France 2026: Lemington Riverside visit Nancy
The journey began on Monday with pupils travelling from Newcastle to London by train before continuing via Eurostar to Paris and then onwards to Nancy on the TGV high-speed rail service.
For many pupils, this was their first experience of international travel and an exciting opportunity to travel across Europe by train.
On Tuesday, the group received an official welcome at Nancy City Hall from one of the Mayor of Nancy’s senior colleagues.
The children then met their French peers for the first time in the beautiful Place de Stanislas, exchanging greetings in both English and French before spending the day at Boudonville experiencing life in a French classroom.
ABOVE: A lovely moment as Lemington Riverside and Boudonville children link hands and walk through the streets of Nancy.
The afternoon saw pupils take part in a lively and competitive golf tournament with their French friends at Parc de la Pépinière, helping to build friendships, teamwork and communication skills across both languages.
Wednesday provided pupils with a fascinating insight into French culture during a visit to the famous Alain Batt Chocolatier. Pupils learned about traditional French chocolate and confectionary making, including a live demonstration from an expert chocolatier! The group also enjoyed further time exploring Parc de la Pépinière and making the most of the warm spring weather in Nancy.
On Thursday, pupils visited the University of Lorraine to participate in a joint bilingual workshop with Boudonville School. Working collaboratively in mixed French and English groups, pupils practised their language skills while learning more about the twin cities of Newcastle and Nancy. The workshop explored similarities and differences between the two cities, encouraging pupils to think globally while strengthening communication and teamwork skills.
The afternoon concluded with pupils cooling off in the fountains at the park and enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of the city.
The visit built upon the growing partnership between Lemington Riverside and Boudonville, following a successful visit to Newcastle by teachers from Boudonville in April and a previous residential visit in summer 2025. During the April visit, staff from both schools collaborated and shared ideas around the similarities and differences between the English and French education systems and how the schools can continue to learn from each other.
Thanks to funding through the Turing Scheme, the visit was provided at no cost to families, helping remove financial barriers and ensuring all pupils could participate fully.
Throughout the week, pupils demonstrated excellent behaviour, resilience and enthusiasm. The experience helped develop confidence, independence, intercultural understanding and aspirations for the future.
We are incredibly proud of all the pupils who represented our school so positively and would like to thank our partners at Boudonville School, the University of Lorraine, International Newcastle and Newcastle City Council for their continued support in making this opportunity possible.
