At the start of June the Year 9 trip to France & Belgium left Sleaford bright and early. A good journey meant that we had ample time to soak up some sunshine and practice our French skills around Boulogne. Students explored parts of the old town (including visiting the Basilique Notre Dame) whilst others used their French skills to order artistic ice creams or treat themselves in local shops. This time in Boulogne gave students the opportunity to use their language learnt in the classroom for meaningful exchanges. After some time in Boulogne we made our way to Albert and the Poppies hostel which was to be our base for the first evening. We enjoyed a meal together and then relaxed at the hostel before a busy day.
The Thursday morning started bright and early and after having breakfast and making our packed lunch we set off for a full day. Our morning visits took us to the Lochnagar Crater, the Thiepval monument and finally onto the Newfoundland Park where students were guided round expertly by Mr Dennis or by Canadian students who come each year to share the history of their countrymen who supported the war effort in Northern France.
The afternoon saw us have a tour of the Wellington Quarry in Arras where students walk through tunnels that formed an integral part of the plans to halt the German advances during WW1. We then went onto the Vimy memorial park and took time to reflect at the Vimy Ridge before heading onto Ypres where we checked into our lovely accommodation. Again we enjoyed a lovely meal together and then explored Ypres before returning to our Hotel.
On Friday we had another busy day. We began the day with a visit to Sanctuary Wood where the students could walk through some (at points very muddy!) trenches that have been preserved from the battle lines. We also visited the Langermark cemetery which is the burial place for many German soldiers who died in the war. It feels quite different to the other cemeteries we visited on the trip which are typically maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The students were, as ever, respectful and reflective here.
We then had lunch and a brief explore of Talbot House and some of her students played the piano to entertain us and other visitors to Talbot House which was a joy to hear.
We finished our afternoon with a trip to the Tyne Cot Cemetery and the Memorial Museum at Passchendaele before returning to Ypres.
After dinner we were privileged as a group to attend the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate which is currently covered in scaffolding and panels as careful restoration work takes place. The students engaged beautifully with what is, as ever, an incredibly poignant ceremony and paid their respects to those who did so much to serve their country.
We returned to Sleaford via Pete de Groot’s chocolate shop (a favourite activity for many!) and a trip to Cité Europe in Calais on a quest to spend any remaining euros!
Throughout the trip the students conducted themselves with aplomb. They asked questions; they listened to stories of those who fought in the Great War and they saw their learning brought to life in many ways. The weather was beautiful throughout and the students dealt with the heat and travelling superbly.
On such a full and varied trip it is hard to pinpoint a favourite moment but we had two particularly poignant moments, which will stay with many of us for the rest of our lives. We had two students who were able to visit the grave of a relative and pay their respects to them. We visited the Nine Elms British Cemetery where one of our students was able to lay a poppy and a white Yorkshire rose at the grave of a loved one and then we also visited the Huts Cemetery where another student could reflect at the grave of a loved relative.
As a student I went on a trip very similar to this when I was in Year 9 and it impacted me in a huge way. I have since revisited many of these places several times and each time I get a slightly different and new perspective. As the Head of Year 9 it was a privilege to share this trip with my year group and fantastic colleagues and I hope their memories of this trip will endure in the way mine have done.
Mr Shivas
Head of Year 9
The Summer Holidays are nearly upon us and we recognise that whilst many students will be looking forward to avoiding all thoughts of school for a few weeks some find the holidays very long and enjoy the structure and focus school work can bring. Summer is also a chance to make new resolutions regarding school work and prepare for the new term. Our Summer Support Booklets offer this opportunity to all years. Staff have prepared a review of key work from the year just gone alongside useful tasks to help students get ahead and feel ready for the new term. The booklets are available online and links will be sent home and to each student’s email address; these will also be discussed next week in tutor time. As always there is no requirement to complete every task, students are encouraged to dip into the packs as they wish.
