All my children were incredibly lucky and went to a local secondary school in which two languages, music and theatre studies were considered to be part of the curriculum. How things have changed.
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My children went / are at a fabulous academy secondary school. Languages (compulsory to GCSE), music, dance, media, psychology, food tech all available. School trips abroad (although expensive) with languages and history but the school supported kids who could not pay. Big on sports / PE / DofE.
sep 1, 2025, 10:23 am • 5 2 • view
That sounds very much like the secondary school I went to. Not so much food tech when I was there, but it was very big on sports & they did French, Spanish & German. I went on a school trip to Paris. Loved it!
sep 1, 2025, 11:43 am • 3 1 • view
Trips to Paris not practical when you lived in Hull. I was 47 when I visited Paris for the 1st time, but had been there in imagination from adolescence, through my love of Hugo & Villon.
sep 1, 2025, 11:47 am • 3 0 • view
My first trip to Paris was this year despite going to France nearly every year for over 30 years. I am 51. I loved it. Expensive, but I loved it.
sep 1, 2025, 2:04 pm • 3 0 • view
I feel more at home there than I ever will visiting London.
sep 1, 2025, 6:03 pm • 1 0 • view
It's so much easier for ppl in SE to go to France.
sep 1, 2025, 11:47 am • 3 0 • view
True. My school was in the SE.
sep 1, 2025, 12:03 pm • 2 0 • view
My first ever trip abroad was a graduation present when I was 22, to what was then still Soviet Union.
sep 1, 2025, 12:05 pm • 2 0 • view
Bcos of my PhD research, Russia was where I visited most until mid 1990s (for research, & as holiday job as guest-lecturer on Moscow-P'burg cruises). I went to France (Strasbourg) for 1st time (work conference) in 2003 at 38, Italy for 1st time at 40 in 2005.
sep 1, 2025, 12:07 pm • 2 0 • view
Wow, Soviet Union's a good one for a 1st trip. No chance I'm going anywhere near russia now.
sep 1, 2025, 12:22 pm • 2 0 • view
Yes, I wanted to see the Caucasus (trip incl a couple of days in Georgia) bcos was v keen on Lermontov. I also saw & fell for the history paintings I wanted to do PhD on. I was last in Russia in 1996. Cd sense the climate was changing. I was actually in L'grad/P'burg during the 1991 coup.
sep 1, 2025, 12:29 pm • 2 0 • view
russia fascinated me but now repulses me, utterly.
sep 1, 2025, 12:37 pm • 1 0 • view
Yes. I was at high school in late 1970s-early 1980s, at what had been the girls' grammar school until late '60s. I did French, Latin, Ancient Greek, a bit of Italian…
sep 1, 2025, 10:29 am • 2 0 • view
My children all attended secondary school in the mid nineties and early 2000s and were obviously very fortunate. They all played musical instruments and the school differentiated the curriculum, working hard to allow for individual needs.
sep 1, 2025, 10:51 am • 2 0 • view
Whereabouts? Bcos it seems to me that some places have better provision than others.
sep 1, 2025, 10:53 am • 3 0 • view
East Sussex
sep 1, 2025, 2:59 pm • 2 0 • view
So-called 'home counties' (whose home?) always overprivileged in comparison with rest of us.
sep 1, 2025, 6:03 pm • 0 0 • view
To be honest I have never heard East Sussex referred to as one of the Home Counties before and Hastings is a very deprived town. We have a huge homeless problem.
sep 1, 2025, 7:01 pm • 2 0 • view
Here in Hull c 1988, the council abolished school 6th forms & junior high schools, & created 6th form colleges. My old school went from being 13-18 to 11-16. It's now an 'academy' focused on science & tech, when it used to be v strong on arts & humanities…
sep 1, 2025, 10:33 am • 0 0 • view