German & History Exchange
Sixteen students from Year 11 and 13 set off to Melle in Lower Saxony on 8th March. During our stay we attended school on two mornings to get a taste of German school life. Things are so different – teachers in jeans, a very gentle bell ring between lessons; all lessons are doubles, i.e. two lessons of 45 
minutes in a block with a five minute break in the middle. We had a German or history workshop on the last afternoon where we were able to practise for our GCSE and A Level German speaking exams with our partners or get an overview of German history. We enjoyed a day visiting Bremen where we learnt a lot about the city and its history on a treasure hunt. We also spent a lot of time with our German partners in groups in the evening and at the weekend – shopping, bowling, watching films or handball matches, eating, a wind band concert and more! We had such a huge learning experience with a lot of fun along the way. Several of the partners are already arranging to meet up again in the summer – lifelong friendships have developed!