News

On Thursday 16 January, both Dane Court Grammar School and King Ethelbert School enjoyed a visit from the Education and Childcare Minister, Elizabeth Truss, as well as Laura Sandys MP and Sir Roger Gale MP.

The Minister wanted to see at first hand the International Baccalaureate Careers Related Certificate (IBCC) that is offered at both schools, as well as a number of other Kent schools, including Ellington Hereson, Hartsdown and Sandwich Technology School.

The course is the only one internationally that combines vocational with academic learning, together with a core that requires students to do a variety of extra things, including community service and an extended project. The Government is interested in the IBCC, recognising that it is highly innovative and an approach that will be valued both by employers and by universities.
The Minister heard presentations from students in both schools. At Dane Court she heard about how the IBCC works and at King Ethelbert School she heard from students past and present about how their lives and expectations have been transformed by the course. She was clearly impressed and excited about the IBCC's potential. When asked whether she thought that the IBCC should be taken in more schools in Kent, she replied that she thought the course should be 'rolled out to all schools across the country.'
Students in both schools also had the chance to ask the Minister about aspects of educational policy. In Dane Court she was asked about academy freedoms and whether the government would license more experimental approaches to education and in King Ethelbert School, Ben Lambert asked her about the limited number of Level 4 apprenticeships available. She was also very interested in Maths, impressed that there were large numbers of students in both schools who were continuing to study Maths post 16 with relatively low GCSE grades. The Minister is determined to ensure that the 'vast majority' of sixth formers continue to study Maths in the future and she sees the International Baccalaureate as having a key national role in delivering this aspiration.
The Minister said that she might invite some of the students doing Maths to the Department of Education to talk with her and her officials about post 16 Maths study. Laura Sandys and Sir Roger Gale were also very impressed with what they saw and heard, inviting students to Parliament in the near future to talk about their experience with IBCC.
Paul Luxmoore, Executive Head of both schools said 'I am delighted that Elizabeth Truss wanted to see the IBCC in action. Her visit places both schools and Thanet at the cutting edge of national education policy and we are very proud of the exceptional offer we provide for our students at both schools.'