BURY Church of England High School has strengthened its “French connection” by welcoming a headteacher and pupils from across the channel.

The visit is the latest chapter in an exchange instigated by headteacher, the Reverend Craig Watson, and his counterpart Regis Cleyet-Merle from Riom College Lycee, a secondary school in France.

As part of a newly launched programme, the latest French visitors comprising the headteacher, two boys and a girl, arrived late last month.

Hannah Brownhill, the Bury school’s teacher of languages and co-ordinator of the French exchange, said: “The headteacher came here on the Sunday and went home on the Tuesday. But the pupils are here for two-and-a-half weeks.

“This year we have extended the exchange. During their stay, the French pupils have been immersing themselves in British life.

"They have been following a school timetable for lessons and have been staying with families while being taken out and about in the region.”

By mixing with their English hosts, the visiting students have helped some Bury pupils practise their French.

Mrs Brownhill added: “Both schools are similar to each other. We hope that the exchange will inspire the pupils.

"The main benefit is that the pupils will be broadening their horizons and putting their language learning into context in terms of seeing the reasons for learning a language and the fact that people across the pond are very similar.”