ISI INSPECTION REPORT, FEBRUARY 2024
At Dover College we are delighted to offer an exciting co-curricular enrichment programme made up of sport, academic societies, adventure, arts and charity. With over 50 activities spread out over the week, and with more at the weekends for boarding pupils, there is something to entertain, thrill, motivate and develop every pupil.
We strongly believe that pupils’ all-round development and readiness for life beyond school requires participation in a range of activities and experiences that are not delivered in the ‘regular’ curriculum between 8.30am and 4.20pm. Co-curricular activities therefore play a crucial role in a child’s development and we want all pupils at Dover College to have access to a range of experiences, which will add value to their education and experience at the College.
Our STRIVE programme is built around the principles of Service, Teamwork, Responsibility, Initiative, Vision and Excellence, it aims to take seriously the wider experiences that shape pupils during their time here, and to acknowledge the many different ways they contribute to school life and develop as individuals.
One of the most important ideas behind STRIVE is that participation matters. Schools are communities, and communities become stronger when pupils feel that they have a place within them. Co-curricular activities, service opportunities, creative projects and leadership roles all give young people the chance to discover strengths that academic lessons alone may never surface. Often, confidence develops through doing: rehearsing for a performance, helping organise an event, speaking to new people, supporting a team or persevering with something that initially feels uncomfortable.
Most activities are open to all and it is worth checking out what we have on offer every day. With so much choice, here has never been a better time to develop hobbies, passions and interests to run alongside our academic curriculum. Most enrichment is free apart from sessions run by outside providers. For these, a small fee will be added to your school bill.
Challenge and creativity are at the heart of our co-curricular Drama programme. Pupils are encouraged to explore all the opportunities Drama can offer, whether it’s performing in a school production, exploring the art of prop making, or creating performances that can tour to our feeder schools and local primary schools, there is something for everyone.
Each year we alternate between a large school musical, and a classic play. In recent years we have put on productions of Beauty and the Beast and Legally Blonde The Musical. This year it is Oliver The Musical. In the Summer Term, our younger pupils have a chance to take part in an outdoor performance.
We take pupils on trips to local theatres to see plays, as well as productions in London and further afield. LAMDA lessons are popular across the school, and pupils work towards their LAMDA exams.
Music plays an important role in the life of the school with plenty of opportunities to learn, develop and share in music making activities. A team of instrumental teachers visit the school every week providing individual tuition on musical instruments of all shapes and sizes. There are opportunities to share in fun and the satisfaction of performing together in ensembles, ranging from rock bands through to traditional ensembles. The College Choirs rehearses weekly. Our chapel services and concerts cover a wide range of repertoire from classical to pop and musicals. For those not so keen on performing, the school has a suite of iMac computers running music production and composition software.
If you are a budding future professional musician or just want to foster a lifelong, enriching hobby, you will find a musical home here at Dover College.
Our Hope Farm Curriculum gives pupils in Year 6, Year 7 and Year 8 the opportunity to learn in a real working farm environment. Designed around the principles of the Harmony Project, the curriculum will give Year 7 and Year 8 pupils the opportunity to spend three hours each week learning in a working farm environment. The programme will explore the wider relationship between people, food, land and the natural world.
Through hands-on experiences across the seasons, pupils will learn about growing vegetables, soil health, biodiversity, ecology and sustainable food systems, while also discovering how these themes connect to subjects across the wider school curriculum.
Our coastal location gives pupils opportunities that are genuinely distinctive. Through our structured sailing programme in partnership with Cinque Port Sailing, pupils learn confidence, resilience and teamwork on the water. Sailing asks young people to respond to challenge, work with others and trust themselves in a changing environment.
