Student Life
An empowering experience
Student Life at Worthgate
At The Worthgate School we are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and supportive education environment.
We understand that studying in the UK may be a very different experience for international students and over our 70-year history have created a school that makes sure all students are prepared to achieve their best.
Student Welfare
Our award-winning approach works by identifying the individual’s academic needs and aspirations, providing them with a stimulating and modern immersive education environment which allows them to achieve their goals.
Student Induction
During induction we help students make Canterbury their second home. We help with doctor’s surgery registration, setting up bank accounts, finding the local shopping areas, bus routes and bookshops along with introducing clubs and societies so students can make friends and feel at home.
Personal Tutors
Every Worthgate student is assigned a Personal Tutor (PT) to make sure they are happy and able to fulfil their potential. All students are allocated to a Personal Tutor Group of about 15 students. PTs guide and assist in all areas of life at the school and meet students each week to discuss personal development – from personal wellbeing to aims and targets, challenges and accomplishments. All Personal Tutors have taken the Mental Health Aware training provided by Mental Health First Aid England.
Personal Development Sessions
Being in the UK is not just about studying, but also about understanding cultures which may be very different from your own. Each week students have a Personal Development session with their Personal Tutor where they can discuss issues they may have.
Wellness Centre
Our fully trained onsite Wellness Centre staff manage the Wellness Centre and provide physical and emotional support including medicine and health advice, emotional support, information on diet and healthy living, assessing and providing treatment if required, making referrals to doctors, dentists and other specialists, and counselling for personal issues.
Supportive House Parents
We pride ourselves on our happy school community. Our team of live-in House Parents are always on hand to provide the highest standard of safety and pastoral care and help students settle into their boarding houses by creating a caring and comfortable home. House Parent also make teachers aware of issues that happen outside of the classroom such as homesickness or trouble with homework, so every student is fully supported.
Assistant Principal of Boarding and Welfare and Director of Safeguarding, Welfare and Mental Health
Our Assistant Principal of Boarding and Welfare oversees the Welfare team, including the Director of Safeguarding, Mental Health and Wellbeing and the House Parents. The Welfare team support students to be safe and happy in the boarding houses. Our Assistant Principal Academic oversees the Programme Directors for IB, A level and UFP, who support students with academic issues. Students can be confident that they are getting the best academic and pastoral support possible, and can contact someone every day if needed.
House System at Worthgate
The Worthgate School House System is designed to proactively address key issues that students may face when living away from home and provide an inclusive environment in which every student can feel they belong.
Upon joining the school, every student is placed in one of our four Pastoral Houses; Leeds, Dover, Deal or Hever and provided with a lanyard showing your Pastoral House colour. All our Pastoral Houses are named after local castles which are famous for their strong characters, rich heritage and stunning locations. Each Pastoral House has its own logo, motto, and mascot chosen by the students. Every term, the whole Pastoral House meets for activities, socialising, competition and celebrating successes! Students of all ages participate together, sharing learning, wisdom and fun to promote a ‘family’ ethos.
To reward students who demonstrate the Worthgate Characteristics of Caring, Communicators, Open-Minded, Resilient, Critical Thinkers, we use Griffin Points. With weekly, termly and annual rewards, both your personal as well as your House’s success, will be celebrated by the whole Worthgate community!
The Pastoral House System is part of our school’s commitment to student wellbeing, a part of which are the leadership opportunities on offer. House Captain, House Vice-Captain and Activities Leads are just some of the opportunities you may wish to explore; not only to represent the voice and will of Worthgate students, but also to improve your CV and depth of conversation at university interviews.
We just ask that you bring an open mind, a ‘can do’ attitude and a passion for getting involved!
School Houses
The Worthgate School uses a House System to provide an inclusive environment in which every student can feel they belong. Our House System provides students with a fun, diverse community that supports and celebrates them in addition to their classmates and boarding accommodation friends.
Every student joins one of our four pastoral houses when they arrive. They receive a House lanyard, which indicates for everyone their House. Joining a House allows students to be a part of a friendly and inclusive team of peers from the moment they arrive.
The Houses meet regularly for activities, competitions and celebrations. Students participate together, developing strong friendships, sharing their cultures and having fun. Our House activities promote the ‘family’ ethos and atmosphere that makes The Worthgate School a close-knit and inclusive community.
We have four houses: Dover, Deal, Leeds and Hever. The houses are named for historic castles near Canterbury, and represent the unity, strength, support and protection afforded by them.
Classes in English
The Worthgate School is a fully immersive English environment. All school life, including lessons, are conducted in English, giving every student the opportunity to master the language in both academic and social settings. Our immersive education style nurtures every student to build knowledge, become resilient and achieve the best outcomes in life.
Keeping Parents Informed
Our Student Services Team act as a link between subject teachers, House Parents and parents. Parents are always welcome to many any staff member. Parents will be updated on their student’s grades every half term and be emailed the school newsletter every week.
