One of the benefits of being a Round Square school is the possibility of a foreign exchange with fellow member schools across the globe. Many students have taken this offer over the years, with terms spent in Australia, Canada, Switzerland and Germany amongst other destinations.
However, with international travel heavily restricted, this has not been possible to organise. Yet a number of students have discussed the possibility of an exchange with our Round Square Representative Mrs Kipling. And so, Cobham Hall has had to get creative.
“We’re exploring the possibility of virtual exchanges prior to travel re-opening,” explained Mrs Kipling. “Henrietta and Chiara in Year 8 have both expressed an interest in exchanges to Japan and Switzerland respectively, so we are investigating the feasibility of a virtual exchange ahead of being able to travel and can be seen as a precursor to a physical exchange.”
A virtual exchange would see the girls join lessons remotely in their respective schools, and possibly also virtually joining the family, who would eventually host their visits, for meals and activities. This gives both students and their families the chance to get to know the host families before travelling.
Speaking about why she wanted to try an exchange, Henrietta explained, “I would love to go on an exchange because it would be an amazing chance to experience a completely new culture and it would also be amazing to meet new people. It is a great opportunity to experience how other schools around the world work.”
In addition, Mrs Kipling has also been working with Godspell School in Buenos Aires to discuss the possibility of a virtual group exchange.
If students are interested in joining in with a Round Square virtual exchange, they should speak to Mrs Kipling.