The Duke of Kent visits Ravenscroft School in Barnet: 25 February 2004.

The Duke of Kent encouraged students to use the Royal website during a recent visit to Ravenscroft school in Barnet. During the course of his visit, the Duke spent time in the ICT department, where Year 7 pupils were downloading information from the Royal website for use in a publishing programme. 

Ravenscroft School has just been granted new status as a Technology College as well as receiving the Schools Achievement Award. As a Technology College, the school hopes to extend and enrich learning opportunities in ICT, Mathematics, Science and Technology, to develop active partnerships with local schools and to provide high quality training for adults in the local business and private community.

The Duke of Kent was able to tour many of the departments which will be at the forefront of the new status College. He visited a Year 10 GCSE Technology class where students were using the programme 'Croc Clips Physics' to design circuit boards on computers; he visited the Mathematics Faculty, observing the use of interactive boards and graphical calculators; and he attended a science lesson where Year 8 students were conducting temperature experiements using data logging equipment.

The visit ended in the school library with a short reception. The Duke of Kent met with school governors, teachers and other members of the local community. He also had the opportunity to talk with members of the school student council and chat with prefects at the school.

At the conclusion of the tour, His Royal Highness was given a vote of thanks by the head girl at the school, Catharine Amaro, before unveiling a commemorative plaque to officially mark the visit. Mrs Karaolis, headteacher at Ravenscroft, commented: 'Clearly the visit of His Royal Highness is a landmark event in the history of the Ravenscroft school'.

Ravenscroft school celebrates its Golden Jubilee this year, having been opened in 1954.