Storms delay Sidmouth sail students’ return

St John’s students in cultural sailing exchange with Spanish students in Mediterranean

STORMS have held up the return of Year Nine students to Sidmouth at the end of an exciting Blue Week sailing trip to Spain.

Science teacher, Bethan Cotton, accompanied the five St John’s International School students for the week-long endurance trip aboard the Cervantes Saavedra, the only training ship of its kind in Europe.

The intrepid five sacrificed their studies to join 50 other students from schools in Valencia and La Coru�a, run by SEK/IES group, on the 50 metre Brigantine.

They learned how to sail a large vessel, navigate by the stars and snorkel in the Mediterranean.

Dr Nicholas Tate, chairman of International Education Systems Ltd., a UK division of a major international education group which saved St John’s from closure, attended the launch ceremony in Valencia and spoke to all the children, telling them about the chance for the cultural and linguistic exchange and to learn about the sea, navigation, weather and the places they would visit.

SEK International Institution runs white (skiing), green (rainforests) and now blue weeks (sailing) for IES students.

St John’s group are due to fly back to Devon on Thursday, and will, no doubt, have plenty of adventures to relate to their classmates.