School Structure and Events
Homework and Academic Assessment
Looking After Your Child
Activities and Trips
Uniform
Fees
Location and Transport
Terms
The academic school year is divided into three terms, Autumn, Spring and Summer.
View term dates
Key events
There are some key events throughout the school year to which parents/guardians are invited. They include:- Autumn term: School Musical production; Christmas celebration ‘Joy to the World’; Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral.
- Spring term: Frank Mason Hockey Tournament; Arts Week (various activities).
- Summer term: School Concert; Sports’ Day; Summer Opera; Speech Day.
Academic structure
Pupils entering the school at Year 7 follow the Key Stage 3 curriculum for three years. During Year 9, pupils make subject choices for the two-year GCSE course, which starts in Year 10. Pupils take the GCSE public exams at the end of Year 11.
International students who come for the Pre-IB/A level year start in Year 11 and take a reduced 1-year GCSE course during that year.
Years 12 and 13 are also often known as the SIxth form. Students at Kent College have a choice of two-year courses: A levels and Cambridge Technicals, or International Baccalaureate. Students take their public exams at the end of Year 13.
| Age | School year | Curriculum |
| 11-12 | Year 7 | Key Stage 3 |
| 12-13 | Year 8 | Key Stage 3 |
| 13-14 | Year 9 | Key Stage 3 |
| 14-15 | Year 10 | GCSE |
| 15-16 | Year 11 Public exam year |
GCSE Pre-IB/A level year |
| 16-17 | Year 12 (Sixth form) | A level International Baccalaureate Cambridge Technicals |
| 17-18 | Year 13 (Sixth form) Public exam year |
A level International Baccalaureate Cambridge Technicals |
School House system
The School has four Academic Houses, Becket, Augustine, Chaucer and Marlowe.
The House system promotes the spirit of community and competition amongst our students. Inter-house events are held throughout the year in Sport, Music, Art and Drama. Pupils are also awarded House points on a regular basis for their school work and contribution to the school community. A trophy is awarded at the end of the School year to the House that has earned the most points.
Every pupil coming to Kent College is allocated to one of these Houses – usually before they start school in September. Students wear their own House tie (boys) or badge (girls) at school, and a House polo shirt for House events.
Daily routine
School hours are Monday-Friday 8.35am to 4.20pm. All pupils should arrive in school in good time to register at 8.35am. Day pupils may go home at 4.30pm. All pupils may attend Study Hall, a school activity or practice until 5.30pm. Day pupils are required to leave the campus at 5.30pm unless they are attending a school match or similar, or have the permission of their Head of Year.
View the daily routine
Homework is set regularly and pupils are encouraged to establish good homework habits from the beginning of their time at Kent College. The amount of homework gradually increases as pupils pass through the school. The amount of time spent on homework will also vary considerably between individual pupils. As a guide:
- Years 7 and 8 should expect homework in two or three subjects each evening, each taking approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete.
- Year 9 should expect homework in three or four subjects each evening, each taking approximately 30 minutes to complete.
- Students studying for GCSE in Year 10 and 11 should expect to be doing the equivalent of at least two hours homework per evening. Much of the homework at this level is likely to be in the form of extended pieces of work which may cover several weeks, and pupils are expected to take an increasing level of responsibility for planning the completion of such work.
- In the Sixth Form, pupils may be expected to spend about an hour per subject per day on out-of-class preparation.
PAD
Pupils in Years 7-11 are provided with a Pupil Academic Diary (PAD) to record the homework that is set for every night, and the date it is due to be handed in. This planner is checked by Tutors to ensure that it is maintained properly. Parents/guardians are encouraged to read the planner and to make any comments about the homework in the space provided. Parents of day pupils are asked to sign the PAD each week. Students in Years 12-13 also receive an Academic Diary in order to help them to plan their work and the school year.
The Pupil Academic Diary also contains this useful information:
- A monthly planner
- An explanation of the grading system
- Pupil Code of conduct and classroom guidelines
- Key school rules
- Academic timetable
- Prep timetable
- Activity timetable
- Term dates
- Key School Rules
Reports and Parents’ Meetings
Each pupil receives regular reports during the school year, with comments by the teachers of the academic subjects and where appropriate by teachers of PSHE, musical instrument lessons and other activities. These reports contains additional sections written by the Tutor, Boarding House Parent, the Year Head and the Head Master.
If a parent/guardian has concerns about their child’s progress at any point in the year, they should make contact with the Tutor, or the Year Head. Parents/guardians are also welcome to make appointments to see individual teachers, and contact should be made with the relevant Year Head who will arrange this.
Once a year, parents/guardians have an opportunity to talk with all of the pupil’s teachers at a parents’ evening for the relevant year group. Pupils are expected to accompany parents/guardians to these meetings.
Academic Surgery Evenings are held twice a year, in the Autumn and Summer terms. Parents/guardians are invited to make appointments to see staff by the Friday of the previous week. A maximum of three appointments is allowed and these should last approximately 10 minutes.
Pastoral care is at the heart of what we do
Kent College has a reputation for being a friendly and caring school, and our pastoral structure is designed to give all pupils the support they need from the start of their school career to the day they leave. Our mission is always be pupil-centred and to focus on enabling every child to become the best they can be.
Our pastoral structure
Medical Centre
Our Medical Centre is in the centre of school, and has its own private entrance. Inside there is a modern, well-equipped surgery and several comfortable bedrooms. An experienced, qualified nurse is always available and pupils may access help with any health issues at any time. These do not have to be medical conditions or physical problems, we also offer support with emotional needs and lifestyle choices.
Dr Julian Thompson runs a surgery in the school Medical Centre twice a week. He is part of a practice at Cossington House GP surgery in the centre of Canterbury, where we can also access appointments if required at other times, and with a female GP. Our independent school counsellor, Mrs Naomi Bothwell offers the opportunity for pupils to talk to someone in complete confidence, outside the disciplinary structure of the school. She has a private consulting room within our Medical Centre and visits every Monday afternoon.
medicalcentre@kentcollege.co.uk
+44 (0)1227 813932
Eat Well at KC
As all the pupils at Kent College know, Head Chef Neil Wiggins is passionate about every aspect of food, where it comes from, how it’s cooked, and the wider implications of large-scale catering such as food waste and recycling. Every day Neil and his team of 15 chefs and 14 front-of-house staff are responsible for 1,000 meals at the Senior school and 200 meals at Kent College Junior School. All the food prepared at Kent College is cooked on the premises, and Neil uses local and trusted suppliers for his meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Not only does this policy help to support local businesses, it also guarantees freshness and quality, and helps to reduce the school’s overall carbon footprint.
Neil caters for special diets such as gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant and works closely with the staff in the school’s medical centre to ensure that pupils with specific needs are well looked after. The kitchens also provide a wide range of snacks enjoyed by the pupils at break time, either in the main dining hall or in the school’s cafe, 1885
The food served at KC
At Kent College we offer a wide range of activities that take place outside the classroom. These extracurricular activities are an important part of an all-round education that extends well beyond the curriculum, and allows pupils to explore their own particular talents and interests.
From Year 7 all pupils are required to attend at least two activities, while older students are encouraged to participate or assist in at least one. Activities take place at lunch times, after school and at the weekends. They change termly, and depending on demand, but our aim is to provide something for everyone to enjoy and to develop through their school career.
More about activities
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE)
Kent College runs DofE for the Bronze and Gold awards – Bronze is usually completed in Year 10, and Gold is taken in Years 12 and 13. Expeditions for the Bronze award are undertaken locally, while Gold expeditions are further afield in the UK (Snowdonia, the Lake District) and abroad (Iceland, the Dolomites). Volunteering is an important part of both DofE awards, and pupils have the opportunity to work in many different settings in the local community.
Trips
Trips out of school are an important way of allowing pupils to continue their learning and broaden their experience outside the classroom in a variety of locations, from local to international. Trips are also a good opportunity for students of all ages to develop skills in areas such as teamwork and leadership.
- Ski trip to Canada
- History and Economics trip to Rome
- Geography trip to Margate
- Choir tours to Budapest and Lyon
- Big Bang STEM trip to Discovery Park, Sandwich
- Cultural Exchange trip to Pennington, USA
- Hockey tour to South Africa
- Cultural Exchange trip to Tanzania
- Physics trip to CERN, Geneva
- Duke of Edinburgh Gold award expeditions to Snowdonia and the Lake District
Trips do get booked up quickly so if you would like to know details of future trips for the next academic year please contact your Head of Year.
Full information about school uniform can be found on the Uniform page
View the uniform page
Full information about school fees, specialist & bespoke provision, scholarships, bursaries remissions and allowances can be found on the Fees page
View the fees page
How to find us
Kent College Canterbury is within 90 minutes of Gatwick, Heathrow and City of London airports, and under 60 minutes by train from London. Eurostar trains from Ashford International/Ebbsfleet International train stations provide direct links to mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel.Travel by air:
Direct flights from all over the world arrive in London’s major airports. Gatwick, Heathrow and City airports are all within 90 minutes by car to Canterbury; London Stansted is around 100 minutes.
Travel by train: London St Pancras is 60 minutes by direct fast train to Canterbury West station. London Victoria is around 80 minutes to Canterbury West/East. Both Canterbury stations are a short taxi ride (5-10 minutes) to school.
Eurostar train from Brussels or Paris to Ashford International Station is around 2 hours.
Travel by car:
From London follow the M2/A2, or M25 to the M2 turn-off. From the Channel Tunnel follow signs to Canterbury on the A20/A260. From Dover (ferry) follow the A2. Satnav postcode: CT2 9DT
Visiting the area
Information about visiting Canterbury and the surrounding area can be found at www.canterbury.co.uk/
School bus service
Kent College operates its own in-house, bespoke transport scheme with a fleet of school minibuses and dedicated drivers, all of whom are MIDAS accredited and have first aid training. This service offers parents peace of mind, particularly for younger passengers.
About the bus service