On Friday 20 March, Shiplake College was delighted to welcome almost 50 Year 9 pupils and four staff members from Wilbur Wright College in France as part of their week‑long cultural trip to England. After days spent exploring London’s iconic sights, the group visited Shiplake a chance to enjoy a British school experience.
The French students arrived at 9.45am and were warmly greeted in the Great Hall by Mr Guillaud and the Modern Foreign Languages team. With biscuits and squash to start the day, Shiplake pupils soon joined them for a series of ice‑breaker activities designed to encourage conversation and collaboration. Paired in mixed French‑English teams, students took part in a quiz—and even a quick game of Monopoly—before heading to lunch together.
A traditional Friday meal of fish and chips proved a popular choice, offering the perfect opportunity for the pupils to continue practising each other’s languages. After lunch, Shiplake students led small-group tours of the campus. The visitors were particularly impressed by the school café, the art department and, of course, Shiplake’s stunning riverside grounds.
The afternoon sunshine made ideal conditions for a carousel of sporting activities on New Field and the New Astro. Supported by sports staff and 1st team players, the French students enthusiastically tried their hand at several quintessentially British sports—including cricket, football and rounders as well as netball. Aside from the occasional language barrier, they quickly picked up the rules and threw themselves into the games with energy and enthusiasm.
At 2.15pm the whole group gathered on Front Field for a lively and memorable photograph before the Shiplake pupils headed back to lessons. The French students then continued their visit with a trip to Henley-on-Thames, enjoying a riverside walk and some lèche‑vitrine (window shopping) in the town centre, before returning to school for dinner and departing later that evening for Dover to catch their ferry home.
A visiting French teacher, shared her appreciation for the day: “Thank you to Mr Howe for having us in his beautiful school and for the delicious meals. The students really enjoyed spending time and exchanging with their English friends. They had a lot of fun discovering typical British sports, cricket and netball, thanks to very nice students. We were also impressed by the visit of the school. We had a fantastic time with the students and teachers of Shiplake College. A big thanks to Mr Guillaud and his colleagues Mrs Rapple Moore, Mrs Parrott and Mr Alejandro for organising this wonderful day and for their warm welcome.”
Year 13 pupil Nuala Howard-Jones reflected on the experience from the Shiplake side:
“Their visit was a lovely opportunity to practise our French, help them with their English and show them what Shiplake has to offer. Overall, I’d say the day was a huge success.”
The visit was a heart‑warming display of cross‑cultural friendship, language learning and shared curiosity. Our sincere thanks go to all staff, students and the catering team who made the day such a success. Special thanks are given to Mr Guillaud, Mrs Rapple Moore, Mrs Parrott, Mr Alejandro and all colleagues who helped organise and support the experience. We look forward to seeing our friends again next year—this time in France!
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