A Block Expeditions
th
th
June 11 - 16 2017
Normandy (France)
Umbria (Italy)
Moorland Hall (Devon)
Plas y Brenin (Wales)
Introduction
This year’s A Block Expeditions will take place during the period 11th - 16th June 2017. As in previous years, the whole year group will be offered the opportunity to leave school for 6 days and embark on a range of trips that offer adventure, sport, culture and discovery.
The expeditions provide both a much-deserved break and a diversion whilst most await their Common Entrance results. Pupils have the chance to learn new skills and work together in a team building environment. In the past, children have found the expeditions to be a memorable time spent with
their friends at the end of their Dragon careers. The details of each expedition, together with a short
report from last year, are set out in this booklet.
Booking. Parents are asked to complete the booking form at the back of this booklet indicating their child’s preferences, and return it to Smaug Abroad by the 10th November 2016,
with a deposit of £200 to guarantee a place.
Information about the A Block Expeditions can be found on the parental area of the school website:
www.dragonschool.org
General Enquiries about the A Block expeditions should be addressed to Ma Kath Crook and Mr
John Holden: [email protected]
For specific queries about the Italian and Normandy trips, please contact Jean-Claude or Stan in the
Smaug Abroad office on: [email protected] or 01865 292 075.
Trip Allocation. We will endeavour to meet children’s preferences as far as possible and lists setting
out which children are going on each expedition will be produced by the first week in December
2016. Any subsequent changes will need to be agreed with Ma Crook and Mr Holden by December
11th at the latest.
Invoicing. The cost of all expeditions will be invoiced by Smaug Abroad direct to parents. Smaug
have to commit financially to each expedition during the Christmas term when a deposit is paid to
each centre and flights are booked and purchased. The cost of these flights is non-refundable, although insurance will be in place to cover cancellation for insurable reasons. The final invoice will be
sent out to parents in early April 2017. Parents who have booked a place for their child and then
withdraw the child from an expedition after the 9th December 2016 will be liable for all nonrefundable costs incurred by Smaug Abroad.
Parents should note that under the Package Holiday, Travel and Tour Regulations 1992, the School
is obliged to use an adequately insured Tour Operator, accredited and bonded by ATOL and ABTOT
or ABTA. The School has accordingly appointed SMAUG ABROAD Ltd (the “Company”) to manage
the arrangements for the 2017 A Block Expeditions and has checked the Company’s ATOL and
ABTOT accreditation and bonding; the School has also confirmed that the Company’s Tour Operator’s insurance policy carries adequate indemnity in respect of 3rd party (death, injury and damage to
property) and professional negligence liabilities. Consequently, expedition arrangements for pupils
are the subject of a contract between the parent and the Company and not with the School. This will
be confirmed by the Company in the documentation confirming your booking.
Please also note that in addition to the qualified instructors at each centre, who will lead all specific
activities, pupils will be under the general supervision of Dragon Staff accompanying each expedition
as well.
Martin Johnson
The Bursar
September 2016
The Dragon School Trust Ltd is registered as a charity, no 309676
and as a limited company, no. 524331
HOW TO BOOK
Please print out the booking form at the back of this booklet (page 12)
Allocation
Lists will be developed from the beginning of October and venues will be allocated to children based on their preferences from the booking form.
Preferences
We will endeavour that the children get their first or second choice. Please complete the
booking form by giving an order of preference in the choice column;
1 indicates your first choice, through to 4 indicating your fourth choice.
Post to:
Smaug Abroad
A Block Expeditions
Belsyre Court
57 Woodstock Road
Oxford
OX2 6HJ
Email:
[email protected]
The deposit of £200 can be paid by cheque (payable to Smaug Abroad Ltd.), bank transfer
(Barclay’s Bank, sort code: 20-65-18, acc. No. 40934836, Reference: Child’s surname / A
Block Exped.) or Debit card, calling the Smaug office on 01865 292 075.
Please return the form (which must be signed) and deposit as soon as possible and
certainly by:
5pm on Thursday 10th November 2016
To: Smaug Abroad Ltd, Belsyre Court, 57 Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6HJ
To help keep costs down, all expedition places, once allocated, are pre-booked and not
eligible for refunds if cancelled, excepting under normal insurance policy conditions. Copies of the Insurance policy are available from the Smaug Abroad office. All children will be
automatically insured by Smaug Abroad.
By completing and signing the booking form you will be deemed to have given consent for
your child/children to undertake the activities described in the brochure.
The allocation of places will be confirmed to all A Blockers by the first week in December.
Normandy, France
Cultural
Dates:
Cost:
Details:
Sunday 11th – Friday 16th June 2017 (6 days)
£695
A week of discovery
This expedition is based at the Chateau du Perron, a charming and private chateau set in the middle
of its own 100 acre parkland, situated on a peninsula of unspoilt coastline of Normandy at the centre
of an area full of historic and educational interest. The Chateau is exclusively reserved for this Dragon expedition.
The accommodation is very comfortable in multi occupancy rooms on two floors. The food is of a
very high quality, evening meals comprise 3 courses freshly made from local and regional recipes.
In the local area there are three world famous and historical sites, that are intrinsically woven into the
history of both France and England, and the connected historical events are much referred to and
studied in the UK school curriculum. The Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the voyage and battle for the
conquest of England in 1066. The Normandy Landing Beaches, with their permanent reminders of
WW2 and the liberation of France and events that led to the end of the war. The Mont St Michel, a
breath taking ancient monastery rising out of the sea that played a strong role in events leading up to
the Norman Conquest.
In addition children will visit “la Maison du Parc naturel regional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin”, an interactive discovery on foot and boat ride of the marshlands, a major stop-over site for migratory birds.
Visiting a local market to practise their best French, enjoying a local beach for fun and games on the
sand and a self run disco on the last night in le Chateau will complete a full on week before the return
to the UK.
Normandy. Report from 2016
We left the Dragon at 11:30, ready for the excitement ahead, and arrived at Portsmouth for the three
hour crossing to Cherbourg. We then had a one hour drive from the Port to our Chateau! Once we
had arrived we were welcomed warmly by Quentin and Caroline with fantastic grounds and amazing
mazes. We then were taken to our rooms and ate a delicious baguette with toasted cheese.
We awoke on Day Two early enough to visit two of the five Allied Landing beaches from D-Day (the
main one being Omaha). We started with a 360° cinema experience with real footage of the invasion
which helped picture what it would have felt like to be living at the time. We then had an emotional
stop at two main cemeteries; first off we visited an American cemetery, where over 9,000 people
were buried, and also a German cemetery with over 22,000 graves.
Day 3 was about visiting Mont St Michel, a very well-known tourist destination. We had an hour of
exploring the Island and then explored the abbey which showed fantastic medieval architecture, and
we also kept hearing Mr Scott's favourite question "Romanesque or Gothic?" Next, we went to La
Chèvres de la Saffrie (a local goats' cheese farm) and we were able to meet Mr Scott's latest recruit
for the Snapdragons, and able to source the freshest goats' milk around!
On Day 4 we visited Bayeux, most noticeably known for its tapestry. We visited the Cathedral, British
Cemetery and Bayeux Market as well! We then headed to the tapestry and had an audio guided tour
on the scroll, which shows the battles of 1066 in cartoon form. We then visited the Parc Naturel Regional du Marais du Cotentin which is preserved to help educate people about the nearby marshes
and nature; this included a boat trip to the wildlife observatory!
On Day 5, we went to the market of Coutances and enjoyed a generous free pizza from a local pizzeria. We also went to the beach of Créances for a quick play on the sand. We then finished off with a
trip to the Normandy Tank Museum, before returning to the Chateau for our final supper which was
delicious as always.
We woke up on Day 6 with our bags packed and enjoyed our final pains aux chocolat. We boarded
the bus and said our farewells to Quentin and Caroline.
We arrived at Oxford right on the spot of 5:30pm for our weekend exeat. The trip was definitely a
memorable one and we would like to thank all the staff for making it so memorable at one of the busiest times of year!
Freddie Nicholson & Benedikt Ebsen
Mt St Micheal
River Ouge
Beach at Creances
Bayeux Tapestry
The Delights of Umbria, Italy
Cultural
Dates:
Cost:
Details:
Sunday 11th – Friday 16th June 2017 (6 days)
£895
This week will give you a great selection of experiences and introduce you to many of
the Italian passions - Art, Cooking, Olives, Walking, etc.
Italy is full of treasures and surprises and in Umbria it is possible to eat like a king with the purse of a
pauper. Accommodation will be in the traditional Umbrian villa Campo Verde. The villa has a swimming pool, gardens and large kitchens and dining rooms where the children will be able to take part
in cooking traditional Italian specialities, such as fresh pasta and pizza.
Provisional Itinerary:
The programme is designed for those who prefer less physical activities and who are happy to wander round beautiful Italian towns, sit in a piazza, watch or even sketch the local sights of interest and
eat gelati. There may be changes to the order of events once we know the numbers in the group.
Day 1
We fly from a London airport to Rome and take a coach transfer to Spoleto and settle
into the Villa. Orientation walk and Italian lesson before dinner.
Day 2
The morning is based in Spoleto. Visit of the tower from where the residents poured
boiling oil on Hannibal, the old Roman Forum and theatre, the Duomo, and the Rocca.
We finish with time for gelati in a piazza. Return to the Villa in the afternoon where we
take a cooking lesson with an Italian cook on how to make pasta shapes and sauces.
These will be eaten for Dinner.
Day 3
Departure for a local Parco Chicco Mendez for a day by the lake with a picnic lunch and
ice cream. We will then visit a local superstore for shopping.
Day 4
We will visit Assisi and learn the story about St Francis and look at the frescos in
the Basilica followed by free time and some sketching opportunities.
Return to the Villa and have a session learning how to paint scenes onto little gesso
primed canvases
Day 5
Morning visit to the famous Marmore waterfalls followed by lunch at a restaurant and
fishing at Scheggino. Walk along a former railway line to the Villa. All the fish caught to
be prepared and eaten for dinner at the Villa. Evening celebration meal.
Day 6
After breakfast we transfer to Rome for the flight to London
Italy. Report from 2015
Leaving Dragon at 5.15am we boarded the coach, flew to Rome and then took the coach northwards
to Eggi in Umbria. Lightning greeted us on arrival but we settled in, ate a delicious Italian salad for
lunch, had Lasagne for dinner and enjoyed the beautiful views from our al fresco dining room.
The next morning after breakfast we headed into Spoleto and saw the roman aqueduct, the Piazza
del Duomo, and the Roman Theatre followed by a well-deserved gelato. We visited the water park on
the Tuesday and it was awesome! There were three pools and a lake which had a pontoon you could
jump off. When we got back to the villa we went swimming again and played a game where we’d
pass the ball across the pool until it was time for another delicious supper.
On the fourth day of our trip a slightly drowsy group set off to Assisi where we visited a couple of
churches related to St. Claire and St. Francis. After a quick ice cream stop we headed off to the Basilica and saw that every inch of the church was covered in paintings. We then saw the twenty-eight
frescos depicting the life of St. Francis. We then went to a pizzeria and met some Italian children who
spoke much better English than we did Italian! After lunch we took the Italians back to the villa where
we did some swimming and painting.
On the Thursday we were taken to see Mamore’s Falls, we walked up, about two thirds of the way
and went through a cave which went directly underneath the water fall and we got soaking wet!
When we got to the top all of the people who took CE were told that they had passed which was very
exciting for us all. We then went to a restaurant and spent the afternoon fishing in the trout ponds for
our supper as part of our last night celebrations. We then had a midnight swim under the stars and
finally packed up and headed home the following day for Exeat.
Bash Croft & Olivia Townsend
Explore the towns of Spoleto and Assisi
Group photo in Spoleto
Preparing pizza dough with ‘Mamma’
Catch your dinner
Moorland Hall Centre, Devon
Multi activities
Date:
Cost:
Details:
Sunday 11th – Friday 16th June 2017 (6 days)
£615
All specialist equipment and protective clothing is provided by the centre.
Moorland Hall is just north of Tavistock on the Western boundary of Dartmoor National Park. It is a
beautiful Victorian country house with converted coach house, set in 5 acres of grounds with a heated outdoor pool. It has direct access onto the moor and is ideally placed for offering a huge variety of
outdoor pursuits using the areas natural features.
Jo Farrington has been involved in organising outdoor pursuits for young people for 20 years, and
together with his team of qualified and dedicated instructors, ensures that everyone gets the maximum benefit from their stay. The centre is a member of the British Activity Holiday Association and is
registered with the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority.
The activities during the day and the evening challenges are aimed at bringing out qualities such as
team-work, leadership, trust and stamina. The day time programme will include canoeing, surfing,
body boarding, climbing and abseiling, coastal walks, mountain biking, archery and raft building.
There will also be a range of evening activities such as outdoor team challenges and an experience
of ‘mountain boarding’, an exciting new craze that uses snowboarding skills.
Provisional itinerary
Day1 Travel to Wales, Jacobs Ladder, Swimming pool
Day2 Mountain Biking, Coastal walk
Day3 Gorge walk, Beach games, Camp craft
Day4 Archery, Surfing, Widgery Cross
Day5 Dartmoor, High ropes, Beach BBQ
Day6 Capture the flag, Return to the Dragon
Moorland Hall. Report from 2016
On the 12th June a group of enthusiastic Dragons boarded the coach for Moorland Hall on Dartmoor
in Devon.
After a long and hectic bus ride we finally arrived at our destination, and then walked up on to the
moor for a bit of fun, fresh air and a hide and seek game.
The next morning, when we had finished our scrummy English breakfast, although the weather was
grim we all had smiles on faces, excited to do our morning activities. This included making sparks
with a flint and steel to catch some loo paper alight and create a fire. After a quick lunch stop, we
headed to the beach to try out our finest surfing moves in the freezing sea off the Cornish coast. We
left with some cuts and bruises, but we all managed a coastal walk along the beach to a BBQ.
The rest of the week was filled with exciting activities like high ropes, indoor climbing, mountain biking and kayaking. The weather varied over the week, from torrential rain to bright sunny skies. Some
of the time was spent playing football and volleyball in the garden, whilst some preferred relaxing and
playing cards in the common room. On the Wednesday evening there was a big gathering of peckish
children around a table - though the teachers soon realised soft drinks and chocolate bars were being sold, rather than anything healthier!
One evening we trekked up the moors for a mini Cornish v Devonians Olympics. Group three were
the best “Welly Wangers” and won the whole event. The tug of war and a new event called “elephant
train” made us all giggle uncontrollably.
On the Thursday morning all the Dragon pupils were nervously awaiting Mr Blencowes’ news about
Common Entrance, but we were pleased to hear that everyone at Moorland hall had passed into
their first choice senior school. Huge relief all round.
The favourite activity had to be kayaking, where we also came across Swanbourne House school.
Everybody got a right soaking here. We played British Bulldog in our boats and also made a raft so
that we could run across both ends of each other’s boats. That said the highlight of kayaking was
capsizing Ma Kirkland.
On the last day we drove up the hill onto Dartmoor where we walked for a bit until we reached a chilly
rock pool in which we swam for about 5 minutes. We then quickly got out to go back to the coach for
the long journey home.
A brilliant week full of fun and memories and a big thankyou to Mr Blencowe, Ma Kirkland, Mr Holden, Ma Griffiths- Jones and Mr Studdy for taking us.
Lola Barlow and Lara Hacking.
Moorland Hall
Moorland Hall
Plas y Brenin, Wales
Adventurous
Dates:
Cost:
Details:
Sunday 11th – Friday 16th June 2017 (6 days)
£615
All the thrills, and spills, that Dragons love in an expedition challenge
Plas y Brenin is a purpose built Mountain Leadership Centre based in the heart of Snowdonia, in
Capel Curig. The centre makes full use of the area immediately around them and further afield.
The staff are amongst the most experienced, committed and competent outdoor enthusiasts you
could ever hope to meet and it is their unique talents combined with the best facilities that make a
visit to Plas y Brenin so special.
Provisional itinerary
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Travel to Wales.
Gorge Walk (more a scramble) and raft building.
Rock climbing and Abseiling.
Film in the evening on Snowdonia’s Mountains and Rivers.
Sea level Traversing. Orienteering.
A full mountain day summiting Snowdon.
Kayaking or Open Boating. Return to the Dragon
Plas y Brenin. Report from 2016
In June 2016 36 intrepid Dragons made the long journey to Snowdonia National Park for a week of
adventure at Plas Y Brenin, one of the country’s leading outdoor activity and qualifying centres.
The children were treated to comfortable accommodation and fantastic food in the stunning backdrop
of the nearby lake and surrounding mountains. The weather, having been on our side in previous
years, was typically Welsh this time out, but that didn’t dampen their spirits! The children were treated to activities such as canoeing, raft building, gorge scrambling, abseiling, climbing, bouldering, orienteering and sea level traversing, as well as a days’ mountain walk up the formidable (name of
peak!). In the evenings we were lectured on the adventures of some of the centre’s experienced
staff, and the children were also treated to the inaugural Plas Y Brenin general knowledge quiz!
Some highlights of the trip included the incredible views from Anglesey during the sea level traverse,
the challenge of squeezing through tight gaps in rocks up a waterfall, and canoe world cup, which
involved retrieving a ball from the lake and throwing the ball into an instructor’s canoe. This was done
using the canoes as a means of transport, although some (who will remain nameless) found this
much easier without the use of a canoe!
The children, without exception, thoroughly enjoyed the trip. In an increasingly confined and comfortable world, having the opportunity to visit vast expanses of countryside and be pushed outside your
comfort zone is increasingly rare – this sentiment was not lost or taken for granted. They threw themselves (some more literally than others!) at the opportunities given – the main focus of the trip – and
were a credit to the school. Some even found the energy to join me for my early morning runs!
This is now my third year on the trip and I’m always impressed with the formidable attitude, boundless enthusiasm and excellent behaviour of the children I take each year – it’s a pleasure. This trip is
a real asset to the school – long may it continue.
Toby Blake
Plas Y Brenin

A Block Expeditions June 2017
CHILD’S FIRST NAME AND SURNAME:
_________________________________________
Expedition
Cost
Normandy - France / History & activities
£695
Umbria - Italy / History & activities
£895
Devon - Moorland Hall / Outdoor pursuits
£615
Wales - Plas y Brenin / Outdoor pursuits
£615
HISTORICAL
CULTURAL
ADVENTUROUS
ADVENTUROUS
Choices
1 to 4
Please note: you must make FOUR choices. You cannot assume by making one choice
that you are guaranteed a place on that expedition. Please include a deposit of £200
made payable to Smaug Abroad ltd, in order to secure your booking. If you have prob-
Please provide a comment about your choice order, why you made these choices:
Cheque
Payable to Smaug Abroad Ltd.
Bank transfer
Barclay’s Bank / sort code 20-65-18 / account number 40934836
Reference = Child’s surname / A Block Exped.
Debit Card
Please contact the Smaug Abroad office on 01865 292 075
Signature of Parent/Guardian: _________________________________________________
Date: _____________ / 2016
Print Name: ______________________________________
Email address of Parent / Guardian: _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Smaug Abroad Ltd.

Belsyre Court, 57 Woodstock Rd, Oxford, OX2 6HJ Tel: +44 {0} 1865 292 075
[email protected] www.smaugabroad.com
Registered office 147 Kingston Road, Oxford, OX2 6RP