A small group of sixth-formers and a larger party of some of QE’s youngest pupils all enjoyed a Languages department trip to a château in Normandy.
Forty-four boys from the current Year 8 benefited from the opportunity to practise their French while undertaking a very diverse range of activities at the Château de la Baudonni& egrave;re, near Avranches. They also enjoyed trips to attractions including the Bayeux Tapestry.
The six Sixth-Formers worked in local businesses – a restaurant, florist, dental surgery and farm – which were selected according to their own interests. In addition, they received specially tailored oral classes relating to the A2 (A-level) syllabus on aspects of contemporary French society and culture. Specific topics covered included racism and the marginalised.
The activities sampled by the younger boys included:
- Raft-building
- Assault course exercises
- Archery
- Rock-climbing
- Feeding animals kept in the château grounds
- French lessons
- French bread-making
Languages teacher Gill Ross said: “All activities were conducted in French by native speakers, as were mealtimes. The boys’ French – both speaking and comprehension – improved dramatically by the end of the week.
“Off-site, as well as the Bayeux Tapestry, we visited the 360-degree cinema at Arromanches, where we saw a film about the D-Day Landings in June 1944, and we s aw the beaches where the Allies landed,” Mrs Ross added.