International Activities at Hawthorn

Our Modern Foreign Languages curriculum goes far beyond learning French. While pupils develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in French, we also place a strong emphasis on celebrating the rich diversity of languages and cultures within our school community and beyond.

We are proud of the wide range of languages spoken by our pupils and their families, and we actively create opportunities to recognise and celebrate this. Throughout the year, children take part in a variety of international activities that help them develop a broader understanding of the world. These include cultural celebration days, language-themed assemblies, and classroom activities that explore traditions, food, music and customs from different countries.

Pupils are encouraged to share their own linguistic and cultural backgrounds, helping to build confidence and foster a sense of pride in their identity. This also allows their peers to gain first-hand insights into different cultures, promoting respect, curiosity and inclusion

European Languages Day 2025

We celebrated European Languages Day in September.  Each class focused on a different language and spent time learning about the country and how to say some phrases in the language.  The children completed a range of activities.


Festival of Languages
We participated in the North East Together We Fly Festival of Languages project by creating origami butterflies and writing messages of friendship in different languages. Our butterflies are now displayed at the Civic Centre in Newcastle alongside contributions from other schools.

Festival of Languages Song
Our choir and two string ensembles took part in the Festival of Languages by learning and performing Love Is the Only River. This experience brought pupils together through music while celebrating language and cultural unity.

Languages Celebration Assemblies
Each class hosted a special assembly to celebrate languages and diversity within our school. Pupils showcased the languages spoken by their families through songs, dances, and spoken presentations, highlighting the richness of our school community.

French School Partnership
Pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 take part in an ongoing exchange with a partner school in France. They send and receive letters and contribute to a shared blog, building communication skills and developing their understanding of French language and culture.

Partner School in Zimbabwe
During the summer term, Year 2 explore the continent of Africa with a focus on life in Zimbabwe. As part of this topic, pupils connect with children at our partner school by sending and receiving letters, helping them learn about daily life, culture, and similarities across countries.

Celebrating Languages and Diversity Club

Mrs Roche runs this club during the summer term, celebrating the wide range of languages and cultures within our school.  Pupils take part in fun and creative activities, including arts and crafts, while learning about and appreciating the diversity of our school community.