Institut Saint-Dominique
Mortefontaine, France | saint-dominique-mortefontaine-60.fr
About The School
Wellington School’s main partner school in France is the Institut Saint-Dominique in Mortefontaine, some 40km to the north of Paris. The partnership started in 2000 and several hundred Wellington pupils have visited the school on exchange, on a trip, as part of a Comenius or Erasmus mobility or on an UCAPE sponsored event since then.
The Institut Saint-Dominique is an independent school for boys and girls aged 8-18, situated in a beautiful gated park in the countryside. The grounds formerly belonged to the Château of Mortefontaine, once the country residence of Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother. The school has an excellent academic reputation and the catchment area is wide.
Wellington and Saint-Dominique collaborate on a wide range of activities in addition to the exchange programme. We have jointly hosted an Indian Exchange and we are both partners in the current Erasmus Project, Art Nouveau – Art Renouveau.
As part of our exchange programme, Wellington pupils of all ages can expect the following:
- Junior School pupils have pen-pal links with classes at Saint-Dominique.
- P7 and S1 pupils visit the Institut Saint-Dominique for a day as part of a longer cultural trip in France.
- The annual rugby exchange for junior rugby players is a highlight of the fixture list.
- An exchange for Higher and Advanced Higher pupils is a popular annual event.
- A classic exchange for pupils in S2 and S3 takes place biannually
During the annual rugby exchanges, the boys take part in friendly international matches and sporting activities. Whenever possible they attend an international or league game in the country hosting. In the past, they have attended games at the Stade de France and at Murrayfield. The boys also enjoy a range of cultural visits and stay with the family of their corresponding shirt number.
As part of their week in France, Junior School exchange pupils spend some time in classes with their French hosts on cultural visits to Paris and the surrounding area.
Senior School pupils spend a week in class at Saint-Dominique and they shadow their hosts. This total immersion in the French language allows them to make rapid progress in comprehension and speaking and it also provides a boost to the pupils’ confidence.
