Torrelavega

The College sets great store on establishing close working relationships with our European partners and is committed to offering all students of modern foreign languages the opportunity of spending time in the country of their chosen language(s) prior to the final exams.

The benefits of such a visit cannot be overemphasised and participants undoubtedly find the experience very rewarding. In addition to the obvious linguistic aspect, students gain an invaluable insight into Spanish life and culture through close contact with a Spanish family. Students also have an excellent opportunity to carry out effective research for their coursework projects.

Torrelavega is a medium sized town located in Cantabria in the north of Spain, half an hour from Santander, and is ideal for this type of visit. We have been fortunate in finding a similar institution which also believes in the importance of strong exchange links. The 'IES Manuel Gutierrez Aragon' is a 14-18 college with a similar number of students to our own college. The exchange visits take place at the end of January each year, leaving on a Saturday and returning on the following Sunday. The group travel by plane from Manchester to Bilbao via Barcelona. The final leg of the journey is taken by coach. Starting on Monday and continuing until Friday students attend a range of lessons at the 'instituto' including Spanish, Health Studies, Music and Science. They also attend a series of chats about contemporary issues such as the Spanish education system and the Spanish transition.

The cost of the trip is approximately £250 (depending on final numbers). This includes all travel and insurance. When staying with the family food will be provided, but some personal spending money will be required for the journey, presents etc.

The Spanish students come to England in March, with students who go to Torrelavega naturally being expected to host a Spanish student in return. However, if a student is unable to accommodate his/her counterpart, it is acceptable for suitable alternative accommodation to be found.