La Belle Vie in Paris

Some of our GCSE students experienced a very different type of schooling when they went on exchange in Paris over half-term. Colège Stanislas is one of the most prestigious schools in the city, but very different to a British school with over 3,000 pupils. The other differences? One of our Year 10 girls, Amelia, explained, 'Lessons are taught lecture-style, the approach is not at all personalised and teachers still use chalkboards. But, everyone was very welcoming, keen to help us learn more French, and friendly.'

During the trip, they also enjoyed two tours around Paris, including the opportunity to visit Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, and the Latin Quarter and the Sorbonne. They had already met their French exchange partners, who visited The Laurels in January, and were welcomed into their families.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed their experience of French school. Amelia commented, 'I was terrified beforehand about making mistakes, but benefited so much from the week's immersion that I'm already planning to spend more time in Paris over the summer.'