insideKENT Magazine Issue 56 - November 2016 | Page 154

EDUCATION

Kent College: An Individual Education
“A very friendly school…” “Has a real family feel…” “It’s genuinely rooted in the community…”
It may seem odd to start an article about how a school manages to individualise its
educational provision with the words ‘family’, ‘friendly’ and ‘community’. But everything
that happens at Kent College stems from deeply embedded aims and values, and the
school has long enjoyed a reputation as a particularly caring and welcoming place.
The pleasant red-brick buildings of Kent College
are situated in a semi-rural setting, overlooking
the historic city of Canterbury. Pupils of all faiths
and none are welcomed through its doors, and
from day one all pupils are made to feel part of
the Kent College family. For boarders, Kent
College offers the opportunity to be part of a
thriving international community that draws
together pupils from up to 40 different countries.
In order to make the best use of technology
in the classroom, every pupil at Kent College is
issued with a MacBook laptop and is able to
access the school’s excellent (and monitored)
WiFi . Not surprisingly, it is hugely popular with
pupils themselves. The GREAT programme
(Gifted Really Enthusiastic Able and Talented)
ensures that able pupils are challenged
academically in their chosen subjects, often in
extra lessons. All pupils have the opportunity to
take part in trips out of school, from local
geography fieldwork visits to large-scale sports
or music tours abroad.
The extended school day at Kent College
gives every pupil the opportunity to discover a

new passion. The list of clubs, activities and
societies available for all pupils at the end of the
school day ranges from Art Club to Yoga. The
school has its own working farm, located on the
campus, with a wide range of livestock. Kent
College Young Farmers’ Club is open to all pupils,
and there is also a dedicated equine centre for
pupils who wish to ride.
Kent College is committed to extending its
unique brand of individualised education as wide
as possible, and offers a range of scholarships
and bursaries to assist with the fees.

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The Kent College family extends well beyond
Canterbury, not only through the Old Canterburian
Club which is a community that goes far beyond
school alumni networking, but also through the
recently opened Kent College Dubai – an exciting
new school that is delivering the Kent
College brand of individualised learning to the
Middle East.
www.kentcollege.com