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Château de la Baudonnière


Truly immersive French language learning in Normandy

Description

Welcome to Château de la Baudonnière, our truly immersive French language learning centre in Normandy which has been accommodating school groups for over 30 years. Our approach to French language immersion is uniquely successful thanks to our team of highly talented native French-speaking animateurs.

Our French immersion programme uses fun onsite activities to encourages students to listen and practise their French from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. Whether it’s working together to build a raft, canoeing, climbing, bread making or taking part in our tough mudder assault course, all activities are instructed and carried out in French by our animateur team.

Our friendly and supportive animateurs create a learning environment where students are comfortable making mistakes and are encouraged to challenge themselves. At the end of the week, students will leave the Château with a newfound confidence and willingness to speak French. Their shared experience in France translating into real educational benefits back in the classroom.

To ensure that each student gets individual attention, all activities are taught in small groups of no more than twelve, in addition each student receives a workbook to help reinforce the vocabulary that they are learning. Off-site excursions allow your students to explore the rich cultural history of the region and range from goats cheese farms to the beautiful Mont St Michel.

Teachers can take a back seat as our animateur team lead students through the on-site Château programme, from petit déjuener right through to evening entertainment - all in French of course!

WHAT MAKES CHATEAU DE LA BAUDONNIERE DIFFERENT?

Truly educational - our French language programme uses our own highly trained native-speakers to create a truly immersive experience which is shown to improve learning and confidence.

The highest quality instruction and care - which is why 8 out of 10 school groups return to the Château each year.

Hassle-free - organising a school trip need not be daunting and we will support you throughout the process to ensure that every element goes to plan.

In safe hands – we are an assured member of the School Travel Forum (STF) and hold the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge demonstrating that we maintain effective safety management systems, offer fair terms and the best financial security.

Château de la Baudonnière is part of the Voyager School Travel, the language immersion specialists. Contact our friendly team to organise your next French trip and to organise an inspection visit to the Château or one of our other language centres.


Reviews

The following reviews have been added by visit leaders using the EVOLVE system.
Overview
4.6
50 reviews


Excellent
 
76%

Very Good
 
16%

Average
 
4%

Poor
 
4%

Awful
 
0%

(November 2024 - Secondary School)




(November 2024 - Secondary School)




(October 2024 - Secondary School)




We stayed at La Grand Ferme and the staff were excellent (July 2024 - Secondary School)




(July 2024 - Secondary School)




(July 2024 - Primary School & Secondary School)




(July 2024 - Primary School & Secondary School)




(May 2024 - Primary School)




Equally applicable to offshoot, La Grand'Ferme (May 2024 - Secondary School)




A brilliant centre with professional and highly trained French 'animateurs/animatrices'. (March 2024 - Secondary School)




(February 2024 - Secondary School)




(November 2023)




(July 2023 - Secondary School)




(July 2023 - Primary School & Secondary School)




(May 2023 - Primary School)




(March 2023)




(March 2023 - Primary School)




(March 2023 - Secondary School)




(November 2022 - Secondary School)




(October 2022)




(October 2022 - Secondary School)




(October 2022 - Secondary School)




(October 2022 - Secondary School)




(July 2022)




I would not recommend the venue: staff and students were disappointed by the level of comfort: e.g the age of the bedding, the standard of the food and the level at which the activities were pitched. I was disappointed to see that our students, although they are not keen to speak for fear of making mistakes, were given a workbook on a level which I had judged from the website as too easy for our pupils. My wish to have 2 different levels of challenge was not accommodated and this led to a degree of disengagement from our pupils. The way in which some activities were run- not the activities themselves- (e.g: bread making) was more suitable for primary school pupils. The same presentation made over breakfast of vocabulary was again more suited to primary school children. It was at times frustrating to feel that our teacher colleagues could not play a role in leading some activities as we would have been able to stretch the learners more than the staff were ready to do. (July 2022 - Secondary School)




I would not recommend the venue: staff and students were disappointed by the level of comfort: e.g the age of the bedding, the standard of the food and the level at which the activities were pitched. I was disappointed to see that our students, although they are not keen to speak for fear of making mistakes, were given a workbook on a level which I had judged from the website as too easy for our pupils. My wish to have 2 different levels of challenge was not accommodated and this led to a degree of disengagement from our pupils. The way in which some activities were run- not the activities themselves- (e.g: bread making) was more suitable for primary school pupils. The same presentation made over breakfast of vocabulary was again more suited to primary school children. It was at times frustrating to feel that our teacher colleagues could not play a role in leading some activities as we would have been able to stretch the learners more than the staff were ready to do. (July 2022 - Secondary School)




(July 2022 - Primary School & Secondary School)




(July 2022 - Secondary School)




(February 2020 - Secondary School)




The Chateau welcomed us and looked after us incredibly well as usual. I absolutely cannot fault them in the enthusiastic delivery and thoughtfulness of the activities and the travel and excursions ran very smoothly. (October 2019 - Secondary School)




Excellent value and organisation. Programme was very well thought out, children were busy the whole time and the pitching of the French was very good indeed. Great staff, very good and plentiful food, highly recommended. (October 2019 - Secondary School)




Beautiful grounds, helpful staff and nice staff. Some of the activities a little slow. (September 2019 - Secondary School)




(September 2019 - Secondary School)




a superb well organised trip with a good variety of activities for the students, all explained in French by the group leaders. This was a total immersion experience and the students used and heard an impressive amount of French. (July 2019 - Secondary School)




Another very successful visit. Excellent staff, facilities and activities. (July 2019 - Secondary School)




The trip was very successful. The activities were well organised and appropriate. Transport was good. Accommodation was excellent, having the Villa to ourselves is always very useful. The staff at the Villa were excellent. Food was good - lots of French cuisine, which was nice, however some of the children did not enjoy it so ended up just eating lots of bread. Vegetarian option was adequate. (July 2019 - Primary School)




A fantastic week where girls were encouraged to speak and understand French at every opportunity, and they really got on board with the ethos of the centre. The Chateau and grounds are beautiful and offered a great place for girls to become more independent in a safe and secure setting. (May 2019 - Primary School)




(April 2019 - Secondary School)




Excellent care from staff. Facilities and activities excellent. A true language immersion experience (March 2019 - Secondary School)




(February 2019 - Primary School)




(November 2018 - Secondary School)




(October 2018 - Primary School)




A very well organised, immersive experience. The staff know what they are doing and engage pupils in the activities very well. Excellent choice of excursions. (October 2018 - Secondary School)




aff were amazing - the layout and the activities were great - the food fantastic - the centre generally catered for younger pupils but they adapted and were generally accomodating to our older pupils - including being flexible when we wanted to change certain evening activities. It would have been good to have a free time area just for our group rather than themhaving to go back to dorms at 9.30, Kate barrell (October 2018 - Secondary School)




A super trip with excellent language outcomes for pupils. Total immersion experience, with French used throughout visit, combined with some great outdoor adventure style activities. Pupils had great time, learned a lot and experienced French cuisine and culture. Staff were all professional and helpful- a really well organised trip. (July 2018 - Secondary School)




Another wonderful visit to Normandy. The Chateau company were very helpful and the itinerary for the week worked well. Having the Villa to ourselves was integral to the success of the trip. The only downside was getting delayed at Folkestone for the Eurotunnel, but nothing you can do about that. (July 2018 - Primary School)




Great centre, not only for improving love of French language, but also for team building. (June 2018 - Primary School)




Great trip. Great sporting activities. Great team building activities. Staff only speak in French; which is very beneficial for the students. Students really enjoyed themselves. This is in my mind the best trip that NBH offers to children at this school. It brings them together in so many ways, all children on this trip have a chance to shine! (June 2018)




The staff (instructors) on site were great and very helpful. The activities were very well organised, very safe and they were ran strictly in French. The instructors conveyed instructions and information about the programme of the week in the target language and the girls were able to understand them. The instructors also encouraged the use of French by the pupils during activities and meal times. Therefore the girls developed their confidence when using French and also enriched their vocabulary. (June 2018 - Primary School)




(March 2018 - Secondary School)




Truly immersive French language learning in Normandy

Description

Welcome to Château de la Baudonnière, our truly immersive French language learning centre in Normandy which has been accommodating school groups for over 30 years. Our approach to French language immersion is uniquely successful thanks to our team of highly talented native French-speaking animateurs.

Our French immersion programme uses fun onsite activities to encourages students to listen and practise their French from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. Whether it’s working together to build a raft, canoeing, climbing, bread making or taking part in our tough mudder assault course, all activities are instructed and carried out in French by our animateur team.

Our friendly and supportive animateurs create a learning environment where students are comfortable making mistakes and are encouraged to challenge themselves. At the end of the week, students will leave the Château with a newfound confidence and willingness to speak French. Their shared experience in France translating into real educational benefits back in the classroom.

To ensure that each student gets individual attention, all activities are taught in small groups of no more than twelve, in addition each student receives a workbook to help reinforce the vocabulary that they are learning. Off-site excursions allow your students to explore the rich cultural history of the region and range from goats cheese farms to the beautiful Mont St Michel.

Teachers can take a back seat as our animateur team lead students through the on-site Château programme, from petit déjuener right through to evening entertainment - all in French of course!

WHAT MAKES CHATEAU DE LA BAUDONNIERE DIFFERENT?

Truly educational - our French language programme uses our own highly trained native-speakers to create a truly immersive experience which is shown to improve learning and confidence.

The highest quality instruction and care - which is why 8 out of 10 school groups return to the Château each year.

Hassle-free - organising a school trip need not be daunting and we will support you throughout the process to ensure that every element goes to plan.

In safe hands – we are an assured member of the School Travel Forum (STF) and hold the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge demonstrating that we maintain effective safety management systems, offer fair terms and the best financial security.

Château de la Baudonnière is part of the Voyager School Travel, the language immersion specialists. Contact our friendly team to organise your next French trip and to organise an inspection visit to the Château or one of our other language centres.

Contact

Château de la Baudonnière
Les Chambres 50320 La Haye-Pesnel,
Normandy
France

Reviews

The following reviews have been added by visit leaders using the EVOLVE system.
Overview
4.6
50 reviews


Excellent
 
76%

Very Good
 
16%

Average
 
4%

Poor
 
4%

Awful
 
0%

November 2024 - Secondary School




November 2024 - Secondary School




October 2024 - Secondary School




July 2024 - Secondary School
We stayed at La Grand Ferme and the staff were excellent



July 2024 - Secondary School




July 2024 - Primary School & Secondary School




July 2024 - Primary School & Secondary School




May 2024 - Primary School




May 2024 - Secondary School
Equally applicable to offshoot, La Grand'Ferme



March 2024 - Secondary School
A brilliant centre with professional and highly trained French 'animateurs/animatrices'.



February 2024 - Secondary School




November 2023




July 2023 - Secondary School




July 2023 - Primary School & Secondary School




May 2023 - Primary School




March 2023




March 2023 - Primary School




March 2023 - Secondary School




November 2022 - Secondary School




October 2022




October 2022 - Secondary School




October 2022 - Secondary School




October 2022 - Secondary School




July 2022




July 2022 - Secondary School
I would not recommend the venue: staff and students were disappointed by the level of comfort: e.g the age of the bedding, the standard of the food and the level at which the activities were pitched. I was disappointed to see that our students, although they are not keen to speak for fear of making mistakes, were given a workbook on a level which I had judged from the website as too easy for our pupils. My wish to have 2 different levels of challenge was not accommodated and this led to a degree of disengagement from our pupils. The way in which some activities were run- not the activities themselves- (e.g: bread making) was more suitable for primary school pupils. The same presentation made over breakfast of vocabulary was again more suited to primary school children. It was at times frustrating to feel that our teacher colleagues could not play a role in leading some activities as we would have been able to stretch the learners more than the staff were ready to do.



July 2022 - Secondary School
I would not recommend the venue: staff and students were disappointed by the level of comfort: e.g the age of the bedding, the standard of the food and the level at which the activities were pitched. I was disappointed to see that our students, although they are not keen to speak for fear of making mistakes, were given a workbook on a level which I had judged from the website as too easy for our pupils. My wish to have 2 different levels of challenge was not accommodated and this led to a degree of disengagement from our pupils. The way in which some activities were run- not the activities themselves- (e.g: bread making) was more suitable for primary school pupils. The same presentation made over breakfast of vocabulary was again more suited to primary school children. It was at times frustrating to feel that our teacher colleagues could not play a role in leading some activities as we would have been able to stretch the learners more than the staff were ready to do.



July 2022 - Primary School & Secondary School




July 2022 - Secondary School




February 2020 - Secondary School




October 2019 - Secondary School
The Chateau welcomed us and looked after us incredibly well as usual. I absolutely cannot fault them in the enthusiastic delivery and thoughtfulness of the activities and the travel and excursions ran very smoothly.



October 2019 - Secondary School
Excellent value and organisation. Programme was very well thought out, children were busy the whole time and the pitching of the French was very good indeed. Great staff, very good and plentiful food, highly recommended.



September 2019 - Secondary School
Beautiful grounds, helpful staff and nice staff. Some of the activities a little slow.



September 2019 - Secondary School




July 2019 - Secondary School
a superb well organised trip with a good variety of activities for the students, all explained in French by the group leaders. This was a total immersion experience and the students used and heard an impressive amount of French.



July 2019 - Secondary School
Another very successful visit. Excellent staff, facilities and activities.



July 2019 - Primary School
The trip was very successful. The activities were well organised and appropriate. Transport was good. Accommodation was excellent, having the Villa to ourselves is always very useful. The staff at the Villa were excellent. Food was good - lots of French cuisine, which was nice, however some of the children did not enjoy it so ended up just eating lots of bread. Vegetarian option was adequate.



May 2019 - Primary School
A fantastic week where girls were encouraged to speak and understand French at every opportunity, and they really got on board with the ethos of the centre. The Chateau and grounds are beautiful and offered a great place for girls to become more independent in a safe and secure setting.



April 2019 - Secondary School




March 2019 - Secondary School
Excellent care from staff. Facilities and activities excellent. A true language immersion experience



February 2019 - Primary School




November 2018 - Secondary School




October 2018 - Primary School




October 2018 - Secondary School
A very well organised, immersive experience. The staff know what they are doing and engage pupils in the activities very well. Excellent choice of excursions.



October 2018 - Secondary School
aff were amazing - the layout and the activities were great - the food fantastic - the centre generally catered for younger pupils but they adapted and were generally accomodating to our older pupils - including being flexible when we wanted to change certain evening activities. It would have been good to have a free time area just for our group rather than themhaving to go back to dorms at 9.30, Kate barrell



July 2018 - Secondary School
A super trip with excellent language outcomes for pupils. Total immersion experience, with French used throughout visit, combined with some great outdoor adventure style activities. Pupils had great time, learned a lot and experienced French cuisine and culture. Staff were all professional and helpful- a really well organised trip.



July 2018 - Primary School
Another wonderful visit to Normandy. The Chateau company were very helpful and the itinerary for the week worked well. Having the Villa to ourselves was integral to the success of the trip. The only downside was getting delayed at Folkestone for the Eurotunnel, but nothing you can do about that.



June 2018 - Primary School
Great centre, not only for improving love of French language, but also for team building.



June 2018
Great trip. Great sporting activities. Great team building activities. Staff only speak in French; which is very beneficial for the students. Students really enjoyed themselves. This is in my mind the best trip that NBH offers to children at this school. It brings them together in so many ways, all children on this trip have a chance to shine!



June 2018 - Primary School
The staff (instructors) on site were great and very helpful. The activities were very well organised, very safe and they were ran strictly in French. The instructors conveyed instructions and information about the programme of the week in the target language and the girls were able to understand them. The instructors also encouraged the use of French by the pupils during activities and meal times. Therefore the girls developed their confidence when using French and also enriched their vocabulary.



March 2018 - Secondary School