Our first term at EKC Folkestone Junior College

This first term has absolutely flown by; our Year 10 students have been settling into their new routine with us at the Junior College.   

Junior College is our unique provision for 14 – 16-year-olds, students follow a Creative curriculum as well as studying English, Maths, PE and PSHE. The students at Junior College specialise in Art and Design and Creative Media. 

We caught up with Year 10 students, Summer and Magnolia, they told us about why they chose Junior College, the projects they have been working on so far and what they are looking forward to over the next few years. 

Summer’s Experience  

Can you tell me a bit about your journey to Junior College? How did you end up studying here? 

Well, I’d actually never been to a school before. I was home-educated from day one. When my mum and dad saw Junior College advertised, they thought it would be a really good learning opportunity for me because I’ve always been interested in art from a very young age. They saw it as something that could really benefit me.   

I imagine that must have been quite a big change for you then, coming into an educational setting for the first time and being in a classroom with other people your age. How did that feel? 

It was really good! I did feel a little bit nervous on the first day, but I very quickly made friends. By the second day, I already had a group of friends. My lecturers are really good. Our English teacher is probably one of my favourites, she’s really nice. It’s been a really positive experience so far. 

What are you looking forward to most during your time here? 

I’m looking forward to our art and design projects. My art lessons are really good. We have quite a few different art teachers, and I like that because each one focuses on different areas of art. It means we’re not just doing the same type of art all the time. We have teachers who specialise in fashion design, photography, drawing and sketching, and printmaking. 

The one I’m most excited for is the sketch drawing unit, because I love cartoon art. I usually base my cartoon art on characters that already exist. I’ll take a character from a show and redraw them in my own style. I like using thick black outlines, and then I’ll add a white outline over that to make it pop. 

Do you have a dream career you’d like to go into after College? 

I’ve wanted to become an architect for a while now. One of my art teachers helped create the curriculum for the Level 3 Diploma in Architecture, Interior and Urban Design course here at the College, so hopefully I can progress straight from Junior College into the 16+ course.  

 
Magnolia’s Experience 

Can you tell me a bit about your journey to Junior College? How did you end up studying here? 

I was at a mainstream secondary school for three years before this, and I was terribly bullied. It got to a point where it just wasn’t safe for me to be in that environment anymore. So, we started looking for other schools, but most of them required me to restart my GCSEs.  

Then we found out about the Junior College, and it just sounded amazing and it’s art-based, which I love. That’s why I’m here.  

It’s also great for people with learning differences like ADHD because we get ten-minute breaks between each lesson. It gives us time to decompress and get ready for the next class. The teachers are lovely, and it’s so calm and quiet which it makes it easy to focus. 

When you compare it to your old school, how does it feel different? 

Oh, it’s completely different. At school, we weren’t really learning much. I used to wonder if there was any point in going in some days! But here, even though the lessons are longer, they’re really engaging. We go much more in-depth, and the teachers explain everything so well. Everyone here is lovely. I’ve not had any negative experiences with anyone. 

Can you tell me about your favourite part of the course so far? 

I’ve really enjoyed the fashion project and the art side of things. Our theme was “futuristic fashion,” but my group decided to base ours on a futuristic sea creature, like a jellyfish. We’re making a big jellyfish-style hat with dangly tentacles and lights, plus a corset and dress. I’m going to model it, and then we’ll take photos in the Year 11 room with the nice backdrops. 

Other than the fashion project, is there anything else you’re looking forward to learning over the next few years? 

I’m really excited to expand my skills and learn more about different types of art. Although, I’m also really enjoying English. We’re studying Greek myths and legends, which I’ve loved since I was little. I used to write my own stories about them, so it’s fun to learn more about them. 

 Have you thought about what you’d like to do after college? 

Yeah, I’d love to do a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course, this is so I can teach English in Japan. The TEFL course pays for your flight and even your first month’s accommodation, which is great if you’re just starting out.  

I’m really into anime and Japanese culture, so I’d love to live in Akihabara or somewhere nearby. I think it’d be really good for me. I’m already learning Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. I have been learning for three years. I’m not amazing yet: Japanese has three alphabets, and Chinese is really hard to write, but I’m getting there! 

Magnolia’s typical day at Junior College 

Lessons start at 9 am and run until 3:30 pm 

Leave the house at 8:30: I usually leave the house around 8:30 since I live just around the corner.  

Lessons and breaks: Each lesson lasts an hour, and then we get a 10-minute break. Depending on the day, we might have three lessons before lunch or four if it’s a double subject day. 

Lunch time: There’s a canteen, which is nice, but I usually just hang out in a classroom or use my “hub pass.” The hub is a sensory room in the College building. It has fidget toys, beanbags, and it’s really chilled. You can go there to relax if you’re feeling overwhelmed. It’s really nice. You just sign in and out when you need to go. 

Home time: We finish at 3:30 every day.  

Fun Fridays: Fridays are especially fun, as we have Jez for most of the day. He is the head of Creative at the College. He’s great, he takes us on trips in the minivan and makes lessons really fun.  

We also have P.E. on Fridays, but it’s not like normal P.E. Sometimes it’s going for a nature walk or doing Just Dance, or if you’d rather, you can keep working on your art. It’s really flexible. 

Want to know more? 

Junior College is a fantastic option for students who require a different style of learning and would like to specialise in Art and Design and Creative Media. Applications for our 2026 intake open on 1 December. Explore our website to learn more.