On Friday 14 November, twelve ambitious Year 10 linguists set off on an exciting journey to King Edward’s School in Witley to take part in The Global Challenge -an inter-school event designed to showcase the importance of Modern Foreign Languages in the global marketplace. Beyond celebrating languages, the day was about sharpening essential employability skills: communication, initiative, leadership, and teamwork.
The first twist? Pupils were placed in mixed teams of six with peers from other top schools- King Edward’s, RGS, Hampton, Lingfield, Sevenoaks, and more. Although working with new people might sound daunting, it is exactly what happens in real-world business. Diverse teams bring fresh perspectives, unique experiences, and innovative ideas, and our pupils embraced this challenge with ‘gusto’, forging new friendships along the way.
The day began with a dynamic marketing masterclass, packed with insights on how to make products stand out and why some slogans stay in their original language when brands go global. It was all about learning practical tips that businesses use every day to connect with international audiences.
Armed with these new concepts, pupils tackled a series of real-world tasks centred on creating a marketing campaign for the iconic brand ‘Jelly Babies’. They made real phone calls to book a slot at a trade fair, produced a TV advert applying the strategies they had just learned, and presented their ideas to a panel of judges- all in French, German, or Spanish. Later, they received a budget to purchase materials and created a new product, negotiating and making decisions in the target language before marketing their creation to different groups of pupils. Our pupils dived headfirst into these tasks and by the end of the day, laughter and cheers with their new friends filled the room.
The event was attended by professionals from a range of industries, including banking, pharmacy, and marketing, most of whom are native speakers volunteering their time as part of a scheme run by their respective companies. For pupils, this was a chance to see how languages open doors in global careers. For the professionals, it was an opportunity to share expertise and inspire the next generation in a day out of the office.
Our pupils shone brightly. Lexi M won Best Spoken French out of 100 participants, while Jemima H, Asha W, and Priya W’s team were awarded the prize for Best Product. Every single pupil stepped out of their comfort zone, proving that languages are not just an academic subject with a distant purpose; they are a passport to employability, innovation, and success. These are the skill that makes our pupils stand out from the crowd.
The day concluded on an inspiring message, which we instil in our pupils in our language lessons: Whatever you do, wherever you go- keep your languages alive, the opportunities are endless.”