Cross-Curricular School Trip To Opal Coast

The largest fishing port in France this lively town has weekly markets on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. The historic old town retains its ramparts, a castle museum and the impressive Notre Dame Basilica. The Nausicaa Centre on the sea-front is popular with groups and indoor swimming and bowling are also available.

Nausicaa in Boulogne presents an underwater world and displays a variety of sea creatures and explores the threats to the marine environment. Students can find out more about deep sea fishing, basking sharks and stingrays and there are lots of educational and hands-on exhibits.

The immense bunker was built during WWII as a V2 rocket base with the intention of sending rockets to destroy London. A History centre inside the bunker has exhibitions on the V2, the French Resistance and a Memorial to those deported by the Nazis from the region. V2 technology was later used in space technology and a separate 3 D planetarium with state of the art technology is now open at the La Coupole site.

Located to the north of St Omer in the Eperleques Forest this is the largest bunker in northern France. The facility was built by the Germans in WWII as an assembly plant and launch pad for their secret V1 and V2 weapons. The technology developed for these weapons was later used in the space programme.

An attractive Belle Epoque stylish sea-side resort Le Touquet has a wide sandy beach, shopping and a busy twice weekly market on Thursday and Saturday mornings. The Aqualud Water Park on the seafront is an indoor and outdoor water leisure complex with slides and waves.

Students can use their French-speaking skills to buy goods and souvenirs at a local market. They will experience the different types of produce on sale in a French Market whilst practising and building their vocabulary.

A trip to a traditional French bakery lets pupils learn about the complete process of bread making. Students can actively participate and eat in or take away what they help to create. This tour is worthwhile just for the smell alone, but there are also great opportunities to ask the baker some questions in French.

Available April until early July, September and October.

Students gain an insight into the production of cocoa and how it is made into chocolate at this popular artisan Chocolate manufacturer. There is a chance to taste some samples and buy presents. Guided tours are in English or French and hold educational value for language and business studies groups.

This huge undercover leisure pool comes complete with slides, waves and rides that spit you out at 75kms an hour! Further pools and more slides can be enjoyed outside in the summer months. Seasonal opening times.

Bagatelle is a well established  theme park with many rides and attractions including: log flumes, rafting, roller-coasters, shows and a small zoo. This is a great place for students to relax and unwind, especially if the weather is good. Seasonal Opening.

This is the site of the famous battle of 1415, when Henry V and the English longbows defeated an army of heavily armoured French Knights who outnumbered them significantly. A medieval historical centre recounts the history and brings the battle to life with models, weapons and armour.

This impressive modern glass and steel building constructed on an old coal pit is an off-shoot of the Louvre in Paris. The Gallery of Time contains a collection of masterpieces through the ages from the Louvre Collection displayed in a single space. There are also temporary exhibitions.

A great opportunity to visit a goat’s cheese farm. The visit takes place in French with a chance to meet and learn about the goats and an opportunity for students to ask questions. The group then moves inside to learn about the cheese-making process and to taste the produce.