We promise to provide an environment that gives our pupils the best possible opportunities to develop as happy, curious, independent and eager life-long learners, who believe in themselves and in their limitless ability to learn; who are considerate of others and their needs and who care about their responsibilities as young citizens within a shared community and a diverse society.

...make a meaningful contribution to our world’s ever-pressing, ever-changing demands.

We will help our pupils gain appreciation and respect for education itself, and for the amazing opportunity they have been given by attending St. Lawrence College. When they eventually progress on from our school, every one of them will leave us fully equipped to face the world and its challenges.

They will be armed not only with globally recognised academic qualifications, but also with broader skills and with an ethos built upon a set of values that are fundamental to British education. Those values and skills will enable our pupils to flourish, while remaining confident that they can make a meaningful contribution to our world’s ever-pressing, ever-changing demands.

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.

Bullet Points:

Meets one lunch time per week

Open to all pupils and to all levels of ability

Project based work to be exhibited around the school or at our Annual Exhibition

Encourages the use of a wide range of materials

Introduces pupils to a variety of artistic techniques and applications such as Mural painting, not necessarily taught within the Art room

Promotes individual learning

Promotes learning through group projects

Provides help for those pupils who want to develop further their natural talent

Offers help to those who would like to improve their practical skills

Builds on the skills already taught during lessons and helps to further improve knowledge and understanding of this subject

Helps to promote pupils visual awareness

Helps to promote pupils historical awareness in Art and Design

Works to enhance confidence through the development of individual projects

Aims to encourage friendships and promotes diplomatic skills through working within a group

Different age groups working together creates a sense of team work

Gives the A-Level Art pupils an opportunity to show their appreciation of this subject through some small seminars or presentations of their choice, prepared by them

Gives an opportunity for creativity to those pupils who have not chosen Art in Key Stage 4

Informal, fun, therapeutic, instructive

Promotes a more aesthetically pleasing environment in and around the school for pupils, staff and visitors through e.g. display

Among the many clubs that St. Lawrence College pupils can choose from, we are especially proud of the following:

Greek Drama Club

Pupils of all nationalities and from all school years are encouraged to join this club, which meets twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays during break times.

The aim of the Greek Drama Club is to present something innovative for Greek National Celebrations, something of interest, but always related to that particular period in history. This usually includes a short play, Greek dances and songs.

Environmental Club

The Environmental Club meets once a week, usually on Fridays, and is open to all pupils in the senior school.

The aim of the club is to promote and raise awareness and understanding of environmental issues, to instil a sense of responsibility and personal commitment to protect and preserve the environment and to encourage pupils to learn more about some of the most important issues facing the world today –i.e. the benefits of recycling at home, endangered species, pollution, deforestation, and the fragility of the rainforests.

Another important objective of the club is also to give support to Greek environmental organisations, such as Arktouros and the Turtle Rescue Centre, by arranging visits and holding fundraising events.

Greek Support Club

The Greek Support Club aims to offer help to those who encounter difficulties with their Greek language skills. The club is open to native and non-native speakers alike, as well as to pupils from all years. It meets every Thursday at lunch time but participating pupils are encouraged to go and seek help any time they deem it necessary.

Yearbook Club

• The Yearbook that is produced each year is a highly prized possession for every pupil and continues to give those pupils great joy long after they leave our school. For that reason, it is important that the Yearbook is produced to the highest of standards – and that is the job of the Yearbook Club. This club is open to pupils from all years, but it is usually senior members of the school body who are the most productive in it.
• The aim of the Yearbook Club is for members to:
• Proof read yearbook pages which are being put together and critically assess them for necessary changes.
• Gather information/interview graduating pupils for the graduate page.
• Get assignments from departments or year groups to be used as resources.
• Promote regular contact with subject teachers so that club members keep abreast of events.
• Categorize resources gathered by grade, department or theme.
• Write text to go with the photographs that are to be used in the yearbook.
• Offer new ideas for the yearbook.
• Act as photographers if they wish and take photos of sporting events/other events for potential use.

Meetings happen about once per month, so that members can check on their combined progress and arrange new assignments. They usually take place during lunch break, however senior pupils often meet whenever they have free time during the day.

St. Lawrence College is proud to deliver The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

The Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is the world’s leading youth achievement award, bringing together practical experiences and useful skills to equip young people for life. Since it was founded, in 1956, by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh (husband to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom), over eight million young people have participated in the Award in over 140 countries and territories. Schools, colleges, universities, employers, social clubs, youth organisations such as the Scouts, Girl Scouts and Girl Guides, young offenders’ institutions, religious organisations, sports clubs and more all run the Award.

...the world’s leading youth achievement award...

St. Lawrence College has a long history of offering the International Award to young people aged 15 to 18 and the numbers of pupils involved has grown steadily over the years, making it one of our most popular activities.

What is involved?

The Award is voluntary, non-competitive, enjoyable and balanced, and requires effort over time. There are two levels of the Award at our school: Bronze and Silver.

The Bronze Award

The Bronze award is open to Year 10 pupils and its club meets once a week after school, from 3.30 to 4.30 pm. For the Bronze award, children are expected to undertake four adventurous expeditions –to Mt. Parnitha, Mt. Hymettos, Mt. Helikonas (with overnight camping) and Kea Island (with overnight camping).

The Silver Award

The Silver Award is open to pupils from Year 11 and above, who meet occasionally during school lunchtimes and more frequently prior to expeditions. For the Silver Award, children are expected to undertake two treks –to Mt. Menalo and Mt. Parnassos (3 days and 2 nights each).

Young people design their own Award programme, set their own goals and record their own progress. They must complete voluntary work, commit to physical recreation, learn a new skill and go on an expedition. During the expedition, they are only competing against themselves by challenging their own beliefs about what they can achieve.

More information on The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award can be found at www.intaward.org.

hrough May and June 2025 pupils from our Years 11, 12 and 13 took their IGCSE, AS-Level and A-Level exams. A grand total of 226 pupils sat for 1138 qualifications made up of around 3000 individual exam papers! Results began to emerge last week and today we see the release of the final grades to be issued (Greek GCSE).

The simple story is our pupils did us proud once again! The proportions of all kinds of qualifications hitting top grades maintained our outstanding standards from previous years and remain well above UK national averages. And there are plenty of individual success stories as well – read on for a full analysis!

Year 11 and IGCSE/ GCSE

91 pupils in Year 11 sat for 695 IGCSE qualifications in May and June 2025. Their results maintain the high standards set by cohorts of previous years at our school. The key measurements are what proportion resulted in A*/A grade, and what proportion scored A*-C (with C grade or better being considered a ‘pass’). This year’s A*/A rate of 46% showed nearly half of all IGCSEs and GCSEs taken resulted in in a top grade. This proportion was slightly down on 2024’s 49% and yet up on 2023’s 42%. The A*-C proportion of 91% this year beat both 2024 (86%) and 2023 (80%).

Individual outstanding performances from pupils included Koralia Datsiou (9A*), George Anastassiou (8A*1A) and Adrian Delaportas, Antigoni Giannakopoulou, Hailey Hyeyoon Jun and Tina Liras each of whom attained 7A* among their qualifications.

Year 12 and AS-Levels

In May and June, a total of 243 AS-Level qualifications were sat for by 72 Year 12 pupils. Once again, the standards were very high, well above UK national averages and typical of the high benchmarks our cohorts consistently set year after year. The most frequently awarded grade was A (there is no A* at AS-Level) with 37% of all AS-Levels scoring that top grade. This was a little lower than the 2024 proportion, but higher than 2023. The proportion of AS-Levels scoring at least a C grade was the highest in the last three years at 78%.

Stand out performances included George Tzoutzourakis (AAAAA), Mohamed Abdel Fattah, Athina Christoforou, Yiyi Liu, Zhuoxuan Ying and Xuefei Zhang (each attained AAAA), Alexandra Mavromichalis (AAABB), and Athanasios Argyros, Varvara Biziouk, SofiaTzagaraki-Kaseta and Jiayu Zhu (who each attained AAAB).

Year 13 and A-Levels

63 pupils sat for their final A-Level exams back in June and with the results they have gained the next stage in their educational journey commences. These 63 pupils sat exactly 200 A-Level qualifications, and their A-Level results this year were well in line with those of recent years, and consistently above UK national averages in terms of grade distributions. Just under half (46%) of all A-Levels sat resulted in an A* or A, with A being by far the most common grade awarded across all A-Levels. This is the highest proportion of A*/A in the last three years. Furthermore, an extraordinary 88% scored at least a C grade – which is the highest in the last four years. Indeed, all A-Levels in Further Mathematics, Literature, French, Greek, History and Politics resulted in at least a C.

Pupils whose performances stood out included Alexandra Kefallonitis and Jiachen Lin who both scored A*A*A*, Guoguo Chen (A*A*A), Andres Van Meek (A*A*AA), Xinyi Hu (A*A*AC), Theodora Farmakidi, Despoina Salachas and Konstantinos Zafeirakis who each attained A*AAA, Yifei Wang (A*AAB), and Saiied Matin Musavi and Alexandros Kotsatos (A*AA).

On to university!

Our school leavers are progressing to an impressive range of universities around the world now, to study hugely diverse degree courses. The most popular destination remains the UK, with around half our graduates, choosing universities across the United Kingdom. These include Imperial College, University College London (UCL), King’s College London, University for the Creative Arts, Bath, Warwick, Edinburgh, Bristol, Stirling, and Southampton as a representative selection. Other school leavers are progressing to universities in the USA, China, Canada, Australia, and across Europe in Denmark, The Netherlands, Italy, Cyprus, France, Spain, Germany and Hungary, while a small number will remain in Greece. Courses they will study include Medicine, Law, Mechanical Engineering, Graphic Design, History & Archaeology, Mathematics, Psychology, Fashion Business & Management, Maritime Engineering, Chemistry, Interior Design and the Fine Arts. We wish them all every success!

Comparing our school results to the UK averages

Our school’s results are consistently above those of the UK in recent years. While some might expect this from a fee-paying school, the pupils at St. Lawrence College could be claimed to be at an additional challenge in that so many of our cohort are working in second or even third languages as they attempt UK exams such as IGCSE and A-Levels. Add to this that we are completely inclusive and non-selective. This means that there is no academic entrance exam to our school and, on the whole, all pupils are entered for all exams in their subjects. Thus, it becomes very clear we can be extremely proud of our pupils’ collective performance and can warmly commend our school staff for their effective teaching. 

IGCSE/GCSE A*-A proportions

2023: UK 26.4%, SLC 42%

2024: UK 22.6%, SLC 49%

2025: UK 23.0%, SLC 46%

IGCSE/GCSE A*-C proportions

2023: UK 67.8%, SLC 80%

2024: UK 67.4%, SLC 86%

2025: UK 70.6%, SLC 91%

A-Level A*-A proportions

2023: UK 27.2%, SLC 46%

2024: UK 27.8%, SLC 40%

2025: UK 28.3%, SLC 45%

A-Level A*-C proportions

2023: UK 76.0%, SLC 81%

2024: UK 76.4%, SLC 77%

2025: UK 77.8%, SLC 88%

School reaction

Headmaster Phil Holden commented “I am delighted that the hard work, dedication, and commitment of so many of our pupils has been rewarded with these strong results. It is a testament to their diligence and effort, but also to the wonderful professionalism of our teachers throughout the school who have supported our pupils in their learning and their exam preparation. I especially congratulate those pupils leaving our school. As well as the high-quality study skills they have acquired, I hope they will also take happy memories with them wherever they are progressing to in the world!”

At St. Lawrence College we recognise the power of drama as an educational tool for children of all ages.

Drama provokes imagination, exercises powers of expression and supports the emotional maturity of a child. Self-control, interpretation and teamwork are also among the many skills enhanced by the process of a successful drama production. Above all, drama at St. Lawrence College offers tremendous fun for pupils, creating an outlet for energy and both physical and cerebral creativity along the way.

The highly popular drama club in the Senior School works towards an annual production while taking time to explore theatrical and dramatic technique and practice throughout the year. A considerable number of pupils are encouraged to learn more about themselves through performance while others derive their sense of accomplishment by working backstage on props, lighting, sound and set design.

Recent productions, including Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”, both performed in our purpose-built Cultural Hall, earned rave reviews. Most importantly, though, hundreds of pupils have matured thanks to those experiences and will never forget being a part of such memorable performances.

Come and join us! 

The MUN Club meets once a week at lunchtime throughout the year and welcomes pupils of Year 8 and above.

The aim of the Club is the participation in organised and official MUN events. The Club is informal but instructive in its style and content, teaching children, year after year, about the work of the UN, current world affairs and the world of diplomacy. Simultaneously, pupils develop their skills of research, teamwork, public speaking and listening.

...pupils develop their skills of research, teamwork, public speaking and listening.

Children are encouraged to conduct online research in order to locate information related to the topics of their chosen committees. They are also expected to prepare resolutions that must be presented to the committees afterwards.

The MUN Club activities help children acquire knowledge and develop critical thinking that will prove valuable to them both within and beyond the classroom. They also help pupils understand the specifics of planning and strategy and teach them how they can persuade others by using arguments as well as existing laws and treaties.

The MUN experience ensures that children understand, appreciate and respect the differences between people of various nations and encourages them to start building friendships that can last a lifetime. What’s more, it helps pupils develop team work as well as strategic skills, gain confidence around speaking and presenting arguments in front of an audience and gives them a different perspective and direction by opening new frontiers for them, both inside and outside school.

Since it is open to all pupils from Year 8 and above, the MUN Club gives children of different ages the chance to work together by helping each other and exchanging experiences and knowledge towards a common goal.

The main aim of the Forensics Club is to train pupils in the skills of public speaking and in investigating the spoken and written word in many of its forms. Practices take place during lunchtime on weekdays as well as on Saturdays in the run up to competitions. The club is open to all pupils of the senior school. The team, which represents St. Lawrence College at the annual Panhellenic Forensics Association Tournament, is chosen through try-outs.

The Panhellenic Forensics Tournament is a four-day tournament, where 18-22 schools with over 400 participants regularly take part. Participants compete in a number of events:

• Oral Interpretation of Literature (comic or dramatic)
• Duet Acting (comic or dramatic)
• Impromptu Speaking
• Original Oratory
• Group Discussion
• Debate                

St. Lawrence College has been participating, with great success, in the Panhellenic Forensics Association Tournament for the last 15 years, with a large number of pupils reaching the finals and achieving firsts in all the events. We have also consistently ranked in the top three schools in Greece and have won the Debate Cup several times. Overall, Forensics is one of the most vibrant and stimulating clubs in the school, with a reputation for ongoing excellence.

There are other competitions, tournaments and events that happen during the year both between schools and within our school. Many of these are specifically aimed at younger members of the Forensics and debate club. Above all, this active, vibrant community of performers and debaters develops key skills through an exciting and stimulating experience. Come along and find out!

Why debate?

Debating is the ability to present a constructive argument, regardless of personal opinion, either for or against on various topical issues: moral, legal or political. Teams have between fifteen minutes and several weeks to prepare their speeches, depending on the type of competition. In order to succeed, debaters must be able to think on their feet and carry out in depth research, as well as work closely with the rest of their team. Debating also develops the ability to speak with confidence in front of large audiences.
To be able to construct and then present arguments with poise and confidence is a skill that is highly prized both at university and beyond. To quote one of our former debaters, who was recruited by a major UK bank, “I just can't believe how useful debate has been in my (very brief) professional life; for example, during a recent presentation skills training seminar, there was not one single piece of advice I heard during the entire time that I hadn't already heard at least fifty times during debate practice”.

Debating at St. Lawrence College

The main focus of the year is the Panhellenic Forensics Association Tournament which is held each spring. In recent times, we have been the most successful school in this national competition, being crowned champions no less than seven times. We are also the only school in Greece to have had at least one team qualify for the quarter finals, every year we have entered. We have had teams in at least the semi-finals every year since 2010 and in 2017 won the tournament for an unprecedented third year in a row.
Debating at St. Lawrence College is not only for the senior pupils. Every summer term there is a junior competition which is open to all Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils, regardless of experience. We also enter the International Competition for Young Debaters and have seen several of our pupils qualify for the finals, which are held at the Oxford or Cambridge Union Societies.

Every winter, the debate club holds the annual Speakathon, where we invite the rest of the school to miss lessons and come along to watch debates all day long. It is an excellent opportunity for pupils who do not have any debating experience to make floor speeches and test themselves against the skills of more proficient debaters. We are also proud to have seen many of our debaters represent Greece at the World Schools Debate Championships, in which Greece has a fantastic record.

Debating at St. Lawrence College forms one of the most vibrant and stimulating clubs, with a reputation for excellence. The Debating blog can be found here.

Roll of Honour

Panhellenic Forensics Tournament

1999: Michael Pantazis & Panos Spiliotis – Champions
2004: George Kanellos & Dimitris Samouris – Runners Up
2006: Pantellis Diplas, George Kanellos & Natasha Theodosiou – Runners Up
2007: Pantellis Diplas, Elena Georgantzis & Andrew Theodosiou - Champions
2008: Suny Coscione, Elena Georgantzis & Andrew Theodosiou - Champions
2011: Nick Moschopoulos, Amy Naughton-Rumbo & Angelos Palivos – Champions
2012: Nick Moschopoulos, Amy Naughton-Rumbo & Angelos Palivos – Runners Up
2015: Johnny Palivos, Aris Papadimitriou, Arietta Valmas – Champions
2016: Nicholas Short, Melina Spanoudis, Rosie Vorri – Champions
2017: Achilleas Papadimitriou, Nicholas Short, Rosie Vorri - Champions

St. Lawrence Pupils who have been selected to represent Greece at the World Schools Championships

Anna Bogdanova (2005)                     
Alexis Diplas (2010)    
Pantellis Diplas (2007)              
Elena Georgantzis (2007, 2008)          
Alexandra Hill (2002, 2004*)              
George Kanellos (2005, 2006)   
Despina Karvounis (2013, 2014)         
Amy Naughton-Rumbo (2013)              
Angelos Palivos (2012, 2013)    
Michael Pantazis (2000, 2001)  
Dimitris Samouris (2003, 2004, 2005)
Panos Spiliotis (2000, 2001)    
Natasha Theodosiou (2006)                 
Arietta Valmas (2014,2015)             
Alex Vaos (2005)
Rosie Vorri (2016, 2017)

*represented England

Extra-curricular sports at St. Lawrence College are divided into two categories:

One includes all the senior school teams, which represent the school in all the interschool tournaments taking place amongst international schools of Greece, and the second includes all the sports clubs.

Most of the senior school sports clubs take place after a typical school day is over and offer an opportunity for all pupils to participate in a number of sports activities, exercise, socialize and advance their skills in the sports of their choice.

Senior school teams

• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Tennis

Volleyball
Four teams are represented, depending on age and gender.

• Girls under-16 team
• Girls over-16 team
• Boys under-16 team
• Boys over-16 team

Teams meet during lunch breaks, twice a week, throughout the year. They are open to all pupils in the senior school by selection following tryouts, which take place during the last two weeks of September. Teams regularly participate in interschool tournaments; every team gets to participate in one tournament.

Through the teams, pupils learn the rules and techniques of volleyball, develop discipline, sportsmanship, ethos, respect for each other, team work and patience. They also benefit from occasional visits from top volleyball players, who come to school to share experiences and inspire talented members of the teams.

Basketball
Four teams are represented, depending on age and gender.

• Girls under-16 team
• Girls over-16 team
• Boys under-16 team
• Boys over 16-team

Teams meet during lunch breaks, twice a week, throughout the year. They are open to all pupils in the senior school, by selection following tryouts, which take place during the first two weeks of January. Teams regularly participate in interschool tournaments; every team gets to participate in one tournament.

Through the teams, pupils get to learn the rules and techniques of basketball, develop discipline, sportsmanship, ethos, respect for each other, team work and patience. They also benefit from occasional visits from top basketball players, who come to school to share experiences and inspire talented members of the teams.

Football
Six teams are represented, depending on the age and the gender.

• Girls under-14 team
• Girls under-16 team
• Girls over-16 team
• Boys under-14 team
• Boys under-16 team
• Boys over-16 team

Teams meet during lunch breaks, twice a week, throughout the year. They are open to all pupils in the senior school, by selection following tryouts, which take place the last two weeks of September for all the under and over-16 teams and on the first week of January for the under-14 teams. Teams regularly participate in interschool tournaments; every team gets to participate in one tournament.

Through the teams, pupils get to learn the rules and techniques of football, develop discipline, sportsmanship, ethos, respect for each other, team work and patience. They also benefit from occasional visits from top football players, who come to school to share experiences and inspire talented members of the teams.

Tennis
Four teams are represented, depending on the age and the gender.

• Girls under-14 team
• Girls under-16 team
• Boys under-14 team
• Boys under-16 team

Teams meet during lunch breaks, twice a week, throughout the year. They are open to all pupils in the senior school, by selection following tryouts, which take place the first two weeks of April. Teams regularly participate in interschool tournaments; every team gets to participate in one tournament.

Through the teams, pupils get to learn the rules and techniques of tennis, develop discipline, sportsmanship, ethos, respect for each other, team work and patience. They also benefit from occasional visits from top tennis players, who come to school to share experiences and inspire talented members of the teams.

Senior school clubs
The clubs offered are as follows:

• Rugby
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Table tennis

Rugby
The club meets once a week, after school, throughout the year. It is open to all pupils in the senior school and participates in occasional matches against other schools.

Pupils get to learn the rules and techniques of rugby, as well as developing characteristics such as integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect, while practicing Tag Rugby, Rugby Sevens and Rugby Union.

The club is suitable for beginners and pupils who have played rugby to a good standard.

Basketball
The club meets once a week, after school, throughout the year. It is open to all pupils in the senior school and participates in occasional matches against other schools.

Pupils get to learn the rules and techniques of basketball and advance their skills at the game.

The club is suitable for beginners and pupils who have already played to a good standard.

Soccer
The club meets once a week, after school, throughout the year. It is open to all pupils in the senior school and participates in occasional matches against other schools.

Pupils get to learn the rules and techniques of soccer and advance their skills at the game.

The club is suitable for beginners and pupils who have already played to a good standard.

Swimming
The club meets once a week, after school. It is open to all pupils in the senior school and participates in occasional matches against other schools, as well as in internal school competitions according to the year group of the pupil.

Pupils get to learn the techniques of all swimming styles and advance their skills, while also improving their stamina and strengthening both their upper and lower body. The club is suitable for beginners and pupils who have already been swimming to a good standard. Pupils are streamed in groups according to their swimming level.

Tennis
The club meets once a week, after school, throughout the year. It is open to all pupils in the senior school and participates in occasional matches against other schools or clubs.

Pupils get to learn the rules and techniques of tennis and advance their skills at the game.

The club is suitable for beginners and pupils who have already played to a good standard.

Table tennis
The club meets twice a week, during lunchtime, throughout the year. It is open to all pupils in the senior school and participates in internal school competitions, according to key stage, as well as in occasional matches against other schools.

Pupils get to learn the rules and techniques of table tennis and advance their skills at the game. They also benefit from occasional visits from top table tennis players, who come to school to share experiences and inspire talented members of the teams.

The club is suitable for beginners and pupils who have already played to a good standard.

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