Rochester Independent College (RIC) is an

Independent Schools Council The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non-profit lobby group that represents over 1,300 private schools in the United Kingdom. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the business interests of its ...

accredited

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

, private day and boarding school, in Rochester, United Kingdom. It was established in 1984.

History

Opened in 1984 by mathematicians Brian Pain and Simon de Belder, the college was known as Rochester Tutors and was predominantly 6th form, teaching A levels and retakes. Gradually over the next 3 decades the campus grew to 14 (mainly) listed buildings in the heart of Rochester and changed its name to Rochester Independent College. The Lower School was opened in 2007. The college mascot is the flying pig, a riposte to the cynicism which greeted the college’s chances of success when it was founded. The college joined the Dukes Education Group in 2016.

Campus

It started as one terraced house, but as the school expanded, it gradually bought up 14 (mainly) listed buildings in the heart of a designated conservation area. A pair of steel sculptural musical gates leads to the grounds. The gates are an art installation created by Henry Dagg, sound sculptor, experimental musical instrument builder and Bjork collaborator. Standing almost four metres tall and eight metres wide across the structure is designed to make music with vibraphone bars, tubular bells, and organ pipe-like tubes with resonating strings that can be plucked, struck or bowed.

Medway Council Medway Council is the local authority of Medway, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is ...

refused planning permission for the gates in 2004 on the grounds of noise pollution, but this was overturned by a government inspector.

Students

The school has a total of about 230 students, with a relatively even mix of boys and girls. About 120 students are boarders and the rest are day students from the local area. Approximately 25% of the sixth form students are international from countries such as Thailand, Italy, Spain, China, Hong Kong, Nigeria, and Russia. Of the 230 students in the Sixth Form, around 40 will have stayed on from Years 7–11. The majority join from other schools after taking their GCSEs. Students from Thailand join the College each year funded by the Royal Thai Government Scholarship programme for A level courses.

Staff

Former tutors include BAFTA award-winning film director

Clio Barnard Clio Barnard (born 1 January 1965) is a British director of documentary and feature films. She won widespread critical acclaim and multiple awards for her debut, '' The Arbor'', an experimental documentary about Bradford playwright Andrea Dunba ...

and artist and musician

Billy Childish Billy Childish (born Steven John Hamper; 1 December 1959) is an English painter, author, poet, photographer, film maker, singer, and guitarist. Since the late 1970s, Childish has been prolific in creating music, writing, and visual art. He has ...

Curriculum

Students in the Sixth Form study A levels choosing their subjects from a list of nearly 40. The College also offers intensive one-year GCSE and A Level courses as well as retake programmes. From 2020 the college offered Digital Media and Design as a new subject.

Lower School – Years 7–11

The Lower School is located in New Road House, on the main college campus. It is co-educational and the principal entry point is at Year 7 but there is flexible entry throughout the school. It took its first pupils in September 2007. There are a maximum of 12 in each class. The Lower School is non-selective. The majority of students are from the UK. Student numbers are about 120.

Inspection judgements

The school was inspected by

Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training ...

in 2008, and judged Good. Since then the responsibility for assessment has passed to ISI.

Accreditation

Rochester Independent College is affiliated to the

(ISC) and a member of the Independent Schools Association (ISA). The college is also a member of British Boarding Schools Connected.http://my.bbsconnected.com/Profile/Index/1217?ssrchid=24027

References

External links

Rochester Independent College websiteFull Ofsted Inspection Report.
{{authority control Boarding schools in Kent Educational institutions established in 1984 Private schools in Medway Rochester, Kent 1984 establishments in England