Our Spanish Exchange

What a fantastic and unforgettable week we had this term with our Spanish friends!

This is the third year that we have run an exchange programme with our partner school (Nuryana School) in Tenerife, Spain. This year we hosted 25 students from Year 9, 10 and 12, and welcomed three fantastic and dedicated Spanish teachers.  It was lovely to see the Spanish students in our school, attending lessons, eating at the canteen and making new friendships at break time. We have been very impressed with their level of English and their confidence and resilience. They participated actively in lessons and contributing with ideas and opinions. 

During the week we went to Brighton, where we visited the Royal Pavilion, and enjoyed the beach, pier and lanes. All students loved the city and want to come back again soon!  We also explored Chichester together, although the best part for our students was playing football, rounders and eating cake in the park. A great opportunity to bond together as a group!

On Saturday we visited HMS Victory and the Mary Rose museum in Old Portsmouth. We finished the day with a delicious fish and chips lunch in a traditional English pub. A lot of students got together in the evening to watch "el clásico", Real Madrid - Athlético de Madrid football match. Sunday was a relaxing day with the families. Most students went to the beach, ate a traditional English roast and also went bowling together. 

Saying goodbye on the last day was quite emotional but the majority of students were organising their own future trips to see each other again. Some of the Spanish students did not want to leave! They said they have had a wonderful time here and wanted to stay a bit longer. We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the parents who sent us lovely emails thanking us for organising the exchange, and for being such great hosts. All the Spanish students left with a smile on their faces and incredible experiences to remember.

We are all looking forward to our trip to Tenerife in June and seeing our friends again!

Elizabeth López Gamero

Team Leader of Spanish & International School Coordinator