On 13th June 2019, Dr McMullin's inspirational Junior Drama Club put on a wonderful performance of an original script called Beyond The Looking Glass. Drawing on many ideas from classic tales and stories we all know and love, we saw Alice visit a dream wonderland in which the Queen of hearts still tried to spread her unhappy message to all. Her power was challenged though, by a good fairy helped by the characters from such greats as The Lion King, Narnia's chronicles, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Peter Pan and many others.

All was resolved in the end of course, and Alice and her friend Anna-Marie were able to rest easy, safe in the knowledge that harmony was restored. What a great performance it was, thoroughly enjoyed by all who came to see the spectacle!

Every summer, for one month, St. Lawrence runs a highly successful, action-packed, fun-filled summer programme suited to children aged from three to fourteen. Yet again this year, SLC is the place to be as we are busy preparing a productive and enjoyable course of activities for your children in June and July.

As always, we wait with excited anticipation to welcome back old faces and meet new ones too. It is satisfying to renew old friendships and initiate new ones in such a positive, stimulating environment! We guarantee a special experience for our pupils, as we offer optimum learning and superb sports facilities on our spacious campus.

Here at St Lawrence College, there is everything on offer - from exceptional tuition in English language to sport, dance, chess, recycled art, 3D paper architecture art, robotics, yoga, field games, mini golf, roller skating, crafts and many more activities. This year we are also happy to introduce to our programme a Greek Philosophy, Drama and Dance class for ages 7+. Greek language is also offered to children aged 5-7.

Registration is now open and we look forward to seeing your child/children on 25th June at 9:00 a.m. for the start of an exciting summer.
Please contact the Registrar, Mrs. Emily Naoum, for further details, either by email or by phone at +30210 8917000

As well as studying the Greek language, the Greek department knows how to take learning and drama outdoors. On Thursday 15^th December, they took Year 5 pupils into our olive grove to pick olives and picnic in a most traditional manner. The children learned what it meant to farm the land and produce one of our staple food products.

Then on Monday 19^th December, a well-known children’s writer Maria Klini, came along to read her children’s novel to Year 5 in the Junior School library. Her story, called Ο Λαίμαργος Αγιος Βασίλης (Greedy Father Christmas), kept the children entertained as well as providing an opportunity to learn about writing as a career. In addition, there was an enlightening discussion about the spirit of giving and the true meaning of Christmas.

Well done for giving the pupils a chance to experience so much more than usual!

School would be a very dull place if all that ever happened there was classroom education.

At St. Lawrence College we recognise that learning can and does happen at all times and not just in the classroom. That’s why we encourage our pupils to develop interests and skills across the wide range of activities that are made available to them at lunchtimes and in the afternoons.

Activities available include extra sports activities such as swimming, football, basketball, volleyball, rugby and tennis and also drama, music, debate, forensics, Model United Nations, charity work, environmental work, chess, and even philosophy discussion.

Whether the activities a pupil chooses are competitive or not, whether they represent a new challenge or serve to strengthen a skill the pupil already possesses, they all help in the development of self-confidence, while providing an opportunity to make new friends across year groups and, above all, to have great fun!

Senior school education, experienced by pupils aged 11 to 18, in addition to being central to a child’s future should also be packed with learning, fun and self-discovery, taking place in a friendly and supportive environment.

The teachers and leaders of the St. Lawrence College senior school are therefore supremely aware of the immense importance of their role in ensuring the best possible educational journey for every child in our school.

...ensuring a rapid acclimatisation into a friendly learning environment...

Learning is vitally important and here at St. Lawrence College we recognise that learning takes place in a multitude of ways and is not restricted to academic tutoring aiming at formal educational qualifications. For this reason, pupils are encouraged to involve themselves and to enjoy activities as accessible and diverse as debating and forensics (public speaking), more than a dozen sports, charity work, environmental awareness and volunteer work, the International Award, drama, music, philosophy, chess as well as many others.

Academically, the senior school of St. Lawrence College follows the English national curriculum and so provides continuity for pupils joining from Year 6 of any British school, wherever that might be around the world. At St. Lawrence College we are also mindful of the fact that some pupils may have their first British school experience when joining our school during senior school. Every year we welcome new pupils into our school and we are well-practised in ensuring a rapid acclimatisation into a friendly learning environment, whatever the prior educational journey that the child has experienced.

At St. Lawrence College senior school classes follow the same stages as in the British education system.

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) gives pupils enormous opportunity to develop skills of enquiry and communication across a range of subjects. It is a vitally important Key Stage as it introduces pupils who have left junior school to a system of subject-specialist teachers with learning across ten subjects and also guides them right through the selection of the IGCSEs they will study. Pupils discover a lot about themselves in Key Stage 3, including an analysis of how they learn as they start to develop the study skills that will be vital to them in later examination years.

Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11) represents the IGCSE stage of the school. Pupils study a range of subjects and are supported by intensive guidance and formative assessment, designed to show them how they can improve their performance. Our pupils produce, year after year, extremely high IGCSE results which they and we are very proud of.

Key Stage 5 (Years 12-13) covers the AS and A-Level examinations; the traditional and most widely used school-leaving academic qualification system in British education globally. Pupils are challenged rigorously and, with additional emphasis placed on guidance from their teachers and tutors, progress towards the development of powerful independent study skills alongside classwork and homework. These are essential skills to have in place in anticipation for higher education and undergraduate study for Bachelor degrees. Indeed, more than 80% of our pupils proceed to UK universities following their A-Levels, while others take up studies in the USA and elsewhere around the world. Anything is possible with A-Levels.

The real strength of the senior school at St. Lawrence College comes from the constant and high-quality guidance, support and pastoral care that our pupils enjoy. This is especially so at the sensitive transition stages between Key Stages and during the university application process. Pupils are counselled at every stage through a diligent and caring network of pastoral care which, combined with a pupil-centred approach and a safe, happy environment, really allows pupils to flourish as they take ownership of their learning. You will find more details about the great emphasis we put on these issues elsewhere in this website, but rest assured - senior school at St. Lawrence College combines fun with challenge, opportunity with awareness, and all against a backdrop of academic rigour and substantial learning.

Above all, it is the aim of the senior school to help our pupils get ready for the world – both for their own sake and also so that they become productive, thoughtful and caring citizens in the global society that awaits to be enriched by them.

The St. Lawrence College Workshop members meet once a week at lunchtime and engage, through discussion and activity, on a particular project. The Functions Workshop is open to all pupils in the senior school and is characterised by informal meetings as well as by its collaborative approach.

Teacher and pupils explore themes related to seasonal events and performances, through explicit instruction and cooperative strategy. Events may include Greek celebrations, Autumn Festival, Christmas Celebration/Play, Senior and Junior Drama Club plays. Pupils are given the opportunity to put into practice artistic skills of painting, drawing and 3D-construction and express themselves through open discussion.

Workshop activities are suitable for all abilities and year levels, as tasks are assigned according to the level of skills of every pupil, and teacher support is provided in order to scaffold learning through practical activities.

These activities include: brainstorming, painting scenery on large areas of canvas, signs, posters, construction of props, and the decoration of specific spaces related to seasonal events. The end products provide backstage support during specific performances.

The workshop develops a pupil’s ability to complete independent tasks, apply practical artistic skills, collaborate in problem solving through the creative process, meet deadlines and follow instructions, while also building a sense of belonging.

School would be a very dull place if all that ever happened there was classroom education.

At St. Lawrence College we recognise that learning can and does happen at all times and not just in the classroom. That’s why we encourage our pupils to develop interests and skills across the wide range of activities that are made available to them at lunchtimes and in the afternoons.

Activities available include extra sports activities such as swimming, football, basketball, volleyball, rugby and tennis and also drama, music, debate, forensics, Model United Nations, charity work, environmental work, chess, and even philosophy discussion.

Whether the activities a pupil chooses are competitive or not, whether they represent a new challenge or serve to strengthen a skill the pupil already possesses, they all help in the development of self-confidence, while providing an opportunity to make new friends across year groups and, above all, to have great fun!

On Friday 10th June, 2016, Ms Rickard's Year 6 class performed the Leavers' assembly for this academic year. In their show, called St Lawrence Has Got Talent, they took a very positive look back over their time in Junior School with an entertaining collection of tasks to carry out. With a humorous air, they took their turns to perform sketches as reality show contestants, teachers and TV presenters in a raucous competition that they tried to win in order to be rewarded with a pass to Senior School! They put on a show of poetry recital, piano-playing, drama, rapping and singing. A  super finale was their rhythmic performance of the well-known Cup Song taken from a well-known film, Pitch Perfect. Super!

Of course, the pupils were so successful at all their tasks they were all declared winners in the end! And winners they certainly are! We wish all our Year 6 pupils the very best of luck next year at St Lawrence Senior School or wherever they may find themselves! 
"We will miss them when they're gone!" declared Ms Rickard.

On Wednesday 28th October, the Greek national day was celebrated with pride in St Lawrence College. The day commemorates the rejection, during the Second World War of an ultimatum made by Benito Mussolini to allow Axis forces to enter Greece. The day was celebrated with a play presented by pupils of Years 7 & 9. The play was a dramatized adaptation of a part of the Alki Zei’s novel Petros’ War on the topic of the beginning of the war and the changes in people’s lives. Sixth Form pupils read texts narrating these first days of the war and letters by soldiers. Finally, songs were performed by the school Greek Choir.

The celebrations proved a memorable reminder of the sacrifices made by others to ensure freedom in Greece. Congratulations to all students who took part.

The audience was stunned at the incredible performance given by the cast of the play Mary Poppins on Friday the 9th of June 2017. From the magical voice of the Bird Woman, played by Ariadni Markantonaki-Kouletaki, the endearing voice of Dora Svistunova as the singing Mrs Andrews, and Lydia Stephenson with her cheerful demeanor and Suffragette song, everyone was transported to Broadway. Notwithstanding the beautiful singing and acting skills of Mary Poppins played by Poppy Dardanis, Jane played by Marita Katsouridis and Michael played by Clio Votsis, Max Stephenson in his role as Bert and Kristian Narsesian as Mr Banks stole the show. 

Talented actors and actresses such as Admiral Boon played by Nicholas Papatheodorou with Mr Binnacle played by Mehmet Alkoc, gaily greeted Eleni Darom as Miss Persimonn and Georgina Kolias as Miss Bertha as they wandered through the park. Filippos Anastasopoulos as the Constable did his rounds, whilst Sofia Tzagkaraki-Kaseta, ran to and fro hanging up coats and hats whilst trying to keep an eye on the children. Layan Yaghnam was a superbly strict Miss Andrews as well as a stiff Mrs Dawes, who underwent a transformation at the end of the play.
Neleus played by Nikolas Giannopoulos came alive in the park and the wonderful chimney sweeps played by Jed Stephenson, Lucas McIntosh, Nicci Dardanis and Phoebe Votsis, kept time with the beat of the catchy music played by Carole Crawford. All in all one of the best performances that have come together under the direction of Lindy McMullin, it could not have been done without the invaluable help of senior school drama club members, Christina Grammatikopoulos and Yannis Apostolakpoulos who assisted direction throughout the year. 
Special thanks go to Dimitris Zafiris, Panagiotis Spyroudis and Erzan Turimbetov for stage development and last but not least, Daphne Votsis for giving up her afternoons during rehearsal time to assist. 

Extra-curricular clubs are a great way to make new friends, get fit or learn new skills in a safe environment. You can find a whole range of clubs available at St. Lawrence College - from infant yoga to chess. We offer daytime clubs during lunch time /school hours, and afternoon clubs from 3:30 – 4:30pm, to children from Foundation Stage 1 up to Year 6. These cover a wide array of activities that make full use of our outstanding facilities, including a 25-metre outdoor heated swimming pool, outdoor tennis courts, an outdoor artificial pitch, as well as a large sports hall.

Team sports
Many of our clubs promote team building and physical activity through indoor and outdoor sports, such as football, rugby, tennis, basketball, volleyball, yoga, karate, rhythmics, dance and more. We employ fully qualified, professional coaches who use their expertise to provide high quality coaching to all participating pupils.

Swimming
Swimming is a life-saving skill and can also be the beginning of many enjoyable water experiences. At St. Lawrence College, we offer afternoon swimming lessons to pupils from 2 ½ to 18 years of age, taught by friendly, caring and fully qualified instructors. Structured, planned lessons cater for all abilities, from water confidence classes, right through to advanced club swimming.

Music
At St. Lawrence College we believe that music is a creative and social art to be enjoyed by all and we are proud to be offering to our children the opportunity to enjoy musical experiences in our after-school Music School.

The Music School offers instrumental tuition in piano and guitar providing children with the chance to prepare for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Examinations.

Other clubs
Other club activities provided throughout the year include the Junior School Choir, Greek Drama/Dance for National holiday celebrations, Eco-council, Chess and Art Club.

Practical details
At the end of the summer term, families receive letters with all the available choices for both daytime and afternoon clubs to be offered the following academic year. Included in the letter is the intended age group and the cost, if any, of each club.

1. Outstanding facilities in a beautiful campus

Situated in a 20-acre campus, the school boasts some of the most up-to-date and complete facilities among education providers in Greece. Sports facilities are unrivalled and include a water-polo dimensioned heated swimming pool with an adjacent mini-pool for very young children, a full-sized all-weather football pitch with seating for 300 spectators, a fully equipped indoor gymnasium with seating for 200 spectators and outdoor tennis and basketball courts.

In addition, the school makes constant use of an amphitheatre, piano rooms, outstanding science laboratories, junior and senior school libraries, fully equipped I.T. suites and the most modern teaching tools in classrooms. All of this is contained within our glorious campus – an entirely single storey purpose-built complex which is airy, uncrowded, surrounded by beautiful hills and by in the fresh air of the southern Athenian suburbs, thus creating a peaceful, calm environment for learning.

2. A truly British education

Our school truly delivers those characteristics of an educational system that is internationally recognised as being effective and progressive – the British educational system, governed by the English National Curriculum. Furthermore, it is the intention of St. Lawrence College to promote among our pupils a value system that is underpinned by the values that make up the core of a modern British education – values of caring, tolerance, fair-play, showing enthusiasm, the practice of a moral code of decency and the intent to strive for excellence while being aware of the needs of others. These values are coupled with progress in learning through self-belief and self-confidence and, ultimately, academic qualifications that are globally recognised. This is what a pupil at St. Lawrence College can aspire to.

3. A broad curriculum that builds great learners

Pupils experience a broad curriculum -built around the UK government’s National Curriculum for England- whatever their age and whichever Key Stage they are in. They also take Greek classes from Year 1, as well as a third language, chosen from a wide range of options, at Year 4. Pupils enjoy great flexibility in IGCSE choices and their A-Level subjects, but also receive considerable guidance and orientation as they make their selection. Parents are also provided with constant advice and information as to what the curriculum choices mean for their child and are encouraged to discuss options choices with their child.

4. A multicultural community

As a British school in Greece we take pride in that our pupils are drawn from a very diverse background: we wouldn’t want that to be any other way. At the last count, there were more than fifty nationality backgrounds among our pupils –a true celebration of cultures. This provides a wonderful opportunity to promote tolerance and understanding, an awareness and appreciation of differences between our experiences. This diversity is also present among our teaching staff and functions as a key element in our drive towards the values of mutual respect and care.

5. A fully inclusive, non-selective pupil body

St. Lawrence College is non-selective. This means there is no entrance examination that must be passed for a child to be admitted. We believe that every child has the right to an opportunity to learn. We work hard to instil a growth mindset among pupils and staff and we celebrate effort and determination to learn, first and foremost. Children with learning and behaviour challenges progress well at St. Lawrence College, thanks to the attention provided by our learning support and SEN programmes for both Junior and Senior school students [links to their respective pages] and by the happy learning environment that permeates the school as a whole. Simply put, every child matters.

6. A happy and safe environment – top quality pastoral care

Great care is taken to ensure that our pupils are able to grow and develop as thoughtful citizens, aware of each other and of the community they live in, and that they feel happy, safe and enthusiastic about their learning. This is the result of first-rate pastoral care, which, at St. Lawrence College, is achieved through a system of care provision modelled on the British system and undertaken by experienced, trained and caring staff. See Pastoral Care for more information.

7. Smooth integration of pupils seeking to improve their English

Every year we are joined by pupils seeking to improve their English before fully integrating into the regular British school programme. St. Lawrence College has carefully designed EAL (English as an Additional Language) programmes to help pupils quickly raise their English skills. It is a system that works – irrespective of the age of the child. We are proud of our ability to assimilate pupils into our very diverse pupil body, where everyone learns and everyone is welcome.

8. Enrichment opportunities - activities beyond the classroom

Learning can take place at any time and should be fun. That is why at St. Lawrence College there is a wide range of activities and clubs that pupils can be a part of. There are so many opportunities to develop a new skill, have fun and make new friends. These range from sports activities such as swimming, football, basketball, tennis and many others, to challenges such as the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, to music, drama, debating, forensics and public speaking, the Model United Nations, environmental and charity work and plenty more.

9. Excellence in early years

Fostering the pleasure of imaginative play and a love and enjoyment of learning, our Early Years setting and dedicated practitioners provide the most wonderful start to your child’s learning journey at St. Lawrence College. Our warm and caring environment and its provision of stimulating play-based activities inspires our pupils to be curious, ask questions and develop an awe and wonder of the world.

10. The largest provider of A-Levels in Greece

A-Levels are the true and traditional post-16 educational qualification in the UK, with over 95% of UK schools offering education after GCSEs using it. Most importantly, A-Levels help pupils develop the essential study skills that must be in place if their progression to higher education is to be successful. No other institution in Greece teaches or enters more pupils for A-Level examinations than St. Lawrence College.

Here at St. Lawrence College, that the most common grade at A-Level, year after year, is an A grade, demonstrates the quality of delivery of this vitally important, pre-university stage of British education. Along with our expert and individually-tailored pastoral support and counselling, St. Lawrence College pupils are well-served and on track to access UK higher education or indeed any higher education institution in the world.

11. Top Academic Results Year After Year

Formal assessment through public examinations first occurs in Year 11 with IGCSEs, then continues in Year 12 with AS-Levels and is completed in Year 13 with A-Levels. St. Lawrence College has maintained very impressive standards in all of these examination standards, year after year. We are a non-selective school, and as such we are proud that the proportion of pupils who achieve at least five IGCSEs of at least grade C is consistently close to 90% (the UK average being 55%) – and at all levels of examination, IGCSE, AS-Level and A-Level, the most common grade achieved by far is the top grade of A/A*.

12. The perfect springboard to UK and global higher education

Pupils from our school access the very best universities all over the world. Most (around 80%) select to enter UK universities while others choose to go to the US, Canada, Europe or elsewhere for their higher education. Wherever they choose to study, St. Lawrence College provides the perfect combination of teaching excellence and informative one-to-one support before during and after the application process. It gives us great pleasure to see a young adult leave school and embark upon their chosen field of study, that’s why we strive to ensure that our pupils have access to a team of professionals in possession of deep experience, who also really care about them. 

13. Enthusiastic and highly qualified teaching staff

More than eighty teachers and more than 150 staff across the entire school are here to deliver the highest quality educational care within a safe and pleasant environment. Children are given the very best of opportunities to learn, thanks to the dedication and experience of teachers and educational practitioners who receive continual training in educational theory and who always seek out opportunities to improve their work. At St. Lawrence College we firmly believe that learning does not end with childhood –and we practise what we preach!

14. Continual Improvement

We stand for and expect continual improvement, from pupils but also from ourselves. We are proud of what we have achieved but we never want to stop moving forward. After all, when we promote and encourage self-reflection in our pupils, how could we not do the same as a school? This results in our teaching staff enjoying regular training delivered by expert educationalists, from the UK and beyond, undertaking on-line and off-site courses and working together to support and build upon their performance and effectiveness in their teaching. The school also continually reviews its curriculum and facilities in order to provide the very best and most modern and relevant educational experience possible.