On arrival the visiting students were given a tour of the school then took part in German and maths lessons with fun games and quizzes that let them practise their language skills and learn more about the culture here.

CTS students Adam and Jamie said: ‘It’s been fun having the German students here. It  has made our German lessons more interactive and helped us improve our language skills.’

Lena from CGM comprehensive school in Velbert said: ‘The visit has been really nice and  the CTS students have been very approachable and friendly. The school is very different to our own and is much more modern and open plan.’

Her schoolmate, Luna, said: ‘I have loved my time in England so far and this has confirmed that I would like to study a degree in this country. Everyone has been so welcoming.’

German teacher Miss Watt said: ‘Our Year 9 students welcomed the opportunity to work with foreign students. They enjoyed having the chance to listen to authentic German and communicate with different people their own age. Despite their initial fears, the students spoke German and gained confidence from their efforts whilst realising how much German they could understand and speak.’

German teacher Mr Rae-Smith said: ‘It was a rare opportunity for our students to be able to practice their language skills with students who talk German as their first language. The students were all full engaged and I think that by the end of the morning they realised that although they speak a different language, they have a lot more similarities than they realised.’