Our Staff
Alex and Mark are the joint owners and Managing Directors of Maison Claire Fontaine and bring a wealth of enthusiasm, experience and energy to the success of your visit to us.
Alex worked in education in the UK for over 20 years in a variety of different schools, as a teacher, Head of Department, Deputy Head, EVC and governor. She has always loved to travel and in all her school experiences has been a strong advocate of school trips and the benefits of learning outside the classroom.
Mark worked for 15 years running his own computer software company in Central London and then selling his interest in it to train as an antique furniture restorer and more recently as a French company administrator and plumber.
We both have a passion for life in France and the education of young minds. We hope above all else to help you inspire your pupils in their learning of French as well as helping them gain an insight into the culture and history of this beautiful country. As we say elsewhere on this site we all know that the memories created during school trips are lifelong in nature and we have a profound understanding of our responsibility in making these memories as positive and happy as possible.
Our language teachers are all native French speakers and hold recognised teaching qualifications. Our staff are qualified and experienced and offer a friendly and highly enthusiastic approach, making sure that we create above all else a safe and stimulating learning environment.
All MCF staff have been rigorously checked to ensure that your students have the very best care through both DBS checks in the UK and the equivalent system in France for our French staff.
We have qualified first aiders on site and the hospital and dentist are just five minutes away should the need arise. In addition our facilities all conform to the highest levels of security in fire prevention and detection, aspects of our work which are regularly inspected by the French authorities.
Professional and qualified instructors run all our externally arranged activities and we provide all the specialist equipment needed for safe and fulfilling participation in all activities undertaken as part of your trip.
Food is an important part of any trip away and we have chefs at both our centres that work constantly to provide tasty meals. We are very conscious of the need to pay close attention to food allergies and the dietary needs of various religions. We have years of experience in this area and are constantly aware of the need for vigilance to ensure that all of our visitors eat well and also safely.
