St. Stephen’s Churchof England Infant School

visit to

Centre d’Hardelot

June 2004

By way of saying THANK YOU to the wonderful friends who helped us fund this biannual trip to France let me give you a flavour of what this weekend holiday entails…….

We offer the holiday to the children in Years 1 and 2 which means that they are aged 6 and 7 years old. For many this is a first trip away from home and for many a first trip abroad. This means that it is quite an undertaking for the school and is dependent on quite a lot of trust from the parents! However over the past twelve years that I have been party to these holidays, both home and abroad, each trip has been a joy to be part of. It gives us a rare opportunity to interact with the children at a deeper level than in the classroom. It gives parents a well earned break and forges us as a staff into the close bonded team that we are at St. Stephen’s.

This year we took 18 children and 11 adults away for the weekend. We took 2 MPVs with us and the rest travelled by coach to Dover to catch the ferry to Calais. To see the excitement on the children’s faces when they realised that we were on a ‘boat’ and it was moving was marvellous! To stand out on deck and point to England in one direction and France in the other is like magic to a six year old! To listen to them singing their repertoire of French songs is a joy! They had no anxiety over the fact that we had been delayed in catching the right ferry and that there would be no coach waiting in Calais for us!!

Never mind, all got sorted out and we arrived happy and tired at the centre and began unloading and settling into the rooms allocated. Some children sharing together and others sharing with an adult. The centre is a wonderful facility to take children to, with volley ball court, basket ball, table tennis, table football, monkey swing, outdoor chess….so you can see the children are never bored! Add to that the super food cooked and served for us in the attractive dining room, and the chance to chat and laugh together, and the adults are easily pleased too!

On Saturday we visited a traditional village bakery to see how baguettes and croissants are made and have a go at rolling a croissant into shape ourselves. We left with samples enough for all to try and went to the Supermarche to buy the ingredients for our picnic lunches and spend the children’s pocket money on something to take home and share that has come from France – biscuits, cakes, sweets – the best bargains we could get for our Euros!

We returned to the centre to make and eat our picnic and have a play before changing into play clothes and going off to a fabulous park that we found last year. A couple of hours of real freedom for the children playing on the great climbing frames, digging in the sand, sliding, swinging, bouncing and yes, talking and playing with French children. This tests the adults’ poor linguistic skills to the limits as the children come to us for help!

After the park we went to the beach – Hardelot Plage – where we had ice lollies and played on the sand, before returning for supper, showers and bedtime stories(x 18!).

Sunday morning we stayed at the centre, packing our bags and belongings, chasing giant bubbles and having stories and songs at the woodland amphitheatre. Then after another delicious picnic – under the umbrellas on the veranda, we awaited our coach to return us to Calais. It arrived so late that again we missed the ferry!

However we returned to school safe and sound and all the children have had a lovely time, playing, having fun but also learning so much too. So that nobody is ever excluded by cost, we only charge each child £25 (less when there are two in the same family) and the rest is subsidised by our wonderful FRIENDS, like you.

We thank you and especially thank God for good weather, good health and the joy of taking yet more children on this special trip safely.

Sue Allen

Acting Headteacher