ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE, IPSWICH

The mutual benefits of short-term boarding - for the visitors and the host school – were perfectly played out at St Joseph’s College Ipswich, when 24 Spanish students took up residence.

The 22 girls and two boys arrived from a number of schools in Tenerife. They had excelled in a government competition and were sponsored to make the trip.

Head of Modern Foreign Languages at St Joseph’s, Ms Morag Strong said, ‘The Spanish students took our core values of Aspiration, Respect and Confidence to heart in their daily lives here. After their linguistic ability was assessed, they were placed into Years 10 to 12, with extra English support given as needed by our specialist teachers.

‘Many of the subjects studied here in the UK are not on offer in Spanish schools, such as Psychology and Engineering, so the students took full advantage of trying subjects that aligned best with their interests and future goals.’

She added, ‘For me, as Head of Faculty for MFL and English as an Additional Language, their contribution was immense. They volunteered in Year 7 and 8 Spanish classes, working with small groups and supporting revision activities. This connection with the younger students was further fostered through a series of activity sessions organised by the Spanish students themselves, in which they prepared activities to share their language and culture. For many of our students, this was their first interaction with a Spanish speaker of their own age and it was lovely to see friendships building.’

Physics teacher and Senior Pastoral Manager, Mr Chris Fletcher reflected, ‘Having the Spanish students in my class brought a new and interesting dimension. A number of the students had little experience of GCSE-level of Physics. Despite this, their infectious enthusiasm and desire to learn led them to very good success in the scheduled assessments; quite an achievement as they did this in a second language.’

The short-term boarders addressed an audience of 500 in English to mark European Day of Languages. Two of them, Paula and Noah, respectively sang in the school’s Autumn Musical Showcase and read at the Christmas Carol Service.