- Ideally positioned for a range of subject trips including French Language Enrichment & WWI battlefields trips
- The complex is only open to our groups, providing reassurance to teachers and parents
- We can accommodate year groups of up to 250 students
- Dedicated on-centre Group Co-ordinator for each group to ensure the smooth-running of your educational tour, acting as all-round support for your group
- Programme of evening events and activities tailored to your group’s requirements
- Inspected as part of NST's Safety Management System
NST's Château d'Ebblinghem
Inspected as part of our Safety Management System
Our exclusive school group accommodation on the Opal Coast in Northern France
Château d’Ebblinghem is ideal for school groups being set in a rural location just 8km east of St Omer on the Opal Coast in northern France, and just 45 minutes from the Channel ports.
The centre has four buildings designed with school groups in mind all accommodating student and teacher rooms together alongside dedicated dining and teacher areas. Sole-occupancy options are available so your group can take over a whole building!
Accommodation
There are four separate buildings at our château, each designed to accommodate student and teacher en-suite bedrooms together, with dedicated teacher and dining areas too.
L’Auberge
L’Auberge
Students rooms : 13 x 4 beds (2 bunk beds)
Teacher rooms: 3 x 2 single beds
All bedrooms are en-suite
La Caserne
La Caserne
Students rooms: 18 x 4 beds (2 bunk beds)
Teacher rooms: 6 x 2 single beds
All bedrooms are en-suite
La Gareyne
La Gareyne
Students rooms : 13 x 4 beds (2 bunk beds)
Teacher rooms: 3 x 2 single beds
All bedrooms are en-suite
Le Manoir
Le Manoir
Student rooms: 1 x 6 single beds, 2 x 5 single beds, 9 x 4 beds (2 bunk beds)
Teacher rooms: 3 x 2 single beds
All bedrooms are en-suite
Dedicated teachers’ lounge
Dedicated teachers’ lounge
The ideal place to relax at the end of a long day
Tea & coffee making facilities
Complimentary wine & cheese each evening
Free WiFi
Dining area
Dining area
Located in your building and exclusive to your group, area can be used for recreational activities too.
Depending on your group size you may share the La Caserne dining area with another school group.
School trips available from Château d’Ebblinghem
Cultural school trips
Cultural school trips
The Opal Coast is a fantastic location to get a real taste of France. Pupils will have the opportunity to experience traditional dishes, go shopping at the local markets where they’ll have the opportunity to interact with native speakers and practise their language skills.
You’ll also have your own Group Co-ordinator organising fun evening activities to keep everyone entertained.
Food technology trips
Food technology trips
At Château d’Ebblinghem, groups can have the opportunity to take part in cheese tasting, snail tasting, and hands-on cooking activities.
The local area has a wealth of food based visits from goat farms to boulangeries, sweet factories to cider farms, pupils can discover traditional French cuisine.
French Language Enrichment Experience
French Language Enrichment Experience
Based at Château d'Ebblinghem our enrichment programme is designed to develop conversational and comprehension skills through a range of exciting excursions and activities with a focus on language enrichment experiences.
French language trips
French language trips
The Opal Coast is an ideal destination for groups seeking to enhance language skills through a range of educational and cultural visits. Our French Language Enrichment Experience can be included in your school trip too.
With the support of your own French-speaking Groupie at NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem, your pupils will be encouraged to use their language skills whilst on visits, during mealtimes and throughout their entire school trip.
French Christmas market trips
French Christmas market trips
Your group can enjoy the ultimate Christmas market experience staying at NST’s own Château d’Ebblinghem whilst visiting Lille, Bruges or Ypres markets.
Music trips
Music trips
Close to the Belgium border, the château is within easy reach of many of our popular concert venues in Northern France and Belgium.
Performing to the appreciative audiences in Northern France will help grow a novice’s confidence and abilities, whilst Bruges and Brussels provide prestigious performance opportunities for more experienced music groups.
Primary school trips
Primary school trips
NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem on the Opal Coast is perfect for a first overseas residential. Ideally located just 45 minutes from the Channel ports, our château is close to a range of fun and interactive cultural and language based activities.
Plus enjoy a range of hands-on experiences back at the château including a French evening, scavenger hunt, making army biscuits and much more!
Benefits of staying at our château…
• Safe & secure purpose-built accommodation
• Support from your own dedicated Group Co-ordinator
• Exclusive French Language Enrichment Experience available
• Programme of FREE evening activities tailored to your group’s requirements
• Superb private grounds and recreational facilities
WWI battlefield trips
WWI battlefield trips
NST's Château d'Ebblinghem is ideally positioned for WWI battlefield trips, with sites in Ypres easily accessed within 45 minutes, Vimy only 75 minutes away and excursions on the Somme Battlefields less than 90 minutes away.
At NST's Château d'Ebblinghem, your group will be able to have a go at baking, and later tasting, traditional ‘army biscuits’ which soldiers would have eaten during WWI. Your students will also gain a practical understanding of the war by trying on replica wartime uniforms.
WWI battlefields religious studies trips
WWI battlefields religious studies trips
Our established religious WWI battlefields study tours give pupils a deeper emotional connection with wartime events, exploring the traditional notion of 'The Just War', providing them with the opportunity to appreciate the scale of sacrifice, and to develop an awareness of how the forms of remembrance of wartime loss were largely shaped by the experience of WWI.
WWI literature trips
WWI literature trips
Bring the literature of the war to life for your pupils with an English school trip to the battlefields region and gain an unforgettable insight into the effects of the war on iconic writers.
WWI Medicine & Surgery on the Western Front trips
WWI Medicine & Surgery on the Western Front trips
Students will have the opportunity to learn more about different aspects of the war, including medical treatments, developments and the historical context of medicine in the early 20th Century.
At NST's Château d'Ebblinghem, your group will be able to have a go at baking, and later tasting, traditional ‘army biscuits’ which soldiers would have eaten during WWI. Your students will also gain a practical understanding of the war by trying on replica wartime uniforms.
Your dedicated Group Co-ordinator
- Meet you on your arrival, organise a welcome talk and centre orientation and organise your group into their accommodation.
- Accompany you on excursions and assist you with supervision and provide practical and historical information regarding your destination.
- Help supervise them in the dining area.
- Liaise with the Group Leader and adult members of the group on a daily basis to ensure good communication throughout your stay.
- Organise and supervise evening activities for your group.
- Encourage your students to use their language skills at all times, for example, during mealtimes and evening activities.
Your Group Co-ordinator is here to ensure the smooth-running of your school tour, acting as all-round support for your group. During the course of your stay your Group Co-ordinator will:
Shared recreational facilities
- Two football pitches (one floodlit)
- Volleyball area
- Four hectares of private grounds
- TV, DVD player and white board available in each building
- Full box of sports equipment
Organised evening activities at Château d'Ebblinghem
Our programme of evening activities is designed so you can easily enhance your group’s itinerary with a range of cultural, subject-based and fun experiences. All activities are free of charge unless otherwise indicated and are co-ordinated by your dedicated Group Co-ordinator.
For French language groups, activities are led by a French speaking Group Co-ordinator and can be conducted in French, English or somewhere in between, giving pupils every opportunity to practise the target language and help build confidence.
Crêpe Evening
Crêpe Evening
A chance for your group to prepare and cook French crêpes. This activity can be supported by our crêpe activity worksheet designed to help support on-centre language learning. Boules can be added to this activity during the summer months.
French language, food technology, French culture
Disco
Disco
A chance to dance the night away. A popular activity for the final evening of your trip.
Fun, confidence & social skills
Quiz
Quiz
Q & A style challenges, this activity can be based on a variety of subjects and can be combined with the Egg Rocket.
Fun, competition & French language
Egg Rocket
Egg Rocket
Work in teams to design a device to protect an egg which will be launched into space! This activity can be combined with other activities such as our quiz, mini Olympics and Scavenger Hunt to enable teams to win items to build their egg launch device!
Teamwork, fun
NST Challenge
NST Challenge
A collection of relay style games based on both drama and speed, focusing on teamwork and encouragement. Designed for active participation. This activity can be combined with the Egg Rocket.
Teamwork, support & encouragement, competition
Passport to the World
Passport to the World
Students are given maps to find flags placed around the centre. The flags hold questions for them to answer before they return to base. This activity can be combined with the Egg Rocket.
Teamwork, fun, competition, French language
Sports & Games
Sports & Games
A variety of more traditional sports and games can be offered.
Fun, teamwork, competition
Campfire
Campfire
Enjoy a traditional campfire, guests can enjoy songs, relax, share stores and reflect on their shared experiences from the day.
Teamwork, fun, support & encouragement
Archery Tag
Archery Tag
Let the battle commence! Your pupils will first learn how to use the bow to shoot the foam tipped arrows, before embarking on a series of thrilling team combat games in our brand new action packed archery tag session.
Teamwork, competition & fun
Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger Hunt
Teams are given a list of items to find around the centre in a set amount of time. This activity can be conducted in French, English or somewhere in between and can be combined with the Great Egg Drop.
Teamwork, decision making, French language
History Activities
History Activities - Journey to the Trenches
An interactive activity taking the group from enlistment through to life in the trenches. Within this session, the group will discover more about life as a WWI soldier, create their own propaganda posters, consider a soldier’s personal items taken to war in addition to seeing WWI artefacts and tasting army biscuits with camp coffee!
This activity must be pre-booked through your Tour Co-ordinator and takes place during the day.
History, teamwork, fun, decision making
History Activities
History Activities - View WWI artefacts
Take a close look at a range of WWI artefacts at the château to help evoke the atmosphere of the war and aid pupils in their understanding of trench life.
Groups studying Medicine and Surgery can view medical items that would have been used during the war.
This activity will be conducted by your history guide
WWI History: WWI Medicine & Surgery on the Western Front
History Activities
History Activities - WWI Army Biscuits
In this hands-on biscuit baking activity, students prepare traditional ‘army biscuits’ which soldiers would have eaten during WWI. Take part in a quiz, then taste the results with camp coffee!
This activity must be pre-booked through your Tour Co-ordinator and takes place during the day.
Small charge applies.
French Enrichment Activities
French Enrichment Activities - Fabrication de tarte au sucre
Enjoy a tarte au sucre demonstration in the target language at NST’s château, then make your own during this fun activity. Tarts will be cooked by staff member.
This activity must be pre-booked through your Tour Co-ordinator and takes place during the day.
French language, French culture, food technology, fun, educational
Small charge applies.
French Enrichment Activities
French Enrichment Activities - Dégustation de fromage
Sample a range of French cheeses and discuss the varying tastes, your likes and dislikes in the target language. A fantastic after-dinner activity at NST’s château. This activity must be pre-booked through your Tour Co-ordinator
French language, French culture, food technology, fun, educational
Small charge applies.
French Enrichment Activities
French Enrichment Activities - Le Petit Déjeuner à la Française
Groups will also be able to experience more French culture and language by experiencing a traditional French breakfast.
French language, French culture, food technology, fun, educational
Resources to support & extend language learning
Resources to support & extend language learning
We offer a range of language resources to help your group get the very most out of their time away.
Our Go Explore journal encourages pupils to expand their vocabulary and we provide additional language resources to help support with on-centre learning including a crêpe activity worksheet and meal vocabulary placemats.
We also provide a range of town trails for local towns which are an excellent method of getting pupils to read, repeat and understand French words and phrases whilst exploring a French town.
Silent Disco
Silent Disco
Enjoy a fun Silent Disco with colourful headphones & all your favourite songs!
Fun, confidence & social skills
Disc Golf
Disc Golf
Taking frisbee to the next level! Test your aim on our disc golf course and challenge your friends to see who will be the disc golf champion!
Competition & fun
Meals
Our brand new menu is designed to provide a nutritious balanced diet, accommodating for all dietary requirements. Breakfast and evening meals are provided on-site and packed lunches are supplied daily. Meal times are flexible to suit your itinerary, and most special dietary requirements are easily catered for. The Head Chef will prepare a carefully balanced menu which provides a taste of France but at the same time will still be familiar to most students.
Daily menu
|
Continental breakfast |
Cereals, toast, croissants or pain au chocolats, orange juice and hot drinks |
|
Lunch |
Prepared by the pupils to their preference and consists of freshly made baguette with a choice of fillings, crisps, biscuits or cake and fruit. |
|
Evening meal |
Starter, a main course, choice of salads and a dessert. Teachers will also be offered red and white wine. On your last evening, students will have the chance to try ‘les escargots’ (snails)! |
Supporting healthier eating habits:
- Fresh fruit with all meals
- Healthy and nutritional salad at dinner time
- At least one hot, fresh vegetable served each day
- Freshly made vegetarian soups at dinner
- Reduction of salt
- Reduction of fats (particularly trans and saturated fats)
- Reduction of added sugars
- Promoting fibre-rich foods
- Water is available with all meals
- Orange juice is available with breakfast
- Semi-skimmed milk is available with breakfast
Watch our château mini-movie
Helping to combat climate change
Reducing the use of single-use plastics
Hosting hundreds of groups every year, we have managed to significantly reduce the number of single-use water bottles with the introduction of our on-site water re-fill stations.
Offsetting carbon emissions, reducing deforestation & providing wildlife habitats
For every group staying with us, a Maya nut tree will be planted in Peru and we’ve pledged to offset an additional tonne of CO2 through the Portel-Para reducing deforestation project in the Brazilian Amazon.
