Bonjour! Selby College students welcome local schools to Eurofest

There was a competitive spirit in the air at Selby College when eighty excited Year 8 students from Barlby High School, Brayton Academy, Goole Academy and Holy Family Catholic High School arrived on campus with their props and products for a simulated trade fair as part of the annual languages event.

Returning to Selby College for its eleventh year, Eurofest provides schools in the local area with a fun opportunity to try out their skills and demonstrate creative ideas with the additional challenge of conversing entirely in the language they are currently studying, which was French for the schools involved this year.

After an introduction and welcome by Selby College’s Director of Curriculum and Head of Sixth Form Steve Fowler, the Deputy Mayor of Selby, Cllr Michael Dyson and Vice Chairman of Selby District Council, Cllr John Duggan kindly opened the event and cut the flag bunting alongside representatives from each of the schools and Selby College Student Ambassadors. They then visited the stalls to converse with the students using the role-play prompt cards designed to help guests at the event.

The students from the four schools worked in teams to present their different stalls, using their language skills to sell everything from baked patisserie items, Krispie cakes, crêpes, fruit, sweets, chocolates, clothing and even homemade printed t-shirts from the aptly named ‘Le Petit Tee’ stand!

Each school also had to enter a tourist information stand in the trade fair which highlighted the cultural experiences to be found in France and other countries.

University of York PGCE Modern Language students and Modern Languages Curriculum Area Leader Mirjam Buehler-Willey joined Selby College staff, governors and teaching staff to judge the competing teams according to their ability to communicate in French and a variety of business ‘enterprise’ criteria.

After taking part in an energetic trade fair to generate sales from the customers visiting their stalls, the pupils were split into groups to participate in 15-minute round-robin language workshops including Chinese, Welsh, Italian, Spanish, German and Sign Language. They also had the opportunity to take a tour with the student ambassadors to look around the College’s impressive Abbot’s Road campus and facilities before lunch and the Awards presentation.

Each of the four schools were awarded overall ‘Best Stands’, ‘Star Performers’ who were given a certificate of merit for their efforts, as well as prizes for ‘Wow Factor’ and ‘Best Use of a Modern Language’.

The budding entrepreneurs and language enthusiasts were given a goody bag and certificate in recognition of their achievement. Thank you to Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Wilko, Flamingo Land and Heaven & Home in Selby for their kind contributions. Thanks also to the students from the University of York and Mirjam Buehler-Willey for helping to run the language workshops.

The Best Overall Tourist Stand went to Holy Family Catholic High School and the Overall Winning School for Eurofest 2019 was also Holy Family Catholic High School.

Barlby High School MFL teacher Stephanie Fitzsimons said: “Thank you very much for organising Eurofest 2019. Our students had a great day and really enjoyed participating. We are grateful to Selby College staff for their time and effort into organising the event.”

Heather Lister, Language Lecturer at Selby College and Eurofest organiser, added: "Eurofest is a great opportunity for local schools and the College to work together. The event allows young people to practise their language skills in a fun but educational way while also helping them recognise the value of being able to speak another language.”