During the final days of last term Miss Brophy, Miss Bibi, Mr Carroll and I took 38 Year 10 students to Belgium and France for a week. We left Hope Academy at 9.pm Friday evening and travelled overnight to Dover via coach. After a long trip we visited Tyne Cot Commonwealth Cemetery and continued on to Hill 62 to visit the remains of original World War One trenches. Shortly afterwards arriving at Ypres for our hostel. Over the next few days we visited German military cemeteries and various museums in the Flanders area.
We then travelled on to Paris via the Somme battlefields where we laid a wreath at Thiepval memorial to over 70000 soldiers with no known grave. Our students were very respectful and a credit to our school. We had some time in Paris and visited a skyscraper for a view of Paris better that the Eiffel Tower! We also visited Notre Dame, the Funecular Railway and Sacred Heart Cathedral along with some free time to explore near the attractions. We finished with a day at Parc Asterix theme park with various rides to enjoy before the long journey home.
It was a fantastic trip and our students represented Hope Academy brilliantly and I firmly believe it was enjoyed by all. Next year in July we are looking to take students in the current Year 10 to Berlin as part of their studies. More details to follow so watch this space!