republic – the communist east German state], life in modern Germany, and – much to my delight – German politics in the weeks leading up to Saxony’s state elections”.

Chanakya also enjoyed the reminder of home brought by 2024 QE leaver Arjun Patel. Arjun was in Dresden on his swansong tour with the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain. Chanakya attended one of his concerts at the ‘Auferstehungskirche’ (‘Church of the Resurrection’) and spoke to him afterwards.

During his free hours, he enjoyed exploring the city, especially its “gorgeous baroque church – the ‘Frauenkirche’ (‘Church of Our Lady’)”. This was rebuilt following its destruction in World War II, with the support of benefactors including the Dresden Trust

“A beautiful artistic rendering of the Old City is to be found in a painting by the Venetian artist Bernardo Bellotto often called the Canaletto-Blick,” he wrote. “I was lucky enough to see the painting up close when visiting the city’s Alte Meister (Old Masters) gallery.”

He concluded: “Without my German lessons at QE, I simply would not have been able to engage with another culture and build relationships in the way that I have. The lesson? Keep at it with the adjective endings!”

• To read Chanakya’s report in full, click here.

Two four-day trips to Provence and Rome respectively provided boys with the opportunity to see at first-hand many marvels of the ancient world, alongside stunning scenery and modern attractions.

Arranged with an emphasis on classical history and culture, the Latin trips organised by the Languages department provided a packed programme of activities.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We firmly believe that what pupils learn in the classroom can be greatly enriched by carefully curated trips and visits. That is certainly true of a subject such as Latin: there really is nothing like visiting the wonders of the ancient world for stimulating interest in ancient languages and in Classics more generally.”

Vivan Paul, of Year 10, was one of the pupils on the Rome trip: “I thoroughly enjoyed the sightseeing segment, and appreciated how we were able to visit numerous destinations in a relatively short time frame.”

After arriving for an early lunch on the first day, the boys had the chance to stretch their legs and explore Ostia Antica – the city’s Roman mini seaport. Day two included a guided tour of Vatican City and St Peter’s Basilica – one of the highlights for Vivan’s fellow Year 10 boy Tapash Gurung: “What I liked was the experience, going to the Vatican, and being able to explore Roman heritage and buildings. Overall, it was an amazing trip, filled with fond memories and amazing experiences: thank you to everyone who made this happen!” 

The trip also took in the Capitoline Museums (considered to be the first museums in the world) and the acclaimed ruins of the Baths of Caracalla. On the third day, after their guided tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Foro Romano, afternoon temperatures hit 40C, forcing the party to seek some shelter. On the final day, the boys enjoyed the Leonardo da Vinci experience and spending time at the Pantheon and the Trevi fountain, before heading home. 

The boys who made the trip to Provence in France also reported having had a memorable time. They likewise took in Roman ruins, but often in more rural settings. 

Siddarth Chidipudi, of Year 8, said: “We visited a variety of old Roman amphitheatres, ranging from one nearly as ‘colossal’ as the Colosseum itself to some that were more small and exclusive. We visited the idyllic mountaintop town of Arles, packed with local shops and homes and surrounded by breathtaking mountains. We also went to the magnificent Roman aqueduct of Pont Du Guard and saw the museum there.” 

The French experience started with a visit to Orange. The boys visited the Arc de Triomphe d’Orange Théâtre Antique and the municipal museum, before taking the opportunity to wander around the old town. The following day saw the boys with further free time in Arles, before a tour of the amphitheatre and Roman baths.  

After visiting Avignon in the morning of the third day, the boys took part in activities at the Parc Aventure Oxygène at Vaison La Romaine. The tree-top adventure park offers orienteering, slack-lining, climbing and zip wire runs. 

Year 8’s Galinghan Balamurugan particularly enjoyed this day: “It was very fun and extremely memorable, especially with the adventure park. A great way to finish the trip, feeling one with nature and being surrounded by greenery. In my opinion, the best part of the adventure park was the zip line at the end.” 

His contemporary, Kiaan Kariholu, summarised the whole experience: “I enjoyed visiting the different towns and exploring the markets by ourselves. My favourite part was trying some passion-fruit ice cream, which tasted really nice. There was nothing that I didn’t like: overall, it was a really a nice and fun trip, where we could experience traditional culture with our friends.” 

Arjun Darade, also of Year 8, similarly appreciated the “historical marvels” on his “fantastic” Provence trip: “There was nothing I didn’t like.”

• Click on the thumbnails below to view the images.