A SCHOOL trip to Rossendale’s twin town of Bocholt has reignited Haslingden High School and Sixth Form’s German connection.
The school has now partnered with the Mariengymnasium and 19 GCSE German Year 10 students and three A level German students made the trip.
German teacher Laura Connor said: “I have been before with school and, now we have restored the link, we will be going every two years.
“The two year groups got on really well and they got to speak to people they would not normally have mixed with in school.”
The students were twinned with counterparts in the German school ahead of the trip and they had already been communicating via email and social media.
Year 10 student Courtney Monks said: “It was pretty fun. My German partner was Kim and she added me on Snapchat and we are still in touch.
“She speaks English really well and I tried to chat in German quite a bit. I think it is quite easy to learn German; easier than having to learn English. I will probably do A level German.
“The trip gave us a chance to explore the culture and it was great to see how different they live to us and the buildings; they are more fancy than ours.”
Courtney has travelled all over Europe and had been to Berlin before, but never Bocholt.
For Year 10 student Grace Tompkins-Hardman it was not only her first trip abroad, it was also the first time she had flown, and she loved it.
She said: “I had gmailed my partner Maylen before we went and we met in person. Her English was really good and we got on really well.
“It was a completely different culture over there and the school was different. They go to school at five to eight in the morning and finish at 1.15pm.
“They don’t have to wear a school uniform although there is a dress code and I think that is better as you can express yourself.”
The students were also surprised to find some science and geography lessons were in English in the German school.
Mrs Connor said: “In German schools they have bilingual lessons. It was just amazing.”
As well as lessons in school, the students and their partners shared a games night and went swimming and bowling as well as visiting a textile museum in Bocholt.
They sampled German food, although some students were less than keen on sauerkraut, Grace enjoyed the chicken schnitzel.
They soon learnt to avoid bike lanes as around 70 per cent of traffic in Bocholt is two wheeled.
They did a lot of walking, but Mrs Connor said it was an inspiring trip and it is hoped, in future years, there can be a reciprocal twinning visit when the German students come to Rossendale.
Rossendale was twinned with the German city in 1952 and The Friends of Bocholt was established in 1983 by a group of friends who had visited the town.
One of the founding members was John Davey, who only recently retired as Chair of Governors at Haslingden High School and Sixth Form after 30 years on the governing body.