In Year 8 our students are given the opportunity to visit France for a week during April. The trip is to the Opal Coast, a stretch of coastline between the ports of Calais and Boulogne. It is known for its beautiful cliffs and has served as inspiration for many artists including Charles Dickens.
During the trip our students visit College Lucien Vadez in Calais, our partner school in France, while there our students meet French students, attend lessons and learn about school life in France. Excursions during the trip include vivits to a boulangerie, where students are given a demonstration on traditional bread making and a chocolate factory, where students get the chance to make their own sweets.
Year 8 Students from our French partner school visit York each year in January and spend a morning at Millthorpe. Students take part in lessons, have a tour of the school, meet our own students and have lunch together in the dining hall.
In March Year 9 German students from Geswishter Scholl Gymnasium in Stadtlohn, our German partner school, stay with the families of their English partners in York. During their week long stay they attend lessons with their partners at Millthorpe and also visit tourist attractions around the city.
Millthorpe students visit Stadtlohn in June to experience school and family life in Germany. Our students stay with their partners families and accompany them to school attending many of the lessons. At the end of the week the students have a farewell barbeque, weather permitting.
The exchange provides a unique opportunity for students, from both Millthorpe and our German partner school, to practice their language skills and also experience life in each others countries.
Due to an increased number of students studying Spanish in school this year it has been possible to set up an email exchange and visit with Spanish students visiting York in the Autumn term. Students in Years 10 and 11 have the opportunity to be paired with Spanish students who are visiting the city for two weeks as part of an intensive English study programme.
The Spanish students accompany their partners to morning lessons at Millthorpe and also take part in sports activities in school. The students go out on visits together which include going to Scarborough, Skipton Castle and Leeds. The majority of students stay in touch following the visit.
In the penultimate week of the Summer term we will be running our first pre-'A'-Level study visit to Paris for ex-Y11 students who will be continuing French at 'A' level.