Four students in year 12 from Notting Hill and Ealing High School went to Belgium. We spent two nights in a youth hostel sharing rooms with students from schools across Europe. From the 16 schools that attended there were pupils from Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK which gave us the opportunity to learn about different cultures as well as make friends through the various activities.

We went to the European Parliament in Brussels hearing speeches from various people who work there as well as giving a presentation about our works as a school in front of a MEP. We learnt about how the parliament works and I found it particularly interesting to hear about how they function with all the different languages spoken and how important translators are.

On the second day of the trip we visited the battlefields in Ypres. I found it particularly interesting looking at the differences between the British and German cemeteries and found it to be a really eye opening experience. Overall, I really enjoyed the trip and would recommend anyone to sign up for future opportunities as I was able to make friends, learn about European politics and visit key historical sights.