Downe House
- web site: www.downehouse.co.uk
- telephone: +44 (0)1635 200286
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A unique opportunity for everyone to benefit from a different way of life. Total immersion in French language and culture. A unique opportunity to improve your French in idyllic surroundings!
Veyrines de Domme. A tiny village deep in the picturesque Dordogne valley in south west France.
Veyrines is a rural community with its own ‘Mairie’ – Mayor’s office – village hall and church.
The school is located on one side of the village square next to the village hall. It occupies three converted farm buildings around a small courtyard/garden. There are three dormitories, two classrooms, a common room, kitchen and dining room. There is a tennis court off-site.
A surprising number of people!
Mr and Mrs Gwatkin live on site. Mme Lameret, the Deputy Head, lives nearby with her husband and 2-year-old, Chloe. Mme Gauthier is the senior teacher. She worked at Downe House for a year before teaching at Veyrines. Mlle Besse organises a varied programme of evening activities. Night-staff supervise the dormitories while taking care of laundry. The Catering Manager and his team ensure that we are all extremely well fed!
Mme Lameret deals with most minor ailments and injuries. Night staff are on hand if there are problems during the night. A local doctor with a good command of English is always available. The French health service is efficient and reliable!
Very easily these days. You have unlimited access to e-mail during your free time. Most of you will probably bring a mobile phone. There is a payphone in the square outside the school, which takes cards. Everyone awaits the postman eagerly every morning! In April this year, Veyrines plans to launch its own website, which will provide parents with up-to-date information about the school’s activities.
Groups travel with British Airways between London Gatwick and Toulouse. The coach journey from Toulouse to Veyrines takes just under three hours. There are also flights from London to Bordeaux, which is roughly the same distance from Veyrines as Toulouse.
Bergerac, only one hour by road from from the school and accessible via Southampton and Bristol (Flybe) and Stansted (Ryanair), is a popular choice for parents’ visits.
Once during your stay, you may go out for the weekend from 12.30 on Fridy until 13.30 on Monday, missing classes on Friday afternoon and Monday morning. Parents visiting a second time during a term are asked not to take you out of lessons.
The following are taught en français:
Géographie/Histoire, Sciences et Découverte, Vie Quotidienne (daily life in France), Culture, Arts Plastiques, EPS (PE). Maths is taught in both French and English. French Theory classes are taught mainly in English. Instrumental lessons may be arranged. Tennis coaching is popular all year round. Speech and Drama is usually available in groups.
Teachers are friendly and sensitive to the fact that it takes a while for you to adapt to learning in a second language!
The way of life at Veyrines is neither better nor worse: it is simply different! A lot of learning takes place outside school on sorties, educational outings that introduce you to sites of cultural, historical, scientific and geographical interest in the area. School uniform would be inappropriate to a pattern of study, which takes pupils frequently off site.
As a small community, we can function efficiently without bells – apart from the one at the church, which chimes distinctively at 07.00 daily!!
We all speak French over lunch on week days.
You will write a journal – not a daily diary but rather a personal record of your stay at Veyrines.
Lessons each last 60 minutes. Classes generally run from 09.00 to 18.30 Monday to Friday with breaks morning and afternoon in addition to lunch.
Voluntary activities take place every evening as well as at weekends. Although there are no classes on Saturdays, a study session is time tabled in the morning.
Each group visits Futuroscope at Poitiers, a unique theme park that both informs and entertains.
Yes, of course. Parents will be able to read about your progress in both English and French! In addition, we read grades at half term and at the end of term.
A supervised study session occupies most of Saturday morning. This provides a useful opportunity to work on your journal or maybe to learn work in preparation for a test.
Several members of staff are on hand to take you out in the afternoon. Sunday is a relatively lazy day, but an afternoon outing is usually offered. You will have at least one opportunity to attend Mass.
Outings and activities vary according to the interests of each group and to the time of year. The most popular include Sarlat market, ten-pin bowling, ice-skating, horse-riding, swimming, cinema.
We don’t always have to spend money to enjoy ourselves! You can frequently have fun planning your own weekend evening entertainment or joining in silly games.
Yes. We visit local schools and sometimes invite young children to Veyrines on a Saturday afternoon. Our teachers are constantly seeking additional opportunities to provide contact with local school children.
A list of essential items will be provided. Some requirements will vary according to the time of year.
Mrs Gwatkin. She meets with those who know you well to decide on the best term for you. If there are any particular reasons for choosing one term over another please let her know in writing by the beginning of the Summer Term. Trust your teachers to make the best decision for you. Then trust those of us at Veyrines to make your stay both profitable and enjoyable!
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU TO VEYRINES – A BIENTOT!
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Performances at 11am and 6pm at 'The Dell', the outdoor performance space in the RSC Centenary Gardens, bordered by the river and Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Bring a picnic, all welcome!
2nd - 4th May in the Performing Arts Centre
‘Times' writer Mary Ann Sieghart gives Summer Term Medley Lecture
Newbury's MP, Richard Benyon, visited Downe House on 25th April speak to thePolitics Society about his work in the House of Commons and the constituency.
Congratulations to Emma Powell (U5) who was selected for NYT's highly acclaimed acting course.
On Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th March, Downe House hosted a charity fashion show. The events were organised by Rosie Fortescue, Georgiana Haig and Celia Thursfield, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, raising a total of just over £5,500.
Gillian Clarke, renowned poet, who has written poetry and prose for children and adults, visited Downe House on Sunday, 16 March. Her poetry reading began with her first publsihed poem 'The Sundial' and the audience were immediately impressed by her passionate and erudite ideas......
Diane Louise Jordan, businesswoman and one of the most popular presenters of BBC One's Songs of Praise, gave a talk and answered questions about how her faith influences the way she conducts her own business life and on matters relating to business ethics and corporate social responsibility more generally.
If you missed House Drama, or would like to see your daughter's performance again, a professional Double DVD recording by Kingsbridge AV Limited of all five productions will be available to order at a cost of £22.50 each.
Click here to find out how to order
This Trust was established in November 2006 as part of the agreed resolution of the OFT's recent investigation.
The objects of the Trust are to:
There are three criteria for eligibility:
For further details go to <Joining Downe> and click on <Scholarships>