VB/WB
10 September 2014
Dear Parent/Guardian
Poetry tour of the Western Front – October 2014
I am very pleased that your child has decided to study English at Advanced Level and would like to invite
him/her to our annual visit to the Western Front. We are very excited to be able to offer our students a
unique chance to participate in a four day tour of the Western Front, studying the history of the Great War
and experiencing the surroundings which created an astonishing flourish of both poetry and prose in the
early twentieth century. This trip is particularly suitable for students studying English Literature as the focus
of Year 12 is WW1 literature. The venture is also of benefit for students who have selected English
Language and Literature as many will study WW1 literature as part of their course and the visit will expose
students to a range of literature which will develop their appreciation of the English language and enhance
their wider reading.
In a packed itinerary, we will be visiting many key sites across the region including the Ypres Salient, where
we will be participating in the ceremony commemorating the Last Post at the Menin Gate and also
experiencing the preserved battlefields of the Somme at Newfoundland Park in Northern France. We will
work closely with our students as we study the poetry written in the war, often in the places that it was
written or at the grave of the poet who wrote it. This will be our ninth trip involving Sixth Form students and
most have found this experience to be both profound and moving.
The tour will take place on Saturday, 11 October to Tuesday, 14 October. We will be travelling on an
executive coach, which will be ours for the duration of the trip. We will cross the Channel by
P & O Ferry, Dover to Calais, and will be staying in 2 and 3* hotels. Rooms will sleep 2, 3 or 4 in single-sex
groups and will be en-suite. All meals are provided. All group members will be fully insured throughout but
every participant will need a current UK passport and a European Health Insurance Card.
The cost of the trip will be roughly £325 (this may alter slightly depending on numbers attending) which
will cover all expenses, except spending money, which will be minimal. If you would like your child to take
part in this venture, then please return the slip below, reserving your child’s place, by Friday,
19 September 2014. It would be helpful towards the organisation of the trip if this could be accompanied
by a £25 deposit. Because your child may be interested in attending trips for other subjects also,
and due to the short amount of time before this trip, we are determined to ensure that the cost of
this trip is not prohibitive. If your child expresses an interest in this venture but you feel the timescale for
payment will be an issue, please contact me directly at school or on the following e-mail address:
vb@waleshigh.com and we can discuss a range of alternatives to ensure that your child has every
opportunity to participate in the trip. Although of course payment for the trip will be required eventually, it
does not need to be before the trip itself.
Continued . . .
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We believe that this will be an enjoyable and deeply moving experience for all those who participate. It will
enhance the students’ appreciation of an important moment both in the development of English Literature
and of the history of our nation, as well as being a real support to Advanced Level studies.
If you are keen for your son/daughter to be involved please return the form below to Mrs Bolton or your
child’s English teacher as soon as possible. Places on the trip are limited and we need to notify the travel
company of approximate numbers in the next two weeks. In the meantime, if you have any concerns or
queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
V Bolton (Mrs)
Senior Teacher and A-Level English Co-ordinator
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Poetry tour of the Western Front – October 2014
Please return by Friday, 19 September 2014
Student name: __________________________________________ of TG: _______________
I wish my son/daughter* to participate in this venture. I enclose a non-returnable deposit of £25.
Signed: ________________________________ Parent/Guardian)
* Please delete as appropriate.
Date: _______________________