La Manche is definitely not for rookies. Or even experienced divers who are not ready for local conditions. It's the ripping tides that are so dangerous. You definitely want an experienced local guide first couple of times up to bat.
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@ Chrisch. My experience with checkout dives is the following. They are systematically done on all Liveboards that I have been on. I believe that they are totally justified. The idea is that most divers have been travelling for hours the day before, most have not dived for months and are diving in a new environment. A good occasion to have a check on the weights, eventual new gear or buddy and to refresh the DSMB depoyment routine. Something that is mandatory to carry on liveboards.