Head's Reflections

It has been lovely to see everyone back at school this week as we start the second half of the Autumn Term. Despite the dark nights and dreary weather, there is a lot to look forward to over the coming weeks, with fireworks this weekend, closely followed by the KS3 concert on Monday. Of course, all the wonderful Christmas celebrations are much anticipated too.

This week, we have again enjoyed welcoming prospective families to the school with an extra Open Morning. I always love sharing the magic of Kent College with new families. Our student guides, were, as always, fantastic ambassadors for the school and were a real credit to their families. News of our move to co-education in September 2026 continues to generate much interest, with bookings for this Open Morning being nearly 50-50 girls and boys. Because of the demand, we have extended our entry deadline for applications until today, and will also have a second entry process in the Spring Term, for families who are now considering Kent College as an option because of the changes we have announced.

I was delighted, this week, to welcome Mr Showell into school, who, as you will know, is joining us in January as Head of the Senior School. Mr Showell will be coming in regularly over the coming weeks to take the opportunity to get to know staff and students so that he is able to hit the ground running in January. It was a pleasure to spend lunchtime with Mr Showell and some of our form representatives, with the students telling Mr Showell everything he needed to know about KC. What was clear to see was their love of the school and their appreciation of the support they received from all the staff. I’m very much looking forward to introducing Mr Showell to other areas of the school in due course. We will be holding parent drop ins in the New Year for parents to also say hello and give him a warm KC welcome.

Finally, each week, we have a theme of the week in school. This theme is used in lessons, in assemblies, in form times and PSHE. This week’s theme was ‘Diversity’. All the weekly themes link to our ASPIRE values, with ‘Diversity’ linking particularly well with our ASPIRE value of ‘Individuality’. One of my favourite parts about KC is that we support each student to follow their own path and champion them to excel in their own ways. This was most evident at our Sixth Form Information Evening this week, where we launched our new A-Level and BTEC offering. With so many varied subjects on offer, from Crimonology BTEC to A-Level Classics, I know that every student, both girls and boys, will be able to find the path right for them and will leave here after Sixth Form to join a diverse range of careers.