Based at our own dedicated school centre, La Grand' Ferme, this residential French language immersion programme offers a fun mix of cultural visits and excursions led, in French, by our qualified animateurs. Every trip includes a fun programme of evening entertainment for your students.
With beautiful Mont St-Michel as its backdrop, our French immersion centre at La Grand’Ferme is well placed to offer the perfect mix of language, culture and history on your school trip. Our experienced animateurs will lead your group on local excursions designed to immerse your students in local French life, allowing them to practise their French and interact with native speakers in real situations. The highlight of this trip is a visit to Mont Saint-Michel, a UNESCO world heritage site perched atop a tidal island, followed by a guided walk across the bay including a memorable 'quick sand' experience. The rest of the programme is composed of fun on-site activities which are of course, all taught in French and reinforced with a bespoke student workbook.
Our animateurs will 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.
During a typical 5-day trip, your students will have plenty more exposure to speaking and listening to French compared to a term of formal lessons back at school. Your students will have so much fun, they will hardly notice how much they are improving their French and growing in confidence, which translates to a classroom full of energised and able students upon your return to school.
Our dedicated team in Normandy will tailor your itinerary to your unique requirements, see the Seasonal Highlights tab for local events and festivals.
With a stunning view towards Le Mont Saint-Michel, La Grand’ Ferme is our gîte-style centre located just 2km from the coast. Consisting of a unique set of converted buildings within three acres of its own grounds, La Grand’ Ferme provides a safe and car-free environment which is ideally suited for school groups.
The dedicated school centre has plenty of on-site amenities including a large games room, conservatory, all-weather sports court, petting animals, heated outdoor swimming pool, football pitch, boule pitch and beach volley ball court.
Your group will stay in one of two self-contained accommodation blocks with comfortable en-suite student dorm rooms and separate dining area. The cosy centre is a great all-year-round choice with a large games rooms and conservatory available for onsite activities and evening entertainment (led by our experienced animateurs). Group leaders can relax in the evening in our separate teachers' lounge.
What’s more, your school will have the benefit of 24-hour care and supervision from our experienced managers who live on-site.
Click here for more information about this residential centre owned by Voyager School Travel.
Select the appropriate excursion to build a bespoke trip tailored to your students and learning objectives.
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.
Visit the memorial to the fallen soldiers of WWII to gain a greater understanding of the loss of life and the human effects of the war.
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.
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.
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 visting Musée Christian Dior to tour the exhibition housed in the fashion designer's childhood home.
The port city of Caen features a castle built by William the Conquerer but is of most interest to our groups for the Caen Memorial Museum, which is an essential stop for students studying WWII and the Battle for Caen. There is also a section on the Cold War.
© 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.
Famous as the home of the 70 metre-long Bayeux Tapestry, the medieval town is also home to the largest British military cemetery in France, making it a key destination for groups studying the history of conflict.
© David Joyce
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.
Experience the 360° cinema in Arromanches displaying brilliantly captured and informative footage from the war across multiple screens.
Arromanches is at the heart of the D-Day Landings. There are museums with vivid and emotive displays, including the famous 360° cinema with unreleased footage from war correspondents, filmed on D-Day. There is also the Musée du Débarquement in Arromanches Les Bains, built on the site of the Mulberry Harbour, with working models and film to explain this incredible technical feat.
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.
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...).
Our French language immersion programme includes:
Extras to budget for:
Our team at La Grand’ Ferme are part of the local community which means that we can tap into their inside knowledge to create a unique cultural experience for your group, recommending special seasonal activities, traditions and festivals which only the locals know about. Bring your school group in February, for example, to experience Normandy’s longest-running and most famous carnival in Granville. Plan your trip around one of these seasonal regional highlights:
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Join us on a subsidised visit to see the La Grand' Ferme programme in action.
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