Our six Grade 9 exchange students – Simon Shearer, Holly Battell, Kyla Hanton, Taya Hanton, Djenai Piralla and Jodi Edgar – have safely arrived in Germany and reconnected with the German students they hosted in April and May. We look forward to hearing all their news!
Oakhill’s exchange programme started in 2013 when an exchange partnership was established with Gordonstoun School in Scotland. The programme has since expanded and continues to grow as we strive to establish a wider global network of exchanges.
The German exchange traditionally takes place from early-September to late-October, while the German exchange students usually visit Oakhill during the second term. This means that the German exchange is not a straight swap. Our students are therefore still at home when their German exchanges arrive, and vice versa. The German exchange offers our students the richness and beauty of southern Germany and of a beautiful town situated very close to the Swiss border in Southern Baden-Württemberg.
Exchange is important, even crucial. It forces students out of their comfort zone in a manner that is exciting rather than threatening. It brings them into contact with different people, cultures, systems and countries. They experience the selection process, the sometimes mind-numbing yet vital bureaucratic requirements, saying goodbye to loved ones, the thrill of the unknown, missing home but learning to manage their emotions, forging new friendships, and returning to share their adventure. They learn of and from others, but also of themselves.
Read more about our Exchange Programme
