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French language school trip to La Grand'Ferme, Lower Normandy

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.

  • Voyager owned
  • Key stage 2 – 16+
  • Native French animateurs
  • Evening entertainment
  • Workbooks
  • Carbon offset
Overview

The perfect French language centre in Normandy for school groups

With beautiful Mont Saint-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.

✔ This trip links to the MFL curriculum. Find out how →
Itinerary

Sample 5-day itinerary

Our dedicated team in Normandy will tailor your itinerary to your unique requirements, see the Seasonal Highlights tab for local events and festivals.

Day 1

  • Arrive
  • Centre orientation and meet your group's animateur
  • Treasure hunt

 Day 2

  • Local French market mission
  • Goat's cheese farm tour in French
  • Swimming or French quiz (depending on the season)

 Day 3

  • Morning exploring Mont Saint-Michel with your animateur
  • Guided bay walk including 'quick sand' experience in the afternoon
  • Learn circus skills in French 

 Day 4

  • Postcard writing
  • French bread making activity with your animateur 
  • Avranches French town trail 
  • Farewell party

 Day 5

  • Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
  • Lunch at Colleville-sur-Mer 
  • Depart for Channel crossing
  • Arrive home
Location

Our well-equipped centre is ideally located nearby local attractions

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.

 

Excursions

Select the appropriate excursion to build a bespoke trip tailored to your students and learning objectives.

Goat farm FillWzk1MCw1MzRd
French goat cheese farm
Avranches excursion
Avranches
Omaha Beach
Local Beaches
Arromanches 360 cinema
Arromanches 360° Cinema
Tank arromanches beach
Arromanches Excursion
Mont Saint Michel
Mont Saint-Michel Excursion
Saint Malo
Saint-Malo Excursion
Bayeux Tapestry
Bayeux Excursion
Bell
Villedieu-Les-Poêles
Dinan France
Dinan Excursion
Granville
Granville Excursion
Caen memorial sculpture
Caen Memorial Museum
French language immersion school trip to the Opal Coast of France
Local French Market
Normandy american cemetery and memorial
WWII Cemeteries
Goat farm FillWzk1MCw1MzRd

French goat cheese farm

Meet the goats and learn how goat cheese is made. Try some too!

Avranches excursion

© Anibas

Avranches

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

Omaha Beach

© EmilyStAubert

Local Beaches

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.

Arromanches 360 cinema

Arromanches 360° Cinema

Experience the 360° cinema in Arromanches displaying brilliantly captured and informative footage from the war across multiple screens.

Tank arromanches beach

Arromanches Excursion

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.

Mont Saint Michel

Mont Saint-Michel Excursion

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

Saint-Malo Excursion

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.

Bayeux Tapestry

Bayeux Excursion

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. Note that the Bayeux Tapestry will be closed from September 2025 until Summer 2027.

Bell

Villedieu-Les-Poêles

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.

Dinan France

Dinan Excursion

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.

Granville

Granville Excursion

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.

Caen memorial sculpture

Caen Memorial Museum

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.

French language immersion school trip to the Opal Coast of France

Local French Market

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.

Normandy american cemetery and memorial

WWII Cemeteries

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.

Activities

This part of Lower Normandy offers a great choice of historical and cultural excursions. But if you'd like to spend some time at the centre, we can arrange a half- or full-day of French language activities with your animateur. Click on the activities below to see what is available at La Grand'Ferme. 

Teenagers making bread
Bread making
Circus skills
Circus skills
La Grand Ferme Swimming pool games
Swimming & pool games
La Grand Ferme Volleyball
Volleyball
Petanque
Pétanque
archery on school trips case study
Robin Hood
activities Aeroball
Aeroball
LGF mountain biking w Mont St Michel in background
Mountain biking
Teenagers making bread

Bread making

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.

Circus skills

Circus skills

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...).

La Grand Ferme Swimming pool games

Swimming & pool games

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.

La Grand Ferme Volleyball

Volleyball

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.

Petanque

Pétanque

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.

archery on school trips case study

Robin Hood

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.

activities Aeroball

Aeroball

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!

LGF mountain biking w Mont St Michel in background

Mountain biking

Your group wiill set off from La Grand' Ferme on a guided bike ride exploring the scenic countryside of this undiscovered coastal region of Normandy. We have bikes and safety equipment for chiildren of all ages. Children will need some cycling proficiency to take part and should be prepared for the old hill! But the vistas of Mont St Michel are well worth the effort.

Included

Our French language immersion programme includes:

  • A fun programme of student activities led in French by our own highly trained French-native animateurs
  • On-site activities, French lessons, games and all evening entertainment
  • Local cultural excursions and off-site language activities such as guided Mont Saint-Michel bay walk and market mission
  • French language activity workbook per student
  • Full board and lodging 
  • Your choice of return travel
  • Coach for off-site visits and excursions
  • Private lounge area for teachers
  • Evening wind-down activities for teachers such as cheese and wine tasting
  • Free teacher to student ratio approx 1:10
  • 24-hour emergency support
  • Subsidised centre inspection visit for two adults
  • The opportunity to carbon offset your trip.

 Extras to budget for:

  • Travel insurance – ask us for more details
  • Meals on journeys
  • School to airport transfers (if required)
  • Supplements for small groups, single teacher rooms and additional adults
  • Off-site excursions
Resources

Ready-made resources to get your trip off the ground

These ready-made trip resources are designed to reduce your admin and help speed up the process of planning, promoting and getting approval for your French trip:

If you need any further assistance, just let us know or visit the Travel Hub for full details of our Peace of Mind Promise and Covid-19 travel insurance.

Gallery

From

£468 pp
5 day/4 night stay with animateurs & on-site activities 
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