PUPILS have said bonjour to their new headteacher during a French language evening.

Forty-seven students from years five and six at Polam Hall School, in Darlington, have been on a four-day visit to Paris to soak up French culture, as well as hone their linguistic skills.

They have put what they learnt to practical use by turning Polam Hall's dining room into a Parisian cafe last week.

With parents invited to the French eatery, the youngsters served drinks, cheese and pate to their guests, with all verbal exchanges carried out in French.

The pupils also staged a range of entertainment, including short sketches about a cafe, shopping and giving directions. This was followed by a fashion show, with the commentary also delivered in French.

John Moreland, who is due to take over as headteacher at the school in September, said: "I was very impressed with the evening. It was a practical and fun way of giving pupils the opportunity to use their language skills in an authentic setting.

"It was also a great way for me to meet the children and their parents.

"Being able to speak a foreign language is an ability which can benefit an individual socially, academically and in the world of work."