Day One

After much anticipation and excitement, the journey to Spain for our Form 8 pupils is finally underway!

Despite the short drive to Dover, there was a fair amount of waiting around, and nail biting moments at passport control to get through before we could board the ferry. Thankfully, all was in order, and we were allowed to proceed on our way in time to catch our scheduled crossing.

Mr Comfort kindly gave the staff his credit card before we left school, and whilst it was tempting to use this to flee for a fun weekend in Paris, we remembered our responsibilities and endured the carnage of ordering a big round of 61 dinners in the ferry canteen instead.

The pupils now have a bit of time to eat and stretch their legs, and the staff to catch their breath, before we reach Calais and begin the long drive ahead.

We’re hoping for some sleep on the coach, but this could turn out to be a very long night! Hopefully we’ll all feel refreshed enough to enjoy a croissant for breakfast, somewhere in southern France.

Our coach drivers are aiming to get us to Spain ahead of schedule, which should give us all a nice afternoon at the hotel to swim and relax before the real fun begins on Wednesday.

As we drove in to Day Two, the excitement levels remained high. So much so that by 3am, the non stop chat from the children left staff practically begging for peace.

Mr Georgiou and Mrs O’Sullivan had the misfortune of sitting in front of the coach toilet, Poor Mr G, resorted to sleeping in sun glasses as each time the door opened it was akin to staring into a London blitz searchlight! We’re happy to report that they survived the night! It would be fair to say that there were some bleary eyes in the morning.

Breakfast was taken at a service station in the south of France around 7am, with fruit and pastries offered around. However, many children were enjoying their taste of freedom, and tried out their French language skills in the shop to buy themselves a wholesome breakfast supplement of… chocolate. Staff took the opportunity to fill up on much needed coffee to get through the next stint.

After breakfast, with the night long gone, the coach finally fell quiet as some of the more stubborn fun-seekers finally surrendered to sleep.

The children showed some mild interest as we crossed the Millau Viaduct. Then Mr Mckean tried to engage those around him on the coach with a little geology lesson as we passed rock formations that were right up his street. Mrs French thought this was a great way to send everyone back to sleep.  Mr Mckean was duly offended!

We were all very happy to arrive at the 4 star Hotel Platja Park. The pupils had a short rest in their rooms followed by some free time at the pool where everyone let off steam. Fun was had jumping in the pool and playing football and cricket under the palm trees.

Pool time was followed by a delicious buffet dinner where there was something to please everyone. Warning for those of sensitive disposition – Bugs Bunny (conejo) was on the menu and was enjoyed by many.

As we write this, the poolside disco pumps out some banging Euro beats – Great!!!!!

!Qué día fantástico! What a fantastic day! Today saw our intrepid Form 8 team battle with the slides and rides at Water World in Lloret de Mar, approximately 30 minutes by coach from our hotel.

The weather was bright and breezy, just like the general ambiance amongst this fine team.

The culinary highlight of the day was the copious and delicious breakfast at the hotel, as well as the tinned pâté for lunch (devoured in a frenzied moment of joy by Señor Payne).

The students had a magnificent time splashing and dashing around one of Europe’s biggest waterparks.

An unexpected perk for Cassius, Xavier and Thomas M was finding lost coinage at the bottom of the wave pool. They turned over a profit on the day of almost 10 euros!

Evie B enjoyed hanging out with friends above all today, whilst Señora French was happy to see all the children enjoying themselves and behaving very well.

After a wet and wild day at the waterpark, our nautical niños enjoyed some chill time back at the hotel, followed by a gentle walk to the beach for a game of fútbol, and to take in the healthy sea breeze.

We can’t wait for another day with this band of stars: kayaking will be the plat du jour.

After another bountiful breakfast we made our way to Platja Sant Pol, a 10-minute drive from the hotel, for the first day of our water sports activities.  With a mixture of confidence from some, and a little trepidation from others, we split into four groups to rotate activities over the next 2 days.

Once the pupils had donned their lifejackets, they listened patiently to a safety briefing and guidance from the lovely instructors from Escola de Vela & Kayak, before being released into the Mediterranean Sea.

It wasn’t long before everyone was far out of sight from the sandy shore, impressing the staff with how quickly they gained confidence. There were groups of children on giant paddle boards, flying along in catamarans, windsurfing like pros, and kayaking into distant caves along the rocky coastline.

After hitching a ride on the motorboat we were able to get closer to the action and witness some incredible windsurfing from Alina R and Sophie R among others.

The children had a brilliant time, and upon their return to dry land they immediately threw themselves back into the sea to jump in the waves and swim with their friends. Their energy seems endless. The Mediterranean rang out today with the screams of Oliver B as he feared being eaten by a Great White shark!

Highlights of the day included a friendly competition to throw each other off the big paddle board. Jack E was the winner in the morning, closely followed by Cassius P and Rosa CH.

Rexford W was happy to have quickly overcome his nerves, and really enjoyed the paddle surfing, even though it was hard for everyone to paddle in sync!

Natalia BW’s steering skills were honed whilst windsurfing, successfully negotiating other vessels on her journey.

Alfie A, Thomas E, Ben H, Sonny M, Eddie F, Josh T, and Ngwang S were enthusiastically discussing the sensational views. Ngwang also noted that he was proud of his excellent kayaking and observation skills to find sea glass.
Beau S most enjoyed the swimming in the sea, and having already had experience of scuba diving, Autumn G found the opportunity to do some snorkeling from the kayak to be the best bit of her day.

Overall the staff loved seeing the children coming out of their comfort zones, face their fears, and support each other in such a compassionate way. Two pupils in particular showed incredible bravery, with Rexford W and Joel B receiving a big round of applause on the coach. Mr G also praised Jesseh A for his resilience and perseverance whilst windsurfing.

To top it all off, the instructors said that our pupils were “a lovely group” which made the staff feel very proud.

After dinner we had a wander into town to buy souvenirs, though most pupils flocked to the sweet shop. Hopefully the sugar rush will have subsided by bedtime!

It’s our last day in Platja d’Aro and what a cracker it’s been.

With today’s schedule allowing a bit of a lie-in, pupils were well rested and ready to return to Sant Pol for their final day of water sports. With a bit more experience to know what to expect, there were fewer nerves today and the pupils seemed more relaxed, sharing jokes and having fun with the instructors. One instructor called Xevi seemed to have endless jokes and stories to tell to the windsurfing group. When Megan S had proved so successful with her windsurfing that she had not fallen off once, Xevi gave her a gentle nudge off the boat to finally get her in the sea! The windsurfing was a difficult skill to master but everyone did so well and there was great enthusiasm from Imogen S, Evie B, Jay H, Oscar F, Alex R and Aiden K amongst many others.

Whilst out on the safety boat, Miss Hummerstone also got to witness the bravery of the paddleboard group who were taking it in turns to jump and dive off the board. We managed to catch an excellent dive from Ben H on camera!

The kayaks were also a hit, exploring a cove which is famous due to a 30ft whale landing there over 100 years ago, but being misreported in the press as a ‘big fish’. The locals were amused and named the area ‘Fish Bay’ in its honour. James L particularly enjoyed the opportunity to go snorkelling here, even finding and holding a sea urchin.

We couldn’t help noticing that the catamaran crews had the easiest ride of the groups. Several pupils were spotted having a little sunbathe and relaxing on board, although the fun was there to be had as Jack E and Cassius P were seen getting fully involved and mastering the skill of hanging horizontally whilst tired to the top.

After a much-needed buffet lunch at the hotel to refuel, it was time for room inspections to ensure that standards were high, and that pupils were commencing packing for the departure tomorrow. Mrs French and Mr Georgiou led the inspections, concluding that they were all exceptionally good, especially the room shared by James S, Will A, and Jack E. Well done boys!

Once satisfied with the rooms, the pupils were allowed some bonus pool time. An unexpected twist was finding a big group of the children taking part in a Spanish aquarobics class which they all really enjoyed!

Back on the beach in the late afternoon sun, the children took part in their final round of water sports. Ben C, Alex R, and Oscar F were the winners in the final paddle surfing tussle, and Yasmin A looked like a pro as she mastered the windsurfing in no time at all.

At dinner time, we were all treated to a selection of doughnuts to celebrate the Form 8 birthdays that have fallen this week. With Lucy S’s birthday today, Rohan L’s just before we left, and Alex R’s tomorrow, there was much to celebrate. We were also pleasantly surprised to find that our last night here coincides with a local festival called San Juan. The hotel is having a big party tonight with a disco, games, and a traditional bonfire where you write down a wish and throw it in the fire. We’re looking forward to seeing the children having fun and enjoying their last night here (hopefully wearing themselves out for the long coach drive home!)