France Trip 12th July-15th July 2019 Cannock Chase High School France Trip 12th July-15th July 2019 Parents Information Evening Cannock Chase High School

Cannock Chase High School Cannock Chase High School Travel Arrangements Cannock Chase High School Students to arrive at upper school car park for 5:45a.m. on Friday 12th July 2019. It is planned that the coach will leave at 6:00am. Parents are more than welcome to stay until the coach departs. We will travel by coach to Dover where we will take the P &O Ferry to Calais, due to depart at 12:55pm. We are due to dock at 3:30pm. Remember France is one hour ahead of UK time. Cannock Chase High School

Return Details On Monday 15th July we will have morning activities before departing from Calais at 3:20pm, again by ferry. It is estimated that we will be back at Cannock Chase High School for 8:00pm. The gates on Upper School Car Park will be open from 7:15pm onwards. Please park on the left hand side of the car park and keep the area by the PE entrance free for the coach. Students will be asked to text/call once we know our more precise arrival time back at school.

Where we are staying We are staying at Voyager Travel’s own accommodation called Hotel du Moulin aux Draps. Purchased in 2015, the hotel is a former 3 star Best Western Hotel, situated in Desvres, on the Opal Coast, Northern France. We stayed here in 2017 and 2018 and have been really impressed by the accommodation, facilities and staff. Please speak to your son/daughter about behaviour expectations whilst away and the importance of using their manners at all times.

Activities/Experiences We aim to give all students a range of experiences in the 4 days we are away. Part of the experience is speaking a little French and the hotel staff encourage students to make requests in French during meal times. Friday – Arrive in France, settle into rooms, evening meal and activities.

Saturday After breakfast we will travel by coach to a typical French bakery, where students will learn how to make croissants. They will have the opportunity to taste the delicious croissants and pain au chocolat.   We will then travel to Adventure Park Opalaventure (High Ropes Course), where we will spend around 2 -3 hours, followed by a picnic lunch at Camiers beach (packed lunch provided by the hotel) An optional activity of sand yachting has been arranged at 4:30 pm at Camiers beach, for which there is a charge of 20 Euros. We will then return to the hotel for evening meal followed by entertainment/activities.

Sunday After breakfast, we will travel to Etaples Military Cemetery, which carries 10,771 Commonwealth burials of the First World War as well as 662 Non Commonwealth burials. We will spend around one hour here before travelling to the pretty seaside resort at Le Touquet, where students will have time to explore and shop, in groups of no less than three. All students will be provided with our school trip mobile phone number. Students will be provided with a picnic lunch.   After lunch we will be visiting Aqualud Watersports Complex on the beachfront at Le Touquet where students will have 2.5 hours. Aqualud is an excellent waterpark and students will enjoy the slides and pools the complex offers or spend time relaxing on the outside terraces. Students will be made aware of where to find staff throughout this visit. Students will require a 2 euro coin for their locker. Girls must wear full swimsuits and boys must wear trunks, not shorts, in line with the Aquapark’s policy and French law. Evening meal will be taken at the hotel prior to a final night of entertainment/activity.

Monday After breakfast we will depart from the hotel and make our way to Boulogne where we will visit the Nausicaa Sealife Centre, which is the largest aquarium in Europe. Students will have the opportunity to discover some 1,600 species of marine life and to learn about the ocean and its wonder. At 12:40 pm, we depart for Calais, a transfer time of around 45 minutes.

Staff Qualifications All staff employed by Voyager School Travel have been DBS Checked. There is a first aider at the hotel. All activities such as the High Ropes, Aqua Land and Sand Yachting will have appropriately qualified staff supervising, with the correct licensing arrangements in place for each activity.

Free Time when off site There will be times when students are allowed free time when we are visiting places such as Le Touquet. There will be emergency meeting points that students will be aware of in such instances and students will also be issued with the school mobile telephone number in case they need to call.

Passports and Medical Cards Passports and Medical Cards are to be handed to Mrs Hale on Tuesday 9th July. We will therefore have a full set of passports and medical cards prior to travelling. These items will be retained by staff and then returned to students on the Monday. Passports need to be valid for 6 months after we return.

Clothing Clothing taken should reflect the range of activities we have planned over the 4 days; expensive clothes are not needed. Ie, shorts, tracksuit bottoms, t-shirts, underwear, socks, hoody/sweatshirt, light long sleeved shirt, lightweight waterproof/wind proof jacket, night clothes, casual clothes for evening. Bed linen is provided in the hotel but students are asked to bring their own towels. On the High Ropes activity students must have a sensible pair of trainers or sturdy shoes. In France there is a law that individuals have to wear a traditional style of swimming costume. With this in mind we have been advised that trunks not shorts must be worn by males. By this we mean lycra based items. Please do ask if unsure, as we don’t want students being refused admission to the water by wearing the wrong item. Therefore we ask that boys are in suitable trunks and girls are in a full swim suit. Hopefully the weather will be hot and warm, therefore we advise plenty of sun cream, a hat, sun glasses, water bottle. Get your washing organised – bring a bin liner!

Meals Apart from lunchtime en route to the hotel, all meals will be provided. If your child has any food allergies please do include all of this on the contact sheet. Chewing gum is not allowed on the coach or in the hotel. (Sweets must be shared with staff!!)

Medication Please ensure that I am made aware of any medical conditions and medication that will be required by students during the trip and that your child has adequate amounts of relevant medication for the entire trip Please include all of this information on the contact sheet.

Pastoral Care Whilst away your child will be allocated a member of staff who will have initial responsibility for their pastoral care (similar to a form tutor role in school). This teacher will be the initial first point of contact with your child. Our aim is to create a home from home feeling whilst away. Accompanying staff are Mrs Hale, Miss Jinks, Mrs Nolan Mr Turnbull and Mr Worthy.

Recommended spending money Admission to the Bakery, Opalaventure and the Aqua Park are covered in the price (£9 should have been paid for the Aqua Park). Students will need to budget 20 Euros for the sand yachting should they wish to participate in this optional activity. There will be the opportunity for students in their free time to visit a range of shops in Le Touquet and there is a gift shop on board the ferry. Therefore as a guide between 60 and 100 Euros spending money for this visit, maximum! Students will have just as good a time without unnecessary spending!

Rooms Students will be sleeping in single sex rooms of between 4 and 6 students. We will plan this in advance of the trip, so students know who they will be sharing with. Students are only allowed to be in their allocated room. Shoes must be removed and left tidily outside of the room.

Emergency Contacts Please refer to the booklet for the telephone number in case you need to contact us whilst away. Please ensure that we have your up-to-date contact numbers prior to our departure.

Information Packs All information covered this evening can be found in your information pack. Please can you return the medical forms directly to Mrs Hale by the date provided. Thank you for allowing students to participate in what we are sure will be a memorable trip.

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