On Saturday 2nd May, we flew out to Montpellier with a group of 12 MFL teachers from all over the country, to find out why the city makes such a great choice of destination for school language trips.
Montpellier is one of our favourite cities in France. Not only offering 300 days of sunshine each year, it also offers history, culture and incredible food and is also within easy reach of some lovely beaches. This university city has long been associated with education and the number of students here gives it a youthful atmosphere that pupils seem to really enjoy.
We arrange a number of language trips to Montpellier each year – some of our regulars include Ibstock Place School, Shrewsbury School, Rugby School and Badminton School. We always receive very positive feedback from students regarding their experiences, with many claiming an increased confidence in their spoken French, which comes as a direct result of having been totally immersed in the language and culture.
Our inspection visit, which sold out in record time, gave teachers the opportunity to discover what the city can offer their students. On the first day, we enjoyed a guided walking tour of Montpellier, which allowed us to really appreciate the breathtaking beauty of this lovely Mediterranean city. We also visited some example work experience placements, to give our teachers a better idea of what our Work Experience Abroad trips entail.
We then visited the Odysseum Leisure Park, which offers an aquarium, planetarium and ice-skating rinks, alongside some excellent shopping and restaurants, before enjoying a delicious meal in the lovely Place St. Roch.
An excursion on the following day took us to one of the nearby beaches, where we enjoyed another lovely meal. On the final day we visited the language school that we work with in Montpellier, allowing our group of teachers to inspect the facilities offered to language students, including the residence, cookery school and summer junior centre.
We had a fantastic time and hope that our teachers did too! A teacher from Edgbaston School who accompanied us on the visit said:
"Firstly, I wanted to say thank you for organising the inspection visit over the weekend. I had a great time – it was just the right balance of activities, relaxation and promotion. The group size was also ideal and I think we all genuinely got on well, which made the weekend even more enjoyable. I learnt a great deal about what Halsbury has to offer and have returned to school this morning refreshed and full of ideas!"
If you are interested in joining us on a future inspection visit, please do not hesitate to contact us to register your interest.