Educational Visits

Educational visits are an integral part of the extended curriculum at the school with a focus on both student enjoyment and the consolidation of classroom learning.

Residential visits are introduced in Key Stage Three, including outdoor experiences to The Bushcraft Company at Penshurst Place and the opportunity to achieve Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. Day visits to theatres, museums and art galleries offer our students the opportunity to broaden their horizons, boost self-confidence and enliven their learning. Residential visits become firmly established to enhance both the examination framework of Key Stage Four and Five programmes of study, with further opportunities for local, national and international visits.

Students have recently enjoyed tours to Germany and Italy with future prospective visits to include subject study days, Geography field trips both locally and nationally and an English study tour to Stratford upon Avon. Sixth Form students have the chance to participate in Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award and attend the accompanying expeditions to Wales. International visits also continue to flourish with international trips to Amsterdam, Salamanca and Lyon planned for the new year.

Safely managed educational visits with distinct outcomes are a vital part of a comprehensive and balanced curriculum. They provide an opportunity to extend the learning of students, including an enhancement of their understanding of themselves, others, and the world around them. They can be a catalyst for improved personal performance, promote a lifetime interest and, in some cases, lead to eventual career choices.

As a school, we use the KCC EVOLVE system to administer school visits and it is therefore our primary means of communicating information to parents and guardians.

There are many advantages of using EVOLVE:

• It enables you to be confident that information about potential visits is received immediately it is sent

• Consent forms can be read, completed and submitted electronically and not lost in school bags

• A copy of the completed consent form will be emailed to you

• It is environmentally friendly

Should your child be invited to participate in a school visit, you will receive a communication from Evolvekentvisits which will include full details on an attachment. This will be a secure encrypted link via the email address you have supplied to the school, and you will be prompted to complete the consent form online. Should you encounter any problems, there is a parent guide on the Evolve website.