Year 6 spent last week diving head-first into the sights, sounds and flavours of Picardy in northern France on their summer residential. Our home base was Château du Broutel, tucked away in the Somme and looking exactly like the kind of place where adventures happen.

While Year 6 can so often be dominated by exam prep, our lack of SATs means we can instead prioritise this kind of deep immersion. It’s a wonderful way for the girls to build their French skills in the real world, while gaining the independence and confidence they’ll need as they begin their transition to Senior School.

Thursday was packed to the brim with the château Olympics, historical storytelling about the château’s owners and its wartime past as well as a community stroll into the local town, Rue.

After practising our French in the pâtisserie, we headed to Le Touquet plage for sand dune rolling, shell collecting and sand sculpting. There was just time for ice creams before heading back to the château for campfire games and toasted marshmallows.

On our final day, a wander around Étaples market gave everyone a chance to spend their last Euros and show off their growing French confidence. Surrounded by native speakers, the girls quickly discovered that communication matters far more than perfection.

Residential trips are a treasured part of the Norwich High experience. They help our girls develop their independence, deepen friendships and learn in ways no classroom can match. By stepping away from the traditional constraints of Year 6, our pupils gain something far more valuable.

Whether practising French, stepping into history or simply enjoying the joy of being away together, they returned with new memories, new confidence and a real sense of achievement. We couldn’t be prouder of how they embraced every moment!