THE annual French exchange with the Institut de la Tour in Paris was, as usual an enormous success. 20 Year 8 girls spent a week in Paris with their French partners. They were delighted to find that the school was within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower, and even closer to one of the smartest shopping streets of the capital. In the mornings they had lessons specially planned for them in school, and in the afternoons they visited the sights, including the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre , as well as relaxing on a boat trip on the Seine. At the weekend some of them were fortunate enough to stay in the family's country house, while others visited Disneyland, Versailles or the artists' quarter in Montmartre. By the end of their stay the girls were feeling much more confident about their French and were even forgetting their English!

The French students made their return visit to Manchester at the end of June. They were hugely impressed by the facilities at MHSG, and enjoyed their Drama lesson with Mrs Abson and a session in the language lab, as well as finding out about the school's history through a treasure hunt. They too visited the sights, including Lyme Park, Quarry Bank Mill, the Science Museum, Manchester United Museum, the Art Gallery and the Trafford Centre.