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Written by Mr P Dean

Published: 03 May 2016

Two teams of Y12 students from Dane Court Grammar School participated in the Engineering Education Scheme culminating in a celebration and assessment event at the University of Kent last week. The Engineering Education Scheme provides talented Y12 students the chance to explore the opportunities presented by careers in engineering.

The scheme consists of a number of phases which include a company induction day, a scheme induction day, the project, a two day regional workshop at Kent University and a celebration and assessment day. During these phases the team will learn about the task then develop a solution over a period of about six months. The project concludes with a technical report compiled by the team which they present to a panel of practising engineers.

This year one of our teams worked with Instro Precision Ltd, Broadstairs developing a cost effective training device to measure angles of azimuth and elevation. Our other team worked with Integrated Technology Ltd, Ashford developing a data logging device to measure the accuracy of the temperature of a dry heater block.

Both teams presented their work at a celebration and assessment day which showcased the work of fifteen other schools from across the county. The team representing Instro Precision Ltd was thrilled when they were presented with the Frank Manning Award for the best overall performance at the event. All Dane Court students were awarded Gold CREST certificates in recognition of their achievement. CREST is the British Science Association’s flagship programme for young people. it is the only nationally recognised accreditation scheme for project work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

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Written by Mr P Dean

Published: 25 April 2016

Sixth former Alice recently took part in Brighton marathon with the aim of raising awareness and much needed funds for her chosen charity, Action Duchenne.

Action Duchnne. initially called Parent Project UK, was set up in 2001 by Nick Catlin and Dr Janet Hoskin, after their son Saul was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The charity was the first organisation in the UK dedicated exclusively to Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy and, with the help and support of friends and supporters and other Duchenne families, developed into a national organisation.
Alice explained ‘When I first started training and fundraising for the marathon I was rather anxious but keen to get started. I began my fundraising by starting up a Just Giving page and spreading the word via social media. However I soon realised that I was going to need to do some kind of event to make up the £500 I planned to raise before running the marathon so I decided to organise a quiz night at my school and shared the sponsorship money with the David Shepard Wildlife Foundation as it is a charity that Mr White is a part of and he helped a lot with the running of the event. I also did a number of assemblies at school to raise awareness about the illness and about what I was doing to help raise money for the charity.

I found the marathon a real challenge and at the start line I was very nervous but with such a positive atmosphere I was able to cross the finish line with a grin on my face and have a strong sense of pride for myself and everyone else that had completed the run. I managed to complete the marathon in a respectable 4 hours 37 minutes and 4 seconds and have raised more the £1300 for the charity. I hope to run another marathon in a few years but would like to concentrate on my studies for the time being.’

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a common genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting approximately 1 in every 3,500 male births (around 2500 people have DMD in the UK). To find out more about the charity, Action Duchenne, or to donate to the help support sufferers of the condition please visit: http://www.actionduchenne.org/

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Written by Ms A Shepherd

Published: 03 April 2016

On Friday 18 March a group of Year 7 students from Dane Court attended The Big Bang event at Discovery Park in Sandwich. The Big Bang was a celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people. The show aimed to highlight how many rewarding and exciting opportunities there are in STEM related careers and further education.

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Written by Mr M Alderson

Published: 09 February 2016

Three of Dane Court’s sixth form students have been offered a place to study at Oxford and two at Cambridge in the autumn, pending their results.  The entry procedure is a demanding one:  students are required to meet not only the highest of academic standards but then they are rigorously interviewed in their chosen subject by college academics. ‘Sincerest congratulations’ to these successful applicants has come from Executive head teacher Paul Luxmoore, who said: ‘These brilliant students have won offers against increasingly strong competition, both nationally and internationally, across a broad spectrum of subjects. To have almost half of our applicants winning places to study at these world class universities is a wonderful reward, not only for the talent and hard work of our students, but it is also an endorsement of the expertise of our highly committed staff. This is continued evidence of the culture of rising aspirations in our school community and also in Thanet’

Abi Baker left Dane Court in July 2015 and received 43 points: she has been offered an unconditional place to study Veterinary Science at Gonville and Caius, Cambridge. Abi is passionate about the prospect of becoming a vet and the course provides the broad range that Abi finds appealing.

James Howard has been successful in his application to study Geography at Mansfield College, Oxford; he is a talented geographer who has excelled in his studies at Dane Court.

Amy Napier has received an offer to study Natural science at Jesus College, Cambridge: her passion is languages and her contribution to the life of the school in her role as Head Girl has been enormous.

Alex Payne has been offered a place to further his study of Biological Sciences at Somerville, Oxford and is looking forward to the challenge of this demanding course

Alice Rawson has accepted an offer to study Biochemistry at Wadham College, Oxford: Alice is a gifted scientist and her lifetime scientific interest has been endorsed by the opportunity to study at one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

Heads of Sixth Form, Annie Hale and Nilufa Razzaq said, ‘These students capture much of the spirit of Dane Court. They combine intellectual power and a terrific passion for learning with a broader enthusiasm and energy for life beyond the classroom. They have worked really hard, but their success is also a great testimony to the excellent teaching of our colleagues and to the high expectation that we have of all of our students’

Headteacher, Andrew Fowler  said, of those academically gifted students who were unsuccessful,  ‘To have courage to apply, to put in the extra work required in support of your application and then to see others succeed where you have not, takes great strength and determination. Perhaps it is some consolation that it is often from disappointment that we learn most in life. I was extremely impressed this year by those students who were unsuccessful in their application to Cambridge and Oxford. It takes courage to put yourself forward in the knowledge that so many students with the highest predictions are rejected by Cambridge alone. Even to apply is a daunting prospect.’