News & Headteacher Blogs

Bright and early on Friday 11th October, 40 Year 9s and Year 10s set off to catch their ferry from Dover to Calais to reach Hellenthal, a beautiful village set in the forest of the Eifel National Park in Germany. Although we were tired, everyone was in high spirits and feeling very excited. The first evening, students made their beds, had dinner and got settled in with their friends.

The next day, we got to know our ‘Betreuer’, the German leaders who would run lots of fun activities for us in German and accompany us on day trips. Students did some work on their German in their booklets so that they would know some key words for the high ropes course. We then put our equipment on and got started! We had so many positive comments from the leaders at the centre about how motivated our students were, how supportive they were of each other and how much courage they showed to push themselves out of their comfort zones and give things a go. At 8 metres high, these included a battle zone, involving fighting another student with a giant noodle and the freefall! After dinner, students enjoyed taking part in a German version of ‘Taboo’ and ‘Charades’ with the Betreuer.

The following day, we ventured into Cochem, a picturesque town on the Moselle River. First off was a tour of Cochem castle, which has survived since 1000AD and has been rebuilt in a slightly spooky Neo-Gothic style. Inside, we saw real armour, including one suit of armour to fit a 7ft soldier! We also enjoyed the stunning views over the Moselle river from the top. Students then had free time to explore and use their German in the shops and cafes in the town. Before leaving Cochem, we went on a relaxing river tour and had some hot chocolate (ordered in German of course). After dinner, the students had a team-building challenge involving getting each other over a 3m wall, which they excelled at and completed successfully with lots of enthusiasm.

The next day was the day the adrenaline seekers in the group had been waiting for: our outing to the theme park Phantasialand. After an exciting day, students got packed for their journey home and tidied their rooms. They had to show independence throughout the trip by making their own beds, wiping tables, sweeping their rooms and setting the tables. Our journey back the next day went smoothly and we arrived back as we started – tired but in high spirits!

The students on the trip really did The Downs School proud, with lots of CREARCI values on show, and it was a pleasure to have them on the trip. They embraced the challenge of understanding and speaking German as well as the opportunities to explore the culture and have a great time with friends.

Miss Telford