Last Christmas, I spent five days in Germany on a truly magical winter trip. It snowed the entire time we were there, which made everything feel like a real winter wonderland! The flight was around three hours, and arriving in the snow made it an unforgettable start to the holiday. On our first day, we took it easy after travelling and enjoyed a lovely light show in the evening.
The next day, we travelled into Munich, which was sehr schön (very beautiful). Just outside the train station, the buildings were incredibly impressive—the scale was huge and definitely one of the highlights of the trip. We also tried traditional German honey, which was delicious. Later, we ate at a restaurant with a stunning window view, and I really enjoyed exploring the city.
On the third day, we went souvenir shopping before riding a Ferris wheel, where we could see the Olympia Tower from above. We also visited a car museum that had been recommended to us, which was fascinating and great fun to explore.
We were lucky enough to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Germany. There was a spectacular firework display with our neighbours right outside the apartments where we were staying.
The final two days were more relaxed. We visited a Titanic museum, which was very interesting, and enjoyed a meal at a nearby Asian restaurant. On our last day, we explored a beautiful local church with stunning architecture, followed by a visit to a cosy café before heading to the airport.
Overall, it was an amazing trip, and I would love to visit Germany again in the future.
Year 7 students in Frau Gill’s German class have been learning all about how birthdays and celebrations are enjoyed in Germany. The topic has been a brilliant mix of language learning, cultural discovery and creative work.
Students began by learning how to say and write their own birthdays in German using the phrase „Ich habe am … Geburtstag.“ They also practised asking others about their birthdays with „Wann hast du Geburtstag?“ This gave everyone the chance to develop their speaking confidence while enjoying short conversations with their classmates — all in German!
Alongside the language work, students explored German birthday traditions, such as the Geburtstagskind (the special “birthday child”), the decorated Geburtstagstisch filled with gifts and treats and the homemade cakes topped with candles. They compared these customs with their own celebrations and discussed what makes each culture’s traditions unique.
To bring all their learning together, the class designed and created their own German birthday party invitations. These colourful, creative invitations included key vocabulary, dates written in German, and phrases such as „Du bist eingeladen!“ Students enjoyed showing off their artistic skills while using their new knowledge in a real‑life context.
The Year 7s have shown fantastic enthusiasm throughout the unit and have made great progress in both their language skills and cultural understanding. Wunderbar, Year 7!
In early December, 43 students enjoyed a festive and exciting trip to Manchester’s famous Christmas Markets, accompanied by Frau Gill, Frau Bamford and Frau Ingram. The trip was a brilliant opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and flavours of a European‑style Christmas market right here in the UK.
After arriving in Manchester by coach, students explored several of the market areas spread throughout the city. We admired the beautifully decorated wooden stalls, twinkling lights and festive music that created a lively and cheerful atmosphere. There was plenty to see, from handmade crafts and Christmas decorations to winter clothing and unique gift ideas.
Food was a definite highlight of the day! Students enjoyed trying a wide range of seasonal treats, including Bratwurs, waffles topped with chocolate and strawberries, crêpes and sweet pastries. Many also warmed up with hot chocolate while taking in the festive surroundings.
In addition to the markets, students had time to see some of Manchester’s city‑centre landmarks, which looked especially festive at this time of year. The trip offered a great chance for students to socialise, practise independence, improve our German cultural knowledge and enjoy the run‑up to Christmas together.
The visit was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone and was a wonderful way to end the term. A big thank you to Frau Gill, Frau Bamford and Frau Ingram for organising and supervising a memorable and festive trip.
In a world filled with instant messages and quick online chats, the simple act of writing a letter may seem old-fashioned but for students, having a pen pal can be a truly rewarding experience.
Since 2020, our international pen pal project has grown to include two partner schools in France; one in Germany and a school in Luxembourg, giving pupils a wonderful opportunity to connect across borders. Through exchanging letters, they not only develop their writing skills but also nurture a genuine curiosity about other countries, appreciating cultural differences along the way. They learn to practise patience and enjoy the excitement of receiving a reply. Our Year 9 French classes sent paper houses again this year (some needed two extensions!) and loved receiving beautifully crafted paper houses back from their French pen pals. These ongoing exchanges continue to build confidence, broaden horizons and remind students of the joy that comes from meaningful, handwritten communication.
The fifth Annual Modern Foreign Languages Baking Competition took place on Thursday, 23rd October and was the usual delicious end to our first half-term. We would like to take this opportunity at the end of the Autumn Term to announce the final first place winners for each year group and to show you pictures of their cakes and bakes.
We could not make a decision for Year 11 as it was close so we have decided to award all 3 students first prize, which means that they will all receive a Commemorative Wooden Spoon! These will be awarded to all first-place winners in the last assembly of the Autumn Term.
Fifth Annual Modern Foreign Languages Bake-Off: A Sweet Success!
On Thursday, 23 October, the MFL Department hosted its fifth Annual Baking Competition, bringing a delicious close to the first half-term. As always, the creativity and effort from our students were truly impressive, with entries inspired by cuisines from every corner of the globe.
Year 11
This year’s Year 11 competition was incredibly close! We decided to award three First Prizes:
Lily T (Germany)
Celina D (Europe)
Amber P (Germany)
All three winners will receive a Commemorative Wooden Spoon—a prize worth waiting for! (As you can see from the photo, they’re something special.)
Year 10
1st Place: Chloe L (Maldives)
2nd Place: Victoria R-J (Scotland)
3rd Place: Daisy L (England)
Year 9
1st Place: Grace P & Jemima T (Italy)
2nd Place: Amelia M & Maisie L (New York)
3rd Place: Nabiya N (Pakistan)
Year 8
1st Place: Anais M & Quinn M (Japan)
2nd Place: Molly S (UK)
3rd Place: Harper E-W (Italy, Rome)
Year 7
1st Place: Rahma O (Brazil)
2nd Place: Scarlett T (South Korea)
3rd Place: Olivia B (Denmark)
Special Mentions
A big shout-out to those who embraced the challenge of baking authentic desserts from their chosen countries:
Fatima I (Pakistan)
Humaira B & Safiya H (England)
Freya F (Austria)
Mia P (France)
Prizes & Highlights
First-place winners will receive engraved wooden spoons, while all other winners enjoyed a chocolatey surprise. The variety of cakes and bakes was incredible—Italy proved especially popular, and one entry even featured a Latin inscription of PGHS core values!
This competition continues to grow each year and we are amazed by the creativity, effort and sheer tastiness of the entries. Thank you and well done to everyone who baked and made Thursday lunchtime such a treat!
On Friday 26th September 2025, our school celebrated the European Day of Languages. The event was a wonderful opportunity to promote language learning, cultural awareness and to have a bit of fun along the way where people in Europe celebrate all the languages across the world. We kicked off the week with assemblies with Mrs Gill and we learnt all about the importance of learning a language. Mrs Gill had some super Year 7 students reading out our language poem. Thank you to Kezia, Sofia, Olivia, Esther and Sarah for their fantastic help with the poem. Six students then showcased their amazing linguistic abilities by reading out the 6 school values in Ukrainian, Arabic, German, Russian and Hungarian – a huge thank you to Zoe, Emilia, Juliette, Isobel, Jenya and Juliette!
Throughout the day on Friday, students and staff embraced the diversity of all languages and cultures in a range of exciting activities:
Greetings in Different Languages The day began with a lively language exchange, as students and staff greeted each other in a variety of European languages. From French “Bonjour” to Swedish “Hej”.
Flag Badge Competition One of the highlights was our Flag Badge Competition. Staff members each wore a badge featuring a flag and represented a different country. Students were challenged to find out which country each member of staff was representing by asking questions about why they had chosen that country. This encouraged curiosity and interaction across year groups and staff teams. Winners will be announced next week!
European Languages Quiz Pupils also tested their knowledge with a quiz competition, where they answered fun and challenging questions about European languages, geography and culture. It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm and teamwork on display! Please get all entries to Mrs Williams before the end of the week.
Poster Competition In the weeks leading up to the event, students submitted creative and colourful posters celebrating languages and cultures from across the world. The standard of work was incredibly high and our winners will be announced next week with certificates and prizes. The European Day of Languages was a huge success, thanks to the enthusiasm of our pupils and the support of our dedicated staff. It was a wonderful reminder of the richness of language and culture around us and the power of communication to bring people together. We look forward to celebrating again next year!
What a fantastic and eventful year it’s been for the MFL department!
We began the academic year with a bang by celebrating the European Day of Languages. Highlights included the popular bake-off, a range of competitions and a lively interform quiz. The bake-off was a particular hit once again, drawing in a record number of delicious entries for our language staff to judge – always a highlight in our calendar! The creativity on display was truly outstanding.
In lessons, students explored the history of the Berlin Wall, linking into the theme of German reunification. Through interactive lessons and thoughtful discussions, they developed a richer understanding of the historical events and the significance of the wall coming down.
We also strengthened our ties with Cardinal Newman College, welcoming their German department to speak with our Year 11 students. This visit gave students valuable insight into college life and studying A-level German, and they made the most of the opportunity to ask insightful questions.
Our international links with partner schools in France and Germany remain strong. Students have enjoyed exchanging letters and working on collaborative cultural projects, which have helped to deepen their appreciation of different cultures and build friendships beyond the classroom. We’re excited to continue nurturing these partnerships next year.
Meanwhile, our extracurricular German clubs have been thriving. The German Spelling Bee proved popular and our German film club has offered students the chance to enjoy a range of films while expanding their cultural knowledge. Students also got a chance to watch “Le Petit Nicolas” this year which students always find entertaining. These activities have been both fun and enriching and we can’t wait to build on them in the coming year!
Year 8 German Picnic with Frau Ingram
In Year 8 German, Module 3 is all about food and healthy living. In class, we have learned all about traditional German foods and how to give opinions on and describe these foods in German. To mark the end of the module and the end of our Summer term, some of our Year 8 classes were super lucky to be able to experience some of these traditional German foods for themselves in their German lessons. We tried Bratwurst, Brezeln, Brötchen and of course Berliner! Students demonstrated lots of curiosity when faced with these new and different foods and they used lots of fabulous adjectives to describe the foods and there were some definite favourites! How many of the German foods can you recognise from the photo?
Board Games with Frau Gill
In an exciting blend of creativity, culture, and education, our school’s German language students have taken on a unique project at the end of this term and we have designed their own German board games. This initiative has not only enhanced their linguistic skills but also introduced them to the rich tradition of German board gaming.
Students were divided into small groups, each tasked with creating a board game that incorporated German vocabulary, phrases and cultural references. The project required them to brainstorm ideas, design game mechanics, create rules and produce game materials, all in German.
The resulting games were fabulous. Some groups developed strategy games set in historical German cities, where players navigated through challenges using their language skills. Others created word games that tested vocabulary and grammar in fun and competitive ways.
One standout creation was “German Cluedo” where the teachers of our school took centre stage and the murder weapons were classroom items and the whole game was set in our school!
To finish the project, a game lesson was organised where each group presented their game and we set up stations around the room and moved from one game station to another, trying out the games. Not only did it reinforce their German language skills in a practical and enjoyable context, but it also fostered collaboration, creativity and a deeper appreciation for German culture.
This project has shown that learning a language can be so much more than memorising vocabulary and grammar rules. It can be a vibrant, interactive experience that brings students together and makes learning genuinely fun.
We’ve enjoyed a hugely rewarding year collaborating with our German partner school, Sickingen Gymnasium and our two French partner schools in Lille and the Loire Valley. Our Year 8 students took part in a vibrant letter exchange with pupils from Landstuhl. The letters they received were full of stories and cultural insights, offering a unique glimpse into life in Germany.
In response, our students crafted thoughtful letters of their own, sharing details about their Easter celebrations and upcoming summer plans. Our dual linguists recently received responses to their letters where French students shared their experience of school life. These exchanges have significantly enhanced both cultural awareness and French and German language skills, whilst sparking genuine curiosity and connection across borders.
Looking ahead to the 2025/2026 school year, we’re excited to build on this success. Plans are already underway for a series of video calls, which will bring our students even closer to their German friends and deepen this valuable international partnership.
In Module 3, our year 8 students have been learning all about German food and drink. We have enjoyed learning all about traditional German foods. In Frau Ingrams class, we have designed some German menus for our very own restaurants. I think you can agree they look amazing!
