A GROUP of 10 children from Marnel Junior School in Basingstoke enjoyed a trip to north Germany.

Teachers Katherine Ueck and Julia Slowey took pupils aged 10 and 11 to stay with families in the village of Friedrichsfehn.

Two children stayed with each family, who had children of the same age and spoke some English. German exchange pupils held a welcome picnic to mark the arrival of the youngsters from the junior school in Shetland Road, Popley.

The visitors took part in classes in the village school, walked around local villages and towns, and went on a joint school trip to a beach in Shillig with the exchange school.

Traditional German meals were also given to the children while they stayed in the hosts’ homes.

Katherine Ueck, who organised the trip, said: “Our children have been learning some German and I thought a trip would be amazing.

“We chose children we knew we could trust and were brave enough. It’s important to show that it does make sense to do these things.

“Everybody loved it. The children had a great time and exchanged addresses.”