Please look after this Bär

English and German students remember their manners in this cordial exchange 

On Tuesday 3rd June 2025, the Modern Foreign Languages Department at Claremont High School played host to children from the Erasmus Primary School in Frankfurt, Germany. 23 students from this trilingual school – pupils are German, English and Spanish speakers – were accompanied by three of their teachers, one of whom is a former Claremont student! Mr Mahtani remembers being taught by several teachers still at the school, including Ms Heather and Mr McKenna. 

As well as enjoying the sights and sounds of London, the Erasmus staff and students enjoyed a fun-filled day at Claremont. They first met pupils from Year 8, during which they spoke one-on-one in both their languages, exchanging cultural facts about London and Frankfurt. Then they read stories with a Year 7 class: the Erasmus students shared an extract from the classic German fairy-tale Rumpelstiltskin, while the Claremont students read from that quintessentially English story, Paddington Bear. 

At lunchtime, the visitors experienced several co-curricular activities, including the Calligraphy and Foreign Film clubs, before competing for a hamper full of British snacks – surely including some marmalade sandwiches! After a tour of the school led by the Year 8 Prefects, in the equally quintessential English rain, the Erasmus staff and students bade a fond farewell. 

The Claremont students were inspired by their newfound German friends. ‘I was so impressed that pupils younger than us can speak English so well,’ said Zankruti Soni 8.3. ‘I thought they were native speakers!’ Matei Arsenie 8.5 enjoyed the experience too: ‘It was a lot of fun trying to speak German to them, as we don't always have the opportunity to do that in lessons!’ 

Ms Cairns, who helped organise the visit and didn’t have to give anyone a hard stare, felt the day had been a huge success: ‘It was fantastic for our pupils to broaden their horizons and practise their German skills! They really enjoyed asking questions about what life is like in Germany.’ 

Both sets of students parted knowing that, like any young Bär, they could always be sure of a warm welcome in London or Frankfurt.