Rochester Independent College
Rochester Independent College is a first class British boarding school with small classes that are more like university tutorials.
Students work in lively, stimulating and productive groups. The average class size is 8. Teaching is focussed on the examinations and there is very regular testing and exam practice.<br /><br />RIC offers a passport to the UK’s best universities including Oxford, Cambridge, the LSE, Warwick and UCL. We do not offer a university foundation course or access programmes as A levels are the most reliable and respected route for international students to follow. Unlike the IB Diploma programme, or most overseas post 16 systems, A levels allow students to specialise in three or four subjects. Specialist English language teaching prepares students for their IELTS examinations which are also required for university entry.
RIC’s boarding is for those aged 16+ and so half of the residential community is new each year. It’s easy to make new and interesting friends. The atmosphere is more like a university halls of residence than a school. We don’t impose supervised prep and our single study bedrooms all have telephones and internet connection. We do not teach on Saturdays. Unlike a traditional boarding school RIC offers accelerated one year A level and GCSE courses as well as eighteen month and two year programmes. We are also able to offer specialist retake courses and welcome students over the age of 18.<br /><br />Most of our overseas students come to us through positive word of mouth rather than via agents. We seldomly have more than three or four non native speakers of English from any one country. Our overseas students are fully integrated into the life of the school rather than in a separate international study centre. Many RIC boarders are UK students, sometimes those whose parents are in the armed forces or ex pat workers based overseas. We also welcome students from international schools who join us for A levels after their IGCSEs or the IB Middle Years programme.<br />best boarding school ranking
RIC is more like an international school than a traditional British boarding school. There is no uniform and there are no old fashioned or petty rules. Students and teachers are on first name terms. Unlike other independent sixth form colleges that offer accommodation all of RIC’s boarding is on campus. Students are closely supervised, the site is totally secure and there are resident staff based in each of the buildings.<br /><br />Personal tutors know their tutees well, meet with them individually and keep parents closely in touch with their progress throughout the academic year.<br />a happy, coeducational boarding school that is about so much more than examination results<br />Students at RIC enjoy a colourful range of sports and clubs. They are served great school meals and help plan their own exciting events, parties and innovative trips. Music, Art, Film and Drama give a creative buzz. At RIC though all non academic activities are optional and students are free to make their own choices about what to take part in.<br /><br />RIC is a short walk from Rochester railway station, 20 mins from London Stratford (for the Olympic Stadium) and 40 mins from London St Pancras or London Victoria. Our students can enjoy everything that the capital city has to offer without the problems of living in it. The major airports are within easy reach, Gatwick being only one hour and Heathrow one and a half hour away by road. Airport pick ups are arranged at the beginning and end of each term by the College. The Eurostar services to and from Brussels and Paris stop at Ebbsfleet International, a ten minute drive from the College.