2015/16 | 01634 828115
www.rochester-college.org
THE RIC TIMES A co-educational day and boarding school | Year 7 to sixth form
Accelerated academics 1 year A level courses University Entry
Boarding at Rochester Weekly and full
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Bitesize Year 7 Taster days 23 Sept and 21 Oct
Accredited by the Independent Schools Council
Rethink and retake Second chance success
Switching schools Year 13 transfers triumph
For a unique place choose RIC
Admissions Accomplished One of the elements of the winning formula at RIC is the dynamic mix of local students from a variety of backgrounds with inspirational young people from overseas. An International Gold Medal Olympian in the class can be a real advantage, as aspiring Medic Joe McManners can attest. Joe (pictured second from the left) moved to RIC from Tonbridge School. He gained A*A* in Chemistry and Biology in one year from scratch, having shared a Chemistry class with Jiratheep ‘Boom’ Pruchayathamkorn. Boom came to RIC on the Thai Government Scholarship programme (see p 7) and achieved the Olympian feat of 5 A* grades in Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths and Statistics in one year. He has a place at Merton College, Oxford to read Chemistry. “Working through past papers together was actually really good fun” says Joe “I don’t think I’d have done so well without those weekly sessions with Boom, and I loved hearing about his time with Buddhist monks - Good times!” Joe previously shot to fame in the BBC’s operatic version of “The Little Prince” and was subsequently nominated for Album of the Year
at the 2006 Classical BRIT Awards. Boom won Gold at the 45th IChO (International Chemistry Olympiad) in Russia in 2013 having taken Bronze the previous year in the USA. His main worry this year was his English; while he helped his classmates through the demands of one of the most challenging of A levels, they gave him valuable support with his English.
From GCSE Resits To Med School
Also sharing classes with Boom were Rohan Ghag, pictured far left, and Aimee Coleman, second from right, who joined RIC from local grammar schools. Rohan is now off to read Biomedical Sciences at Royal Holloway having retaken Chemistry and Biology and added a one year course in Statistics. Aimee retook four subjects and has secured a coveted place at Bath to study Maths and Physics. Students usually decide to retake before they go off to try a University course, but sometimes, the decision comes after a disappointing start in Higher Education. Tom Lightfoot decided after a month at university that the course he had taken through Clearing was not for him. He left and came to RIC to retake his A levels, securing his first choice place to read Maths at Loughborough University. Lizzie Bradshaw, who joined RIC at the age of 11 from St William of Perth Primary School, is celebrating a place at Warwick University, one of the top rated universities in the country for Film Studies. Her A* grades in Film Studies and Photography demonstrate that creative A levels can work as a passport to the most competitive institutions.
Many talented students join the College with a proven record of academic success in order to aim for top university places, often because they have decided to change direction - perhaps from an Arts based set of A levels to Sciences or vice versa. But not everyone demonstrates what they are capable of in exams first time around. Every year some students join RIC for intensive one year A level courses, either first time or retake, or combined A level and GCSE retake programmes designed to give a second chance to those aiming high.
even more impressive as he retook his GCSEs alongside his A level studies .
Special congratulations to Charlie Bicknell who starts his UCL Medical School degree this year. There are typically 2400 applicants for 322 places and Charlie’s achievement in securing a place after a two year A level course at RIC is
Also starting this year at Medical Schools are Tom Kerr who is off to the Peninsula School of Medicine in Plymouth and Florence Wallace who has gained a place at Bristol University Medical School.
George Hales is off to Exeter to take up the place at Medical School that his previous school told him only a year ago that he would never achieve. George resat his Biology and gained an A* and brought his Chemistry up from a B at AS to a full A level grade A. He also took Sociology from scratch in a year gaining an A*. He says: “It’s not a breeze, but if you put in the effort and decide you can do it and listen to the advice you get here then anything is possible! Just look at me!”
“The students are a strikingly nice bunch. It’s a place for individuals, and there’s a lovely air of tolerance and warmth.” Good Schools Guide 2014