Dover College senior school

DOVER COLLEGE SE N IO R S C HO O L : A N I N T R O DU C T IO N

T H I N K D I F F E R E N T LY. T H I N K D OV E R C O L L E G E .

Dover College is a school that encourages its pupils to think differently.

Our class sizes help. With a maximum of 15 pupils in any one lesson, teachers can think differently in educating pupils through creative teaching encouraging independent and critical thinking that is linked to the pursuit of exceptional examination results.

Our school size helps. With under 400 pupils, everyone at the College is well known and nobody is left out. Everyone is encouraged through leadership to think differently and develop confidence in themselves, as well as supporting each other in an environment that feels more like a family than a school.

Our community helps. We eat together in the Great Hall, and we meet together four times a week in Chapel. We support each other, and having pupils from 15 different countries enables everyone to think differently, to be inclusive, unprejudiced, cosmopolitan and outward-looking.

Our activities programme helps. Pupils are encouraged to participate in a range of sports and activities that promote leadership, teamwork and self-belief, thinking differently about their own abilities and strengths. We use our proximity close to the sea for sailing and arrange tours for our sports team to all parts of the globe.

Our support for life after Dover College helps. Our University and careers advice is second to none, and we have close links with higher education establishments around the world to support and guide our pupils to the right courses at the right colleges, encouraging them to think differently and think big in their onward ambitions.

Our location helps. We are two minutes by road from Dover port, proudly acting as the gateway to Europe and beyond. We are an hour by train from London, and just over an hour and a half by road from Gatwick, Stansted and Heathrow airports. There is not a better transport-linked school in the country.

As Headmaster, I want my pupils to think differently, to discover their talents, to develop confidence and to realise their dreams. Only in an environment where children feel cared for and valued will this happen.

This is why Dover College could be the perfect school for your child.

Isn’t it time to think differently?

Gareth Doodes Headmaster, Dover College

DOVER COLLEGE, EFFINGHAM CRESCENT, DOVER, KENT CT17 9RH T 01304 244501

W dovercollege.org.uk

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 307856

Sport

Nurturing team spirit Sport is important for developing character and we encourage pupils to participate in a broad range of sporting activities throughout the year.

Representing the college boosts self-confidence and nurtures a team spirit that extends well beyond the sports field. Although there is an emphasis on traditional team sports such as football, hockey, netball and cricket, pupils frequently compete in other sports such as tennis, cross country, athletics, judo, sailing, rounders, basketball, rugby and swimming. Our facilities include a first class Astroturf surface used for hockey, netball and tennis, a sports hall, a weight lifting room, a well-equipped fitness suite, four outdoor cricket nets, eight lawn tennis courts and a dance studio.

The Sixth Form

Challenge and opportunity The Sixth Form experience: Rich in diversity; endless opportunities and challenges.

Sixth Form is a challenging time when choices are made and decisions taken in preparation for the world of Higher Education and employment.

It is a time when there is more freedom to select new subjects, to develop new interests, to make new friends.

“Their good spiritual development is shown by a high degree of selfesteem and confidence which result from the excellent relationships and the extensive opportunities provided, especially through extracurricular activities.”

ISI

With freedom also comes responsibility and the opportunity to develop leadership and public speaking skills through activities such as the wellestablished Young Enterprise programme, to become a Prefect or to attain the prized Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

Co-Curricular Activities

Education extends beyond the classroom From canoeing to horse-riding; from fundraising for charity to setting up their own business; from overseas trips to theatre trips; participating in such events enables pupils to acquire the leadership skills and personal qualities necessary to enable them to face the future with confidence.

Numerous expeditions, Outward Bound activities and excursions take place during the course of the year, all of which are of enormous benefit to the pupils.

These include residential trips in North Wales, the Lake District or Spain where pupils undertake a demanding programme of team-building and entrepreneurial ventures.

Dover College pupils are actively involved in fund raising activities for school charities from the annual sponsored walk between Sandwich and Dover, cake sales and themed non-uniform days and even visiting the Ukraine to help build an orphanage.

Pupils are encouraged to develop a sense of service and not only for the benefit of their own community but also for the wider community beyond school.

Pupils also lead and take an active part in college services, school council and our food committees.

“The future depends on what you do today.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Music and Drama

Confidence comes from self-expression Music and drama are at the heart of the Dover College Curriculum, with exciting opportunities to perform in plays, concerts, recitals and House competitions.

The heart of the music department lies in the rich and wide diversity of opportunities for pupils to engage with music throughout the school, from Chapel Choir to the popular and competitive Inter-House Music Competition. Our thriving Drama Department strives to challenge and entertain, to inspire and build self-esteem, and to develop a strong sense of teamwork, both on the stage and behind the scenes. Pupils are encouraged to become involved in sound, lighting, costume design, hair and make-up.

An Oasis in the Heart of Dover Just over one hour from London

“Pupils’ development is excellent, fully meeting its aims of developing confidence by educating the whole person.”

ISI

“The best way to predict your future is to create it” Abraham Lincoln

“An outstanding historic environment, alongside excellent facilities in which to learn, play and relax.”

Former Sixth Form Pupil

Art and Design Technology Cultivating creativity

Pupils are inspired to explore their creativity by involvement in a variety of stimulating projects, the most recent being an up-cycling fashion show and a photographic competition.

Our aim is to encourage pupils to attain an excellent grounding in basic techniques, which includes work in a wide range of materials and processes including resistant materials, fine art, photography, textiles, ceramics and the use of computerised assisted design software, CAD.

Boarding

Home from home There is excellent boarding accommodation for both boys and girls within the grounds of Dover College with each house having a resident Housemaster/Housemistress and Assistants.

The comfortable and well-furnished bedrooms and Common rooms offer a safe and caring environment in which to study and relax.

Pastoral Care

“Throughout the school, strong pastoral care results in a caring and friendly community where pupils feel highly valued.”

ISI

Friendships made at Dover College are friendships made for life Settling in at Dover College is made easy with the excellent pastoral care which is delivered through our strong and established house system.

With residential Housemasters, Housemistresses and Tutors to look after their personal and curriculum needs, pupils always have someone to turn to for help and support. There is regular monitoring of pupils’ progress through our grading and report system and this alongside good communication with parents ensures that pupils feel supported on their academic journey through the school.

International Students

A global community in an English Public School Dover College is ideally located for access from Europe and the wider international community, be it by air, road, ferry or fast trains.

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

Marie Curie

Our highly established and experienced staff in the International Study Centre provide tuition in English as a Foreign Language. Pupils are able to sit one of four internationally recognised examinations according to their age and ability.

Curriculum

Excellence and achievement As a school which is not highly selective, our pupils often achieve considerably better at GCSE and A-level than their initial potential suggests at point of entry.

This is achieved by our very small class sizes, teachers who are wellqualified in differentiation, including providing extension work for our more capable students and reinforcement work for those with educational needs. The academic programme is as individually tailored as possible at GCSE and the diverse and extensive post-16 curriculum includes both A-levels and BTECs.