Happy Birthday Minerva: MVA Festival Launches to Celebrate 5 Years of Making School Work Again

To mark its fifth birthday, MVA is launching a first-of-its-kind, in-person festival this summer, to bring together as much of the community as possible in the heart of Battersea Park for a celebration suitable for this enormous milestone.

In that 5 years, MVA has grown to nearly 1500 full-time students, helping more than 2000 in total find a school that worked for them. We've gone from an educational experiment to a fully-accredited school recognised by the Department for Education, Ofsted, COBIS - Council of British International Schools, Independent Schools Association (ISA), and work with more than 60 local authorities around the UK.

And, crucially, more than 100 state schools now work with MVA, sending students to us as dual enrolled or state-funded students, meaning around 15% of our students are entirely state-funded.

We've closed the SEND engagement gap, with a national 14.6 point gap brought down to just 0.2 between SEN and non-SEN students getting at least a 5 in their English and Maths. And we've seen students overall significantly outperform the national average in core subjects.

Most importantly, we have proven that the traditional mainstream is not the only option for school, and children who don't fit the mould are not lost causes who need to fit in or get out. We've proven that a more flexible, compassionate model can bring a student's attendance from 0% to 98%. And we've proven that the mainstream can actually benefit from a wide range of schooling options being available.

There's still a long way to go. There are still far too many kids persistently absent from school, and far too many MVA families are still telling us that they wish they'd found us sooner. But on a journey to Mars, it's important to recognise when you reach the Moon.

The team is working hard to ensure the day is one to remember, with food, music and entertainment for all, and we're all excited to see the people who have made MVA what it is, and what it promises to be in another 5 years to come.

Every child should be able to go to a school that they love.

We are closer to that future than ever before.

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