It may be a simple visit to Felixstowe Ferry to sketch and provide material for a unit of work in art or a residential activity weekend in Brittany to practise some recently learnt language.

Trips are varied and numerous, from the ski trips and other sporting tours for both girls and boys, or the Chamber Choir and Orchestra touring the Netherlands or Spain, to classicists studying the Parthenon in Athens and from the Italian group spending four days in Florence with the AS Religious Studies group.

Biology and geography regularly take part in field trips as part of their courses and many opportunities are taken to attend London theatrical performances and examination revision conferences. The one thing that these varied trips have in common is that they widen the learning experience of all our pupils.

EUROPEAN EXCHANGES

Y9-13 Student Exchange to Pamplona, Spain

The exchange offers the unique opportunity to live real Spanish life in the beautiful historic town of Pamplona. The exchange’s winning formula combines a perfect mix of school-based days and trips, including visits to Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum and the coastal town of San Sebastian. Students also complete part of the worldwide famous Saint James’ Way, with a very enjoyable walk immersed in beautiful Spanish countryside. The exchange is an absolute must for every Spanish student!

Y12 Study Visit to Madrid, Spain

This is an exciting opportunity to visit Spain’s capital city with its amazing art, exciting cultural life and unforgettable atmosphere. The students have a chance to visit the Museo de Arte Reina Sofia to admire Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, which they can study as part of their A Level course. They also have a taste of Almodóvar’s favourite city before they embark in studying some of his films at A level. The highlight of the visit is an evening of breathtaking Flamenco at one of Madrid’s most authentic venues. 

Y9-13 German Exchange to Würzburg, Germany
 
This long standing exchange with the Friedrich König Gymnasium in Würzburg, in Southern Germany is available to Year 9 students and above. It is a unique opportunity to increase your language skills and to gain an insight into the German way of life, in a picturesque Bavarian town. After hosting a German student with whom you will also stay for a week, as well as spending time in the school you will also go on day trips to the Medieval town of Rothenburg, the markets of Nuremberg, the Royal Palace (Residenz) in Würzburg and will go backstage at the famous Theaterhaus in Würzburg (lighting, costume and wig making etc).

Y12 Cultural Visit to Florence, Italy

The annual Italian trip to Florence in the October half term is a wonderful opportunity for the GCSE students to experience Italian culture, customs and language in an historic and memorable city.  Florence, a city renowned for its Renaissance art and architecture, is an ideal choice as it is a compact city with a plethora of galleries, churches and museums to visit.  In addition, the language is very accessible in this region and pupils are expected to order drinks, food and buy presents using their Italian.  Apart from lunch, meals are eaten together and pupils have the opportunity to taste and try many different dishes.  The trip not only provides plenty of material for the GCSE writing coursework, as it also encourages an appreciation of Italian life, a development of language skills.

Y12 study trip to Clermont Ferrand

Building on the success of the Exchange for younger students, we offer a study trip to all our AS French students, who will stay with host families, and attend some classes in school with their French partner and a series of seminars on their AS topics. They have the chance to hone their speaking and listening skills in discussions and debates with their teachers and trips such as the visit to a TV station pictured here.

Y9&10 French Exchange to Clermont-Ferrand, France

This exchange is open to pupils in Years 9 and 10.  Institution Saint Alyre is a convent school dating back to the French revolution, and like Woodbridge School is well known for its academic record and music. Our links with the school stretch back over fifteen years. Clermont-Ferrand is a bustling city, surrounded by the magnificent volcanic scenery of the Auvergne. In France there are school-based activities such as a drama workshop and several group excursions to local places of interest. The students spend the evenings and weekend with their French families, giving them an opportunity to experience for themselves the way of life and to learn about the cultural differences and similarities

Y7 French Activity Week to the Château du Broutel, northern France

This trip is a lovely way of consolidating language that has been learnt during the pupils’ first year at Woodbridge School and allows them to strengthen friendships in team building adventure activities. The setting is perfect: a chateau, complete with suits of armour, a lake, picturesque beaches and towns. The pupils are encouraged to appreciate the culture, language and ambience. It is a wonderful ‘hands on experience’, especially at the goat farm, where the children are encouraged to stroke and pet the various array of animals, and the experiences are delivered in French. Other activities include a visit to the local market, a chocolate factory, sand sculptures on the beach, canoeing, kayaking, abseiling and the zip wire. This is an enormously successful trip that is filled up within hours of the visit being advertised.