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During the week before half term, 40 students travelled to Seville, Spain to immerse ourselves in the Spanish language and culture. Not only did we explore the beautiful architecture and learn about the heritage of Seville and Granada, we stayed with Spanish host families and would often go out with them in the evenings. It’s fair to say that everyone's feet hurt by the end of each day! It was a fascinating way for the students of years 11, 12 and 13 to see first-hand the culture and traditions learnt about in our courses, and a great way to develop not only the understanding of the language, but to increase confidence in using it. Many host families spoke little or no English and this gave students a way of showing off our skills and many hosts spoke to teachers on the trip explaining how impressed they were with the level of understanding these students had. “The families were a delight to stay with”; as James Bach, one of our year 13 students, said “the family was perfect and Davide, Callum and I could not have asked for more”. Winnie, a year 11 echoed this sentiment by saying “I enjoyed every moment; the family was amazing. We felt very welcomed and enjoyed talking to the family.”  On the first day we visited La Giralda, one of the largest cathedrals in the world, and climbed up the 34 ramps that led to the top of the bell tower, with an amazing view of the city. We also learnt about the history of flamenco at the Museum of Flamenco Dance, in preparation for the following day, when we learnt a flamenco routine. The same day, we also visited El Real Alcázar, the beautiful palace in Seville, and its stunning gardens, before going to a paella cooking class. It was delicious! 

On Thursday, we travelled to La Alhambra in Granada, finding out more about the history of the Moors, and seeing the stunning Muslim architecture. On the last day, we went to a local high school, which was a lovely opportunity to talk in Spanish with people of our own age, and the favourite activity of many students. Scarlett Street in year 11 said, “The trip to Spain was really fun, my favourite part was definitely visiting the school!”. Our last stop was the Plaza de España which was built in 1928 to celebrate the relationship between Spain, Portugal and Latin America. Ella Douse in year 11 said, “The trip to Seville was very exciting and enjoyable, my favourite part was visiting the school and the paella. Each day was very interesting and memorable.” We also had the opportunity to enjoy chocolate con churros and tapas! Everybody really enjoyed the trip and had an amazing time practising their Spanish and learning about the culture of Seville. Thank you to Ms Vann for organizing such an exciting trip and Mrs Brown, Miss Bell and Madame Strudwick for coming with us!

Anika McMorrow, Sarah Aiken, Amy Chase and Rebecca Williams, Year 12