From Brisbane to Buckinghamshire: Maddie and Georgia’s Exchange Journey
10 March 2025 - All
As part of our Exchange Programme, we’ve had the pleasure of hosting two wonderful Australian pupils, Maddie and Georgia, from St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Brisbane. This exchange has given them an incredible opportunity to experience the British education system and immerse themselves in boarding life.
As expressed by our Deputy Head of Upper School, Margot Wood, ‘These pupil exchanges create lifelong friendships and encourage global awareness, enriching the personal and educational lives of those who take part. We are so proud of pupils for challenging themselves and taking a risk in their quest for personal development.’
Both pupils and staff have warmly welcomed Maddie and Georgia, and they’ve settled in brilliantly, embracing life at Wycombe Abbey with enthusiasm. Read on to hear how they’ve loved their time with us!
Maddie: Our school has an exchange programme with 50 exchange spots available in a variety of different countries, this is the first year Wycombe Abbey has been an option on our exchange programme.
Georgia: Although we both selected Wycombe Abbey as one of our preferences, you can still be allocated a school anywhere, it’s really exciting not knowing where you might end up!
Maddie: I was drawn to Wycombe Abbey because of its academic status, stunning campus and the wide range of co-curricular opportunities on offer. It’s great the girls are able to get involved in so many different sports, music opportunities, and activities whilst still completing their studies.
Georgia: I was really keen to enjoy the boarding school experience. I’m a day girl back home, so it’s all new to me! England is a really cool place to come to, it is very different to Australia. On the weekends, I have been on different sightseeing trips with my exchange family, I’ve been to London, Oxford and the Cotswolds, it’s been really nice to see.
Maddie: I think the main difference between our school and Wycombe Abbey is that Wycombe has a larger percentage of boarders. As a result, our days are much shorter. Here, it’s nice to see day boarders stick around for dinner and enjoy lots of extra-curricular activities once lessons have finished.
Georgia: The timetable here is much more flexible, you have more control over your own time, which means you get to know more people rather than just the pupils in your classes. Unlike in the UK, we don’t have any exams at age 16, we only have exams in our last year of school when we are 18. I’m really enjoying boarding in Airlie House. All the girls are so nice, I’ve got really close to them.
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