My youngest son (age 15, nearly 16) had to be at school this morning at 5:45am for his school History trip to Ypres to study trench warfare as an integral part of the GCSE course (coursework is 25% of their final examination mark). He and his classmates left the school via coach at 6:00am and my son sent a text message at 9:50am to say they had arrived in France. 
 
From France, they will travel to Ypres (in Belgium) and visit the Sanctuary Wood Trenches and Museum, and In Flanders Field Museum, then after dinner, they will go to the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate Memorial at 8:00pm.
 
Tomorrow they will spend the day at Newfoundland Memorial Park in France and visit the Somme Exhibition Centre and Vimy Ridge. 
 
On Friday, after breakfast, they leave their hostel in Belgium, packed for England. They will visit Tyne Cot British Military Cemetery & Memorial and the Langemark German Military Cemetery and then head for Calais with some time allocated for a bit of shopping.

They are due back at the school about 5:30pm on Friday evening, no doubt very tired and glad to be coming home!

I'm sure he will have a great time and learn a lot from the whole experience. My eldest son did the same trip when he was in Year 11 and I remember how impressed he was with it all. It's certainly a valuable way to learn history.

Update: My son arrived home safe and sound on Friday evening. He thoroughly enjoyed the trip and is happy to be home!