College St Joseph

The partnership with the Collège St Joseph, a school for 11-14 year olds in the Loire Atlantique region of France began when the headteacher of the collège visited Ingleton with the twinning group from La Chapelle des Marais, Ingleton's twin town.

Frère Berthe and Kate Butcher worked together to establish a penpal link initially, and soon after, in 1993, a full exchange. At IMS we believe an exchange to be the most valuable type of trip abroad as far as linguistic, social, personal and cultural development are concerned. More challenging than a trip to a seaside hotel with English school friends, its benefits are far greater, not forgetting the exciting and interesting experience of hosting a youngster from France.

Groups as large as 36 pupils have participated in the exchange which involves pupils from France spending a week in Ingleton and soon after, IMS pupils spending a week in Herbignac. Originally open to Year 8 pupils only, both Year 7 and Year 8 pupils can now take part. In 1994, Settle High School pupils were also given the possibility of exchanging with the older pupils (quatrième and troisième) and since then the two schools have hosted and travelled together, with staff working very closely together on the planning and review of the exchange process. It is possible for our pupils to travel to Herbignac inn Years 7, 8, 9 and 10.

They have a great time too as you can see from some of the parent and pupil feedback below:-

We would recommend the French Exchange because it is not only 
educational but it develops their social skills and it's a lot of fun.

The trip is great fun making memories that will last a lifetime.
It's tiring and hard work, but very enjoyable!

It is a very good opportunity for the children to experience French 
culture and to visit some interesting places in France. They improve 
their spoken French and going to France gives greater interest and 
meaning to learning French and trying to speak it.

It is great opportunity and a great experience, which should not be missed.
The whole French Exchange - both visiting, hosting and the preparation 
beforehand has probably amounted to the single most valuable 
experience that our children have had during all their years at school.

The advantages of going on an exchange rather than to a hotel with school are immeasurable. Not only do you get a much greater exposure to the French language, but you also get first hand experience of the way the French live: their homes, family life and food. You will enjoy a wonderful school trip with the comforts of home. You may also make friends for life. Several people have been back year after year, even after leaving school!

The exchange starts as soon as pupils sign up. When the group has been finalised, all participants are allocated an exchange partner. As all pupils in Y7 write to pupils in the French school throughout the year some pupils are able to do the exchange with their existing penpal. When the partnerships have been set up, the pairs then start to correspond by letter, working on a variety of themes directly related to the exchange.

The French group usually come over here first and stay in our families coming into school with their English partners each day. They may have lessons or go on trips during the school day. Some evening activities are organized and there is a trip to a local theme park such as Lightwater Valley or Camelot at the weekend.

A few weeks later, our group travels to France. Gone are the days when it would take over 24 hours to get from school to school, traveling overnight by bus and ferry. The journey was made shorter when Ryan Air started flying between Stansted and Nantes and currently there are flights from either Liverpool or Leeds-Bradford.

Our pupils stay with their partners' families and travel to the school at Herbignac with their partners each day. They may travel by bus from villages such as La Chapelle des Marais (Ingleton's twin town), St Lyphard, Asserac, Missillac or Pénestin, or walk to school from their homes in Herbignac.

They spend some time in school, doing special lessons either with their partners or just with the Ingleton group, and the rest of the time is spent exploring the area.

We do a village trail, including a visit to a bakery to see how bread, croissants, pain au chocolat etc. are made in La Chapelle des Marais - supported by the twinning group. Other trips vary but usually include a 'coast day' and a Brière day.

The area we go to is in the Loire Atlantique, bordered on the South by the River Loire and on the west by the Atlantic Coast, including the Côte Sauvage. On our 'coast day', we visit some beautiful beaches as well as the salt marshes and an amazing aquarium. This day would not be complete without a visit to a crêperie to sample one of the local specialities.

The Brière is a large National Park, designated because of the fresh water marshes and it is always interesting to compare this to our own National Park.

You cannot go to France without seeing a market. Saturday morning is usually spent in the remarkable medieval walled town of Guérande. Here, pupils are given free time to explore the shops and colourful market stalls in its pedestrianised centre.

As in England, some evening and weekend activities are organised for the whole group and at other times youngsters will be with their partners' families or enjoying themselves in smaller groups.
It is a fantastic experience which challenges our youngsters and through which they benefit in many ways. Definitely to be recommended!