Kent College
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
'Kent College, Canterbury' is an independent co-educational boarding and day school for pupils between the ages of 11 and 18. Vernon Holme, its junior school, is located about a mile away, and provides day school education for boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 11, and boarding for children aged 7 and above. The Senior School occupies a semi-rural site of some 70 acres on the edge of the city of Canterbury, and also owns the nearby Moat Estate, where there can be found a farm, which is managed by staff and pupils, and extensive sports pitches. These are adjacent to Blean Forest, which is the largest area of ancient woodland in Kent, and recognised on a national and European level for its importance as a wildlife conservation area.
Contents |
[edit] The School
The school was founded in 1885, and in 1920 was acquired by the Board of Management for Methodist Residential Schools. As such, it is a Christian school, although it accepts pupils of all faiths - and none. Originally established as a boys' school, since 1973 it has been fully co-educational. Kent College is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Its motto is "Lux Tua Via Mea" - Your Light is My Way.
Enrollment is at about 490 pupils. In 2003, the school was subject to a regular, independent inspection, and was commended for being a "happy, well-integrated community of boarding and day pupils, teachers and support staff". Kent College has a strong reputation for academic success, and nearly all Sixth Formers go on to university in the UK or abroad. Information Technology, Music, Art and Drama have a central role in the life of the school; Dance is becoming increasingly popular, and was recently introduced as a GCSE option. The school is also recognised for its sporting achievements, having won five national hockey titles in four years. It benefits from a floodlit Astro-turf, a sports-hall, a number of tennis-courts and various pitches, both on-campus and at the Moat Estate. In 2005, Kent College was recognised by the Daily Telegraph for its "outstanding" sporting record, and ranked as an "Independent School of the Year" in this area.
[edit] Boarding
There are four boarding houses on the campus: School House and Guilford House (boys), and Austen House and Wesley House (girls). The current House Parents are: Austen House - Mrs. H. Goddard; Guilford House - Mr. C. Daly; School House - Mr. C.A. Joy; Wesley House - Ms. E. Jameson.
[edit] The Original Growth of the School and Recent Redevelopment
Many areas of the school have been refurbished and re-equipped in a major works and building programme over the past four years, including: the Sixth Form Centre; the Library; School House; Guilford House; Physics Department; Chemistry Department; ICT Department; the Dyslexia Unit; Modern Foreign Languages Department; Geography Department; Mathematics Department; Staff Common Room; the Old Library; RS Department; the Medical Centre; Day Common Rooms for Years 7 - 9; and the PHSCE Department. A new Music Department has been created in the former Centenary Library, which accommodates a music technology suite, a recording studio, music practice rooms and office accommodation.
Kent College has expanded in a number of building programmes, the most recent of which is nearing completion. Whilst much of the school is original, late-Victorian in style, including the Chapel, there have been various additions made: most notably, in the 1930s, when the Prickett Building was completed; also, in the 1950s and '60s, when the three remaining sides of the Quadrangle were formed. New boarding houses and the original Library (now the Music Department) were constructed in the 1980s, as was the Sports Hall. Guilford House opened in 1964, and the Norfolk Building was opened by Mr. David Norfolk in 2005.
[edit] Old Canterburians
Former pupils of the school are known as Old Canterburians" ("O.C.s"). Among the Kent College alumni is Guy Berryman - one of the founders of the internationally-acclaimed band, "Coldplay". The Boat Club's premier boat was recently named "Canterburian".
The Kent College Centenary Book, written by the late Christopher Wright, a former Head of History at the school, and author of a number of other books, which traces the 100 years between the founding of K.C., through two World Wars, evacuation to Truro, the "Great Fire" - which destroyed part of the Main Building in 1938 - the extensive building programme and the problems of the 'sixties, to the co-educational school it was in 1985 - and is today - was published by Batsford, and is available from the School Shop and stocked in the Library.
[edit] Headmasters, Past and Present, and the Chaplain
Since 2002, the Head Master of Kent College has been Mr. Gino G. Carminati, who is leaving to lead [Worth School][1] from September 2007. Currently, arrangements are underway to appoint his successor. School buildings have been named after two previous Head Masters - Mr. John Prickett (Headmaster 1934 - 60), and Mr. David Norfolk (Headmaster 1960 - 77). Other long-serving former Headmasters have included Mr. Frank Facer (Headmaster 1898 - 1911), Mr. Alfred Brownscombe (Headmaster 1911 - 34) and Mr. Roger Wicks (Headmaster 1980 - 96). The current Lay Chaplain is Mr. Dudley Shipton.
[edit] Vernon Holme
The Kent College Infant and Junior School, at Vernon Holme in the village of Harbledown, was formerly the home of the renowned Victorian artist Thomas Sidney-Cooper R.A., and was purchased by the Senior School in 1945. It currently has approximately 220 pupils, and the Head Master is Mr. Andrew J. Carter.
