Outdoor Learning

We believe that outdoor learning provides our pupils and students with invaluable opportunities outside the classroom. It can improve emotional, intellectual and behavioural development, as well as allowing children to develop their creativity, knowledge and understanding of nature and the world around us.

Horticulture Centre

The VIAT campus has a horticulture centre that supports students in learning about horticulture and plant biology. It has has a number of raised beds, a store, a water source, greenhouse and some open growth areas. Additionally, outdoor spaces across all the Trust’s sites ensure everyone benefits from forest schools, nature trails and planting projects. 

The sites support the curriculum and activities are integrated into the syllabuses for several subjects, including art, science and history. For example, in science, projects to look at organic versus non-organic produce help students to understand the pros and cons of each approach. 

Staff members also run clubs and societies linked to outdoor learning so students can enjoy a hands-on approach.

Young Adventurer Award

The Young Adventurer Award was created in 2021, and has since seen hundreds of pupils in Years 5 and 6 signing up from across all five VIAT primary schools. To achieve the award they must complete activities in the following areas: community, physical, skill and adventure.

The Young Adventurer Award encourages participants to focus on setting themselves regular, achievable goals to challenge themselves to make progress in their chosen activities, in addition to supporting their local community, school and family.

The award programme concludes with an overnight adventure camp-out for Year 6 and an action-packed activity day for the pupils in Year 5. Children come away with life-long memories as well as having made huge progress with their own personal development.

Duke of Edinburgh

The popularity of the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) award is continuously growing across the secondary schools in the Trust.

Although the programme at Invicta Grammar School has been well established for a considerable length of time, in recent years it has grown to over 150 Bronze participants per annum, with many students deciding to continue on to Silver and Gold Awards.

Valley Park School has re-ignited their DofE programme in the last few years and has worked hard to support students in successfully completing Bronze Award programmes.  

The Lenham School has recently become a DofE licensed organisation and launched their first Bronze DofE programme in September 2022.

SST Maidstone also recruited its first Year 9 Bronze cohort in September 2022.

The Trust encourages collaboration between these secondary schools to share knowledge and expertise and support one another with the delivery of high quality DofE programmes.