"success at all levels" OFSTED

Spanish Exchange Visit 2011

Jeréz de la Frontera, Costa de la Luz

After the shock of a very early start, leaving the Downs School at 2am, our students embraced the cultural experience of an exchange visit to Spain with enthusiasm and passion and were a real credit to the school.

After meeting up again with their exchange partners at their school, Colegio Albariza in Jeréz, all students settled in well with their Spanish families and developed positive relationships with their exchange partners throughout the week.  The Spanish families were extremely welcoming and hospitable, making the students feel truly at home. They made every effort to share their lifestyle, culture and language with the Down’s students.

Students were provided with the opportunity to discover not only Jeréz, but also many other places of interest in Andalusia. They visited Seville and its cathedral, park and cultural museum. Other excursions included “Baelo Claudia”, the roman ruins, and later the beach. Another day they visited Alcazar castle and afterwards saw the fantastic spectacle “Como bailan los caballos andaluces” (how the Andalucian horses dance). Students met up with their peers several times throughout their stay for a real variety of joint excursions.

The Spanish Exchange offered the students an enriching experience which has enabled them to enhance not only their linguistic and communicative skills, but also, their, social and cultural awareness.

A fantastic time was had by all.