Coventry pupils take Olympic-themed trip to France

Group by Olympic Countdown Clock

Coventry schoolchildren have been given a flavour of French life, culture and cuisine during a five-day residential trip across the Channel.

A group of 10 pupils from Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, part of the Romero Catholic Academy, visited France, alongside their peers from Templars Primary school, Earlsdon Primary School, Riverbank and Finham Park 2, as part of the Paris Project.

The project aims to educate children about the Olympic and Paralympic movement in the run-up to both events in Paris this summer.

It's also designed to develop intercultural understanding, promote leadership and key values through sport and to forge closer links between English and French schools.

During the excursion, children visited tourist attractions and many places of cultural interest such as ZooParc de Beauval and the Eiffel Tower.

Among the highlights was an hour-long sightseeing cruise along the River Seine that offered stunning views of iconic Parisian landmarks including the Assemblée nationale, Musée d'Orsay, Institut de France, Pantheon, Notre-Dame and the Conciergerie.

Year 6 pupil Dominka said: "My favourite part of the trip was visiting Paris and having the opportunity to experience the river cruise and see different sights."

Based at a Center Parcs resort, where they were often greeted by a friendly peacock at meal times, the youngsters also got to visit the beautiful Château de Chambord, near to the city of Blois.

With the use of HistoPads and headphones, pupils were able to step back in time and experience what the chateau would have been like in the 16th century.

Digital tablets brought to life the attraction's intriguing history through fully immersive 3D and virtual reality.

On the last day of the trip, students teamed up with French partner school Collège Robert Goupil for an Olympic style event at a stadium in Beaugency.

Corpus Christi children represented Australia and New Zealand at the event which featured a parade, national anthems and dancing.

Year 6 pupil Stephanie said: "My favourite part of the trip was interacting with the French students during the Olympics."

Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School PE Lead Stephen O'Sullivan added: "It was a brilliant day competing against other teams in a range of sports. In the afternoon, children also learnt how to play ultimate frisbee.

"It was another unforgettable day on an amazing trip in which lots of memories were made.

"It's all been on the back of our Gamechangers programme, where pupils were trained to lead lunchtime activities to help increase the activity levels of other pupils - so it's been absolutely brilliant to be able to follow that up with this kind of experience before the Games arrive in Paris.

"This effort captures the high emphasis placed on sport and experiences at Corpus Christi, and is a great way to back up the fact that the school has retained its Gold School Games Award for the academic year."