During the recent February half term break a group of Lower V girls spent two days at The Chapin School in Manhattan on our inaugural exchange visit.

Having been buddied beforehand with 9th Grade Freshman girls, they took part in the full range of lessons including coding and dancing to Motown! The differences between the USA system and the UK were fascinating: there were aspects of both that appealed but the absence of external examinations at the age of 16 in the US was a definite plus! The girls are still in touch with their buddies and we hope to see some of them in London and at Francis Holland in the near future

The visit finished with a number of cultural and site-seeing activities. We cruised around The Statue of Liberty, walked The High Line, went up the Empire State Building, visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Guggenheim and paid a moving visit to Ground Zero and the 9/11 Museum. Staying just off Times Square and close to 42nd Street also proved to be very popular and convenient location for a number of shopping trips!

Having established our link with The Chapin, the aim is to offer this opportunity each year to the Lower V and so the current Upper IV can begin to look forward to February 2019.