Don't Eden Worry About It: MVA Students Embark on First Ever Residential Trip

Earlier this month, MVA students set off on the school's first ever residential in-person trip, spending three days exploring the wonders of England's foot, Cornwall.

To this day, many assume that online school means no in-person interaction, no trips, no clubs, and none of the socialising that naturally happens in a bricks-and-mortar school.

And it's true that these things are more difficult to plan and provide in an online setting.

Students are spread across the UK and beyond, and each have sometimes wildly different needs and schedules, due to MVA's flexibility and accommodating core values. Particularly in MVA's early years, just getting enough students together in one place was a challenge, let alone for more than a day.

"Never in a million years did I think one day we would have a residential trip. In my original plan we had one school trip a year. And now we do six a term."

- Hugh Viney, Founder & CEO

As MVA approaches its fifth birthday, however, trips and excursions have become hallmarks of what makes Minerva such a transformational place to be. A residential has increasingly looked like an almost inevitable next step.

And so, this month, more than 30 Year 11s headed down for a three-day, two-night excursion away from home to learn, explore, and maybe even spend time with friends face-to-face for the first time.

After a day to settle in at the hostel and play some games, students were treated to the natural wonders of the Eden Project's iconic domes, and attended a workshop on the work that's been done to rejuvenate the rainforests of Costa Rica before being left to roam the grounds together.

On the final day, we headed to Wheal Martyn Clayworks in Saint Austell, the UK's only china clay mining museum, where we learned all about the centuries old china clay mine and had the opportunity to get our hands dirty and create some clay souvenirs to take home.

By the end of the trip, students and teachers alike were feeling uplifted, connected, and refreshed (despite a late night incident with an oversensitive smoke alarm) and ready to do it all again.

Considering what a roaring success this debut residential was, that opportunity might come sooner than you think! Watch this space!

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