Year 8 Paris Trip

We had a fantastic trip to France with Year 8, spending five days discovering key landmarks and monuments in and around Paris. From the Louvre to The Avenue des Champs-Élysées and from the Chateau of Versailles to Parc Asterix our students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and have shown a level of maturity and responsibility we should all be proud of.

On the first day, we travelled to Vimy Ridge, the site of a First World War battlefield, to break our journey. Here the students visited underground tunnels and trenches before spending time at the Canadian National Memorial. Students read War poetry and used the school prayer for a moment’s reflection.

Day two saw a visit to the centre of Paris and lots and lots of walking! The morning started with a visit to the Sacre Coeur and the Place du Tertre, where we watched live artists at work. This was followed by a visit to the Centre Pompidou and the Hôtel de Ville. Although visiting the Eiffel Tower was one of the highlights of our trip, we also had the opportunity to visit Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and its pyramids, followed by a game of football at the Tuileries gardens. Another highlight was being able to shop along Champs-Élysées, where there were so many shops that aren’t available in Leeds, such as Sephora. A student commented that ‘walking through the streets of Paris was memorable’, and going into the various shops and cafes allowed us to practise our French speaking, which was very helpful and helped us step outside of our comfort zones.

Day three saw a visit to the Chateau of Versailles, following a market challenge around the town where students worked in small groups to discover more about food and drink in France. There was also a challenge for the best French speaker and who could barter the biggest deal. Mr Drummond then led a tour around the Château where we were able to see the Hall of Mirrors and where the Treaty of Versailles was signed. In the afternoon, following a meal at a crêperie, we made our way back to Paris. We had an excellent perspective of the Eiffel Tower from the Bateau Parisien boat trip, and the surrounding scenery was lovely.

On day four we had the opportunity to visit the Theme Park Parc Asterix. We had already studied this in class as part of the unit of work on a day trip, so it was great to be able to see the characters of the comic and try the different rides.

Finally, it was sadly time to return to England early on Friday morning. We visited a Chocolaterie where we sampled the different types of chocolate and had a guided tour.

The coach journey was certainly more sedate than on the way there, with the students exhausted yet exhilarated after their varied and action-packed itinerary, where culture and language met with fantasy and dreams!