GCSE Italian Study Trip to Sardinia

Over half-term, 25 Sixth Form pupils studying for their Italian GCSE headed to the beautiful seaside town of Alghero (Sardinia) for a week of full-immersion Italian lessons and experiences.

The highlight of the trip was the chance for each of our pupils to stay with an Italian student of their own age and live with an Italian family. Our pupils were able to take part in birthday parties and scout meetings, visit the local area, sample local food, and join in sports fixtures with their Italian hosts over the course of the week. In the mornings, the Pauline group attended lessons at Centro Mediterraneo Pintadera; St Paul’s has been collaborating with them for 19 years. After lunch at a local restaurant each day, pupils took part in a variety of afternoon activities, including a boat trip to the majestic Grotte di Nettuno, a scavenger hunt around the old town, a visit to the beach at Lazzaretto, a visit to a prehistoric Nuragic site at Palmavera, a Sardinian cooking lesson, a football match against their Italian hosts (Italy 4 – England 14), and a pizza party in the old town.

The pupils really enjoyed the week and felt their confidence in spoken Italian had improved greatly. They quickly forged strong bonds with their host families and made many new Italian friends with whom they plan to stay in touch. In the words of one pupil: “I wish I could have stayed another week!” Many thanks to Miss Cloete, Miss Musa, and Miss Rahim for accompanying the trip.