Our smaller, gîte-style school residential centre set in a quiet and peaceful area of Normandy within sight of the historic Mont-Saint-Michel. Students enjoy a fun mix of cultural and language activities at our popular Normandy learning centre.
La Grand'Ferme, 16 Le Fougeray, 50530 Bacilly, France
La Grand’Ferme is our gîte-style school language centre situated in the quiet village of Le Fougeray, between Granville and Avranches and just 2km from the coast. The main house and barn were built around 1780 out of stone from an abbey destroyed during the Revolution.
With a unique set of buildings, 3 acres of grounds and a short distance from the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, the property is full of atmosphere and offers modern, comfortable accommodation in a car-free environment which is ideally suited for school groups.
La Grand'Ferme is ideal for….
Accommodation at La Grand'Ferme is made up of two self-contained buildings each with its own playing field, dining room and teachers’ area. The main house accommodates school groups up to 61 students and 10 teachers, and the gîte can accommodate school groups up to 61 children and 3 teachers.
Download our centre map to see the complete layout of La Grand'Ferme grounds. This map helps visualise the entire centre, as well as the location of the dorms, activity areas, swimming pool and on-site facilities your school group will use throughout your stay.
Your students will have their own dining space for breakfast and delicious home-cooked dinner. Lunch will also be served here if you are onsite.
A heated outdoor pool is available subject to availability of a qualified lifeguard and your own health and safety risk assessments. A great way to cool down and let off steam after a long day exploring.
Set in 3 acres of Normandy countryside, La Grand'Ferme benefits from a petanque pitch, all-weather sports pitch, games room and outdoor classroom area - an ideal base for a range of games and activities all led in French.
En-suite teacher accommodation is located on the same floor as the student dorms and is either single or twin (neither is guaranteed).
The Centre team at La Grand'Ferme
Becca and her team of French-native animateurs are on hand throughout your trip to look after the learning and logistic needs of you and your group.
There is always a member of staff on night duty, so schools have the benefit of 24-hour care and supervision during their school trip to France and we operate our own kitchen so can provide food of the highest quality and cater for all dietary requirements.
"The staff were amazing and nothing was too much trouble for them. The pupils were completely immersed in the French language throughout our stay and the huge site enabled them to run off any excess energy."Sara Horan, MFL Teacher at Ysgol Y Strade
The language immersion programme at La Grand'Ferme offers a fun mix of cultural visits and excursions with on-site activities all led by our qualified animateurs who run all the activities, mealtimes and evening entertainment in French, encouraging your students to use the language at every opportunity and helping to improve their confidence and language skills.
Suitable for all ages bread making is not just a case of making bread, it’s also a golden opportunity to practise your singing talents, as we sing French songs. Students will be guided from the very beginning with simple French instructions. From the measuring of the flour to the kneading of the bread, this activity will keep their enthusiasm going throughout. They will even get to taste the fruits of their hard work as their bread will be baked in time for the evening meal.
Take advantage of the centre's heated outdoor swimming pool with leisurely swimming or organised pool games. Teachers are responsible for supervising children in the pool as we cannot provide a lifeguard.
Aeroball is a fun, totally unique sport! The trampoline-basketball-volleyball game is suitable for all ages and is played by two teams of 2. Simple instructions are given in French and the students will have the chance to learn/practise the vocabulary for the body parts. It’s also a great opportunity to practise the numbers (scoring and counting down the end of the match). Aeroball is quickly becoming a favourite activity for students and teachers alike!
Good old fun (and SUPER competitive!), the French game of pétanque takes place on our traditional boule pitch where players are challenged to throw the boule as close to the jack as possible to win.
Students get the chance to be a Robin Hood. After the obligatory safety talk and explanation of the equipment, the students shoot the arrows onto targets, an excellent opportunity to practise numbers and directions in the target language.
Enables pupils to discover the art of circus on an artistic as well as technical level. Students are introduced to juggling, diabolo and other circus equipment in a fun and educational manner. The French spoken during this activity is very varied and is based on using the names of the equipment (stick, balls, diabolo...), action verbs (to walk, to move...), directions (left, right, up, down...), colours (orange, red, green...), numbers (one, two, three...).
Your students will be split into teams to play volleyball on the centre's own court. The game is a great way to practise numbers, instructions and directions in the target language.
© EmilyStAubert
If you'd like to factor in some time for your group on the beach, your animateur will be happy to organise a picnic or beach games on one of Normandy's many sandy beaches. Your animateur can also lead a coastal walk where students learn about the local wildlife.
Meet the goats and learn how goat cheese is made with the chance to some too! Some lucky students might even be invited to have a go at milking.
© Anibas
Explore the quaint traditional town in Normandy also known as City of Manuscripts, which faces the bay of Mont Saint Michel, visit the botanical garden and interact with the locals
There are many cemeteries in France which serve as poignant memorials to the fallen of WWII. Visits to these sites complement History tours and allow students to gain a greater understanding of the loss of life and the human effects of the war.
Experience the 360° cinema in Arromanches displaying brilliantly captured and informative footage from the war across multiple screens.
This island and its surrounding bay are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Scale the cobblestoned streets to reach the churches and the famous gothic-style abbey. Groups with an Animateur will experience a guided barefoot walk across the bay, which is a highlight for students.
Saint-Malo is a historic walled city with a surrounding beach. Central to the cobblestoned old town is the Roman Catholic Saint-Malo Cathedral. Popular visits also include the town museum and the Great Aquarium, home to 11,000 marine animals.
Just 15 minutes from Château de la Baudonnière, groups can visit the town's Bell Foundry, Copper Workshop and Pewter Museum. It is rich in history and has a bustling morning market every Tuesday.
Visiting Dinan is like taking your students back in time. This medieval walled town is full of charm thanks to its 13th-century castle, river, narrow streets and magnificently preserved timber clad buildings.
The seaside resort of Granville is a historic fishing port with views towards Jersey and Guernsey. Students of fashion and design will be particularly interested in visiting Musée Christian Dior to tour the exhibition housed in the fashion designer's childhood home.
With the mission of promoting peace, this emphasizes the importance of learning from the atrocities of the Second World War and, in particular, the D-Day landings to prevent future conflicts. Expect an immersive experience featuring artefacts, films and interactive displays investigating the causes and consequences of WWII.
A chance for students to be immersed in local culture and produce and to pick up some souvenirs, a visit to the market is a great opportunity for learners to interact in French with the welcoming stall owners.
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