This is the History Department’s blog aimed for use for pupils from year 7 through to year 11. It contains useful articles, downloadable material and links for all pupils.

School lunches are an integral part of school life. Our own catering service prepares international-style food on site. The menus are regularly assessed by independent experts to ensure that our pupils enjoy nutritionally-balanced, healthy meals.

The menus are regularly updated to ensure that a fresh and healthy selection of food is available for the pupils. Vegetarians and children with special dietary requirements are also catered for.

In the Early Years and Junior School, the children’s lunchtime orders are dealt with on a daily basis at the start of the school day when registration is taken. At lunchtime, the children’s orders are sent to their classes.

In the senior school, a more informal arrangement stands whereby the pupils make their own arrangements for meal choices during either of the two breaks between sessions.

St. Lawrence College pupils do themselves and their school proud!

While summer continues for all pupils, for some the last week has been a week of tension and concern, waiting for their exam results. Now though the waiting is over and the IGCSE, AS-Level and A-Level results have been released. And once again, St. Lawrence College pupils have produced a set of results that our school community can be collectively proud of.

Our Year 11 pupils sat for their IGCSE exams back in May, with 457 IGCSEs being sat by a total of 60 candidates. Across those 457 IGCSEs, by far the most common grade achieved was an A* grade – the best grade possible and only awarded for an exam mark above 90%. In fact, of the 457 IGCSEs taken, a remarkable 113 resulted in an A* grade – that is 25% of all the IGCSEs taken. What is more, 44% of all the IGCSEs resulted in either an A*or A grade. This is a little lower than the very high 2015 results, but still ranks well with results from the previous decade of Year 11 year groups. The second most frequent grade achieved was B – indeed two out of every three IGCSEs sat was within the A*/A/B grade range.

The UK national average of Year 11 pupils that receive at least five GCSEs of grade C or better is usually around 55%-60%. This year at St. Lawrence College, 92% of our Year 11 achieved this. What is more – and this was a first for our school – not a single IGCSE among the 457 taken across 16 subjects by 60 candidates was returned ungraded. In terms of success in specific subjects, of all IGCSEs taken in French, Greek or Russian, over 90% resulted in at least an A grade. Likewise 68% of pupils that sat for English Literature. Among the year group, there were several stand out performances from pupils. Emily Holden managed to score A* in every one of her nine IGCSEs. Alessandro Gressani secured eight A*s, Sadin Abdel Fattah and Alexander Petropoulos each bagged seven A*s while Stefania Riga and Ivy Hewett each scored six A*s among their IGCSEs. Congratulations to all of them.

At AS-Level and A-Level there were exactly 300 exam entries across 84 candidates – slightly more than last year’s 292 entries. The AS-Level is at once both a ‘stand-alone’ qualification as well as marking the halfway point for those aiming to complete the full A-Level in a subject. Combining this year’s results for these two qualifications, by far the most common grade awarded was A (including A* which is only available at A-Level, not AS-Level). 37% of all exams taken resulted in this top grade being achieved. While slightly lower than the percentage achieved in 2015 and 2014, it is, at 37%, exactly the same success rate as 2009 and 2010 (with smaller year groups on both occasions) and within a percentage or two of all other recent years’ results. Furthermore, the second most common grade achieved across all 300 exams was a B grade. Thus, 56%, or well over half of all AS-Levels and A-Levels taken in the 2016 exam session resulted in a grade within the A*/A/B grade range.

For the pupils awaiting their A-Level results, there was also the question of gaining admittance to universities. The vast majority are progressing to UK universities and along with the A-Level results came the final confirmation as to which university they will study at and what they will study. These results have sent our pupils to top universities across the UK. As examples of the diversity of destination and course, Melina Beykou, who achieved A*AAA will study Biological Sciences with Molecular Genetics at The University of Edinburgh. Marilena Eleftheriou (AAA) will start a Neuroscience degree at University College London (UCL). Mark Slipchenko (A*BBC) will study Economics at The University of Kent, while Danish Syed (AAB) is admitted to The University of Glasgow for Electronics and Electrical Engineering. Other degree courses to be studied include Dentistry, Politics, Business Management, History of Art, Sport Science and Fashion Marketing.

Headmaster Phil Holden commented “I congratulate all pupils on their exam achievements and wish those who are leaving us to continue their learning in higher education the very best of luck. Our IGCSE, AS and A-Level results are truly very strong in the global context of British education. I thank the teachers throughout St. Lawrence College for the professionalism, dedication and care that they always give and which have led to this day. Those teachers have done more than help our pupils pass their exams. They have helped our school leavers grow into young citizens with a sense of responsibility as well as being learners with adaptable skills. As such our pupils are well-prepared”.

Were you once a St. Lawrence College athlete or member of one of our school teams? Then we look forward to seeing you in the biggest Sports Reunion EVER! 

On Tuesday December 20th, 2016, St. Lawrence College P.E Dept. invites you to a Sports Day full of fun.  If you were once a member of our volleyball, basketball or football teams, find your old team mates and come and join us in the most fascinating tournament where past meets the future and memories bring us together!

Check the date, book your flights and if you are planning to attend let us know by e-mail atpe@slc.gr with the subject: sports16 and you will receive further details.

We are looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you all in December, for an unforgettable event!

Professor Barry Hymer, one of the UK’s top thinkers on education visited the school on Friday and worked with parents and teachers on how both those groups could best help support a child’s learning through meaningful feedback rather than empty praise.

Barry Hymer, who is Professor of Psychology in Education at the University of Cumbria in Lancaster, and who has studied learning theory for more than 30 years, started his day by presenting to well over one hundred of our parents. He challenged the parents to consider what time they give to discussing their child's work with their child and urged parents to always praise the effort rather than the ability of their children. After then working with a group of twenty educators and managers among the school staff, drawn from both the junior and senior school, Professor Hymer completed the day by talking to the entire teaching staff of St. Lawrence College. Exploring the research of growth mindsets as made famous by Dr Carol Dweck of Stanford University, Professor Hymer demonstrated to staff the impact a teacher can make on a child if they challenge the child to learn for intrinsic rather than extrinsic reward.

Parents and teachers were enthusiastic and fulsome in the reactions to the day. Many commented how motivating it was to listen to such an expert and how his insights would directly affect their interaction with their children and pupils. Headmaster Phil Holden commented “It is certainly our intention to host more such activities. Expert, high quality professional training is recognised as essential for all teachers, however long they have been in the profession. When it is as powerful and well-presented as this, it is inspirational as well as being of great use”.

In addition to Professor Hymer's work, a group of sixteen teachers also took part in a workshop presented by Ms Elizabeth Dawson, a trainer in Action Research. These teachers were trained in how to best utilise Action Research to make improvements to every day school practice by using teams of teachers to investigate a pre-determined theme before presenting their findings and recommendations to their colleagues.

All in all it was a very busy and highly productive day for the school!

"A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men," Roald Dahl

Last week saw the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the renowned children's writer Roald Dahl. His books are numerous and widely appreciated by children all over the world. With this in mind, the pupils here at St Lawrence took the opportunity to join in with the celebrations that have been going on in his honour. There were readings by children and teachers both in class and in our morning assembly, thus the whole school took on a 'whizzpopping' atmosphere! This was especially true on Friday 17th September, when many children wore yellow to school. Why yellow? Well it was the author's favourite colour of course! In addition, the children contributed a small fee for the privilege of being out of uniform with the money raised donated to Roald Dahl's Marvellous Charity for Children.

"Us giants is making whizzpoppers all the time! Whizzpopping is a sign of happiness. It is music in our ears! You surely is not telling me that a little whizzpopping if forbidden among human beans?” as the Big Friendly Giant said!

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!

2019-2020 school year:

Due to the emerging pandemic, St. Lawrence College, along with all schools in Greece, first closed on Wednesday March 11^th 2020, and immediately switched to online learning.   The remainder of the school year saw further closures and part-closures and several restrictions when pupils were allowed into school. Public examinations were cancelled and IGCSEs, AS-Levels and A-levels were awarded with the exam bodies making use of school assessed grades (SAGs).

2020-2021 school year:

Pupils from different year groups have experienced different degrees of school closure through this school year. Whenever pupils have been unable to attend school due to a government directive that sections of the school must remain closed, pupils have been offered a complete and full timetable of all lessons on their curriculum through the use of the Microsoft Teams platform. This has ensured the best possible delivery of teaching and opportunity to learn given the challenging conditions. The school has been proactive in its efforts to uphold and safeguard the mental health of its pupils and have engaged pupils in all parts of the school, providing pupils with opportunities to express their concerns and feelings as the closures and restrictions have been extended.

Many other aspects of daily school life, as well as lessons, have shifted to online. School assemblies, orientations for parents and pupils transitioning between Key Stages and extra-curricular activities, from Model United Nations conventions, to Forensics and Debate tournaments, have been held online and have proved remarkably successful.

Pupils in Years 11-13 have again seen their IGCSE, AS-Level and A-Level examinations cancelled, with these qualifications being awarded through school assessed grades in coordination between awarding bodies and our school.

Junior school

At St. Lawrence College Junior School, the welfare of our pupils is paramount, mainly but not solely, because we firmly believe that successful learning takes place when a child is emotionally settled and enjoys attending school. Providing a safe and secure environment which helps instil confidence and promotes happiness in our pupils is a key priority for us.

Class teachers have immediate responsibility for the pastoral care of their pupils, supported by the Heads of EYs, KS1 and KS2. They are the first point of contact for both pupils and parents, should any pastoral issues arise.

...their concerns are acknowledged by experienced and sympathetic teachers ready to support them.

Through our teaching of PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) topics, we help cultivate in our pupils the kind of qualities that cannot be defined by or limited to academic success: interpersonal skills, leadership potential, self-awareness and mental and physical resilience.

Circle time in the EYs and Junior School classes opens many channels for children to discuss issues while developing these vital qualities. Such personal skills are encouraged and developed through all aspects of school life.

Pupils in both KS1 and KS2 attend assemblies which focus on a variety of issues; they reinforce and expand on PSHE topics such as environmental consciousness, healthy eating, friendship, bullying, resilience and growth mindsets. Along with presentations from outside speakers, extracurricular activities and fundraising events for charity, pupils are provided with ample opportunity to let their confidence and personalities flourish in a safe and secure environment.

Senior school

All year groups are divided into form classes and a form teacher is responsible for delivering the pastoral care for pupils in their respective form class. The form teacher’s role is to always have an overview of every individual pupil’s progress in all areas. Form teachers should always be a parent’s first point of contact with the school, when the parent has any concern or enquiry about the well-being of their child.

An Assistant Head is assigned to each of Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9), Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11) and Key Stage 5 (Years 12-13). The Assistant Head works closely with the form teachers to address the well-being of all pupils under their care and to ensure that the pupils’ needs and concerns are anticipated and dealt with appropriately. It is thus that effective learning can take place in an environment that feels safe, happy and motivating for every child. Assistant Heads are in frequent contact with parents as strong, regular communication between home and school is essential to provide great pastoral care.

The Deputy Head (Pastoral) leads the senior school’s pastoral care provision and liaises closely with Assistant Heads and form teachers as well as with parents and pupils. Along with the Assistant Heads, it is the Deputy Head (Pastoral) who works closely with the academic side of the school to ensure that subject teachers are informed about and aware of matters influencing a child’s readiness to learn at any given time.

Pastoral care is not just about reacting to issues. The pastoral care team proactively deliver information in order to equip pupils and prevent the emergence of problems that could cause them undue distress. This is done in a variety of ways, including year group discussions, wall displays, assemblies and invitations for external speakers to address pupils on relevant topics.

Through this network of pastoral care provision, the senior school has created and will strive to maintain an environment where pupils can learn successfully, knowing that their concerns are acknowledged by experienced and sympathetic teachers ready to support them.

Whole School

Our School Counsellor, a fully qualified professional, is available to support pupils as far as possible in any issues or concerns they may have at any given time. Children are allowed to make their own choices and decisions regarding counselling, and involving parents in counselling, provided this is consistent with their best interests.

The school has two full-time, experienced nurses who are well-equipped to deal with any medical emergency which may arise. The nurses also work with pupils, teachers and parents to promote good health and well-being in all children in the school.

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.

An introduction to British Education
With more than fifty nationality backgrounds represented among the pupils of St. Lawrence College, it is understandable that some parents may have a limited knowledge of how British education is structured. St. Lawrence College delivers a truly British education from the pupil allocation across year groups, through its curriculum, its focus on extra-curricular activities and the development of the whole child in preparation for the modern world.

How is a school organised in the British education system?
The National Curriculum is followed by primary and secondary schools in the UK and ensures that all pupils receive the same high standard of education.

What are Key Stages?

Following pre-school, British education in schools passes through five Key Stages (KS). KS1 and KS2 are known as primary education and KS3, KS4 and KS5 are known as secondary education. Here at St. Lawrence College we also use the more international terms “junior” and “senior” school alongside the terms “primary” and “secondary” school.

The creation of Key Stages in British education has allowed for the identification of specific aims and objectives at various points in a child’s education while also creating a point of reference as schooling and children’s progress is monitored and discussed. The transitions between Key Stages are important, notably between KS2 and KS3, when a child progresses from junior to senior school. However, it is even more important to stress the continuity that British education ensures with Key Stages, throughout the development and learning cycles that a child experiences.

What are the benefits of the British education system?
A number of benefits result by identifying what British education is and by having a uniform structure to a school, with flexibility built-in so that the school can adapt to its local needs and unique circumstances:

• Pupils receive a carefully designed, broad and balanced education that focuses on key skill areas in English and Mathematics, while developing skills across sciences, humanities, sciences, languages, arts and Physical Education.
• Assessment of ability and knowledge as well as assessment to maximise future progress (“assessment for learning”) are both interwoven into the British school system and curriculum.
• The regular testing of pupils allows for the development of best examination skills and technique in preparation for public examinations at the end of KS4 and KS5.
• Pupils are able to make choices, especially beyond KS3, that allow them to focus on areas of interest, while following a core of compulsory subjects that deliver essential skills and knowledge.
• Local needs can be catered for. Here at St. Lawrence College, all children learn Greek to an appropriate standard for their needs.
• British education allows for immense depth of study at KS5, with the traditional A-Level qualifications. These courses, which have been the standard UK qualification at KS5 for many decades, remain by far the most common entry qualification for British universities as they foster skills of stamina, self-discipline and independence in study methods, as well as research and personal organisation skills that best prepare the pupil for the transition to life as an undergraduate student at a UK university.
• Continuity. Parents can rest assured that pupils who have to change schools, perhaps even change countries, can maintain a single continuous experience of education in the British system, developing the same skills and values. Wherever the British school is located, the learning continues uninterrupted.

Last but not least
Above all, the British education system aims to develop in a child the skills that will enable them to be a learner for life. Learning does not stop with the last school lesson.

Everyone needs the ability to continually question; the skill to develop strategies and to confront and build solutions; the interpersonal skills to work in a highly-connected global environment; and the modesty and self-confidence to use self-reflection and learning to improve oneself and to always strive to reach higher. British education develops those skills and St. Lawrence College is proud to deliver on these values.

Choosing a School for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make.

At St. Lawrence College we welcome pupils of all ethnic or national origin, race, gender, religion, belief and free from any discrimination on the ground of disability.

At St. Lawrence College we welcome pupils of all ethnic or national origin, race, gender, religion, belief and free from any discrimination on the ground of disability.

It is necessary for the children to have an interview before they can be given a place at the School. The Headmaster and the Headmistress of the Junior Section will be happy to meet and discuss with parents and children and show them around the school premises. During a meeting with the Registrar you will be given all the information regarding the admission procedure.

To make an enquiry or an appointment to visit the School please fill in the online form or telephone the Registrar. Registrations take place throughout the academic year.

Entry Requirements:

• Interview
• Application Form completed and signed by the parents
• Medical Form fully filled and signed by the parents
• Pupil’s report from previous school (translated into English if necessary)
• Medical Certificates

After the interview with the Headmaster and/or the Headmistress of the Junior Section and when all the admission procedures have been followed the decision on admission will be given verbally or in writing to the parent.

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.

St. Lawrence College operates a house system.  Every child and member of staff is allocated one of three houses which they will be in for their life at St. Lawrence College. Houses are allocated when pupils start in Reception or when they join the school at a later stage. Children of the same family will be allocated the same house whilst ensuring that the number of pupils is fairly balanced between each house.

Our houses are named after three regional areas in Greece: Attica (blue), Epirus (green) and Macedonia (red).

Pupils have a sense of pride in belonging to a house

Houses are an important part of school life, as they create community spirit and give the children an opportunity to contribute to something bigger that involves children from all year groups.

Pupils have a sense of pride in belonging to a house and enjoy the “friendly” competition between houses. They have opportunities to experience such life skills as working as a team, leadership, achievement and at times disappointment.

House points are awarded for model behaviour, effort in learning, showing kindness to others and various other good deeds.  Pupils also participate and compete in competitions and events for house points throughout the year.  The points are tallied at the end of the year and the winning House is awarded the House Challenge Trophy.

Senior school assemblies
Assemblies create a chance for pupils to gather in a larger group, comprising a significant proportion of the school, in order to listen, learn and sometimes contribute to a key theme. As such, an assembly is a special moment in the week of a pupil’s schooling.

All pupils attend one of two assemblies per week while in senior school. As well as performing an administrative function, the purpose of an assembly is to raise awareness on a topic. This is often part of the delivery of the PSHE programme, initiating a topic that will be explored further in form classes. It might be to report on the activities of pupils in other spheres of the school, such as trips or debating or sporting tournaments. Or perhaps the assembly simply aims to provoke reflection among pupils on some aspect of global or local current affairs.

For example, in recent months, senior school assemblies have covered themes as diverse as examination preparation techniques; the dangers of tobacco and e-cigarettes; code-breaking and cryptology; the ethics of depicting animals as humans in photography; issues related to bullying; the results of a school photography competition and a celebration of origami – where all children created a paper box following live instruction.

Assemblies also provide an opportunity for collective commemoration. This is the case of anniversaries, with assemblies held for Remembrance Sunday and for Greek celebrations such as “Oxi Day” (28th October) and Greek Independence Day (25th March). Special assemblies may be called to commemorate major current affairs. The Peshawar school massacre of December 2014 and the Paris bombings of November 2015 both triggered whole school assemblies where pupils were given the opportunity to reflect quietly and collectively as a group.

Junior school assemblies
Every morning at 8.40am, all pupils in the Junior School assemble in the playground to meet their teachers, before being admitted into class.  Here the Headmistress and Deputy Headmistress greet the children to say good morning, make any important announcements and wish them a good day.  Very often morning assembly is also a time when we discuss whole school initiatives, acknowledge pupil achievements and have pupils present a variety of topics to the rest of the school.

Class assemblies are held on Fridays for all classes in Years1-6. Pupils prepare for several weeks to present a topic that is related to specific PSHE and Citizenship themes that they have been learning about. The children are encouraged to have their thinking extended by each assembly and often take part in follow up activities on the theme presented.

All of our assemblies follow themes and issues that we feel are important for our pupils to understand as they prepare for life in the modern world and also to cope with everyday life in school.  Such themes as learning about values, respect and tolerance, diversity, building resilience and being proud of who we are.