Inter - School French Exchange:

Ranby House School and Collège la Jordanne, Aurillac

Since the Easter of 1992 Ranby House School has been involved with successful exchange visits with Collège la Jordanne, a secondary school in Aurillac, Bassetlaw’s twin town in France.

In a typical year, a party of about 35 pupils aged 13 from Collège La Jordanne in Aurillac, who are studying English as their main foreign language, will arrive at Ranby and be welcomed by families of pupils at the school.

The group will spend six days in Bassetlaw. As well as spending time in school and discovering the differences between education in England and France, the party will made a number of visits. Sherwood Forest, the Jorvik Centre in York, Wakefield’s Mining museum and Lincoln will all be explored, and the party will be treated to a Civic reception with the Chairman of Bassetlaw Council at Worksop Town Hall.

Over the years many families have nervously welcomed their visitors on the Saturday, only to tearfully wave goodbye to good friends six days later, having formed firm friendships.

For the return element of the exchange, a week or so later a similar party of about 35 pupils from Years 7 and 8, accompanied by staff and GAP students, will set off to discover Aurillac in the Cantal area of the beautiful Massif Central. Our pupils stay with French families, discovering that all they say about French cuisine is undoubtedly true. They also spend time in school, as well as exploring local caves full of enormous stalactites – the famous Gouffre de Padirac - and a remarkable medieval town –Rocamadour – which boasts a shrine set half-way down a cliff!

This is holiday time for our pupils, so the highlight is usually the time spent in the snow at the local resort Super Lioran: the Massif Central is not as high as the Alps and is not renowned for skiing at Easter, but we always travel in hope of perfect conditions!

As this visit is supported by the Bassetlaw Twinning Association, we are also welcomed at a Civic Reception by the Mayor of Aurillac, the Council and the Town Twinning Committee, many of whom are old friends after such a long-standing link.

Over the years many families have forged strong bonds, leading to regular visits to each other, often during the summer holidays, long after the pupils have left Ranby.

The groups are pictured together in front of Ranby House before the Aurillac party departed on their homeward journey, as well as enjoying various elements of the visits.