Dear Parents/Carers,
The French department are pleased to invite your son/daughter to take part in a year 10 trip to France in July 2016. This will provide him/her with an opportunity to experience the French language first-hand, broaden their horizons and enjoy French culture outside the classroom.
We are planning to focus on Paris, with visits to amongst other places: the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysées, the Stade de France, a boat trip down the Seine and Montmatre. We will be travelling by coach and will reach the Continent via the Eurotunnel. Accommodation will be split between a hotel on the outskirts of Paris and one near the Futuroscope in Poitiers, where we will spend a day. All risk assessments will be carried out in accordance with College policies and the safety of all participants is paramount to us. In this respect, we will reserve the right to withdraw from the trip any child whose behaviour in College gives us reasons to believe the safety of the trip could be compromised.
We will be leaving Workington late on the evening of Saturday 16th July and returning in the morning of Thursday 21st July; the cost will be £410. There will initially be 40 places available.
In order to secure a place on this trip, your child will need to hand in a letter outlining why they should be selected, what benefits they would get from this trip, as well as any other information that might influence our decision. The deadline for giving me this letter is Wednesday 24th February 2016. Once a place has been offered, a non-refundable deposit of £50 will need to be paid to the College by Monday 29th February. Payment can then be arranged as convenient, providing that the full cost is covered by 1st June 2016.
You will be provided with a full packing list nearer the time, but please remember that all children will have to have their own passport and an EHIC card, which can be obtained free of charge on-line at www.nhs-e111- ehic.org.uk. Beware of some sites trying to charge for this card.
Should you need further information, including how to access a means-tested grant to help fund your child’s place on the trip, please do not hesitate to contact me at College on: [email protected]
The application deadline for the grants is 11th April 2016 so I would need to hear from you in the very near future should you need assistance to fund the trip.
We hope you will be able to give your child this opportunity to see for themselves how important learning a foreign language is, and how gaining a qualification in a language would widen their career options.
Yours faithfully,
Séverine Needham
On behalf of The Energy Coast UTC
Provisional Itinerary
Saturday 16th July 2016 2300 Assemble at the College, load coach and depart for Folkestone
Sunday 17th July 2016 0715 Arrive in Folkestone and check in at Eurotunnel terminal 0800 Arrive in Calais and depart for Paris 1100 Stop off for a tour of a Chocolate factory 1700 Arrive in Paris and check into the hotel 1900 Evening meal is served in the hotel Rest of the evening at leisure
Monday 18th July 2016 0800 Breakfast at the hotel AM Depart for central Paris, Boat trip on Bateau Mouche, Climb the Eiffel Tower PM After the Eiffel Tower, walk along the Champs Elysées, past the Arc de Triomphe and through the Jardin des Tuileries and visit the Louvre Museum. 1830 Evening meal in Paris After the evening meal, flexible evening, possible tour of the city by coach at night en route back to the hotel
Tuesday 19th July 2016 0800 Breakfast is included at the hotel 0900 Coach to depart for the Stade de France PM After visit, set off for the Futuroscope Time in the Park, laser show and evening meal
Wednesday 20th July 2016 0800 Breakfast at the hotel 0900 Depart for day in Futuroscope 1700 Coach to collect the group from the Park and depart for Calais
Thursday 21st July 2016 Early morning Eurotunnel crossing 1000 Approximate arrival time back at school