I am delighted to present a report for 2006/07 demonstrating outstanding
achievement and continued excellence for King George V College.
During this year we had our best ever set of A Level results, (up from 97.7% to
98.4%). In addition to that, 48% of those passes were at A or B grades.35
courses achieved 100% pass rate at A Level.
In summary it was a very good year for students.
In addition to academic success, between January 2006 and January 2007 our
students went on approximately 100 curriculum visits/out of classroom
activities.
Just as Long Rigg in the days of the school was there to provide a different
experience for students, so these 100 visits provide a different, out of
classroom experience for students. For some it may be participating in a
Parliamentary debate in the House of Commons with other 16 – 19 year olds
nationwide.
For others it may be visiting Chester Zoo with the Psychology Department to
study animal behaviour.
It may be a trip to Arran for the Geologists or a visit to the Law Courts in
Liverpool for Law students.
The variety is extraordinary, and the extent to which staff are prepared to
enhance the learning of their students, just as in the days of the school, is
impressive. The trust fund set up from the sale of Long Rigg facilitates these
activities.
The Educational Foundation supports each of those individual students who could not afford to participate in the out of classroom activities without financial help. As Old Georgians, you can be very proud that the legacy of Long Rigg is that no student is prevented from participating through lack of finance. The Trust set up is used by trustees to ensure this. Paul Bagshaw, the Trustee representative of Old Georgians strongly represents this ideal. 128 students were supported by these funds last year.
A new venture for the College during the year 2006/07 has been to set up a link
with mainland China.
I was very privileged to travel with the Director of Children's Services, Bryn
Marsh, Councillors Maureen Fearn and Vincent Platt, 4 primary school
headteachers and 3 colleagues from 2 secondary schools.
We travelled to Chongqing (a city of some 12 million people) and we worked very
hard through interpreters with the Nan'an District Education Officers and
individually in the schools with which we are linked.
KGV is linked with Verakin High School, a very impressive establishment. I
have signed a formal agreement with them which says that we hope to undertake
some teacher exchange and the sharing of ideas. We may at a later stage do
some student exchange and we will certainly set up email correspondence between
students.
The next step is for the Principal of Verakin High School, Mr Chuxx to come to
KGV in March 2007 along with other headteachers and with senior representatives
from Nan'an District Education Office. It is a new venture for the College
which I genuinely believe will enhanced the general knowledge and understanding
of our students in a way that will be very important to them in the future.
I have already spoken to our Head of Economics, Mary McDonagh, about ensuring
that our General Studies programme next year includes broader aspects of
globalisation. I am more and more convinced that our students are quite simply
unaware of the phenomenal rise of South East Asia. As they take up their place
for higher education and the world of work, they need to understand that
China's manufacturing base has grown so significantly over the last decade,
that this will effect the way this country prospers or doesn't in the next
decade.
Engaging with that agenda is essential for our future leaders and professionals.
Hilary Anslow OBE Principal