Science and Technology: Sustainable Futures

Key Learning Outcomes

1. Explore the science behind sustainability
   Study the environmental impact of energy, materials, and technology, and understand the key principles that support sustainable development.

2. Investigate solutions to global challenges
   Examine real-world case studies on climate change, renewable energy, and resource management to see how scientific innovation can address major environmental issues.

3. Gain hands-on experience with sustainable projects
   Take part in experiments, design models, and create small-scale builds that demonstrate how sustainable technologies work in practice.

4. Collaborate on innovative green solutions
   Work in teams to research, design, and present sustainability projects that combine scientific knowledge with creativity and problem-solving.

Subject Theme – Shaping Tomorrow

• Transforms the school into a global conference where every student takes on the role of a future innovator or thought leader.

• Encourages students to communicate ideas with confidence through presentations, demonstrations, and visual showcases.

• Provides a platform to share sustainability projects — from models and experiments to prototypes — in a professional, conference-style setting.

• Builds public speaking, collaboration, and persuasive communication skills through a live audience event.

Projects

• Week One: Design and present a small-scale renewable energy system, such as a solar-powered device or hybrid model. Students explain how their design captures, stores, and distributes energy sustainably.

• Week Two: Develop a project focused on resource use — for example, hydroponics for urban farming, water filtration, or waste reduction systems. Students demonstrate how their design could improve sustainability in everyday life.

In addition to the academic enrichment events on all courses, Earlscliffe offers a balance of sports, cultural events, arts and crafts, fun games, walks and competitions, so there is something for everyone on the programme. Our staff organise and supervise all these activities after the day’s lessons have finished.

Students play volleyball, basketball, badminton, billiards and table tennis on-site. Our supervised afternoon and evening activities include karaoke nights; football; softball; ‘Earlscliffe’s Got Talent’; swimming; house competitions; themed disco nights; ‘Minute To Win It”; tennis; ‘Scavenger Hunt’; rounders; ‘Jeux sans Frontières’; ‘Bake Off’;  and quiz nights, to name just a few.

Regular daytime and evening beach trips are a popular part of the week’s activities.

We are fortunate to be close to Folkestone’s town centre and its shops, the artistic Creative Quarter and the beach, all of which offer our students moments of discovery and relaxation.

We use the excellent facilities provided at the Three Hills and Folkestone sports centres, not to mention the new multi-storey skate park!

Students at Earlscliffe can look forward to a varied excursion schedule, with full-day trips every Tuesday and Friday and evening outings that might include bowling, laser tag, or the cinema.

Our programme brings new experiences each week — from exploring Canterbury and its famous cathedral to enjoying a river cruise, ice skating, a day at Bluewater shopping centre, or visits to Margate and Dreamland.

Students have the chance to take the high-speed train to London alongside our staff. Past excursions have included visits to major landmarks such as the London Eye, Tower of London, British Museum, London Dungeons, and Natural History Museum.

Trip destinations are reviewed annually to keep the programme fresh and enriching. During excursions, students enjoy some supervised free time in small groups to explore independently.

Most rooms are spacious single or twin rooms – all rooms are en-suite with WC, basin and shower. We also have a small number of triple rooms available. All rooms are Wi-Fi connected. The high standard of accommodation is attractive to today’s students, and all the more so given the beautiful Victorian façade of the buildings in which it sits.

Earlscliffe is an ‘in-town’ campus of buildings meaning that students can easily walk between classes, meals, accommodation and activities. (always supervised)

Meals are taken in the college dining room and prepared by our own chef and team. Meals are varied and often international, such as Chinese, Mexican or Indian, but not forgetting the occasional British fish and chips!

Any student’s special dietary needs can be catered for at special request, i.e. vegetarian, gluten-free etc. Students are given packed meals on day trips.

Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Learn the basic skills needed to be competent at balancing, paddling, turning and stopping as well as touring the Folkestone Harbour area and Sunny Sands bay.

Paintball

Have fun in the forest dodging your opponents and trying to plant the flag for your team (all safety equipment is provided and must be worn at all times).

Musical Trip – Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ in London’s West End

Most children will have seen the movie and be familiar with Elton John’s music which makes the experience all the more fulfilling and easy to understand.

Warner Bros Harry Potter Tour

For Harry Potter fans, why not enjoy a day out at this popular attraction to Warner Bros Studios. You will be able to see many of the sets, props and costumes from the most successful film series of all the time: the Great Hall; Dumbledore’s office; the shops in Diagon Alley; see Harry’s Nimbus 2000 and Hagrid’s motorcycle; the Gryffindor common room, Hagrid’s hut and Professor Umbridge’s office at the Ministry of Magic. Have a refreshing Butterbeer in the studio café to finish your magical afternoon!