This week, 23 Post-16 students had the opportunity to visit Paris. The wonderful and vibrant European capital city is one of the most visited in the world, with 48.7 million tourists last year. Our students became part of this statistic as they enjoyed discovering la Ville Lumière
They visited many of the city’s most famous historical landmarks, including the Louvre Pyramid, the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Château de Versailles. We must not forget the Montmartre district, where art feels accessible to everyone and where many famous painters once lived.
Our students learned a great deal about the history of these landmarks, buildings, and cultural features, as well as the reasons they are so significant to the city. They were also truly impressed by the architectural style and elegance of these remarkable edifices.
In the evenings, the students also had the chance to experience Parisian nightlife by dining in a traditional brasserie and enjoying typical French dishes—another authentic cultural moment that they greatly appreciated. Talking about nightlife, it must be said that the students also had the wonderful opportunity to discover Paris by night from the top of the Montparnasse Tower.
However, this trip was not only about sightseeing. It was also about meeting people from Paris—young people who share similar experiences and challenges. Our students spent a whole day with a group of Year 12 French students from le Lycée Carcado-Saisseval. They spent the morning at the school, working together and putting our 6Cs principles into action. Communication and collaboration flowed naturally between the French and English students, creating a rich and memorable real-life learning experience.
Together, they took part in ice-breaker activities and presented their schools to each other in the target language of the host country. They then joined three discussion workshops based on their interests: teenage life, diversity, and AI. Each group created a poster to summarise their ideas and presented it to the whole class.
In the afternoon, the students explored Paris through a city rally—what better way to learn in a real-life setting filled with culture and history?
It is also worth mentioning that the group navigated Paris using the metro and other public transport, which not only strengthened their independence but also allowed them to experience the daily life of local Parisians—les Parisiens dans leur vie de tous les jours.
If you want to know more about our trip please see our Bosworth Academy X, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Sébastien Mainard: Senior Leader Practitioner for the Life MAT & Head of the MFL faculty,
Emma Cotton, Lead Practitioner and associate SLT,
Margaux Connan, MFL assistant for the Life MAT.