Battlefields Trip - 24-25 October 2026

Battlefields Trip – 24 – 25 October 2026

The History department is delighted to offer a two-day tour of the World War One battlefields in Belgium and France. This trip allows students to experience elements of the Year 9 History curriculum and will help further students’ enjoyment and understanding of the topic, which they have studied this year.  

The tour will include the following:

  • On day one, students will visit the historic town of Ypres in Belgium – here the students will experience what life was like on the frontline in a restored trench system.  They will visit Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest commonwealth war cemetery in the world.  They will hear stories of tragedy and heroism and will visit some of most famous memorials on the Western Front. In the evening they will experience the last post ceremony at the Menin Gate where they will have the opportunity to pay their respects to the fallen. The evening concludes with a visit to a world-renowned chocolate emporium.
  • On the second day, students will visit the battlefields of the Somme, where the British army suffered its darkest ever day on 1st July 1916. Students will go ‘over the top’, following in the exact footsteps of those who fell over a 100 years ago. They will see the site of Hawthorn Ridge mine crater, visit Newfoundland Memorial Park and finally, the Thiepval memorial to the missing.
  • Throughout the two days we will hear personal accounts of the experience of the men and women who lived and died during this seismic event in world history.
  • There will also be an opportunity for students to personalise the trip. We encourage pupils and parents to delve into their family history and research whether they have any relatives who fought and died or survived the Great War. In previous years we have been able to use this information to make specific stops along the way to allow students to make a pilgrimage to visit their fallen relatives.

We will travel to Dover by coach for a channel crossing by ferry, leaving Rodborough at approximately 5 am on Saturday 24th October 2026, and will return at approximately midnight to the Rake Lane entrance on Sunday 25th October2026.  The cost of trip will be £330.00 and this includes the cost of the tour, return channel crossings, coach fare and one night’s bed and breakfast hostel accommodation. Evening meals are provided on both days as well as brunch on day one and a packed lunch on day two.

As with most school trips, places are limited to 40 and, in the event that this trip is oversubscribed, we will allocate places fairly by lottery.

If you would like your child to attend, please complete this Google Form by Tuesday 28th April to express an interest: https://forms.gle/ZzLqAPkza53Jnr776

You will be informed by email if your child has been allocated a place on the trip and then asked to make a payment of £100 initially by Tuesday 5th May 2026 then a second payment of £115 by Friday 5th June 2026, followed by a final payment of £115 by Friday 4th September 2026.

If you are unable to pay for the trip due to financial hardship please write to the Vice Principal, Mr C. Williams at the above address or e-mail him at cwilliams@rodborough.surrey.sch.uk. The matter will be dealt with in the utmost confidence.