A fantastique result at Lancing College

The group left school shortly after Chapel and enjoyed a good journey to the Sussex coast. They arrived slightly early than anticipated, so this allowed some time for Chill, Tony and Rishin to practise their poems and quiz Monsieur Thomson for any last minute advice on pronunciation!

They then found themselves driving up the tree-lined avenue, leading them up the steep hill to Lancing Chapel and the school entrance. They compared it to Hogwarts...and that was before they had even seen the dining room!

Once signed in, they were warmly welcomed by their hostess and competition organiser, Madame Fryer, who invited them to join the five other prep schools in the state dining rooms for a hearty lunch. The boys were then given 15 minutes to practice their poems further before being ushered into the Sanderson Room for the competition itself.

The aim of the competition? To be given a French poem, to prepare it by translating and studying the syntax and rhythm of the verses, to then learn it by heart, and to recite it to all other participants and their teachers, to be judged by a panel of native French speakers in Year 13. No mean feat!

The standard of spoken French was truly impressive, with the complexity of the poems, some unusual costumes worn, and the confidence of all the pupils taking part, including our own. Chill and Tony had prepared poems that Monsieur Thomson had previously given A-Level pupils to study! All three boys recited their poems courageously, carefully, and conscientiously, gripping the audience and creating a rapt atmosphere. Their hard work, enthusiasm, and dexterity were palpable, and the bonus of the afternoon was witnessing Rishin win the Year 8 category for his performance and pronunciation of his poem. Well done, Rishin!

After some refreshments and a brief tour of the stunning medieval school chapel building, Monsieur Thomson and Monsieur Powell treated the boys to a traditional English afternoon tea at the Ashdown Hotel in the heart of Christopher Robin's Ashdown Forest—the home of Winnie-the-Pooh. This was in celebration of all the competitors' efforts in representing Horris Hill at such a prestigious linguistic event. Monsieur Thomson would like to thank Chill, Tony, and Rishin for agreeing to take part in the competition at such a busy time for examinations, and a big 'merci' to Monsieur Powell for accompanying them and helping create happy, lasting memories, as the boys prepare to leave Horris and begin new adventures at senior school. Bien fait et bonne chance à tous!