FranceExchangeTripOctober2015

AnthonyBrammer,GemmaCherry

HealthandSocialCare

Imagineaschoolof16-19yearoldlearnerswherethewholeclass

automaticallyrespectfullystandupwhenanadultcomesintotheroom.NotjustforthePrincipal;notevenjustforaLecturer;butanyadult!And…

theydon’tsitdownorstarttalkingagainuntiltheyaretoldthattheycando.

Imaginethediningareaintheschoolafterlunch,wherewithoutprompts,andwithoutquestion,allthestudentstaketheirdirtypotsaway,wipetheirtablesdown,andputtheirchairsontopsothattherosteredtwoorthreestudentscansweepandmopthefloorbefore

theafternoonclassescanstart.

Imagineawholeclassofstudentsbeingontimeandpreparedfortheir8o’clocklesson,puttingtheir

mobilephonesinatraybytheclassroomdoorastheyentered,puttingtheirchewingguminthebinbeforethelessonstarts,gettingpensandpaperoutready(allwithoutprompts!)andmakingan

activecontributionthroughoutthelessonwhichlastsfortwohourswithoutabreak…andaSociologylessonwheretheteachernaturallychallengedlearners’languageandmathsskillsfromstarttofinish!

Atonepoint,alearnerwasrequiredtoreadfromtheirhandoutaparagraphwhichhadbeenwritteninEnglish–withwaryglancesoverto“LesAnglais”sittinginthecornerincasetheypronounced

thingsslightlywrong.(Almostwordperfect–andtheonlybitofthelessonweunderstood.)

MaisonFamilialeRurale,SainteFlorine,isakindofacademyfor200-300younglearnersinoneof

themostruralandmostdeprivedareasofFrance.Thereisaboardingfacilityforlearnerswholivetoofar

awaytocommuteeverydayduringtheweek.MFRoffersanalternative

totraditionalacademicteaching,whichwewouldcallvocationalstudiesandthequalificationtasks

wererecognisableprojectsthatBTEC,CACHE/NCFEandCity&Guildsrequirefromourstudents.

Theirstudyprogrammeinvolvesclassroomteaching,work

experience,andenrichmentactivitiesthatembedteamworkingandcompetition–weobservedagroupofHealthandSocialCarestudentsinatwo-hourBadmintonlesson,andasmallgroupof14-

16yearoldshavingaQ&Asessionwithaguestspeakerwhowastheninvitedtohavelunchwiththewholestaffteam.

Thebuildingwasonceastate-runschoolthathadcloseddownduetolackofnumbers,andthewallswereliterallycrumblingaroundus.Therewasonecaretakerwhodidthedecorating,repairs,

fetchingandcarrying,gardening,etc.Ohandwasonescortdutyforadaytrip,too.

ThepurposeofourtripwastogainabetterunderstandingofwhatkindofvocationalhealthandsocialcarestudiestakeplaceinFrance,andwhatideaswecanpinchfromthem.Eventually,theaimwouldbetohavestudentexchangevisitsbetweenourselvesandthem,andthistripwasallabout

buildingstrongrelationshipsandriskassessingthepotentialforsuchexchanges.Inthelongterm,thesuccessofourtripwilldependuponthesuccessofafutureexchangeprogramme,butthefirstbitofourremit,tobuildrelationshipsandpinchideasfromthem,wasdefinitelyachieved.

WehadanaudiencewiththeMayor,whoiseffectivelythelocalauthority’selectedcouncilleader.

ImagineourcouncilleaderhavinganhourwithFrench-speakingteachersfromafar-awaycounty.Doyouevenknowwhoourcouncilleaderisthesedays?TheMayorcandidlyspokeabouthowsheoverseestheirlocalbenefitssystem;ifyou’reoutofworkinSainteFlorine,youhavetogotothe

TownHalltoaskforvouchersthatpayforfood,clothes,orrent;nomobilephonesorJeremyKylethereforBenefitsStreetoccupants.

Wehadalookroundtheirlocalhospital,andneighbouringnursinghome.Preciselythesameethosandunderpinningvaluesthatweteachourstudentsbeforetheygooutonplacement:puttingthe

personatthecentreoftheircare,treatingpeoplewithrespect,dignity,andprivacy,andsoon.Refreshingtoseethathundredsofmilesawayinadifferentcountrytheystilldothingsright.

Weweretreatedlikeroyaltyforthewholeofourstay.EvenourGuestHousehostwentoutofherwaytomakeuswanttocomeback.Thelearnerswerealldesperatetohavetheirphotographtakenwithus,andthestaffweredelightedtoseethattheoldstereotypeofstuck-uphumourlessBritish

wasjustafallacy.Bytheendoftheweek,eventhelanguagebarrierandthehugeculturaldifferencesbecameminimal,andtheweekwasroundedoffbyaFranco-AustralianbluesduogivingaconcerttoteachersandstudentsfromtheconfederationofMFRschoolsintheregion.

Therewasonlyonecomplaintfromthetrip–notasingleglassofwineorsliceofcheeseallweekL

St. Florine

October 2015

Anthony Brammer

Gemma Cherry

Maison Familial Rurale (MFR) St. Florine

The school canteen, students had to

wipe down the tables and chairs and

stack them (like the picture below)

Students also had to sweep and mop

the floor after their meal

MFR Conference

We even made it into the

local newspaper! After meeting the

Mayor of Sainte Florine

Title:

“A meeting which passes the

borders”