The School
Kent College is an independent girls' boarding and day school with a Senior School (ages 11-18) and Preparatory School (ages 3-11) sharing the same site. Founded in 1886 by the Wesleyan Methodist Schools' Association, today Kent College is an interdenominational Christian school welcoming girls of all faiths and backgrounds.
Since 1939, Kent College has been located in 75 acres of beautiful countryside on the outskirts of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, a safe and rural part of south-east England. The campus comprises an elegant Victorian manor house and purpose-built modern facilities which are continually updated and improved upon. Alongside our exceptional teaching facilities, the school is also working towards becoming a centre of ICT excellence and an e-learning environment. For more information, please visit Recent Developments
The school attracts girls from all over the world. The current roll in the Senior School is approximately 360, with an additional 180 girls in the Preparatory School. Day girls come from a wide area of Kent and Sussex, and weekly boarders from the south east. Full boarders are welcomed from all over the world and their differing cultural influences enrich the experience of all students.
Kent College places a strong emphasis on extra-curricular activities and fosters an ethos of participation with a flexible and innovative programme of extra-curricular activities. Boarders can choose when they do their prep (homework) and day girls choose whether to do it at home or at school. All girls participate in the vast range of activities on offer and are encouraged to plan the use of their time so that they follow a balanced programme of academic work and extra-curricular activities. This enables them to build strong Records of Achievement which is necessary for successful university and employment applications. For more information, please visit Exciting Opportunities
The pastoral care in the school is very strong; there are five Divisional Heads and all staff are highly involved in PSHE and general pastoral matters. All teaching staff are required to be involved in at least one extra-curricular activity (ECA) and most do more than this, as both subject and general ECAs are available. There is a Director of Activities to co-ordinate ECA and boarder activities. For more information, please visit Pastoral Care
Another of our great strengths is that we have a very well qualified, skilled and committed body of staff who go far beyond the realms of their teaching commitments to provide the support and inspiration that the girls need to succeed. Our teachers are interested in the welfare and achievements of the girls and they each devote time to get to know them as individuals. The staff give freely of their time at lunchtimes, after school and even during the holidays to run extra lessons or workshops to ensure the girls are on track to receive the best results possible and to develop a love for their subject.
As an independent school, we are free from the constaints of the National Curriculum and have the flexibility to offer a broad and balanced range of subjects. The dedication of our staff and commitment of our students are reflected each year in the girls' excellent GCSE and A level results.
The Curriculum
Years 7, 8 & 9 (Key Stage 3)
Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are usually aged 11 to 14 years old. The curriculum is planned with due regard to the Key Stage 3 (KS3) National Curriculum, although we provide a greater variety of subjects than the National Curriculum to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum.
In Year 7, students are taught in mixed ability groups but are set according to ability in mathematics and French. In Years 8 and 9, students are in mixed ability tutor groups but are placed in teaching groups based broadly on ability. French and Latin are taught from Year 7. In addition, a choice of German or Spanish is started in Year 8. Class sizes in Years 7-9 average 16 students with a usual maximum of 20.
In Year 9, several subjects form a carousel and girls are given a chance to sample a range of subjects before choosing GCSE subjects. Careers' advice starts in Year 9. School examinations are held at the end of each academic year and the National Key Stage 3 tests in mathematics are taken in Year 9.
All students also participate in a Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) programme as well as a Citizenship programme.
Years 10 & 11 (GCSE)
Students in Years 10 and 11 are usually aged 14 to 16 and follow the two-year GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) course with public examinations at the end of Year 11.
All students work towards examinations in English language & English literature, mathematics and science. All girls take physics, chemistry and biology either as three separate GCSE subjects or as the Double Award examination. In addition, most girls are also required to take a modern language. Each student selects two to four option subjects from a list which includes:
Girls in Years 10-11 follow a Life Skills programme which covers health education, citizenship, a GCSE short course in religious education, and physical education. The careers' advice started in Year 9 continues throughout the GCSE years, with work experience in Year 11 following the GCSE examinations.
School examinations take place at the end of Year 10 and mock GCSE examinations are held in the November of Year 11, with public examinations in May/June.
Further details about GCSE courses are provided in the detailed GCSE curriculum guide which is available on request. Click here to Request a Prospectus
Sixth Form (A Level)
Most students study four (AS) subjects in the first year and three of the same subjects (A2s) in the second year.
A levels offer the chance to study chosen subjects in depth and are the passport to higher education. During the two year course, students develop a more independent approach to learning. An exciting programme of conferences, lectures and visits features in the programme for all subjects. One afternoon per week is set aside for physical education, and there are a number of different activities from which to choose.
Click here for a list of A level subjects and further information. Full details of courses are available in the A level course booklet which is available on request.
Extensive careers advice is provided in the Sixth Form with interview workshops, visits to careers fairs and university open days. Comprehensive information is provided on higher education courses, universities and application procedures.
All A level students participate in an Enrichment Studies Programme, designed to develop key skills which will be useful in all walks of life. They participate in the University of Liverpool's Curriculum Enrichment Programme, join the School Magazine Editorial Team or take the Leith's Basic Certificate in Food and Wine. Students can also take the Guildhall School of Speech and Drama Speaking Skills Examinations. Outside visits are arranged to universities, conferences, museums and political institutions.Click here for more information on our Enrichment Studies Programme
Sixth Form Life
Girls find the Sixth Form at Kent College is one of the happiest and most fulfilling parts of their whole school career. They are studying the subjects they most enjoy, strengthening friendships, making new ones and taking on important responsibilities within the school. Some girls also choose to start boarding in the Sixth Form as it gives them a sense of independence in preparation for university as well as the chance to take part in as much as possible at school in their final two years.
In the Sixth Form, every girl is part of a new tutor group, made up of a mix of Lower and Upper Sixth Formers. They stay in these groups for the full two years so their form tutor comes to know them well, can help keep them on track and guide them towards the best decisions regarding their future.
The focus of life in the Sixth Form is Tilley House. Tilley provides Sixth Formers with their own base where they have fully equipped areas for quiet study as well as a kitchen and Common Room for relaxation. Tilley is run by the girls, who elect two of their peers to oversee its day-to-day management. Other girls, meanwhile, are busily engaged with other positions of leadership and responsibility, as Head Girl, Deputy Head Girl, Sports Captain, Liaison Prefect, Heads of Houses, Head of Boarding Houses and Prefects in charge of Music, Drama and Charities, for which they receive special training in leadership skills. In fact, whether they are School Officers or not, every Sixth Former has the opportunity to run or manage something, whether it is a club or society or even a fashion show. So you can see that every girl has a good chance of being elected to a post of responsibility.
The main change in the Sixth Form is, of course, the increased focus on academic studies. Full details of the subjects on offer can be requested from the school but perhaps the most important point to make is that, unlike many other schools, we organise the timetable around the subject choices made by girls. It is therefore extremely rare that girls cannot pursue the combination of subjects they wish to study.
Your daughter will also get to know girls and boys from other Sixth Forms at local and national Model United Nations conferences, local Geographical Association meetings, through the Young Enterprise programme and at conferences arranged through World AIMS (Action in Methodist Schools).
Other changes that your daughter will experience when she becomes a Sixth Former are the right to wear her own smart clothes and the opportunity to undertake work experience outside of school. There is also an increased focus on university entrance and decisions about her career. The girls benefit from having three fully qualified Careers Advisors in school and up-to-date information on university courses, as well as computer programmes to link courses to career options and numerous opportunities to attend talks by visiting speakers, a Higher Education Convention and university open days.
The Sixth Form at Kent College is friendly, busy, hard-working and fun.
Entrance Qualifications For entry to the Sixth Form at KC we expect a minimum of six GCSEs at grade C or above. An A or B grade would be expected in those subjects which a girl wishes to study at AS and A2 level; some subjects may demand an A grade or specify particular conditions of entry to their courses.
Most students study four subjects in the first year (AS level), and continue with three of these in the second year (A2 level). Public examinations are taken at the end of each year and success in these will give students a qualification of three A-level subjects and one subject at AS level. |