France 2004

 

 


Dear Parents,

 


This booklet contains all the information regarding this year’s trips for Year 7 and 8 including:

 

·        Departure and Arrival times

·        Suggested clothing list

·        Items that should NOT be taken

·        General Information re: activities

·        Contact Numbers

·        Accommodation and security matters

·        Accompanying Staff

·        School rules and behaviour

·        Pocket money

·        Passport and E111 Forms

·        Food arrangements for travel

·        Phone Carousel (Year 8 only)

 

Please take time reading through all this documentation, particularly the section pertaining to remote supervision.

 

Accompanying this document is an Indemnity Form and Information and Medical/dietary Form. Please fill in these forms with the relevant information and send it back with your son or daughter immediately.

 

If there are any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me here at the College

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Graham Alderman

 

 

 

Year 7 and 8 Activities Week

 

Passports        All pupils should have their own passport and visa if applicable

E111 Forms    Please ensure that your child has this form and their passports with them when we travel

 

ALL DOCUMENTS WILL BE COLLECTED A STORED ONCE AT THE CENTRES

 

Year 7 Departure/Arrival Times

 

 

Monday 5th July                     Be at School by 0730 Depart SDC at 0815

                                                Travel to Folkestone Chunnel Terminal 

                                                Arrive Calais at 1200 approx. then on to the Blockhaus (V1 launch sites)                                                         

Arrive at Ardres Activity Centre 1700 approx.

 

Tuesday 6th July                     Activities/ St Omer (Language and History work)

 

 Wednesday 7th July              Activities/ St Omer (Language and History work)

 

Thursday 8th July                   Activities

 

Friday 9th July                        Depart Ardres and move to La Coupole (V2 launch sites)

en route to Calais

                                                Arrive Folkestone at 1530

                                                Arrive at SDC at 1630 approx.

 

Year 8 Departure/Arrival Times

 

 

Monday 5th July                     Be at School by 0730 Depart SDC at 0800

                                                Travel to Folkestone at 0930   

                                                Arrive Calais at 1200 approx.

                                                Drive to Activity Centre at Hauteville sur Mer

                                                Arrive at 1800 approx.

 

Tuesday 6th July                     Activities

 

Wednesday 7th July               Activities – Bayeaux (Languages Work) and Arromanche (History)

 

Thursday 8th July                   Activities

 

Friday 9th July                        Depart Hauteville 0930 stopping en route

                                                Arrive Calais 1530

                                                Depart Calais 1630

                                                Arrive SDC at 1800

                                                Arrive at SDC at 1800 approx.

 

Please could parents be punctual when collecting their children.

 

All timings are approximate

 

 

Suggested clothing for one week's stay

 

SLEEPING BAG + Pillow

3 pairs jeans or trousers                                                            3 t-shirts, shirts, blouses

2 pairs shorts/2 skirts                                                                1 thick sweater

2 sweatshirts                                                                             1 light sweater

Old T-Shirts                                                                            Sun Hat           

1 pair tracksuit bottoms for Watersports                                   Sufficient socks and underwear

1 pair swimming trunks/costume

Waterproof anorak/jacket                                                         Night-clothes

Trainers/plimsolls (these may get very wet)               

Toilet Bag with normal contents                                                 2 towels

General day shoes       

 

Open toed footwear cannot be worn during activities                                                    

 

·        The above list should be used as a guide to the type of clothes required for the week. In poor weather conditions the activities carry on, so it is important to bring warm and waterproof clothing.

 

·        Can I suggest that any jewellery is left at home; it cannot be worn during activities anyway.

 

·        It should be remembered that the programmes involve wet activities and therefore good, expensive clothes are not required as they may get ruined!

 

·        Please remember that luggage space on a coach is sometimes restricted and therefore each person should not bring more than one suitcase or holdall.

 

 

 

Other Useful Items (*Highly recommended)

 

Torch*                                                 Pen/Paper

Plasters                                                 Postage stamps

Sun Lotion*                                          Needle/cotton

Small bag or rucksack                           A bin bag to pack wet or muddy shoes/clothes

Midge Spray/repellent*

 

Don’t bring the following items

 

Expensive cameras

Personal stereos

Computer games etc.

Mobile phones

 

These may get lost or damaged but if items of this nature are brought along, it must be the responsibility of the child to take care of personal belongings.

 

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

 

Year 7

 

Acorn Venture

Base de Voile

Camping du Lac

62610

Ardres

Pas de Calais

France

 

Year 8

 

Acorn Venture

Camping du Nord

Hauteville-sur-Mer

50950

Montmartin sur Mer

Normandy

France

 

 

 

Accommodation

 

Accommodation is in TENTS and you will need a SLEEPING BAG

 

Facilities on site include:-              

Medical Room                                  

Launderette                                      

Shop

Drying Facilties

 

Boundaries/security

 

At both centres fencing surrounds the villages. Centre Staff patrols the centres. No pupils must leave the site without being accompanied by an adult. It must be remembered that both sites are campsites and as such is open and therefore valuable items must not be brought.

 

The Year 7 site is split and shared with a French Outward Bound Company. There is a very obvious demarcation point (the basketball court) and pupils should not venture in to the French section at all!

 

 

 

 

Outdoor Pursuit Course - General Information:

 

 

Full board is provided at each centre and the first meal will be the evening meal on the first day of the course and the last meal available will be a packed lunch on the final day of the course.

 

In poor weather conditions the on-centre activities carry on providing it is safe to do so but it should be noted that adverse weather conditions could affect the Watersports part of the programme.

 

 

 

Accompanying Staff:

 

Year 7                                                 Year 8

 

R Bodenham                                      G.Alderman

R Duckworth                                        N Taylor

M Workman                                        S Thorogood

R Lea                                                   R Austin

A Chadwick                                         S Burman-Roy

                                                            D Jones

                                                            N Amy

                                                            N Adriano

C Green                                               R Alton                       

D Malpart                                            R Alexander

K Crouch                                             E Hulls

M Callaghan                                         D Warren

K Sawyer                                             Z Harradine     

                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

The Headmaster will possibly join the Year 7 group on the Wednesday and Thursday

 

·       All normal school rules apply.

 

The main rule to follow is common sense and courtesy.

 

WARNING

 

If any pupil’s behaviour is unacceptable his/her presence will no longer be tolerated and they will be sent home at additional expense of their parents!

 

 

Pocket Money

 

There is no hard and fast rule however, I would suggest that that the following:

 

Year 7             30 Euros (absolute maximum) - there is little to spend their money on! Except in St Omer!

 

Year 8             45 Euros (absolute maximum) - to buy meals on the ferry to and from France and in Bayeaux

 

 

 

 

 

E111 Forms    Please ensure that your child has this form with them when we travel

 

Passports        All pupils should have their own passport and visa if applicable

 

Food arrangements

 

On the journey out the Year 7 and 8 pupils will be provided with lunch.

 

 

Medical/dietary/consent form/Information Sheet

 

These are attached separately and I would appreciate them given back to Form tutors by return.

 

Risk Assessment

 

·        Nothing in life can be entirely risk free. Therefore Acorn Venture and SDC ensure that all adventurous activities and Visits are contained to acceptable levels. To this end, the risks involved in each activity at all Acorn Venture Centres have been assessed, and protective/preventative measures to control all risks have been drawn up. Acorn are fully confident that all of the activity sessions are as risk free as they can be reasonably made without removing the fun.

 

·        Risk assessment visits have been made  to both destinations to assess potential risks to pupils at sites that we are intending to take the pupils i.e.:

Bayeaux

Arromanches

Blockhaus – Ardres

La Couple

St Omer

It should be noted that the children will be allowed to walk about Bayeaux and St Omer unaccompanied, in order to complete language assignments. They must not walk about on their own and must be in a group of 3 at the minimum. They will be told where members of staff will be situated should the need arise.

 

·        Although not included in this booklet these risks have been documented.

 

·        It should be mentioned at this stage that a lot of hazards can be avoided if pupils listen to and adhere to specific instructions issued to them by their teachers.

 

 

 

 

Responsibilities of pupils

 

Before the groups depart Mr Alderman will make clear to the pupils that they must:

 

·        Not take unnecessary risks;

·        Follow the instructions of the leader and other supervisors including those at the venue of the visit;

·        Dress and behave sensibly and responsibly;

·        As we are abroad to be sensitive to local codes and customs;

·        Look out for anything that might hurt or threaten themselves or anyone in the group and tell the group leader or supervisor about it.

 

 

Any pupils whose behaviour may be considered to be a danger to themselves or to the group may be stopped from going on the visit.

 

 

Remote supervision during part of the visits to St Omer, Bayeaux and Hypermarkets.

 

The aim of these visits is to encourage independence and investigative skills, and some of the time on these visits fieldwork may be unsupervised. Mr Alderman is confident that the pupils are competent in remote supervision and would like parents to be aware of this. The group leader on the day remains responsible for pupils even when not in direct contact with them.

 

The pupils will be directed as laid out below but will never be allowed to be on their own and should be in a group of 3 or more. If parents are unsure about this element of the trip please contact me here at the College.

 

Preparing pupils for remote supervision

 

During any time that remote supervision takes place the group leader will ensure that pupils are aware of the ground rules and are adequately equipped to be on their own in a group. The pupils will have all or some of the following:

 

·        Telephone numbers and emergency contacts

 

If lost

 

·        Money;

·        Maps and plans and any other information for them to act effectively;

·        Location of local telephones and the appropriate coins;

·        a knowledge of how to summon help;

·        Knowledge of out of bounds areas or activities;

·        a rendezvous point to find staff. (at least one member of staff will remain in situe for the whole visit)

 

It is important that pupils are told not to go off on their own, are given clear instructions about permitted remote supervised activities and understand and accept the ground rules.