THIRTY youngsters from a Tynedale school have jetted off on a French adventure aimed at improving their language skills.

The 11 and 12-year-olds from Year Seven at Mowden Hall, based at Newton near Stocksfield, left for a three-month visit to Chateau de Sauveterre, near Toulouse last Thursday.

They’re the latest contingent from the school to spend the full term experiencing lessons taught in French and living in the chateau alongside pupils from other UK schools run by the Cothill Educational Trust.

“The term at Sauveterre aims to give each child the self-assurance to approach their final year with maximum confidence,” explained Neal Bailey, who took over as headteacher at Mowden in 2014 after spending three years in charge at Chateau de Sauveterre.

“Boarding is organised by English staff, who tend to all the pastoral, health and welfare issues of the children.

“The food is prepared by a team of French cooks, who introduce French cuisine to the children in a friendly and interesting manner.

“A term at Sauveterre is often seen to be the highlight of a child’s education.”

Activities are provided outside class time, for children to explore the region and to meet local French people, including weekly visits to a local French school, participation in local sports clubs and excursions to places of interest.

During February half term, all the pupils benefit from a full week’s skiing in the nearby Pyrenees.

“Each child is given a personal email account to keep in touch with their parents and daily news and photos are posted on the Sauveterre website,” said Mr Bailey.

“Often parents will go out a visit for a weekend, sometimes on several occasions, but otherwise it’s complete immersion into French culture.

“The children are going through the experience as a group and the feedback from parents is always, more so than the improvements with the language, that their child comes back full of independence and maturity,” added Mr Bailey.