Rochester Independent College
Rochester Independent College offers a unique alternative to traditional independent education for students from the age of 11 to sixth form. There’s no uniform and students and staff are on first name terms. The average class size is 8. We focus on the highest levels of academic achievement while retaining a creative buzz. We provide first class GCSE and A level teaching, including successful retake programmes, to students aiming for top universities. We are a Dukes Education school.
Category: Senior, Sixth Form
Pupils: Co-Education
Type: Boarding and Day
Religious Affiliation: Non-Denominational
Roll: 207 Boys / / 126 Girls
Day pupils: 225
Boarder Number: 108
Age Range: 11-19 Years
Founded: 1984
Location Description
Rochester Independent College is in Kent, just south east of London. Kent is known as the garden of England but is also close to great beaches and home to historic cathedral cities.
Rochester itself is a small town, with a rich heritage and a flourishing contemporary arts scene. It offers a quieter life than London being close to areas of outstanding natural beauty like the North Downs, yet is within easy reach of all the facilities the capital city has to offer.
Regular trains run from Rochester to London in just under 40 minutes and Ebbsfleet for Paris and Brussels on the Eurostar is just 10 minutes away.
School Contact Details
254 St Margaret's Banks, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1HY
Tel: 01634 828115
Email: admissions@rochester-college.org
Facilities
RIC has a one-of-a-kind urban campus at the heart of a designated conservation area. The historic site, with listed buildings linked by award winning wildlife gardens, has a uniquely warm sense of place in which our diverse community of students and staff study and work.
Our students are described by The Good Schools Guide as a “strikingly nice bunch”. They voice their opinions and think critically, creatively and independently. 75% of them are from the UK, 25% are international from 30 different countries. The mutual respect between teachers and students is palpable.
We welcome children from the age of 11 and boarders from the age of 15. They leave us not only with results that exceed expectations and open doors beyond RIC but with empathy and optimism, enthusiasm for the future and confidence about themselves and their education. Over half of our cosmopolitan mix of boarders each year are English, but we also welcome international students looking to study in the UK in order to gain entry to top UK universities and art schools. Overseas students are fully integrated into the life of the school rather than in a separate international study centre. We do not have large groups of native speakers from any one country so speaking- and improving-your English is inescapable.
Weekly boarding is an increasingly popular option for students from elsewhere in the Kent, London and the Home Counties. Students can opt to stay at RIC from Sunday evening or Monday morning and return home after College finishes on Friday.
Weekend activities have included trips to Bath, a graffiti tour around Shoreditch, East London, a hiking trip to the Brecon Beacons, a day at Brands Hatch Racing Track, Harry Potter World, Edinburgh, Brighton, Stratford Upon Avon and Cambridge. Theatre, art gallery and museum trips are always popular.
RIC offers a real alternative to traditional independent sixth form boarding. Up to 90 students at the College board each year. Boarding at RIC combines the informality of a university hall of residence with the supervision and pastoral support appropriate for older teenagers. The emphasis is on providing a comfortable, happy and fun environment. We have a dedicated team of boarding staff to make students feel at home. There are also academic tutors living in each of the halls to provide expert homework help in the evenings.
RIC’s bespoke A level resit courses for boarders now run January- June or September-June depending on individual circumstances. Our teachers can offer retake courses for all examination boards and options.
Fees
2023/2024
Full Time Tuition Years 7 – 13: £15,600 – £22,800 per annum.
To include 3 or more A Levels / 5 or more GCSEs lunches for Years7-11.
Full Boarding: from £12,660 per annum.
Weekly Boarding: £15,600 per annum.
Intensive Course fees: Entry into Year 11 or Year 13 and 1 year retakes £25,800 per annum.
EFL: £1,100 per term.
SEN support: £450 for 10 hours
Downloadable Resources
OPEN DAYS
All visits are welcome, please contact the school
Please contact us on 01634 828115 or email admissions@rochester-college.org if you would like to come and say hello. We’d be delighted to show you around the campus and have an informal chat about studying at RIC.
To view our Virtual Open House visit virtualopenhouse.rochester-college.org