Year 12 Residential to France

Over three unforgettable days, our Year 12s threw themselves into every challenge — and we couldn’t be prouder. From early starts to late-night giggles around campfires and shared meals, they showed maturity, kindness and real grit.

A special shout-out for their brilliant attitude to our evening phone hand-in (some might have been more reluctant than others – and may have needed more convincing than others to hand over their phones – but they did in the end).  By stepping away from screens, students stepped into new conversations, forged fresh friendships across all House groups and found confidence they didn’t know they had.

They completed team tasks and leadership games, a French hypermarket challenge putting budgeting and language into action, a town trail in Berck-sur-Mer, impromptu footie, and the kind of “good-old-days” chats that only happen when phones are tucked away.  Exactly the growth we hoped for — they banked memories to carry into the year ahead and life, supported each other through tricky moments, celebrated the wins, and kept going when it got tough.

Parents have echoed this: feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive,” with many students “surprised by just how enjoyable and memorable the experience turned out to be,” and delighted to have formed “unexpected new friendships, particularly with some of the new external joiners.” Others summed it up simply as “a brilliant trip” and thanked staff for giving students “such a great opportunity,” while several noted our “warm, thoughtful and reassuring communication” before and during the visit.

We are incredibly proud of our students — for how they represented the school, the courage they showed, the community they built, and, yes, for discovering they can survive without their mobiles (for a few hours!). A huge thank you to the staff team for creating the conditions for all of this to happen.

Stella Richi, Deputy Head of Sixth Form