2017/18 | 01634 828115 www.rochester-college.org THE RIC TIMES A co-educational day & boarding school | Year 7 to Sixth Form | Non-selective & high performing | ISC accredited Non-selective 6th form Boarding at Retake GCSE while Rethink your subjects Switching schools No option blocks Rochester starting A levels Intensive, short Year 13 move Average class size 8 Weekly and full A fresh start GCSEs and A levels to improve University entrance specialists Founded in 1984, Rochester Independent RIC aims to give students an enjoyable Caitlin Borowsky, below left, who has College is a co-educational day and and successful experience of school in attended RIC since year 7 says: boarding school offering a distinctive an international environment with small “RIC gives you space, the flexibility to alternative to both traditional independent classes and high-quality teaching and take things into your own hands and education and the highly selective local pastoral care. Students in all years of structure your education to suit you. grammar schools. the school do not sit in rows but gather There is no ‘one size fits all’ attitude.” Visit and you will immediately sense this around one table, in the style of a university difference. The mutual respect between tutorial. The focus is on achievement Having achieved outstanding GCSE teachers and students is palpable. There without unnecessary pressure; the lively, results including 2 A* grades in year 10, is no uniform, no bells ring, students and supportive and informal atmosphere leads she got offers from all four of her chosen staff are on first name terms and the to exam success. At RIC students learn Medical Schools and the three A grades average class size is 8. and achieve more because they enjoy at A level she needed to meet them. She school and feel positive about themselves. is now off to Sheffield, her first choice. The first thing you’ll noticeis that we oc- cupy a one-of-a-kind urban campus. Caitlin consistently worked hard At the heart of a designated conservation but says she did so in a very supportive area, the historically distinctive site with environment: “The teachers always gave listed buildings linked by award-winning me a lot of time outside of lessons, wildlife gardens creates a special sense even in break times. I always had my of place to explore and in which to live, questions answered and the interest study and work. Visit our campus just and passion of the teachers for their once and you’ll swiftly see why RIC is a subjects really shines through.” school unlike any other. RIC’s flying doctors Despite the increased competition and Thank you for all the encouragement and the reduction in places available to those support.” Priya Takhar and Amman Sall who resit, students from RIC have again (left), both off to dental school, came to gained places at Medical and Dental RIC from the same grammar school with Schools. Bolu Alade (Medicine at Liverpool) matching ABB grades at A level to retake says: “Retaking seemed a massive risk. Biology and Chemistry. Priya gained But with my place confirmed I know it A*A* and Amman A*A. Amman says: “I was all worthwhile. I cannot emphasise wouldn’t have been able to do it without enough the importance of the insight you all the help at RIC. I really appreciate all provided in the mock interview. the support from everyone there.” “RIC was beyond instrumental for me. It completely reinvigorated my love of learning.” Abigail Pile, Durham History graduate From Year 7 to Sixth Form | www.rochester-college.org | 01634 828115 Switching schools for exam success Lower School and Year 11 Sixth Form New Subjects Transferring for Year 13 Students join different year groups for Changing schools after GCSEs is a Choosing A level subjects is not an easy Transferring mid A levels is an option, many reasons. popular option, sometimes to access a process and, in many schools, it is even particularly if disappointing results have more adult environment, or a wider choice harder to change them. At RIC, we under- knocked your confidence or you want to Nikita Pillai joined year of A levels, or simply because of a move stand that something has to change if the change direction and not lose a year. 11 after time in many into the area. path a student has chosen is not working. Jessica Learmont joined in year 13 to different schools. As Laura Heppel, who changed her focus Cherish Layton (above) joined RIC year to Arts having already completed Science take Film and History of Art from scratch instead of her science AS subjects while “I’ve studied in different 12 from a school in Grimsby after a A levels, says: “One thing that makes RIC continuing English, her chosen University schools in 3 continents family move to Kent. She is now heading different is the attitude to subject choice. subject, which she will now take at Exeter. and RIC has been my most enjoyable to Sussex to read Psychology. Picking up something new is encouraged - experience. Teaching here is tailored to try different classes to find the best fit. RIC For aspiring actress, Elizabeth Brown each student and the environment was “RIC was very different from my excels at helping students find their stride (above) , who converted disappointing AS welcoming from day one.” secondary school. I went from being before moving on to Higher Education.” grades into top A levels, it is a move she in classes of 30 to classes of 8, which will never regret: “It really was the best Oliver Laming (above, now off to makes such a difference. The teachers Charlie Morris decided to make the decision I have ever made. Over this year, Edinburgh to read History) joined in are very friendly and try to give you any change at the end of year 12 and I have grown as a person, I’ve discovered year 9: “My previous school helped a extra help you need. The best aspect was moved to RIC as a boarder to focus on that I don’t just fit into one box. RIC helped lot with my Aspergers, but didn’t offer the atmosphere. Everything felt so relaxed expressive arts rather than sciences. me regain my confidence in drama and the GCSEs I wanted. RIC has given me and I could do my work in a way that He gained ABC in Drama, English and essay writing too and has shown me other far broader options than I would suited me best. Without the teachers’ Photography and is off to Winchester, his interests to be passionate about. I am otherwise have had.” support, I wouldn’t have done as well.” first choice, to launch his career in Film. really excited about the course at E15.” UCAS places as at 21/8/17 University Destinations 2017 Student Name Previous School University Course University Student Name Previous School University Course University Jesulabomi Aiyere St Olave’s Grammar Accounting & Mgmt Kent Rebecca Feyikemi Delano Sherborne International Law Leicester Lola Akinpitansoye St Catherine’s Catholic Accounting & Finance Portsmouth Allan Delow Kent College, Canterbury Politics and Intl Relations Nottingham Bolutife (Bolu) Alade Rainham Mark Medicine Liverpool Henry Dobson King’s Canterbury Mechanical Engineering Nottingham Fatima Ansari Chatham Girls Grammar Economics & Finance Brunel Edward Evans Canterbury Academy Computer Science Kent Olivia Bagshawe King’s Canterbury Management Leeds Gabriella Felipes Westside School, Gibraltar Film, Culture & Marketing Liverpool Olivia Barker Fort Pitt Grammar Fashion Fashion Academy Oliver Fielder Bethany School Project Mgmt Surveying South Wales Lucetta Barrett St Edmund’s, Canterbury Popular Music Anglia Ruskin Ethan Fishwick Wilmington Grammar Geography Oxford Brookes Imogen Basi King’s Rochester Graphic Communication Bath Spa Varit Foongvanich Thai Government Scholar Mathematics Cambridge Nada Bassiony Rochester Grammar Medicine Liverpool Rose French Dover College Zoology Southampton William Batey QE Grammar Civil Engineering Swansea James Bazeley St Edwards, Oxford PE/Psychology Oxford Brookes James Fry Bennett Memorial Archaeology Bradford Charlotte Bendkowski Sutton Valence School Eng Lang & Creative Writing Brighton Andrew Galletly Thomas Aveling Mechanical Engineering Lincoln David Bevis Wilmington Grammar Law Exeter Oscar Garcia King’s Rochester History Nottingham Henrietta Boeg Judd School Biomedical Sciences Bath Amardeep Ghataura Bishop’s Stortford High Product Design Notts Trent India Bonneau Brockwood Park School Graphic Design Falmouth Philippa Graham-Black St Edmund’s, Canterbury Medical Imaging Exeter Caitlin Borowsky RIC Year 7-13 Medicine Sheffield Mia Gray Ashford School Midwifery CCCU Elspeth Bowes Walthamstow Hall Sociology/Social Psych York William Griffiths Sevenoaks School History & Politics Leicester Joshua Brimelow African Rd, New York Film Southampton Lorcan Halfacre King’s Canterbury Linguistics with Spanish Newcastle Elizabeth Brown Kent College, Canterbury Theatre Arts East 15 Essex Hugo Halpern RIC Year 7-13 Biochemistry Sussex Carl Burgess QE Grammar Ancient History Liverpool Ella Halpern-Matthews Tonbridge Grammar History KCL Jemima Burn Gad’s Hill Law with Criminology Brighton Jake Hayward Skinners’ School Mathematics Reading George Burns St Edmund’s, Canterbury Management Nottingham Charis Heim Judd School Human Physiology Leeds Hugo Cannon Homewood College Biology Bristol Catherine Henry RIC Year 7-13 App Behavioural Science Greenwich Haydn Cavalier Tej King’s Rochester Business Mgmt & Finance South Bank Laura Heppell Sir Roger Manwood’s English Sussex Kiatmeta Chongfungklang Thai Government Scholar Mathematical Physics Nottingham Laura Horner Cobham Hall International