Welcome

St Lawrence College is a school that really makes a difference in people’s lives. Located in Ramsgate within easy walking distance of the sea, the College is set in a safe, spacious campus.

We ensure pupils attain their personal best academically, whilst preparing them for life in a rapidly changing global society. Modern facilities combined with traditional values based on our Christian roots draw out the talents of each pupil. Strong pastoral care, high quality teaching and a great emphasis on extra-curricular activity make this a very special community in which to live and learn.

Enjoy the website which will give you a taste of College life; even better, visit us and meet our best asset - the pupils themselves!

More than just a School

 

With around 330 pupils, St. Lawrence College is small enough for each pupil to be considered and valued as an individual, but large enough to provide challenge through a variety of different subjects, activities and skills areas. Cutting edge facilities and state-of-the-art architecture exist happily alongside the more traditional and very fine late nineteenth century buildings, reminding staff and pupils alike of the long and well-earned reputation of the College, which successfully blends traditional values with twenty-first century enterprise.

Frequently, visitors to the College remark on the ‘excellent atmosphere’ within its walls, on the friendly familiarity that exists between staff and pupils, on the politeness that they see around them. There is a definite sense of respect for each member of the College community, whatever their place

Our Christian Life

   

The Christian faith is at the heart of St. Lawrence College. Daily chapel services stimulate students to think about spiritual issues and their application in the real world. We want to encourage them to make informed personal choices about their beliefs and moral views, equipping them for the future. People with different world views are part of our community, bound together by mutual respect and recognition of the importance of faith and morality. In a secular world we believe these values are vital in developing people of integrity for life in its fullness.

State of the Art Boarding Accommodation

   

We try very hard to provide a ‘home from home’ for our boarding students, both in terms of comfort and atmosphere: we are proud to say that most visiting families to Main School comment on the superlative boarding facilities that we offer as, “the finest they have ever seen”! In recent years, a massive programme of investment has created some truly remarkable facilities for our boarders: we recognise that our older pupils need more ‘private’ space in which to live and work, so all our senior pupils are housed in single or double rooms with en suite facilities. Our younger students are placed in rooms of between 2 and 5 pupils, either with en suite facilities or with modern streamlined bathrooms available for each room. Plenty of secure storage space for possessions ensures that valuable personal items are kept safe
There are kitchens and Tuck Shops in each House, so that hungry students can prepare snacks between meals, after sports matches and at weekends!

Housemasters/Mistress and their families live in accommodation within each Boarding House and there is also a Resident Tutor in each House – boarding pupils have access to these members of staff at all times.

All students have access to the College I.T. network, so can use our Internet connections to keep in touch with family and friends back home. The College also has WIFI coverage in key locations around the campus.

We open young people's eyes to the future

We are proud of our academic record, but we also recognise that education in its truest sense is measured not in examination results, but in the preparation of young people for the future. Our policy for keeping class sizes small ensures that our teachers can look after the individual needs of each pupil, so that high-flyers gain their places at the top Universities, and our less able pupils develop skills in areas which will serve them well in the future. Our curriculum is broad and, as a small school, we are able to cater for individual academic needs. Subject combinations are drawn up every year on the basis of pupils’ preferences giving them more choice. Meticulous care is taken by the Housemaster/Housemistress and the Head of Careers in guiding pupils towards suitable subject choices.

Extra Curricular

    

At St. Lawrence College we place great importance in the values of service and citizenship, good leadership, self-knowledge and consideration for those around us. To this end we offer an exciting range of outdoor team-building activities, designed to increase confidence and skills levels. In the 3rd Form (Year 9) these are frequently commenced during the 3-term compulsory membership of the Combined Cadet Force and may, if desired, lead to the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme; training and practice for all three levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold) is offered every year. Alternatively, pupils entering the school in Year 10 and starting GCSE courses may choose to start their D of E training at this time, with no previous experience.

Expedition training for D of E is done both locally and further afield: expedition training is organised in Kent and in the New Forest, and Adventure Training takes place annually in Perthshire during the Easter holidays where the Gold and Silver Expeditions are undertaken.

Service to the community, one of the important components of the D of E Award Scheme, can also take place locally if desired; some of our students visit Senior Citizens of Ramsgate, while others help out in local Nursery Schools or on local conservation schemes.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons are given over to extra curricular activities which are run in addition to a full games and physical education programme. Activities are also provided at the weekends and Exeats.

We try to ensure a balance of ‘adventurous’ and ‘creative’ options; outdoor activities will vary depending on the time of year, but include rock climbing, lifesaving, team-building, bush craft, marksmanship, mountain biking, kayaking, golf, community service, shooting, horse riding and sailing.

Those with more creative talents can turn their hand to art, dance, drama, needlework and card-making. We also have a chess club, a Scrabble club and a puzzle club. Sixth Form pupils can choose a special ‘Cooking on a Budget’ course to prepare them for university life. Italian is popular as are archaeology, rugby and tennis. We have an excellent Fitness Centre and offer yoga for relaxation. Home Economics attracts the budding chefs and leads to great competition when the annual Christmas Cake competition takes place. The School Play, House Plays and the House Singing Competition involve a good number of pupils and may serve to awaken some latent talent, while the musically gifted may attend Choir and Orchestra. In short, we try to provide something for everyone to enjoy and encourage our pupils to acquire new skills.

Field trips and expeditions are offered throughout the year and are well-supported by pupils and parents. In recent years, our ‘A’ level Business Studies pupils have been to New York, Russia and the Czech Republic, there is an annual GCSE History Field Trip to the Somme and Geography Field Trips to Dorset or Snowdonia. There is a golfing holiday to Scotland every year and an annual Ski Trip to France or Italy, along with frequent trips to London, to enjoy the theatre or a musical.

A Welcome from the Head of the Junior School

Thank you for taking the opportunity to view our website. I hope you find it an informative and appealing ‘first glance’ at the Junior School.

The 2007/8 academic year finds us in very good health and spirits. Much of the school has benefited from recent refurbishment, and there’s been a significant increase in pupil numbers. We’ve had a successful inspection, there’s been plenty of investment in our facilities and plans are afoot to take school development on to the next stage.

Whilst there is much to look forward to, we remain very conscious of our well-established mission: to offer a supportive, caring environment, based on traditional Christian values. Children are provided with a wide range of opportunities - moral, intellectual, physical and cultural – into which they enter with boundless enthusiasm. Our academic expectations are high, but realistic and open-minded, and a dedicated team of teachers aims to find something special in everyone.

As members of the wider College community, our children get the best of both worlds: the peace and security of a self-contained, family environment, along with access to the Senior School’s spacious grounds and outstanding facilities.

St Lawrence College Junior School is a remarkable school. If your only experience of it is a glimpse of this website, I urge you to pay us a visit. You are guaranteed a warm welcome and will feel immediately ‘at home’. I look forward to meeting you.

SIMON J E WHITTLEBA (Hons), PGCE, IAPS

Communication, Language & Literacy

We place an emphasis on encouraging clear speech and attentive listening skills. Children are encouraged to communicate with peers and adults.

We teach literacy skills using phonics and an exciting range of rhyme, song, poem and non-fiction books.

Creative Development

In the role-play areas, through art, design technology, music, dance and drama, the children develop their imagination. All their creative efforts and talents are valued.

Physical Development

We develop children's skills by using the adventure playgrounds, spacious surroundings, an indoor swimming pool and a variety of excellent sports equipment, tools and materials.

Mathematical Development

We provide a structured mathematical curriculum with a wealth of resources that stimulate mathematical thinking and enable the children to reach the Early Learning Goals and progress beyond them.

Knowledge & Understanding of the World

On our spacious College estate we have a sensory garden and an enormous amount of indoor and outdoor space to help children learn through their senses, be active and stimulate an interest in the world around them.

The first hand activities allow children to make sense of their world. They include science investigation, cooking, gardening, visiting speakers and displays of artefacts from our culture and other cultural backgrounds.

Personal, Social & Emotional Development

We can provide a place where children can develop their personal, emotional and social lives, their sense of themselves and feelings of belonging. The children receive individual attention and learn to work in large and small groups to build self-esteem.