Following the resounding success of the recent visit by French school, College Arthur Rimbaud, students from Greenfield Community College were excited to be crossing the channel to enjoy the chance to experience another culture and be reunited with staff and students from Amiens.
The project ‘STEAM’ has been a great experience and students were keen to learn more about heritage, culture and creativity via their host school in Amiens. The international project, funded through the Lefevre Trust in conjunction with the British Council, has focused upon transport, past, present and future. Students were able to gain a valuable insight as they immersed themselves in French culture, sampled local trains and worked with a local artist to develop innovative ideas about transport in the future.
Students also built upon their friendships and had been keen to keep in touch through writing letters between visits, this has been a lovely way to strengthen links, make friends and improve language skills. The following comments are a sample from students showing a positive reflection on the value of the project:
“I had a great time, it helped develop my language and taught me to be more independent. It built my knowledge on the history of transport and French Culture” – Grace
“Being part of the whole project has taught me I can work better if I work with others, I have learnt to be resilient” – Callum
“This project was a great life experience for me probably one of my best life experiences ever” – Harry
Students also had the chance to visit local landmarks such as ‘The Baie du Somme, St Valery Sur Somme and Amiens, taking in French culture and heritage as they travelled. Subject Specialist, Mrs Ali Dixon who led the project was full of praise for the students, “This project has really enabled this group of young people to consider how our learning environment can mirror the modern, interconnected world in which we and our students live. International learning experiences prepare our students for life in Global Britain and beyond these shores, I am super proud of their achievements”, said Mrs Dixon.
To finalise the project staff and students have been invited to speak about cross-curricular links and the impact on language skills at the ‘Our Classrooms Through a Lens’ Conference at Beamish Hall.
