11s trip to Château de la Baudonnière

The 11s had a wonderful time at Château de la Baudonnière in Normandy where they enjoyed a culturally rich immersion week packed with activities and fun tasks.

This trip is a great opportunity for the 11s to build up and demonstrate their independence and resilience, as well as their French language skills. They showed great energy and enthusiasm and provided great company and entertainment throughout the trip. Leavers often reference the Château trip as one of the highlights of their time at Swanbourne.

Whether delivering safety briefings for archery or giving instructions for getting over the very muddy assault course, the instructors never spoke a word of English! 

Highlights included a visit to the market to buy souvenirs and picnic items, an evening game involving water balloons, shaving foam and welly-wanging, and a variety of talents on display at ‘Le spectacle’. Meals were all also delivered entirely in French, and for those brave enough there was a chance to taste the famous French delicacy, les escargots.