Pupils gain valuable language skills during trip to La Coruña

It was fantastic to be able to take 20 Third and Fourth Form students to La Coruña at the end of the Summer Term.

The trip, the first Lower School Spanish trip since 2019, is a longstanding link with the Ben Smith Language Academy which is located in the heart of the city.

The trip began with a 4 hour journey to Gatwick airport on the evening of Speech Day. A 6:30am flight allowed us to arrive promptly to La Coruña and afforded our students the chance to explore the city with their host families.

During the week, students attended language lessons each morning at the Ben Smith Language Academy before taking part in cultural activities in the afternoon. During the week, we visited La Torre de Hercúles (the oldest lighthouse in the world), the port, the aquarium and various historic monuments in the city. Students also took part in a surfing lesson in a nearby town.

On our last day, we travelled to Santiago de Compostela where students visited the Cathedral and were given down time to buy some last minute souvenirs.

Students learned a lot during their time in La Coruña, from key vocabulary related to everyday life, ordering food/drink in the local food market and conversing with host families. All students grew in confidence in their use and understanding of the language and found it to be an extremely beneficial week.

Lucy B (G, V) said: "La Coruña was amazing! During my trip I stayed with a host family for the week, and this really improved my Spanish – not only speaking Spanish but learning the ways to use Spanish in context and not just in a classroom. Throughout the week, we did a wide range of activities that included, climbing the tower of Hercules, trying local food, seeing the museum and aquarium, shopping around the city, travelling Santiago de Compostela Cathedral and spending the day on the beach that included surfing. I had a great time!"

Given the success of this trip, we are planning ahead to July 2025, when we will take another trip to La Coruña. The trip will be open to the current Third and Fourth Formers and information will be shared shortly with parents from those year groups.

Adam Morris

Teacher of MFL