Student teachers from France have been learning about education in England by meeting their counterparts in County Durham.
Maité Roquet, Pierrick Barray, Kévin Gousset and Matthieu Bellenger, from a teacher training university at the Academié d’Amiens in northern France, spent three weeks in the county.
During their visit, the group sat in on classes and spoke to pupils and staff at St John’s School and Sixth Form College, in Bishop Auckland; Park View School and The Hermitage Academy, in Chester-le-Street; Seaham High School; Durham Johnston School and Sherburn Primary School.
They also met with staff responsible for the Durham Light Infantry collection and education workers from Beamish Museum as well as Cllr Olwyn Gunn, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for children and young people’s services.
Cllr Gunn said: “It was great to meet the group and talk about their experiences of the education system in France and how it differs to our approach here in County Durham.
“They were particularly interested in how we teach modern foreign languages in school, how after-school clubs work and how we assess children’s work and abilities.
“I know everyone who met them during their visit was more than happy to share their knowledge and experience.”
The group’s visit was organised by Durham County Council’s international relations team and funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme.