‘A group of 25 pupils from years 7-10 spent five sunny, but windy days in an intensive language centre adjacent to the beach of the Mar Menor, in South East Spain. The accommodation was basic, but clean, and the staff were very welcoming. We ate typically Spanish food, including tapas, tortilla española and gazpacho soup, (which we made ourselves from a Spanish recipe).
Every activity on the programme involved the use of practical spoken Spanish including kayaking and sailing, cooking, beach games and volleyball. We visited a local street market and the Roman theatre in Cartagena; and we did a street quiz in the pedestrianised centre of this fabulous city.
The evening entertainment was very popular. There was a fiercely fought music and film competition, and an extremely fun Zumba class. A group of Spanish students from Sevilla, who were also staying at the centre, joined in the dancing. On the last night they danced ‘Sevillanas’, a traditional dance from Sevilla, influenced by Flamenco. A few of our older students have stayed in contact with these students since their return.
The staff at the centre spoke to us entirely in Spanish and it was lovely to see how keen our pupils were to try out their Spanish and to watch their confidence increase noticeably through the week. It was also so good to see how well Heritage pupils from different year groups, with different levels of Spanish got along together and helped each other as friendships developed. We all had a great week, experiencing a taste of Spanish culture and traditions whilst improving vocab, aural and spoken Spanish skills.’ Jenny Fleck

What the pupils thoughts :
‘The Spanish trip was an incredibly educational experience. I really enjoyed visiting the Roman theatre in Cartagena and going shopping. I also loved how we were immediately immersed into the culture. From dancing the salsa to making gazpacho, I felt my understanding and ability to speak Spanish improve dramatically.’
Georgina S

‘I think residential trips, such as our trip to the South of Spain, are essential. Suddenly being immersed in to their fantastic, lively culture has made an enormous impact on my accent, fluency and grammar. Our instructors only spoke Spanish to us, hence the huge improvement in our Spanish. Activities included kayaking, battling the Spanish waves in a dinghy, shopping in a street market and visiting the beautiful city of Cartagena. Overall, it was fantastic!’
Siana B

As the new term begins, we are proud to have Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett’s blue plaque join that of her husband Henry Fawcett outside no. 18 Brookside – where they both lived. Her plaque reads : Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett, 1847-1929. Leading Suffragist. A co-founder of Newnham College. A lifelong campaigner for women’s education and equal citizenship. ‘Courage calls to courage everywhere.’

Dame Millicent was the leader of the peaceful campaign for women’s suffrage. She gave her first public speech in favour of votes for women in 1869 and presided over the campaign leading up to the foundation of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) in 1897, of which she was president from 1907 to 1919. It wasn’t until 1928, aged 81 that she saw women finally achieve equal voting rights with men.

What an inspiring legacy our pupils have on their front door!