Day 1
A keen group of Form 4 and 5 pupils travelled all day on Friday to cross the Channel in a ferry and arrive in Normandy, in La Grand’ferme at a late hour. The next morning’s visit was in the Breton town of Dol-de-Bretagne. The French animatrice tasked the pupils with filling in their booklets to learn vocabulary and new sentences in the market. They were then given an hour to walk around the stalls and buy food for their own picnic, practising their language skills. The more adventurous of our pupils tried Brie de Meaux and local saucisson, and a few had wandered to the fruit and vegetables stall. The pupils experienced a short shower, typical of Brittany’s weather, during their picnic before setting off to the next visit. The afternoon visit took the group back to the Normandy region, and Oakhamians were treated to a visit of UNESCO protected Mont-Saint-Michel. The French animatrice guided them on the ramparts, and told them the story of the historical and religious site. Pupils then got the opportunity to discover the narrow streets in small groups and bought traditional biscuits, ice cream and souvenirs.
Back at La Grand’ferme, the after-supper activity concluded a busy day. The pupils enjoyed a scavenger hunt on the property, answering questions in French and exploring their surroundings in more details.
Day 2
On Sunday morning, our Oakhamians went to the town of Avranches. The aim of the visit was to follow the directions, in French, of a town trail. They went from the cathedral to the narrow streets and small local shops in the centre. The trail ended at the courtine, a tower, atop of which they could admire a superb view of Avranches, the Normandy countryside and the Mont-Saint-Michel.
Back at la Grand’ferme for lunch, pupils enjoyed a ham or cheese baguette in the garden, before departing for the afternoon adventure. They visited a goat farm and were welcomed by Tony, the farmer, who talked about his activity and his animals. Our pupils’ understanding of French was noticeably improving, as they repeated all the explanation in English. They then spent an hour petting, brushing and feeding the goats – activities everyone, teachers included, did with great amusement and eagerness. Then it was time for a few brave pupils to volunteer. Alice went to brush a goat, Soquette, whilst conversing with Tony in French. Luca then played the vet, and Lucas counted the goat’s teeth. Finally, Lizzie volunteered to milk the goat, which ended in laughter when she also tasted the milk! The visit concluded with a goat’s cheese tasting, and some pupils bought some cheese and soap to bring home. A memorable experience.
In the evening, the French animatrice had organised a sports tournaments and the pupils played matches of Ultimate Frisbee, basketball and volleyball. A fun way to end their trip in France.
