admitted to the sixth form, resulting in a change in the school's title in 2006 to "Rochester Grammar School" – removing the words "for Girls". The school became grant-maintained in 1993, with funding directly from central government. In November 2010 the RGS became an “Academy of Excellence” under the Government’s academy programme for outstanding schools, and is a combined Mathematics/ICT and Music specialist school, the first nationally. Facilities now include a sixth form centre, a newly built and hi-tech teaching and training suite named after one of the school’s famous ex-students – Evelyn Dunbar. Dunbar was the only woman commissioned as a war artist, and her pictures illustrating the home front during World War II decorate the suite. Subjects The school teaches a wide variety of subjects including Anthropology, Art, Business Studies, Computing, Classical Civilisation, Design and Technology, Drama, Economics, Film Studies, English, Geography, History, IT, Mathematics, Modern Languages (French, German, Japanese and Spanish), RS, PE, German, Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Product Design, Drama, Music, Sociology, and EXEL (PSHE). The school prides itself on its status as a 'Thinking School'; there is a heavy emphasis on the use of Thinking Maps to support teaching and revision. Almost all lessons will include reference to the thinking maps, CoRT1 tools, thinking hats and Habits of Excellence. This approach is heavily inspired by Maltese physician Edward de Bono. Key stages The school no longer operates an accelerated two-year Key Stage 3 curriculum, so all pupils enter Key Stage 4 at the beginning of Year 10, when students start to study for their GCSEs. All pupils are expected to aim to achieve the top grades in every subject; the school is well known-for its exceptionalGCSE and A level results. League tables and examination results GCSEs & A-Levels A 2010 BBC report ranked the school as having the best GCSE and second best A/AS-Level results in the South East of England. In 2012 99% of students studying GCSEs attained 5 A*-C grades, including maths and English, and 99% of those studying A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) received at least three. International Baccalaureate (IB) In 2011, The Rochester Grammar School was the top performing state school for International Baccalaureate nationally. Forty one of their students completed the IB diploma and a third achieved a score of 40 or more, which is equivalent to four A* grades at A Level. One student achieved the