"RIC Is a lot more ‘normal’ than my old school – way more UK students. I get more practice for maths than I used to get at my old school. I had U for AS maths from old school and now B prediction for A level. This has really helped motivation. Here we are really encouraged to get all the extra help we can and my maths teacher always helped me and I felt able to try again and again until I got better. In economics, taking part in the Investor Challenge was a huge help. You can’t get a good grade in Economics just knowing the syllabus, like some people think. You have to understand real world examples and applications. My teacher recommended some really good resources too that gave us real world examples for everything on the syllabus. Of course, you have to put a lot of work in in your own time. But I had so much support to do that I never felt I was being left on my own. In Boarding, study club was really useful. It really helps to give a structure to your study to have a place to go to and a set time so that you have to work during that time and not just spend time in your own room where it is easy to get side-tracked. It was really great that the Principal read my personal statement and advised me to change my course choice slightly. I had never heard of international development before, but once I looked into it, I realised immediately that he was right. It needed someone like him to see so clearly that my statement was screaming this course choice not international relations! It has boosted my determination even more. I had a choice at the end of year 12 when I got my really disappointing results. It was tempting to stay with my friends and lower my ambitions, but I decided I really wanted to go for it.." Endah from Nigeria, joined RIC for Year 13 in 2018. First choice: KCL
Class size average 8 students. Individual attention plentiful.
Teachers and students on first name terms. University style atmosphere.
20% International, 80% UK students. 30 different nationalities.
Single room accommodation, some ensuite. Historic campus.
Your passport to university. Academic and creative subjects.
One year A level and GCSE courses. Transfer into year 11 or 13 and retakes.
minutes from central London
Average Class Size
Students
Top 10 university placements in 2019 including Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, LSE and Imperial
“The teaching at Rochester is rigorous and tailored to the best possible exam results. It offers a broad education combining its original focus on getting students into competitive courses such as medicine and dentistry with a new emphasis on the creative arts.” The Independent
"Just a brief note to say that we are pleased with Tom’s results and delighted that he has been accepted at Manchester. Clearly the hard work put in by Tom, and the exemplary support given by the academic staff, has paid off and vindicates the decision to change schools for year 13. We would have no hesitation in recommending RIC to others in a similar position. Please pass on our grateful thanks to all of Tom’s teachers and to the boarding staff whose support was equally important – not least for putting up with all that muddy rugby kit! The experience of being away from home has also been a maturing one for Tom and a great stepping stone to university life....."
"We have 13 students at Rochester Independent College and we send our best students who have all been awarded Thai Government Scholarships to RIC with the expectation that they will all be taught to the highest standard and be well looked after. Many of them go on to Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and Imperial. Whenever we contact RIC they are very helpful, deal with any issues promptly and the students appreciate the excellent education they receive....."
"“When I was choosing subjects in year 11 I was told Biology A level would be too hard for me. But I came for an interview at RIC at the end of year 12 and was inspired to transfer and take Biology from scratch in a year. It didn’t really feel like a big decision – I think I needed a change.” Georgia got a grade A in Biology in one year from scratch along with an A*A in Chemistry and Maths after transferring for the final year of her sixth form as a boarder. She starts her Biochemistry degree at Oxford University in 2019....."
"Just a short note to let you know that my son Alex is graduating from Reading University with a 2:1 in History next week. He received confirmation of his results yesterday. He has also applied for and been accepted as an intern in Washington DC for three months later this year. I cannot thank you enough for his time at Rochester Independent College when he repeated his A levels. It really set him on a great path and he still speaks about his time with you with great fondness...."
"I am sending you this mail on behalf of my daughter, Barbara and the whole family, to express our delight at her recently released A level results which were excellent. As you may recall, she resumed at your school halfway into the first term last year, and she had to have extra lessons, particularly in Economics, a subject she had no previous tuition in. When you consider that she was enrolled for the one-year programme, her ABB grades in her three subjects are all the more remarkable. This success is undoubtedly largely attributable to the diligence and professionalism of her teachers. I congratulate you for this feat, and ask that you keep the flag flying. Be rest assured that your institution shall continue to receive the highest recommendations from me, as you labour to develop young minds....."
"Everyone at Rochester from boarding staff to teachers were all involved in the students’ lives. I received regular emails informing me of my daughter’s daily attendance and performance. I felt totally involved even though I was away most of the time due to the demanding nature of my job. Students were allowed to wear their own clothes and on first name terms with their teachers but at the same time discipline was not lacking. I will strongly advise parents to look no further, spare no expense for quality education....."
"Maths is the biggest A level subject and English literature and film studies are also strong departments. It would be hard to find better provision for the artistically inclined. The art rooms have a welcoming, university feel, with much of the work on display of university standard with real individuality and flair. The drama theatre is a rich, cultural hub, according to pupils, hosting visiting theatre companies" Good Schools Guide
The Good Schools Guide, reviewing RIC said: ‘It’s hard to imagine better provision for an artist.’
A level students enjoy an Art College atmosphere where they are welcomed at all times during the working week, not just during lesson times. Spacious studio spaces are available with individual working zones for fine art students and an open area for graphics, textiles, ceramics and photography students. All those who teach within the department are active, practicing artists, designers and photographers whose concern for the subject is not restricted to teaching and who therefore bring freshness of experience.
By the time students leave RIC they know how to work, they know better who they are and can take responsibility for themselves and the direction of their art. Art students often benefit from the theoretical and historical insights gained by studying A level Art History alongside their creative subjects.
There is a culture of encouraging students to become active and involved in their own learning by referring them to other sources.
Students specialise in one of the following areas:
Students are able to combine Visual Arts courses with additional A levels in Art History, Theatre Studies, English, Film Studies and Media Studies. Students at the end of their courses are well placed to proceed to either degree or foundation programmes at Art Colleges and universities.
Film and Media Studies are now very well established at the College with a track record of outstanding results. Combining academic and practical work including filmmaking, screen writing and film journalism these A levels and GCSEs are an exciting alternative to more traditional subjects.
RIC students regularly progress to study Film and Media at some of the top rated universities for the subject.
Students combine Film and Media at RIC with a range of other A level subjects ranging from the traditionally academic to the more creative including Fine Art, Drama, Music Technology History of Art, English Literature, Sociology, History, Graphic Design and Photography.
Top university placements include London College of Fashion, Central Saint Martins, UCL’s The Slade, Edinburgh, Falmouth, Ravensbourne, Kingston and Brighton.
Our biggest A level subject is Mathematics and we also offer Further Maths, Statistics and Cambridge STEP paper tuition.
In 2019 RIC students are holding university offers including Physics at Imperial, Aerospace Engineering at Bath, Chemistry at Oxford, Medicine at KCL, Vet Science at RVC, Palaeontology at Bristol, Computer Science at Warwick, Environmental Earth Sciences at St Andrews, Engineering Mathematics at Bristol, Marine Zoology at Newcastle, Psychology with Cognitive Science at Sussex, Psychology at Loughborough, Optometry at Cardiff, Physiotherapy at Nottingham, Medical Microbiology at Bristol, Biomedical Sciences at Edinburgh, Engineering (Mechanical with Business Finance) at UCL, Biological Sciences at Durham, Mathematical Economics and Statistics at Birmingham, Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Bristol, Mechatronics and Robotics at Leeds, Neuroscience at Exeter and Electronics and Electrical Engineering at Edinburgh.
RIC has been helping prepare students for medical, dental and vet school entry since 1984. Our teachers and UCAS Advisors offer a support programme that will help you increase your chance of winning a place, to build on your academic and personal strengths and help you develop confidence as a potential medical professional.
We offer intensive one-year A level Science and Maths courses that have been successfully taken by highflying international and mature students preparing for medicine, dentistry and vet science. We also offer two year A level and successful retake programmes.
Rochester Independent College is part of Dukes Education and as such our students also have access to some of the best specialist university applications advice available as well as UCAT and BMAT preparation courses through Dukes Medical Applications.
Many of the College’s former students are now successful practitioners working locally and many of the local GPs, surgeons and consultants send their children to us. This gives RIC a real wealth of experience to draw upon when advising students about who to approach when planning their work experience. Our parents also help with the mock interviews we organise for all our applicants aiming for these courses.
Students are guided through every aspect of their UCAS application.RIC students also have an outstanding track record of securing places on medically related courses such as Pharmacy, Audiology, Optometry and Radiography.
