Parlez-vous Français?

By Ms Rhiannon Richards, French Teacher

The French Study Tour is a longstanding exchange program at Radford College. It was originally devised in 2010 by Ms Jen Bateman, Teacher Mentor and French Teacher, and has since become a highlight for our students studying French in Year 10. We are delighted that it continues to flourish.

Arriving in the French capital on 23 September, we began by exploring Paris on foot at the Montmartre artists’ quarter and beautiful Sacre Cœur Basilica. Later, we viewed the Moulin Rouge and Opéra buildings, before visiting the famous Galeries Lafayette department store. The next day, students climbed the iconic Eiffel Tower, before enjoying a scenic boat ride with lunch on the River Seine. In the afternoon, we saw the historic Pont Alexandre III bridge and visited the Musée d’Orsay, a train station turned art gallery. We also had the opportunity to view the renovated Notre Dame cathedral façade.

On our final day in Paris, we visited the Louvre, seeing the famous Mona Lisa, among other artworks, before continuing to walk through the Jardin des Tuileries and Place de la Concorde and on to the Champs-Élysées for some souvenir shopping. Students rounded off the day by climbing the 284 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe.

We left Paris and took in the amazing Palace of Versailles and its gardens on the way to our homestay with our sister school Notre Dame in Le Mans. Students stayed with their host families and attended school, including incursions.

For the final leg of our trip, we visited the stunning Mont Saint-Michel, the Normandy landing beaches at Arromanches, including the D-Day museum, and later, the French Impressionist, Claude Monet’s beautiful house and gardens.

We left France after an incredible 17 days, having acquired new language skills and cultural experience. We now eagerly await the visit of our French counterparts in February 2026.