French Exchange Programme

We have recently set up an email exchange with Lycée Jules Ferry School in Paris.

Last term, our year 10 students compiled a presentation to share with the Parisian students. It showed the county of Rutland and the town of Oakham as the ideal holiday destination. Our students filmed, and narrated in French, videos of attractions around the region.

The teacher of the ‘seconde’ class in Paris, Madame Vaninetti, arrived at work a few weeks ago to find the students were on strike and had barricaded the entrance to the lycée – this in protest to the government’s decision to go ahead with external examinations for final year baccalauréat students despite the lengthy period of upheaval to the students’ education due to school closures. Madame Vaninetti shared some photos with our students – a good insight into the French tradition of demonstrating and striking to get your voice heard!

We are hopeful that next academic year, in Spring 2022, students in year 10, 12 and 13 will be able to travel to Paris and stay with French families from the lycée. This would potentially allow Catmose students who go on to study French a Level at Harington to visit the same family several times, developing a strong relationship and giving the students a great boost in terms of language skills and cultural awareness.