Cargilfield: Scotland's First Prep School

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Year 7’s greatly enjoy 8 days in Normandy

Le séjour de Cargilfield à la Grand’ Ferme, 25 Feb – 4 Mar 2011

The open fire in the old fashioned raised granite hearth of our gite’s dining room and Andrew Caverhill’s warm welcome immediately banished the long and tedious journey from our minds and drew us into the magic of our destination. In spite of a 4.30 start and an hour and a half’s delay in Southampton Airport not one whinge had been uttered all day. This impressive record was kept up all week! Even when we settled down to write up diaries in French after supper that first day there was even a buzz of enthusiasm from the children.

La Grand’ Ferme is in a magical situation safe in the countryside in the crook of La Baie de Mont St Michel near Avranches. Immediately after unpacking we were able to stretch our legs down a small French road to the edge of the bay and admire the sunset over the isolated abbey.

The way the programme was organised with the first day visiting Bayeux, its tapestry and cemetery, followed by Pegasus Bridge in the afternoon, some piped up and asked if they had come on the right trip as they thought it was meant to be a French, not a history one. Well might they have been forgiven, but what they were not realising at that early stage was quite how much of the language they were unconsciously taking on board. The art of the place is the knack the staff have of drawing the Prep School mind in accessible language and entirely through enthusiasm and positives into French via local culture and interest. The lack of threat and personal attention is helped by the family atmosphere and small scale of the place so that after a week every individual comes away feeling they are part of it and know it well, not just for its history but also its people, geography, local produce and town life – all in French.

This was my fourth visit and the way the twenty five members of the party worked together and the way their positive attitude brought out the best in all they met, people and situations, there is no doubt it was the most enjoyable trip so far. The children were a huge credit to their parents and school.