Tonight I have been packing. The first holiday of the year is always exciting. This holiday is a little different as I am off to France with pupils from school on the French Exchange.

Pupils stay with the families of their French Pen-friends and me, I stay with one of the English teachers from the French school. Good job really as I speak very little or no French at all. However Celine (the French English teacher!) speaks almost fluent English (like me!) so we are able to get along like a house on fire – she is great!

Tomorrows journey will be a bit of a long trip as we depart at around 0700 and will not arrive at our destination in the northern region of Normandy until around 2200. With 20 pupils on a bus that is a long day!

The trips in the past have been a huge success with both the kids and myself and other teachers learning so much. The places we have been to are particularly exciting with the D-Day landing sites high on the list of attractions. Visiting them really does make every minute of life worth living when you realise what those soldiers had to endure.

So off we go and wish me luck. Photographs to arrive shortly!