Young student course in Bayonne, France

Details

15 or 20 French lessons per week + activities and excursions + full-board accommodation in the student residence or with a host family. The student residence is located on-site and offers lockable, shared rooms with access to shared shower rooms and toilets. There is also the option to upgrade to a bedroom with a private shower room (still with shared toilet facilities). Students are placed according to gender. The accommodation team will also endeavour to place students according to age and to have a good mix of native languages, although this is not always possible. Friends or family members travelling together can request to share a room. Breakfast and dinner are served at the residence and a packed lunch is provided around midday. There is wireless internet access in the public areas of the residence. Coin-operated laundry facilities can be found at a nearby supermarket. Students accommodated in the residence are required to pay a damage deposit of €50, so it is important to keep this in mind when planning pocket money.

Carefully selected host families live in Bayonne, Biarritz and Anglet, so it is usually necessary for students to use public transport to reach the school if choosing this type of accommodation. Although many host families are approximately 30 minutes from the school by public transport, some can live up to 45-60 minutes away. A local bus pass is provided for the duration of your stay and accommodation is arranged in shared rooms so that students can travel to and from the school together. All meals are provided by the host family and a packed lunch will be provided for students, so they don’t have to return home between lessons and activities.

In both types of accommodation bed linen and towels are provided, although we would ask that students pack their own beach towels. Students booking the course in Bayonne should plan their arrival and departure on Saturdays.

The core French programme of 15 lessons per week is usually scheduled take place between 09:00 and 11:45, with a 30-minute break scheduled 10:30-11:00. Each of the morning lessons focuses on a specific skill, with sessions focussed on communicative activities and speaking practise, grammar and language work, and reading and listening. Lessons are taught in French to ensure everyone gets as much out of the programme as possible. Students who opt for the more intensive course of 20 lessons per week have an extra class 11:45 to 12:30, which provides further focus on key areas. This programme isn’t suitable for complete beginners - students are required to have at least level A1 of the Common European Framework to join the course. Levels A2, B1 and B2 are also catered for. Students will be placed into classes according to the result of the level test taken before travel or on arrival.

An extensive programme of activities and excursions is arranged to complement the course, with ice-breaking games, the welcome meeting and welcome party helping students to get to know each other and settle in as quickly as possible. As the programme in Bayonne is available to young people learning English as well as French, the activities are bilingual and are conducted by team members from France, England, Germany, Spain, and other countries. The programme is fun, age-appropriate and varied, and can include:

- Full day trips to cities such as San Sebastián, Pau, Bordeaux, Bilbao, and Hendaye
- Half day trips to places like Sant Jean de Luz, Bayonne, and Sare
- Sports (dodgeball, football, volleyball, badminton, Zumba, dance fitness, jogging and stretching)
- Games (capture the flag, hide-and-seek, treasure hunts, photo competitions, sandcastle competitions)
- Arts and crafts (customise your t-shirt, make friendship bracelets, DIY dream catcher, create your own postcard/souvenirs)
- Health and beauty (henna tattoos, nail art, face masks, hand and head massage, make up workshops, yoga, relaxation and meditation)
- Food and drink masterclasses (crepes workshop, cupcake workshop, ‘mocktails’ workshop, sushi workshop)
- Digital workshops (Instagram/photography workshop, internet memes workshop)
- Evening activities (games, quizzes, open stage, talent competitions, theme parties. BBQs)

There is also a daily ‘Chill-Out’ option when students can spend time relaxing at the beach or in one of the designated zones at the school. Beach visits usually happen around three times a week.

For those that want to give surfing a try there is the option to add 5 x 90-minute surf lessons to the programme each week. This option is very popular, so it is recommended to book in advance as spaces usually fill up. Lessons take place in nearby Biarritz and are supervised by fully trained surfing teachers. Budding surfers travel to the surf beach by public transport, accompanied by a staff member, who also waits for the duration of the lesson and travels back with students. All necessary equipment is provided but students need to take their own beach towel. Please note that surf lessons are scheduled according to the tide and weather and participation can mean that it isn’t possible to take part in other activities or excursions.

All students are permitted to leave the campus on specific afternoons for unsupervised free time in groups of at least two students, and only after informing a staff member of their plans. The on-site team will inform students which afternoon activities are compulsory and which afternoons free time is allowed. There will also be the opportunity for independent exploration during certain activities and excursions. In the evening students are encouraged to join the entertainment programme, but there will also be the option to have free time some nights if parental permission is granted. Students must go out in pairs or small groups and must ensure a team member is aware of their plans. The standard curfew is 23:00. Students staying with host families return to their accommodation to enjoy dinner with their family. They can then either spend the evening with their host family or return to the school to participate in the evening activities (making their own way to and from the school). The standard curfew for students staying with a host family is 22:30, and the host family and a member of the school team should be informed of the student’s plans.