By Emma, Helene, Tara, Maziah and Scarlett

France allowed us to learn not only about French culture, but also about each other. A group of nine students and two teachers ventured to Poitiers, in the centre of France, for a week of different activities. These included swimming, tasting French cuisine, historic town excursions, picnics and an outdoor theatre experience.

The trip began on a crisp morning at St Pancras station. We were surprisingly excited for a group that had barely had any sleep the night before. After a long commute, we arrived at our hotel; a scenic and modern building with a swimming pool and a games room. Our first meal was at a charming restaurant.

The highlight of the week was a trip to the science-themed amusement park, Futuroscope. Our favourite ride was Arthur et les Minimoys ("Arthur and the Invisibles"), which was an unforgettable 4-D experience.

We also enjoyed our trip to Chauvigny, where we had a tour of the medieval village and learnt about the history of the town – in French of course!

After each day, we presented individually to the group (in French) about what we had learnt, and our favourite experiences of the day.

We all agree in saying that we feel more connected as a group. We even managed to convince both teachers and students to rap and dance!

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