Battlefield Visit 2027 Launch: Thursday 26 February 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am pleased to announce the running of an Outwood Academy Shafton WWI Battlefields trip for 2027.  We plan to leave the academy on 29th March 2027 and return on the 1st April 2027.  The trip duration will be 3 nights, 4 days. We will be travelling by coach to Dover and then taking the ferry to Calais where we will continue our journey by coach to our final destination of Ypres. 

We will be staying at The Oude Abdij Hotel which has many years experience hosting school trips and is accredited by the travel operator.  During our stay students will be provided with all meals, except for whilst travelling.  The cost of the trip will be £ 580 and will include the following (full itinerary to be finalised):

For your child to reserve a place on this trip they must have an excellent record of discipline and attendance within the Academy. Should your son/daughter’s behaviour deteriorate over the next academic year (September 2026 - March 2027) this may result in your child losing his/her place and any money paid up to that point

Your child will need a full passport (in their own name) to be valid for a minimum of a full 6 months on the date of our return from Europe. There will be no collective passports on this trip. Students will also need to possess a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), this can be done online free of charge.

There are 40 places on this trip and initially will be offered to those students studying History in Y10 & Y11 at the Academy. The places will be allocated on a first come - first served basis, but should demand be high, we will arrange a reserve list. 

To secure a place for your child, the consent forms included at the back of this letter should be returned by Friday 6th March . Once your letter has been received you will be added to the trip on iPay (Battlefields 2025) where a non-refundable first deposit of £100 will need to be paid. Students who have secured a place on the visit will be notified via text message once the trip has been filled.  Please see table below for more information relating to payment dates and amounts. 

Any changes to the cost due to unexpected expenses, changes to museums on the itinerary for example, or changes to travel arrangements will be communicated as soon as possible, and amendments made to the final payment.

If you withdraw your child from this trip all monies paid will be lost up to the point of withdrawal unless there is another student on the reserve list willing to take their place. If we cannot find another student wishing to travel, then any monies paid up to the date of withdrawal can only be claimed back through the travel insurance company, providing there is a valid medical reason supported by a doctor’s certificate. However, even then you will not be able to claim the full amount back as there is always a levy charged on any insurance claim.

Please complete the reply slip overleaf along with the parental consent form – please complete this on all three sides and return by Friday 6th March 2026.

Yours faithfully

A Huntley-Roe