insideKENT Magazine Issue 24 - March 2014 | Page 45

EDUCATION Dover College IN ASSOCIATION WITH 'BECAUSE CONFIDENCE MATTERS' Dover College is an independent day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 3-18 years. The school is dynamic and small enough – 330 pupils – to provide a disciplined and caring environment with small class sizes enabling pupils to work to their individual best. Pupils benefit enormously from the excellent teaching they receive here and the breadth of education on offer. They leave the school with qualifications, skills and the experience needed to face the future with confidence. Most day pupils live within a 25-mile radius to Dover College and the dedicated minibus service operates in various locations within that range. Infants and Juniors enjoy a well-balanced curriculum, enabling them to succeed and to acquire other life essential skills both inside and outside of the classroom. Strong moral values such as discipline and respect for one another go hand in hand with the breadth of academic and extra-curricular activities already available at Dover College. Pupils benefit from having access to all facilities of the school, including the Astroturf, Playing Fields, Sports Hall, ICT Centre, Music School and Dance Studio. The homemade healthy food served to all pupils in the 12th- century Harry Potter style Refectory is all part of the healthy ethos the school believes in. The Senior School is not academically selective. Entrance to the school is generally via the school’s own entrance test and interview at 11+, common entrance at the age of 13 or on the strength of reports and public examinations, for example GCSEs, which have been taken elsewhere. In order to stretch the brightest pupils and to support pupils who find academic work more challenging, subject teachers are well versed in the practice of differentiation. Extension work is frequently set for the capable academics and reinforcement work for those pupils who need it. Pu pils can enter the school at any level and 45 often achieve far better than their potential suggests on entry to Dover College. The Sixth Form is very vibrant thanks to its highly flexible curriculum. Pupils generally choose four subjects to study at AS level in the Lower Sixth Form and three at A2 level in the Upper Sixth Form. A number of pupils opt to follow BTEC courses in Sport, Health and Social Care, Business Studies and Leisure and Tourism. The broad-based provision of subjects is tailored to meet the needs and aspirations of the broad mix of pupils within the school. A dedicated in-house Careers Officer gives sound and sensible careers and UCAS advice. Most pupils go on to Higher Education but when appropriate, pupils are encouraged to enter the world of employment, directly from school. 'Because confidence matters' is Dover College's ethos. The teaching and co-curricular activities are designed to foster self-confidence and develop leadership skills. To arrange a visit of this little oasis in the heart of Dover, please contact Jane Ivor-Jones on 01304 244522. Dover College Effingham Crescent Dover, Kent CT17 9RH www.dovercollege.org.uk