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What it's like

Founded in 1885 and acquired in 1920 by the Board of Management for Methodist Residential Schools, it stands on a fine site overlooking the city of Canterbury. The junior school at Vernon Holme is a mile away. The main campus comprises about 20 acres, with additional playing fields nearby. There is a school farm of around 90 acres on the beautiful Moat Park estate, incorporating an equine centre. The school is about a mile from the city centre and 4 miles from the sea. In recent years there have been major development programmes and the school is now very well equipped, including a floodlit all-weather pitch, multi-purpose sports hall and a new music centre. It is now a fully co-educational school; girls were first admitted in 1976. Pupils of all faiths and none are welcome but the school's Christian heritage underpins its aims and values. It has a well-developed pastoral system and a reputation as a friendly and welcoming school. A good general education is provided and examination results are consistently good. There is a range of sports and games and high standards are attained. A plentiful variety of clubs and societies for extra-curricular activities is available, including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.

Pupils & entrance

Pupils: Total age range 3-18; 650 pupils, 500 day (275 boys, 225 girls), 150 boarders (95 boys, 55 girls). Senior department, 11-18; 437 pupils (265 boys, 172 girls). Entrance: Main entry ages 3, 5, 11, 13 and 16. Own entrance exam used. No special skills or religious requirements. State school entry 40% senior intake. Most pupils from own junior move to senior school (Kent College Junior School, Vernon Holme, Harbledown, Canterbury CT2 9AQ, tel 01227 762436)

Scholarships & bursaries

Scholarships available (academic, music, sport, art, drama and sixth form). Some bursaries available (up to 100% of fees). Forces allowance.

Head & staff

Head Master: David Lamper, appointed 2007.  Educated at King's College London (music). Previously Headmaster at The Crypt School, Gloucester, and taught at Dulwich College.

Exam results

GCSE: 54 pupils in Year 11: 98% gained at least grade C in 5+ subjects (average in 9.3 subjects). A-levels: 57 in upper sixth. Average final point score achieved by upper sixth formers 325.

Pupils' destinations

95% of sixth-form leavers go on to a degree course (15% after a gap year), 7% to Oxbridge. 5% take courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, 30% in science and engineering, 60% in humanities and social sciences, 5% in art, design and architecture. Others typically go on to art college or straight into careers.

Curriculum

GCSE, AS and A-levels. 18 GCSE subjects, 22 AS/A-level. Sixth form: Most sixth formers take 4 subjects at AS-level, 3 at A-level. 20% take science A-levels; 30% arts/humanities; 50% both. Key skills taught; wider life skills also incorporated. School aims to cater for each pupil's combination of subjects with bespoke timetabling. Vocational: Work experience available. Vocational A-levels offered. Special provision: Dyslexia unit for pupils of sound ability. Languages: French (from age 6), German and Spanish (from 12) offered and at GCSE, AS and A-level. ICT: Taught both as a discrete subject and across the curriculum. 200 computers for pupil use (9 hours a day), all networked and with email and internet access.

The arts

Music: Over 50% of pupils learn a musical instrument; instrumental exams can be taken. Some 14+ musical groups including orchestras, jazz band, rock groups, string quartets, wind groups, madrigals, 3 choirs. Many grade 8 performers. Drama and dance: Both offered at GCSE and A-level. Many opportunities to perform; regular whole school productions. Art and design: On average, 23 take GCSE, 15 AS-level, 10 A-level. 3D-work, printmaking, craft and design offered as extra-curricular activities. Students enter internal and external competitions and take part in Arts Week.

Sports & activities

Sport: Hockey, netball, tennis, athletics are main sports for girls; rugby, hockey, cricket, tennis, athletics for boys. Other sports: squash, badminton, dance, judo, rowing, gymnastics, golf, basketball, volleyball, swimming, fencing, sailing, orienteering, soccer, yoga, pilates. Emphasis on participation at all levels. 3 hockey internationals (1 boy, 2 girls) and 2 girls cross-country; many recent county and regional representatives at rugby, hockey, cross-country and cricket (boys), netball, hockey, cross-country and tennis (girls); regular county, regional and national campions in variety of team sports. Activities: Pupils take bronze and gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award; large numbers involved (up to 20 training for gold, 35 for bronze). Community service optional. School farm and equine centre offers activities and experience with livestock. Up to 50 clubs, eg literature, debating, photography, horse-riding, bridge, judo.

School life

Houses and prefects: Prefects appointed by Head Master; head of house and house prefects by housemaster/mistress. Religion: Methodist. Social: Wide variety of trips and tours abroad, learning outside the classroom is encouraged and valued through fieldtrips, museum and gallery visits, trips to battlefield and exchanges. Destinations include eg music (to Germany, Italy), sports (to eg Barbados, South Africa, Gibraltar, China), skiing trips (USA, Italy), sixth-form trips (to eg Prague, Paris), Methodist World Aims (Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Cameroon), Duke of Edinburgh (Yellowstone National Park, US and New Zealand).

Former pupils

Guy Berryman (musician and member of Coldplay); Dr John Redwood (politician); David Eades (journalist); Ptolemy Dean (architect and TV personality); Tacita Dean (artist).