Trying out UK Education

Students from all over the world have been converging on CATS Canterbury for the summer UK taster courses and the summer academic course on Business, Law and Finance. It's a great chance to try things out and see what the UK has to offer. At CATS you can have the amazing formality of Graduation ceremonies, but also the rest of the year is informal with the Principal living just opposite the college and always available to students along with a wide range of other friendly staff waiting to help and support. We encourage students to tell us what they think and have a great student council. - not only taking with us about academic issues, but also visiting the United Nations in New York to debate with American students each March. Our Leadership Awards are really popular as is the Key Professions Programme which give all students a chance to join in many extra activities linked to their future degree aspirations. Come and join us one summer to find our what it's all like!

International school links

It was a real delight to visit St Stephen's College in Hong Kong today. Situated overlooking the sea in a beautiful location, they are doing excellent work with a lot of students in the area and beyond. As an IB World School we have a lot in common with them and have been exploring ideas for closer links to join with our current links with schools in France, Kazaksthan, Italy, Japan and Mexico.

International school links are so important to all of us as we drive to make all of our students genuinely international citizens ready to face the challenges of the 21st Century. St Stephens has a long and proud history and under their Principal Carol Yang have even more exciting times ahead. The photo is of the member of staff in charge of exchange programmes at the college.

We share a strong commitment to international education and doing the very best for our students and hope we can develop good links together in the years ahead.

A Royal End to the year

Beginnings and ends of years are really important for students. In September, January and other points of the year we give a warm welcome, but in June and August we have very special celebrations as students leave us. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Kent will be presenting certificates to all our graduating students this week and we have just had a great Prom with hundreds of students relaxing and celebrating with buffet, dancing and loads of photos. Many staff were also present as we start to say our farewells for June.
On top of all this , today on the Queens Birthday came an amazing end to the term with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth honouring the college and our students by making the Principal a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The photo shows the Queen in the robes of the order.
It's an amazing end to the year, which reflects honour at the highest level for all our students  in Canterbury and reflects the quality and excellence of so much that we do here. It makes me very proud to be the Principal with such amazing students and staff around me

Jonathan

Looking after you at CATS Canterbury

Its really important for us that all our students feel really looked after and cared for. We have a new Welfare booklet which shows you who all the key people are who support our students. We have full time Welfare Officers, a College Counsellor, House Parents, a Student Support Officer as well as our very experienced team of Senior Tutors - the Senior Tutors meet with students every week and are available every night from 4-5pm if you need to talk to them.
The booket shown here is available in College for any of our students and also can be obtained from any of our CATS staff overseas or by emailed by the college directly - we are always happy to help.

For any of our students we have a great 'Tell Us' button system so students can tell us on line what they think about things, as well as coming to see any of us at any time. The Principal is available most nights from 5pm onwards for students to see, but will often see them during the day as well when he is free. Its important for students to see us and talk with us, particularly when they are under pressure, and remember we are always here to help you.
I have chatted in another blog about the activities we do to help support student university applications, but we also have a booklet with all our other activities we offer outside lesson time - again these are available to all students from our Activities Manager, Claire, or from Senior Tutors - you can see a picture of it here. Its great to get involved and feel part of the college!
Jonathan

Your future subject choices at Canterbury

When you come to select your subjects for A Level or IB or Foundation - it can be a challenge! Remember we have a series of A5 booklets which explain what all these subjects are and you can look and see what really fits with your future. There are some special subjects you will need to take if you are heading to LSE, Imperial, Warwick, Oxford and Cambridge so do check with us and we can always help. In your first weeks of term there are lots of chances for you to have special academic counselling in September - we are always here to help! 

If you would like copies of the booklets please ask your CATS staff in your home country or you can email the college and we are always happy to help too.

With very best wishes for all your future plans as you consider the exciting changes ahead!

Getting to a top university in the UK and overseas

Top Universities increasingly are looking for students who show a clear commitment to the subject area they want to study. 

Here at CATS Canterbury we have launched our new booklet on the Key Professions who list all the different activities you can be involved in which will really support your university application for the future. 

We also have a range of other activities from horse riding to football which its great to be involved in so its good to look at all the options you have - enjoy yourself but also be really well prepared for your university future. Staff at the college and overseas have copies of this they will be very pleased to let you have.


All the best

Jonathan

Celebrating the IB in Canterbury

An exciting day today as we welcome Mary Langford a top IB speaker to the college and many guests from all over the world. IB is the fastest growing pre university programme in the world, now offered by most of the top schools in the UK. This afternoon its the students turn with students talking about their experience of IB to guests and how the year has gone for them. Students are always amazing ambassadors for the college. They really grow in knowledge and understanding during their time with us and we aim to really create global citizens ready for the world.

On a quite different level, in the middle of this bulldozers have started work builidng our new 95 bed residence in the heart of the college which will continue to expand our campus which is all in the same place on New Dover Road surrounded by trees and near the centre of town. Its an amazing place to live and I always feel very privileged living oppostite the college to be in such an amazing historic and cultural location.

Remember you are always welcome to visit us here, and a warm welcome will always await you.

Jonathan