Pupils from Tanfield Primary and Tanfield School travelled to County Durham's twin town of Tübingen, and pupils from Ramshaw Primary and Greenfield School visited Giessen near Frankfurt, to experience the magic of a German Christmas as part of a UK and German government funded scheme. UK-German Connection offered funding for the programme to allow the 40 young people and staff to travel out to Germany.

The children enjoyed the fantastic sights, tastes and smells of Christmas markets in Tübingen and Giessen, as well as taking part in exciting educational visits to historical and cultural sites and fun Christmas craft workshops.

Meeting their German peers

Teachers, and mentors from a nearby secondary school, accompanied the primary pupils on the four-day trip, which also included a visit to partner German primary schools. Pupils met their German peers, learned new German words, shared Christmas traditions and sang carols together.

A real taste of a German Christmas

Cllr Olwyn Gunn, Cabinet member for children and young people's services, said: "This was a wonderful chance for these children to get a real taste of a German Christmas. Experiencing life in a different country can really capture young people's imaginations and is a wonderful way to encourage them to practise another language. It has also been a great opportunity for the older pupils to act as mentors and share their knowledge with younger learners. Our International Relations team worked really hard to organise this trip and are delighted that the young people learned so much from it whilst also making some magical memories."

Pupils and staff from Tanfield Primary and Tanfield School at Tübingen's Christmas market.