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!

The EAL is a language support department for new pupils from all over the world, whose English needs to be brought up to the level required to follow classes in our British curriculum successfully. It offers a safe, nurturing, multinational environment that helps newcomers settle into the school programme and improve their English, so that they are adequately equipped to follow regular classes whatever their year group. The EAL department caters for pupils with English of any level from beginners to intermediate.

Depending on their level of English, new pupils start by spending up to 26 periods a week following an intensive English language course, which covers all skills – reading, writing, listening, speaking. These periods are gradually reduced and replaced by different subjects that are added to the pupil’s timetable as their level of English improves.

...offers a safe, nurturing, multinational environment...

As a basis for the intensive course, we use a well-tested course book, which is supplemented by extra vocabulary, grammar, speaking and discussion and other language-learning activities – anything goes, really, as long as it helps improve everyone’s English!

The department also has a lending library of graded readers, whose aim is to aid acquisition of language outside of school in an enjoyable way. Support in other subjects, such as History, Geography and Science, is also provided, especially in terms of vocabulary.

The EAL Department plays an important pastoral role, as its teachers are in a position to oversee the pupils’ progress in all areas and intervene when necessary, to ensure that every pupil is being encouraged, rather than discouraged, by the level of challenge they are exposed to.

The EAL department can also offer continued support in the form of “Extra English” whenever an additional language (French / Spanish / Chinese) is deemed an excessive demand for a pupil still trying to master English.

We focus on supporting your child whatever their learning needs. 

Our aim is to promote an inclusive and well-rounded education throughout all levels and all facets of school life and beyond. That’s why we make it a priority for all our pupils to work in an environment that develops self-confidence and personal success.

...pupils receive a combination of class, group and individual lessons...

We place great importance on the experience of hands-on learning and make sure that our pupils receive a combination of class, group and individual lessons, in order to maximise the benefits of different teaching and peer learning methods.

As our educational philosophy is not restricted to academic learning aiming at educational qualifications, we make it our focus to provide for every child’s educational needs with flexible educational targets and the appropriate learning support during school hours. Access arrangements for internal and public examinations are provided as needed.

Our experienced Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) is there to provide support and screening tests for specific learning difficulties, and to refer students for a formal diagnostic assessment when necessary, while also liaising with external specialists for a better understanding of one’s individual requirements.

Guided by the needs of our pupils’ families and with the children’s best interests in mind, we are always here to listen and advise on follow-up support at home. We actively encourage parents’ involvement throughout our pupils’ learning experience in order to ensure a happy and productive school life for all children and families alike.

Homework is an important part of the educational process at St. Lawrence College, serving the goal of complementing schoolwork covered in the day while also facilitating the academic and personal development of our pupils.

Why
Specifically, the purpose of homework is:

• To consolidate knowledge and reinforce understanding
• To help pupils gain the maximum benefit from future lessons through preparation and reading
• To teach the skills of organisation and time management
• To provide an opportunity for the creative use of available knowledge
• To encourage independent thinking

What
Different types of homework tasks include:

• The creative use of knowledge in the form of a project
• A writing assignment which helps to consolidate understanding
• A task which provides further practice of skills taught in the classroom
• Revision for a test/exam
• Preparation for an oral presentation
• Reading/researching in order to prepare for a new topic

How
Parents can expect that homework assigned to their children is clearly explained, but also appropriate and suitably tailored to meet the needs and abilities of each pupil. It always has a distinct purpose and is achievable in the amount of time which has been given for it to be completed. Last but not least, every homework task is assessed and its assessment is accompanied by specific feedback, which clearly shows each pupil how to improve further.

Pupils are expected to:

• Carry a homework diary at all times in order to take responsibility for their learning by noting down homework instructions and due dates.
• Take the initiative to find out what homework has been set as soon as possible in the event of being absent from a class.
• Ensure that homework is completed on time to the best of their ability.
• Take responsibility for assigned homework by organising their after school time effectively.
• Seek clarification from their subject teacher if they feel uncertain or are facing any difficulties.

How much
While homework assignments may vary in terms of length and therefore in terms of the amount of time they require, as a general rule each year group is given the following amount of homework per day:

• Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9): 1-2 hours
• Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11): 2-2 ½ hours
• Key Stage 5 (Lower and Upper Sixth): 2-3 hours

Pupils in Years 7-9 are not given homework during holidays but are encouraged to read for pleasure, research more extensively different topics on the syllabus and/or revise the work they have done, in order to consolidate their knowledge. Similarly, in the week before internal exams, homework is limited to the revision of relevant topics or tasks, which specifically practise skills needed for the exams.

Failure to deliver assigned homework without good reason will lead to action being taken by the subject teacher. This varies according to individual department policies but could include:

• Marks being deducted from late work or the work being given no mark
• A detention or, in the case of consistently late/missed homework, a Headmaster’s detention
• Parents/guardians being contacted

Pupils entering their 12th year of education have taken their IGCSEs and now start their A-Levels. Pupils begin a minimum of three subjects at A-Level, although some will take four subjects if both they and we are confident that they will cope with the additional workload.

Currently, St. Lawrence College offers thirteen subjects to full A-Level. Due to the heavy workload of an A-Level subject, and the inevitable clash of lessons on the school timetable, it is not possible to offer a completely free choice to pupils. The possible combinations we offer have evolved into a system which would allow subject combinations that enable a pupil to apply for entry to any undergraduate degree course at any UK university.

Pupils starting their GCE AS-Levels and A-Levels must pick subjects from the following choices, and cannot choose more than one subject from each option block:

1)  Mathematics/EnglishLiterature
2)  Biology/Economics/FurtherMathematics
3)  Chemistry/Politics/French/Art&Design
4)  Physics/History/Geography
5)  Greek

Pupils receive extensive support and guidance when selecting subjects. This occurs before IGCSEs are taken and following results. During Key Stage 5 pupils are guided towards meeting the expectation that they learn to develop their skills for independent learning. Recognising that this will be a key skill and expectation at higher education, pupils are encouraged to use their non-lesson periods productively for independent study. Pupils have a form tutor who counsels each pupil on the progress of their studies and on their preparation for higher education. At the end of the 12th year of school, pupils sit for their AS-Level exams in every subject that they are taking. The results of these examinations will help pupils decide whether to continue all their subjects through to full A-Level in Year 13 or whether, in the case of those pupils taking four subjects, to drop a subject after AS-Level. The application process for universities, both British and worldwide, begins at the very start of Year 13 and pupils receive extensive guidance, advice and support from their form tutor, from the Assistant Head of Key Stage 5, from the Deputy Head (Academic) and from the Headmaster.

Mocks are held in both Years 12 and 13, usually just before or just after Easter holidays, depending on the dates of Easter. Real exams start in early May and may continue through until late June. Pupils who have not performed well at IGCSE in Year 11 may be counselled that they are not yet ready for the rigours of the A-Level system. They are advised to spend their 12th and final compulsory year of education working on a specially designed programme that gives them the opportunity to raise the standard of their grades at IGCSE. This is broached on a case-by case basis.

This Key Stage is dominated by the first public examinations that a pupil takes, the IGCSE exams, which are sat at the end of Year 11. These two-year courses are selected in Year 9 after extensive discussion and guidance. Currently at St. Lawrence College, all children in Years 10 and 11 take Mathematics, English (Language and possibly Literature), Greek and Physical Education (which is not currently an IGCSE subject). Pupils also select five more subjects. This will be one subject from each of the following four groups:

1. Chemistry / Business Studies
2. Physics / Geography
3. Biology / Information Technology / Art & Design
4. French / Chinese / Spanish / Information Technology / Art & Design
5. History / Physics / Extra English (non-IGCSE subject available to some pupils)

Note that although some subjects appear in more than one option block, is not possible to select the same subject more than once. Pupils receive continual guidance and support in order to aid their progress. They are assessed thoroughly and regularly and advised, where appropriate, as to whether they should sit for the extended or core option in specific IGCSE subjects where these options exist. Year 11 pupils sit mock examinations in March, by which time most, if not all, IGCSE syllabus content has been covered. These mocks give a clear indication of the position the pupils are in and on what areas they need to focus their final preparation as the real examinations approach.

Before pupils complete Year 11 and Key Stage 4 they receive orientation guidance and advice concerning what lies ahead. They learn about Key Stage 5 education, what A-Levels mean and the choices they might make with a view to higher education and career paths. The parents of pupils in Year 11 also receive this orientation guidance in separate sessions to their children.

Key Stage 3 is the first stage of British education that is in secondary (senior) school. For the first time in their education, a pupil will have ten specialist subject teachers across the eleven subjects that they will learn. These subjects are Mathematics, English, Greek, Science, History, Geography, Information Technology, Art & Design, Music, a third language (French, Spanish, or Chinese) and Physical Education (swimming, football, basketball and volleyball). Of these subjects, Mathematics, English and Greek are streamed on ability.

Pupils are carefully assessed throughout these three years of their education. This is achieved in a variety of ways through formative and summative assessment techniques with unique statistical and descriptive analytical information being communicated to parents regularly. End of year internal examinations not only provide an opportunity to assess learning that has occurred but help develop skills of examination preparation and the resilience to cope with the public examination process that is ahead of these pupils.

These three years of school are immensely important to the educational development of a child. They enter this Key Stage from primary (junior) school and leave it to start IGCSE public examination courses. This Key Stage does so much more than take a child forward in their understanding of the subject matter they are studying. It is during this Key Stage that children learn to work with a range of specialist teachers who each have a different style and slightly differing expectations of their classes. Pupils learn how to interact with and work with different adults and different sets of children. Their organisational skills develop as they learn to cope with the demands of different subjects with multiple deadlines and study skill requirements. Pupils also, of course, start to develop definite preferences for subject areas which are the first indications of where they may choose to specialise in the future.

The Art Club meets one lunchtime per week and is open to all pupils and to all levels of ability. The only thing required is enthusiasm! Much of what is created by the Art Club is exhibited around the school or at our annual, extremely popular, Art Exhibition.

Activities within the club allow its members to use of a wide range of materials and introduce pupils to a variety of artistic techniques and applications, such as mural painting, which go beyond what is taught during Art lessons. Moreover, club activities help promote pupils’ visual and historical awareness in Art and Design, while enhancing their confidence through the development of projects which require initiative. They also aim to encourage friendships and help pupils practise social skills, through working with children from different year groups. Above all, the club encourages creativity both individually and also through group projects.

When the club meets, Art teachers are always on hand to help pupils who want to further develop their natural talent as well as to those who need more guidance on improving practical skills. They build on the skills already taught during lessons and help children to improve their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

The Art Club offers A-Level Art and Design pupils an opportunity to show their appreciation of the subject through the organisation of small seminars or presentations based on a topic of their choice, which they prepare themselves. It also gives those pupils who have not chosen Art in Key Stage 4 an opportunity to continue to stay in touch with the subject and exercise their creativity in a safe and nurturing environment.

The Club is informal, fun, therapeutic and instructive in its style and content, while practically contributing to our school environment by creating and displaying work which can be enjoyed by pupils, staff and visitors alike.

St. Lawrence College has a proud tradition of helping the community through its Services Society which meets on a regular basis, throughout the school term, during break and lunch times, as well as when the need arises for immediate action. It organizes a variety of fundraising and charity events for the Children’s Village SOS in Vari, the Soup Kitchen in Anavyssos, as well as for various humanitarian crises that come up over the year. The Society regularly visits charity organisations in order to gain hands-on experience and understanding of how they function and respond to crises.

Helping one life at a time

The Society was created with the objective of developing initiative and leadership, providing pupils with the experience of working closely together to achieve a common goal and, above all, preparing them for useful citizenship by instilling in our pupils a sense of duty and volunteer spirit. Members of our Services Society learn about the principles of good citizenship and are encouraged to take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of their community. They are provided with role models of service-minded people who contribute to the community without personal financial reward, and promote high ethical standards in both public and private endeavours.

Last but not least, pupils who get actively involved in the St. Lawrence College Services Society develop compassion, patience, strategic and organisational skills, while also honing their leadership qualities.

Assessment is an essential part of the educational process at St. Lawrence College for a number of reasons. Amongst other things, assessment provides teachers, pupils and parents with a clear idea of any child’s progress and gives very good indications about how well concepts have been understood. This then enables teachers to adjust their lessons and approach in order to maximise learning.

Types of assessment

Assessment is a continuous process and is achieved using a variety of methods which fall broadly into two categories:

A. Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is an ongoing process which gives pupils the chance to demonstrate what they have learnt. Formative assessment does not involve grade assigning, but helps teachers understand whether a concept has been understood by a pupil. In return, pupils can expect specific, constructive written feedback from their teachers on all pieces of work which will clearly indicate how to further improve. There are a host of activities which can be used as a basis for formative assessment. Examples include:

• Written responses
• Class discussions and activities
• Group work
• Presentations

B. Summative Assessment

Summative assessment focuses on testing what a pupil has learned. Summative assessment tasks are graded and the marks are used to form Progress Marks and Report grades. Types of summative assessment include:

• Project work
• Essays/Writing Tasks
• Tests

Within each school year a pupil will receive 4 summative assessment marks, which illustrate his/her progress.

Electronic Progress Marks (EPMs)

Electronic Progress Marks (EPMs) are issued in November and April. Each pupil is given a mark out of 20 for each subject, based on summative assessment tasks. Departments may also give pupils a mark for the presentation of notebooks/files and may adjust an EPM based on behaviour/class contribution. The average EPM of the class is also calculated in order to provide a point of reference for pupils’ collective progress.

For more specific details on EPMs, please refer to individual departmental assessment policies.

Reports

All pupils receive two reports per year. Pupils in Years 7-10 receive reports in December and June while those in Years 11-13 are issued with reports in December and April/May. Each pupil receives a comment from each of their subject teachers and a term grade ranging from A-F. This grade is based on averaging marks given for summative assessment and can be read as follows:

A = 80%-100%
B = 65%-79%
C = 50%-64%
D = 40%-49%
E = 30%-39%
F = 0%-29%

Moreover, pupils are given a grade for effort ranging from E (Excellent) to P (Poor). Reports also feature each pupil’s exam mark from their most recent exam session, as well as the class average mark and the pupil’s position within the class.

Apart from their grades, pupils receive a) a comment from their form teacher, which may not just be about academic achievements but also about the pupil’s contribution to the school as a whole, and b) a final comment from the Headmaster or Deputy Head.

Examinations

Each year group gets examined on a regular basis. There are three different exam sessions which happen at various times within the school year.

Internal Exams

• Internal exams for Years 7-10 last for one week and take place in June

Mock Exams

• Public exam candidates in Years 11, 12 and 13 take mock exams at specially scheduled times.
• Mock exams are held in February/March for Year 11s and April/May for Years 12 and 13.
• Mock exams closely replicate public exam conditions in order to help prepare our pupils and are a useful indicator of areas which need further work in the weeks which follow.

Public Exams

• Year 11 takes Cambridge IGCSE exams in May/June
• Years 12 and 13 take Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced (A) Level exams in May/June
• Exam boards for AS and A Level exams are Cambridge, Edexcel and Pearson
• Results of all public examinations are issued in August

Evaluation and Monitoring Tests

In October, pupils in Years 7 - 9 sit MidYIS assessments and Year 10 pupils sit Yellis assessments, both of which are produced by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring based at Durham University. This is a series of computer-adaptive assessments which provide information on pupils’ strengths and weaknesses, and help us to predict how they are likely to perform at IGCSE. The results are used for evaluation purposes and provide essentidata which can be used in a number of ways such as:

• to evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s assessment and teaching practices and make adjustments where necessary
• to compare teacher and pupil performance over the years and ultimately improve teaching and learning
• to give a general indication of the skills a pupil has and how these skills might be applied in future studies
• to compare individual pupil progress from one year to the next and to highlight any causes for concern
• to provide a clear indication of where each pupil is in relation to assessment bands as set out by the UK Department for Education
• to directly compare the progress of our pupils with those of other schools around the world

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the website of St. Lawrence College, the British school in Greece. I am confident that the information and the imagery in these pages will give you a powerful indication of the warmth and happiness and above all the learning that takes place across the entire community of this wonderful school.

St. Lawrence College offers a British education to children ages 3-18, in a modern purpose-built campus set in more than 20 acres of glorious countryside in southern Athens. The school’s stunning location provides the ideal setting for unpressurised learning. It is served by an excellent communications network that provides easy access to pupils based across the entire Athens-Piraeus conurbation. In this peaceful rural setting, complete with first-class resources and facilities, children can develop their study skills and achieve lasting and meaningful learning.

They become citizens of the world, fully equipped to recognise and respect diversity...

The education our pupils receive is based upon the English National Curriculum and British educational values throughout, from pre-school through junior school (Key Stage 1 & 2) and senior school (Key Stages 3-5), with IGCSEs being taken at the end of Year 11 and AS & A-Levels in Years 12 and 13. The vast majority of our pupils progress to UK universities, while others choose to embark on their higher education experience in the US or elsewhere in the world.

Under the guidance of an outstanding body of teachers, our pupils succeed in reaching far more than their academic potential alone. They become citizens of the world, fully equipped to recognise and respect diversity, either in their immediate society or within the global environment; to appreciate and utilise the opportunities provided for them, and to understand the value of being an active and considerate member of their community. They forge bonds of friendship within an inclusive environment of pupils from more than fifty nationality backgrounds.

A website can only go so far. The best way to fully appreciate the atmosphere of happy and safe development that children live and breathe at our school is to experience it for yourself. Therefore, should you wish to visit St. Lawrence College and observe first-hand the quality of learning that happens in our stunning educational environment, it would be our pleasure to welcome you at our premises and show you face-to-face just what makes St. Lawrence College special.

Phil Holden
Headmaster

Speech Day – Last day of Academic Year

School remains closed on Monday of the Holy Spirit

Progression Tests for Years 3-6