We landed in Geneva on Wednesday and didn’t waste any time. After a bus journey from the airport we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed straight out to the beautiful Old Town.  Here, we explored Saint Peter’s Cathedral and ascended the towers.  The really tight and steep spiral stairs kept going round and round in a small space so it felt a bit claustrophobic at times. You couldn’t really look down because of how the steps were constructed but we could definitely sense how high we were going. My legs were shaking but it was part of the experience and made it more memorable!  When we finally reached the top, the view was well worth our efforts. You could see across Geneva and the lake, and the famous Jet d’Eau (a very impressive fountain).

After descending, we enjoyed some free time in the Old Town, along and around the main high street, the Rue du Rhône.

We then headed back to the hotel for our evening meal which was decent enough, and it was nice to finally sit down after a long day.  Afterwards, we went out to a pool hall; this was probably one of the best parts of the day. It was such a good vibe, everyone was relaxed and it felt like we could properly enjoy ourselves after a tiring day and a lot of walking.

Thursday started with an early wake-up at around 6:45, which was brutal after the long day before.  The buffet breakfast was good and by 9am we were out of the hotel, each with a packed lunch, which was really handy since we had a lot of walking and exploring planned. We hopped on a bus to the United Nations.

The first thing we saw was the Broken Chair, which is actually huge and way more impressive in real life than in photos. It represents the suffering caused by landmines and cluster bombs and serves as a reminder to visiting politicians and diplomats. Then we went to the United Nations buildings themselves. We couldn’t enter the main conference room because there was a meeting taking place, but we got to peek through the windows on the doors, which was still pretty cool. Later, we headed up to the seventh floor where the interpreters sit and had a proper view of the conference room from above. Seeing everything laid out like that, and witnessing how the meetings actually run, was honestly fascinating.  In a meeting room we enjoyed an engaging talk about the UN from a guide whose main role is as an interpreter.

After eating our packed lunches we went by bus and tram to CERN. Here, we met some of the current scientists, who explained how some of the experiments work. We even got to see the LEAR experiment, which was pretty cool. We also saw some of the equipment they had previously used and visited rooms that famous scientists had worked in, for example, the room where Niels Bohr had worked while he was at CERN. One of the highlights was the data centre, where we learned how the experimental data is stored and interpreted.

After leaving CERN, we caught a tram to Geneva’s more modern centre and had some free time to chill and explore a bit. It was nice to just walk around, look in shops, and enjoy the city without having to rush anywhere.

After returning to our hotel to relax and freshen up we headed out to a local Italian restaurant. My pizza was one of the best I’ve ever had – and I’ve been to Italy!  After an incredible meal, we went for a long walk to a bowling alley, where we spent the rest of the evening. I actually won the first game, which felt pretty good; it was such a fun way to end what had been a very busy day.

Friday started again with a wake-up at around 6:45 and breakfast at 7:30. After eating, we took our cases downstairs and stored them in the hotel’s baggage room, which made it easier to move around the city without lugging everything with us.

We took a bus to the lake and boarded a ferry, which was so nice. The sun was blazing down on us but the breeze while the boat was moving kept us cool. It was really relaxing to just sit there, watch the water, and enjoy the views of Geneva. At one point, we went close to the Jet d’Eau, which was huge and impressive up close – seeing the water shoot so high into the sky was amazing.

After reaching the other side of the lake, we visited the Museum of Art and History, and viewed some of the impressive pieces on display including ancient Egyptian artefacts, sculptures, paintings, militaria and even some stuffed animals!

After a little more free time in the Old Town we returned to our hotel to collect our bags and then made our way to the airport for our homeward flight. Overall, it was a trip I’ll definitely remember, full of interesting sights, fun activities and just the right balance of learning, exploring and chilling.

Krish, Year 12

Click here to view more photos in the gallery.

Six high‑performing Year 9 French pupils represented our school on Tuesday March 10^th 2026 at the Fairtrade Fiesta event held at King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls. From the moment they arrived, staff and organisers commented on the pupils’ exceptional politeness, maturity and exemplary behaviour, setting a positive tone for the day.

As part of the challenge, our pupils were assigned the country Burkina Faso. Working alongside pupils from other schools, they were tasked with designing a Fairtrade product that represented their assigned country. This involved designing, creating, pitching and even selling their product—an exciting and immersive enterprise experience that demanded strong communication, teamwork and creativity.

During the French‑language components of the day, the group had to buy supplies and take part in market‑research activities, asking and answering questions in French as part of the challenge. They also enjoyed a Portuguese taster session, expanding their linguistic and cultural horizons even further.

A special congratulations goes to Harrison Hunter, who received an individual prize recognising his outstanding behaviour, contributions, and overall positive demeanour throughout the event.

Although the team did not win the overall competition, they were highly praised by staff and mentors. They made an excellent impression, represented the school with pride, and gained valuable insights and confidence from the experience.

The pupils’ conduct, teamwork and enthusiasm throughout the day made their teachers extremely proud.

On Friday 27th February, we held our first ever Community Iftar. Students, staff and families came together to mark the holy month of Ramadan and enjoy an evening of community, creativity and celebration.

The entire event was organised by our Sixth Form students with the help and guidance of Mr Mohsin. They arranged a range of games and activities for students and families to take part in, including Henna/Mehndi painting, a “Design a Tote Bag” art workshop, a ‘Top Bins’ football challenge, Bean Bag Toss, board games and a ‘Catching Sticks’ reaction game.

At 5pm, everyone was invited into the Hall where our Head Girl, Khadijah Anjum, welcomed parents and students to the Community Iftar. This was followed by an engaging, heartfelt and humorous talk from Rafiad Choudhury, who shared his experiences of Ramadan as an HGS student. The talks ended with Rahul Beghal and Nasim Ahmed sharing a number of common misconceptions about Ramadan.

Following the talks, everyone moved to the canteen where we came together as a school community to share a meal at sunset.

We would like to thank everyone who attended the Iftar and helped make it such a special and memorable evening — a wonderful celebration of community and togetherness.

We would also like to extend a special thank you to Mr Mohsin and the Sixth Form students who organised the evening and made it such a success.

Click here to view more photos in the gallery.

As Computing students, we have had amazing opportunities this year thanks to our Computer Science department’s partnership with the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology (GBSIoT). One of the highlights has been getting hands-on with differing STEM robotics devices during lessons and Computing clubs. Using these robots has made our coding and problem‑solving feel more complex, showing us how computing links directly to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics whilst providing us with the insight into the jobs we might consider for the future.

We have also learned more about what Institutes of Technology (IoTs) actually are. Across England, IoTs are part of a national network that connects schools, universities, and big employers. With major government investment, they focus on delivering the best technical education by combining computing knowledge, real skills, and excellent preparation for innovative careers. It is exciting to know that places like this exist to help students like us progress into STEM careers.

Thanks to this partnership, we are gaining real world skills, inspiration, and a clearer idea of the pathways ahead in the exciting world of Computer Science.

Jason Lee, Nihal Sharma and Bikramjit Singh. (Year 12)