A Memorable Week with Our French Exchange Students

We were delighted, excited, and perhaps a little bit nervous to welcome 12 French Exchange students on Friday 24 November. Travelling from their homes in Nantes in the west of France, they arrived in time for our very traditional Friday lunch of fish and chips at School, an immediate British barrage for their French tastebuds. Over lunch, they met face-to-face with their RGS buddies, with whom they had already had initial ‘messaging’ conversations started a few weeks before. The pairings got off to such a good start that all RGS buddies had taken their French partners off to their last lesson of the day without their teachers really noticing they had gone!

The Exchange group’s itinerary continued with a settling-in weekend with their host families before a full day in School at RGS Worcester on Monday. We heard lovely stories from teachers of how easily the French fitted in to their classes and, just as impressive, how warm, supportive, and helpful RGS pupils were towards them. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the group had a regional grand tour, taking in the spires of Oxford, Shakespeare’s Stratford and a Civil War History masterclass at the Commandery in Worcester. Our French friends loved following in the footsteps of the Harry Potter cast at Christchurch College, Oxford, yet they also took huge delight in dressing up as soldiers from the English Civil War.

As Friday loomed, several pairs decided to forget the impending separation through fun and games at the Worcester Victorian Fayre on Thursday evening. However, as final goodbyes were begrudgingly made, we were all reminded that our return to Nantes is yet to come – roll on Easter!

Mr Andrew Hutchinson, Head of MFL