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New Generation Ski School La Plagne: Family ski lessons guide
New Generation Ski School La Plagne: everything you need to know
If you're looking for an English-speaking ski school in La Plagne, New Generation is one of the names you're likely to come across fairly quickly.
And for British families in particular, I can see why.
New Gen offers group ski lessons taught in English, relatively small children's groups, private lessons, adult lessons and ski and snowboard tuition.
But that doesn't automatically mean they're the right ski school for your family.
The important questions are things like how old your children are, what level they already ski at, whether you want group or private lessons, where you're staying in La Plagne and what you actually want to get out of the week.
So rather than simply telling you New Generation is a good ski school, here's what I'd want to know before booking them.
New Generation La Plagne at a glance
If you don't want to read the whole guide, here's the quick version.
- Best for: English-speaking families looking for structured ski lessons with defined group sizes.
- Children's group skiing: From age 4
- Private ski and snowboard lessons: From age 3
- Youngest children's groups: 2 to 6 children
- Other children's groups: Up to 8
- Adult group lessons: Yes, with 2 to 8 people
- Group lesson language: English
- Snowboard lessons: Yes
- Private lessons: Yes
- Equipment included: No
- Lift pass included: No
I'd always check the individual lesson before booking because ages, timings, availability and lesson formats can change between seasons.
Kids' ski lessons with New Generation
For most families reading That's La Plagne, this is probably the important bit.
New Generation runs children's group ski lessons from age four, with groups organised according to age and skiing ability.
You'll come across names including Whippersnappers, Wallabies, Arrows, Bombers and Rockets when looking through their lesson options.
Don't worry too much about remembering which animal or rocket your child is supposed to be! What matters is putting them into the group that most accurately reflects what they can actually do.
- Can they stop independently?
- Can they turn?
- Have they used a button lift?
- Can they use a chairlift?
- What colour pistes can they confidently ski?
There's a big difference between a child who has technically skied a blue piste once and one who will happily ski blues all day.
Be realistic when you book.
And if you're unsure, ask.
New Gen can move children between levels if their instructor decides they've been placed in the wrong group, but getting it roughly right from the beginning makes everyone's first morning easier.
How big are the children's ski groups?
This is one of the first things I'd check when comparing ski schools.
New Generation's youngest Whippersnappers groups have between 2 and 6 children.
Other children's ski groups can have up to 8.
Whether eight feels small or large is going to depend on what you're comparing it with, but personally, I wouldn't make a decision based on a difference of one or two children alone.
I'd be more interested in whether the lesson level is right for your child.
A confident child skiing with seven other children at a similar level may have a much better time than a child in a smaller group that's completely wrong for them.
If you know your child particularly benefits from one-to-one attention, that's when I'd start comparing private tuition rather than simply looking for the group ski school with the lowest maximum number.
You can compare private vs group ski lessons in La Plagne here.
Are New Generation ski lessons in English?
Yes. New Generation's group lessons are taught in English.
That's one of the obvious reasons New Gen is popular with British and other English-speaking families.
For children, particularly beginners, being able to understand instructions easily removes one more thing they have to think about while they're getting used to skis, lifts and being on the mountain.
It's also useful for parents because you can talk to the instructor about how your child is progressing without worrying about a language barrier.
If an English-language ski school is one of your priorities when choosing lessons in La Plagne, New Gen is definitely one of the schools I'd compare.
Where do New Generation lessons meet in La Plagne?
This is something you need to check before booking, not after you've paid.
La Plagne isn't one single village, and ski-school meeting points can make quite a difference to your morning.
First-time skiers meet at the snow front beside the Indiens magic carpet, in Plagne Centre. Skiers at green-piste level and above meet at the top of the Mélèzes chairlift above Plagne 1800.
The latter requires both a valid lift pass and the ability to get to the meeting point.
I'd confirm the meeting point shown for your specific lesson when you book, particularly if you're staying in another La Plagne village.
This is one of those details that can look completely insignificant while you're sitting at home booking your holiday.
It feels considerably more important when you're trying to get children into ski boots and across the resort first thing in the morning.
What lift pass will my child need?
New Generation lessons don't include a La Plagne lift pass.
The pass your child needs will depend on their lesson and skiing level, so I wouldn't automatically buy the biggest pass available just because they're going to ski school.
Check the requirements for the specific lesson you've booked before buying.
If you're trying to work out the difference between La Plagne and Paradiski passes, or whether your children actually need the same pass as you, I've covered that separately.
Do you need to hire skis separately?
Yes.
Equipment isn't included with New Generation ski lessons, so you'll need to arrange skis or a snowboard, boots and any other required equipment separately.
I strongly recommend sorting children's equipment before their first lesson rather than leaving it until that morning.
There is already enough going on before ski school without adding boot fitting and ski hire to the list.
What happens if my child is in the wrong group?
Don't panic.
Children being placed at slightly the wrong level isn't unusual, particularly when you're trying to translate lessons from another ski school into a completely different level system.
New Generation instructors can assess children and move them when another group is more appropriate.
The best thing you can do is be honest about your child's ability when booking rather than putting them into the level you hope they'll reach by the end of the holiday.
If you're really not sure, contact New Gen before booking and describe what your child can currently ski.
Can you join children's group lessons halfway through the week?
This is an important one if you're not arriving for the standard Saturday-to-Saturday ski week.
New Generation doesn't generally allow skiers to join a group course partway through because the group progresses together during the week.
So if you're arriving late, leaving early or only want lessons for a couple of days, check what's actually available before assuming you can book part of the normal group programme.
Private lessons may be a better option for an unusual holiday schedule.
Does New Generation teach adults?
Yes! New Generation isn't only a children's ski school.
They also offer adult group ski lessons, including beginner, intermediate and more advanced levels.
Adult groups are taught in English and currently have between 2 and 8 participants.
And if you're thinking, “I can already ski, so I don't need lessons”, adult lessons aren't only about learning how to snowplough.
They can be useful if you've reached a point where your skiing isn't progressing, there's a particular type of terrain you struggle with, or you'd simply like someone to look at your technique rather than continuing to reinforce the same habits every holiday.
If you'd rather have the lesson focused entirely on you, New Gen also offers private tuition.
Private ski lessons with New Generation
Private lessons are available for children and adults and can be booked from age three.
The advantage here is that you're not restricted by the progression or ability of a larger group.
You can tell the instructor what you actually want to work on and use the lesson accordingly.
That could be getting a young child started, working on technique, building confidence or progressing into more challenging terrain.
If you've already decided you want private ski lessons rather than group ski school, I would also compare New Generation with La Plagne's independent instructors before booking.
There are some excellent independents working here, and the right choice depends on whether you'd prefer to book through an established ski school like New Gen or directly with an individual instructor.
Does New Generation offer snowboard lessons?
Yes, New Generation offers snowboard tuition as well as skiing.
Their current group snowboard lessons start from age 10, and private snowboard tuition is also available.
If snowboarding is your main priority, rather than something one member of the family happens to be trying, I'd compare the snowboard-specific options before booking.
There are also independent instructors in La Plagne who are excellent snowboarders themselves and offer private snowboard tuition from beginner through to advanced and off-piste riding. This also might be a good option if you are looking for snowboard instructors for younger children, below the age 10 cut-off.
How much do New Generation ski lessons cost?
I'm deliberately not going to reproduce New Generation's entire La Plagne price list here!
Prices vary according to the dates you're visiting, lesson type, duration and availability, and a static price in a blog post can become outdated remarkably quickly.
New Gen has live availability and pricing online, so that's where I'd check the cost for your actual holiday dates.
Remember that group and private lessons are different products when you're comparing prices.
If your priority is getting your children into ski school every morning for the week, group lessons will generally be the obvious place to start.
If you're trying to achieve something specific in a shorter amount of time, private tuition may make more sense even though the headline price is higher.
Who would I recommend New Generation for?
I'd particularly look at New Generation if you're an English-speaking family wanting structured group ski lessons in La Plagne.
The fact that group lessons are taught in English is an obvious advantage for many British families, and I like that there are defined maximum group sizes and a clear progression through different ability levels.
They're also useful if you have several different needs within one family.
Perhaps the kids need group lessons, one parent wants adult tuition and someone else wants to try snowboarding. You can potentially organise all of that through the same ski school rather than booking several different instructors.
Is skiing with New Generation right for your family?
New Generation is a strong option to consider if you're looking for English-speaking ski lessons in La Plagne, particularly for children's or adult group lessons.
But don't choose a ski school based purely on its name or reviews.
Before booking, check the group size, your child's correct level, lesson times, meeting point, lift-pass requirements and how that all works with where you're staying.
Those practical details can make a much bigger difference to your ski-school week than the things that look important when you're booking from home.
And if New Gen doesn't quite fit what you need, that's fine too.
La Plagne has everything from large ski schools and smaller schools through to independent ski and snowboard instructors. I've put them all together in my main guide so you can compare your options.
Complete guide to La Plagne ski schools and instructors]
If New Generation does sound right for you, check their live availability for your holiday dates rather than waiting until you arrive in resort.
