Lower School Easter trip to Vic-sur-Cère, France

On the last day of the Lent term, 25 pupils from Years 7 and 8 headed for Vic-sur-Cère, in the Massif Central for six days of sporting, cultural and linguistic activities “à la française”. Every day had a packed schedule of activities which the pupils engaged in with great enthusiasm and commitment.

On our first morning, we embarked on a programme of interviews in French at the tourist office, fire-station and town hall. After a well-earnt lunch at “Hôtel des Bains”, we set off for Aurillac for a fun afternoon of BMX riding and skateboarding in French. The pupils learnt a lot of skills and enjoyed the experience of interacting with and learning from the French instructors. In the evening we played handball which was fast, lively and very competitive.

Sunday morning was spent visiting a local cheese farm where we learnt about how the two local cheeses, Cantal and Salers, are made. We were lucky enough to sample these and meet the cows! In the afternoon, we swapped cheese-tasting for go-karting on the track at Pers. Following some super-quick times, we returned to the hotel for dinner and a formal reception at the town hall. As part of Dulwich’s special relationship with Vic, the Mayor invited us to celebrate with her the 35 years that Dulwich pupils have been visiting the town. The pupils were very smartly turned out, attentive and three pupils delivered excellent speeches of thanks in French.

Monday saw us travel to Entraygues for a day of kayaking on the river Lot, skilfully negotiating rapids over the 10km course. A relaxing evening was spent recuperating with some delicious waffles and free time before Tuesday’s much-awaited morning at the local College, where pupils took part in a morning of activities. After an afternoon’s shopping in the local town, Aurillac, many of the Vic pupils came to our hotel for our final evening and took part in an excellent international quiz.;

On Wednesday, after a very early start, we eventually returned to London tired but happy.

We are looking forward to returning to Vic-sur-Cère in 2026.