Outdoor Activities At Southgate School

Southgate School was one of the early pioneers of outdoor education for additional need pupils and has been incredibly successful over the past 20 years, combining regular, challenging, multi-day expeditions, with school-based activities, including a comprehensive Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, Forest School and more recently a cycling curriculum. 

Challenging disability and developing self-belief, teamwork skills and an awareness of the world around them is achieved through outdoor education and is an essential element of our curriculum. Being outdoors allows Southgate youngsters to discover their potential, interact socially and learn many valuable new skills. This truly brings out the best in the pupils!

We were the first special needs school to cross the Hadrian’s Wall National Trail in 2007 (84 miles), repeating this in 2012 and again in 2019. We have also walked the Northumbrian coastal footpath (64 miles) with groups of pupils on three occasions. In 2016 we were the first additional needs school in Kirklees to climb Snowdon, a huge achievement for our youngsters, gaining publicity from local papers and Trail magazine. Since then we have run this expedition every year and have plans to offer this opportunity to new pupils again this September.

In addition, each year we give youngsters (often with more complex disabilities) the opportunity to take part in a week’s residential outdoor programme at the Calvert Trust, a specialised centre for activities for SEN children in the Lake District. No matter how challenging their needs are, the centre can adapt and access a huge range of adventurous activities.

We have already doubled the number of pupils accessing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and we now offer this opportunity to the Silver level, we intend to double our Bronze participation numbers again next year.

Cycling Progression 

Expeditions Progression

Forest School Progression