After a break of six years, a high school's languages students were delighted to resume their Year 8 trip to visit France.

Although a historical battlefields trip was made by pupils at Haslingden High School last year, the Modern Foreign Languages department has not visited France since 2018 due to Covid-19.

The students stayed in a chateau in Saint-Omer, near Calais, and got to sample traditional French life in the small town.

Phoebe Turner, 13, said: “We went to lots of places: an aquarium, a bakery and a theme park.

“It was really good in the bakery we got to see how they make traditional French bread.”

The baker talked the students through all the processes and, although a teacher translated, the students said they understood a lot of what he was talking about and picked up familiar French words.

Pupil, Skye Lord-Navin, 12, said: “We went on a town tour and we found a cathedral and lots of traditional buildings.

"It was really peaceful and quiet and hardly any traffic so we were quite relaxed.”

Lead teacher Sian Nixon, who has been on the trip several times, said: “We also went to a theme park and in French, the Year 8s had done a module about theme parks so they understood most of the ride names and had to use French when they asked for drinks.”

Mrs Nixon added: “We have already provisionally booked to return in two years’ time and we have two further trips planned this year – to Bocholt in Germany and to the Brussels Christmas Markets.”