TWENTY-FIVE years of successful French exchanges were celebrated at Robert May's School.

The school, in West Street, Odiham, has run an exchange every year for the last quarter of a century in conjunction with the College Prosper Mrime, in St Savin, near Poitiers.

Everyone who is taking part in this year's exchange celebrated its 25th anniversary with a tea party on the last day of the French students' exchange.

Claudine Fiche, who teaches French and German at Robert May's, has been involved in organising the exchange for 10 years.

She said: "The link was initially established because Hartley Wintney is twinned with St Savin.

"I think it has kept going so long both because of the twinning link and the fact that we have very close links with the school.

"Also, there have always been people interested in taking part and keeping the exchange going."

Year 7 pupil Josh Duce, from Odiham, is one of the English children taking part in the exchange this year, and his mum, Sarah Duce, went on the very first exchange.

And Marie-Christine Bouffard, the bursar at College Prosper Mrime, has organised the French side of the exchange for about 17 years.

Thirty-nine pupils, aged between 11 and 14, are taking part in this year's exchange. The English students will be travelling to France to stay with their partners for a week in May.

While in England, the French students visited Windsor, Kew Gardens, London's Science Museum and Longleat House and Safari Park in Wiltshire, as well as spending a day at Robert May's.

First published: Friday, March 25, 2005