Twenty-eight Year 8 students from our school spent three nights at Chateau de Warsy in Northern France, where they enjoyed evening sporting activities such as volleyball and petanque at the ‘Chateau Olympics’, and slept in eco pods in the castle grounds.

Daytime excursions included a morning at Go Ape outdoor adventure park, where the group took to the treetops; a guided walk around the nearby town of Montdidier; the outing to the World War I French cemetery; and a tour of Paris.

“The highlights of the trip were the excellent time in the woods at Go Ape – with six different levels of difficulty of the trails, pupils and teachers were able to enjoy the activity at a comfortable challenge – and seeing the sights of Paris, along with preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games,” said Leah Hawkins, who is Modern Foreign Languages Lead at Smithdon and accompanied the students, along with Modern Foreign Languages Teacher Melanie Collard, Art Teacher Laura Ruskin, and volunteer Mark Birks.

“On Sunday, we spent the day in Paris, climbing up all the steps of the Sacre Coeur, going to the top of the Montparnasse tower to see all the sights of Paris from up high, and then, following a picnic at the base of the Eiffel Tower, a boat trip down the Seine to see more of the famous landmarks,” she continued.

“A water fight to celebrate the trip ensued on Sunday evening, as well as some snail tasting at dinner.

“On Monday, we visited the small town of Etaples for some final shopping prior to the Eurotunnel home.”

The event has become a regular fixture on the calendar at Smithdon, which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“I really enjoyed the trip to Paris to see the sights, and the activities and leaders at the chateau were really fun – especially the Chateau Olympics,” said Akira Ha.

Fellow student Finn Roan agreed: “We rated the trip overall nine out of ten, and our favourite activities were Go Ape and the day trip to Paris where we could see many of the famous sights.”

“The students tried to speak French in the shops and attractions that we visited, used Euros for their purchases, and learnt much about the area on our walking tour,” added Mrs Hawkins.

“These trips are so important for our students to be able to experience the sights and culture of a different country, as well as put into practice the language skills they have developed in their language lessons.”