From Fenham to Germany for ‘twin’ trip

Children from a Fenham primary had the chance to practise their language skills, as well as experience a different culture, when they visited their ‘twin’ partner school in Germany.

During the four-night stay, the 27 Year 5 pupils from English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary spent time with their counterparts at Regenbogen Schule – or ‘Rainbow School’ – in Gelsenkirchen, as well as exploring the city and wider region.

“We made links with the school as part of an art project in May 2023,” explained Anthony Kennedy, Deputy Headteacher at English Martyrs’, which is a member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust.

“This was part of the 75th anniversary of the two cities being twinned. We have since taken part in several virtual events between the schools, as well as two other visits where English Martyrs’ staff have spent time within Rainbow School, working with the English teachers.”

“The trip was planned to have a mixture of culture and fun,” he continued. “Highlights included a guided tour of the FC Schalke 04 Stadium (Veltins Arena) and the Zollverein Coal Museum, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

“The pupils also took part in the school day at our partner school Rainbow School, and were invited to take part in their annual sports festival, where they competed alongside other pupils in shot put, long jump, and sprint races.

“Another highlight was being invited to the Hans Sachs Haus, or town hall, for a reception with the Deputy Mayor and council officials. Here they discussed the partnership between Gelsenkirchen and Newcastle, which began after the Second World War.

“They then organised a sight-seeing tour for us, where we learned lots of other interesting facts about the local area.”

“I really enjoyed the sports day, because we were mixed with Rainbow School pupils, so we were able to talk to them and find out more about what they do,” said Ernestas, while fellow pupil Krissy said: “It was at a real sports ground where we did events like the long jump that we wouldn’t normally do at school. It was a break from school, but we were always learning.”

Classmate Daisy added: “I loved our day at the park with the Rainbow School. It was a really good chance to try out some German and play with the other children and get to know them better.”

“We were learning new skills that we will need when we are an adult and go travelling to different places,” agreed Ben. “I would definitely recommend going on a trip like this – it was fun the whole time.”

It was the first time that pupils from English Martyrs’ had visited Gelsenkirchen.

“An international partnership such as ours is important for English Martyrs’, because it helps our pupils develop cultural awareness and respect by exposing them to different traditions and ways of life,” said Mr Kennedy. “This broadens their perspectives and encourages open mindedness from an early age.

“This has certainly got our children keen to travel more in the future, and their confidence grew each day of the trip.”