With the onset of their very first internal exams at the end of the academic year, the pupils in Year 8 spent several PSHE lessons learning about different revision skills and healthy study habits. Their final PSHE lesson focused on finding healthy ways to deal with stress. For the second part of this lesson, the pupils in Year 8 were asked to share everything they had learned and write a letter of encouragement and advice to a pupil in Year 11. This gesture resulted in some truly touching responses of gratitude among our Year 11 pupils. All in all, it was an educational and most rewarding experience that brought our school community closer together! 

With 273 A/AS-Levels and 420 IGCSEs being sat by a total of 143 pupils, the 2019 examination cycle was an extremely busy one, culminating in the release of results this week.

And what amazing results they were!

A-Level

Quite simply, our school pupils’ A-Level results were the strongest in many years, and by a significant margin!

51% of all A-Levels taken achieved an A or A* grade (up from 34% in 2018 and 35% in 2017). To put this in context, across the UK this year, an average of 25.5% of all A-Levels taken achieved A grade or higher.

Furthermore, this year, 20% of all A-Levels taken resulted in an A*, up from 13% in 2018, 11% in 2017 and 6% in 2016. The national average this year in the UK was 8% of all A-Levels achieving an A* grade. This context really demonstrates how excellent our pupils’ A-Level results were this year and are a testament to the hard work of pupils and teachers throughout the school.

There were many cases of outstanding individual success stories, none stronger than Konstantinos Kapoutsis who scored four A* across his four A-Levels – the highest grades in A-Level in recent years. Maria Avrantini, Efstratios Chatzieleftheriou, Xinyi Liao and Dimitris Rallis all achieved at least two A*s among their A-Levels.

Our A-Level pupils are now off to a wide range of universities and colleges around the world, with the majority heading for the UK to universities such as Imperial College London, the University of Bath, The University of St. Andrews, King’s College London, The University of Durham, and the University of Manchester to name just a few.

AS-Level

At AS-Level, where the highest possible grade is A, (there is no A*), our results were again very strong. The proportion of exams that scored an A grade was 40% - exactly the same as in 2018 and up from 27% two years ago in 2017. The proportion of AS-Levels that scored a C grade or better was 73%, up from 69% last year and 59% two years ago.

Ioanna Moirasgenti secured five A grades across her five subjects. To score an A grade, a pupil needs 80%. Ioanna’s lowest mark was 94%! She scored a perfect 100% in Mathematics AS-Level and 99% in both Physics and Chemistry AS-Levels!

Andreas Hagis, Dimitris Monokandilos, Harry Karaiossifides and Yueyang Li all achieved four A grades at AS-Level and many other pupils managed multiple A grades. Congratulations to them all!

IGCSE

At IGCSE, 63 candidates sat for a total of 420 separate IGCSE qualifications – a number that was up from the 386 IGCSEs sat in 2018. The standards of our pupils’ achievements over the years has been remarkably high and this year was no exception. 47% of all the IGCSEs taken resulted in either an A or A* grade being awarded – slightly up on last year’s 45%. Furthermore, 80% resulted in at least a C grade (slightly down on last year) and the proportion of candidates who achieved at least five IGCSE grades of C or better remained the same as the average over the last five years, demonstrating our pupils are sustaining the high standards set in previous years.

It is worth noting that this year’s cohort of IGCSE pupils contained a larger proportion of pupils who had arrived at our school with little or no English skills than in previous years. Viewed in this context, the IGCSE results are particularly impressive. 

There were a number of pupils who individually excelled at IGCSE, notably Markella Papadopoulou (6A*s/3As); Jake Paternoster (6A*/3A); George Savvas (6A*/1A/2B) and Eleni Kalenti (5A*/6A).

Hard work and excellence

Headmaster Phil Holden was keen to point out that all the public examination results represented success for the pupils and the school. He commented, “these stunning results demonstrate how committed out pupils have been in their studies over the years. They have been supported by wonderful school staff and teachers and so I congratulate the pupils and thank the staff of the school who have all contributed to our pupils’ success. Exam results are the product of more than a few weeks of revision before the day of the exam – they are representative of years of learning, with guidance and support from teachers and staff right across the school. Times like this make me very proud to be head of our school and very thankful to work with such wonderful staff and pupils”.

Parent - Teacher meeting for Years 1-6 and Years 11,12,13

At St. Lawrence College, we follow the UK’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, which sets the standards for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to age five.

Our EYFS provision includes three stages:

• FS1 (Nursery): From 2 years 6 months
• FS2 (Pre-Reception): From 3 years old
• Reception: From 4 years old

We believe every child is a capable learner, and we provide a nurturing, inclusive environment where children feel secure, valued, and inspired to explore. We support each child's development at their own pace, promoting independence, confidence, and a love of learning. The diverse backgrounds of our international school community enrich the experience for all children.

We provide a nurturing, inclusive environment where children feel secure

Reception marks the final year of the EYFS and the first official year of primary education in the UK. At this stage, children begin to develop a more structured approach to learning, while still engaging in rich, play-based experiences. The curriculum balances self-initiated exploration with more formal class-based teaching. Children are introduced to phonics, early literacy, and numeracy, laying the groundwork for the academic journey they will continue in Key Stage 1.

Learning in the Early Years is rooted in four guiding principles:

1. The Unique Child – We recognise and support each child’s individual path of development, celebrating progress and self-expression.
2. Positive Relationships – Strong connections between children, staff, and families underpin learning, helping children build trust, resilience, and social skills.
3. Enabling Environments – Classrooms are welcoming, engaging spaces that encourage exploration, creativity, and discovery through play.
4. Learning and Development – Our curriculum balances child-led and adult-guided activities across seven key areas.

To ensure a well-rounded foundation, the EYFS curriculum is organised into seven interconnected areas of learning and development. These support children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth and prepare them for lifelong learning.

The Seven Areas of Learning

• Communication and Language: Building listening, understanding, and speaking skills.
• Physical Development: Encouraging movement, coordination, and healthy habits.
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Fostering confidence, empathy, and self-regulation.
• Literacy: Introducing phonics, reading, and early writing.
• Mathematics: Exploring numbers, shapes, patterns, and simple problem-solving.
• Understanding the World: Learning about people, places, nature, and technology.
• Expressive Arts and Design: Developing creativity through music, art, role-play, and imaginative activities.

Our dedicated Early Years team ensures smooth transitions between each stage — and particularly from Reception into Year 1 — creating a joyful, consistent learning journey. The close alignment between Reception and Key Stage 1 ensures pupils are well-prepared for the more formal academic expectations to come, while maintaining the nurturing and responsive approach that supports every child’s success.

On Tuesday 4^th October, 38 of our pupils in Years 10-13 participated in the Senior Mathematics Challenge, organised by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust. The Senior Mathematics Challenge is addressed to pupils in Year 13 and below with the aim to promote the love for problem solving and encourage mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency.

All our pupils enjoyed taking part in the Challenge and we are looking forward to hearing about their performances soon. Last year 80% of all the pupils who participated were awarded either a Gold, a Silver or a Bronze certificate in the Senior Mathematics Challenge, having set an excellent example to be followed!

After the coming half term break, we invite pupils from Year 11 and below to participate in the Intermediate Mathematics Challenge that will take place on Wednesday February 1^st. And later on in the year our young Mathematicians from Years 8 and below can sign up to participate in the Junior Mathematics Challenge which this year will take place on April 26^th.

We congratulate all our pupils for their participation and their efforts, while special congratulations go to Xinyi Hu and Yifei Wang who were both qualified for the Hamilton Olympiad last year.

Exam Results Success for St. Lawrence College Pupils

Through 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!”

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 / Spanish / Business Studies / 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.

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.

The annual swimming gala for years 7,8 and 9 occurred on 31^st of May. Over 80 pupils took part in the gala during which they competed, displaying the skills they developed throughout this academic year’s swimming lessons.

There were 3 school records that were broken this year. Melina Tsiklou broke 2 records for year 7 girls which stood since 2018. Melina achieved incredible times of 18.35 seconds and 33.33 seconds in 25m breaststroke and 50m freestyle respectively. In year 9 boys Ermolaos Mylonas broke the record which stood since 2014 for 25m backstroke by swimming it in 14.69 seconds.

 In a day full of heat, pupils enjoyed cooling off in the pool and the great atmosphere thanks to the parents who came and cheered from the stands. Well done to all the swimmers who participated and a special congratulations to all those receiving medals and breaking school records.

St Lawrence College welcomes families with children from two and a half years old to four years of age to drop in, stay and play at our Early Years Family Open Day on Friday 12th May between 10am and 1pm. Why not come along and meet other prospective pupils, parents and staff? Enjoy refreshments  while your young children participate in fun activities in our garden. Watch your children take part in creative arts activities and see what we can offer you and your children to support their first steps in active learning. Experience first-hand the British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum in action with our senior leadership team & Early Years practitioners. You may take the opportunity to view our extensive campus and all its excellent facilities.
 
In addition, your children will participate in a physical development session with our professional instructors of games and sports including  mini-tennis, yoga and other games. Furthermore, your children will experience our mindful approach to Personal Social & Emotional Development through the use of the Jigsaw scheme for young children. Alongside this, they will listen and interact in a communication language & literacy session specially designed to help them in their interactions with others and you will see them engage in a hands-on numeracy lesson. 

A limited number of places are available, so please apply by Friday 5th May at the latest by sending an email to info@slc.gr stating the parent's name, the pupil's name and date of birth, and a phone number. Alternatively, contact our school office (210-8917000) for more information. We look forward to meeting you on our Open Day!

Back in May and June 2026 public exams dominated schooling for our eldest pupils. Across nine weeks, a grand total of 1106 public exam qualifications were sat by 228 pupils from Years 11, 12 and 13. These IGCSEs, GCSEs, AS-Levels and A-Levels taken by our pupils are also sat at the same time in British schools around the world and in the UK as well. The anxious wait for results is now over, with exam candidates learning how they fared as exam results were released over the past two weeks.

IGCSEs/GCSEs

622 individual IGCSE and GCSE qualifications were sat by 81 pupils across Year 11 in May and June of 2026. The results achieved were markedly better than last year and represent a typical successful year’s set of results when compared to recent years. 28% of all exam results were an A* (up from 21% in 2025) and almost half, at 47%, resulted in either an A* or an A grade (up from 46% last year). 88% of all exams scored at least a C grade.

There were many individual stories of excellence.  Konstantinos Christoforos, Laura Nersesian, Ioannis Retalis and Xinwei Athina Su each scored nine A* grades. Aikaterini-Amalia Grammi-Trigkatzi and Ruijie Su both attained eight A* plus one A grade. Three other pupils, Georgios Depolo, Georgios Kotsonis and Sotiris Zafeirakis each earned seven A*s among their results.

AS-Levels

AS-Levels represent the halfway point through an A-Level course as well as being a stand-alone qualification. They are taken at the end of Year 12. In May and June 2026, 86 pupils sat a grand total of 291 AS-Levels at St. Lawrence College. This represents an almost 20% increase on 2025, when 73 pupils sat 243 AS-Levels.

By far the most common outcome among the AS-Levels taken was an A grade, with 100 of the 291 AS-Levels sat resulting in that top grade (there is no A* in AS-Level). As a proportion, this is 34% and thus slightly lower than last year’s 37%. The proportion of the 2026 AS-Levels that resulted in at least a C garde was 74%, which is the fourth best performance over the past five years.

Individual excellence abounded. Four A grades were achieved by George Anastassiou, Koralia Datsiou, Hyeyoon Hailey Jun, Anna-Lena Lampropoulou, Shangzheng Li, Zhu Julia Min and Constandinos Stathis. Ioanna Nikolopoulou attained 3As and 1B while Sophia Fotakidis, Tina Liras and Konstantinos Lymperopoulos each scored 3As.

A-Levels

A-Levels represent the pinnacle of British school educational qualifications and are taken by Year 13 pupils as they finish their schooling. In 2026, at St. Lawrence College, 61 pupils sat for a total of 193 A-Levels. 11% of these resulted in the top grade of A*. This was a higher proportion than in 2025 (10%) and also above the proportion across all A-Levels taken in the UK (9.5%).

37% of our A-Levels resulted in either A* or A grade, which was comfortably higher than the proportion across the UK, which is reported as 28%. Nevertheless, our 37% was, by a fraction, our lowest in the last three years and thus, a mild disappointment. More pleasing was that 84% of all A-Levels sat resulted in at least a C grade – a proportion that sits favourably with recent school history and is well above the UK’s 78% figure.

Once again there were some remarkable stories of individual excellence in performance. Athina Christoforou and Zhuoxuan Snow Ying each attained 3A*1A, George Tzoutzourakis managed 2A*, 2A,1B and Sofia Tzagkaraki-Kaseta scored 2A*, 2A. Other notable achievements included 2A*,A,B from Nikolaos Zafeirakis; 1A*,3A from Mohamed Abdel Fattah; and 1A*, 3A from Alexandros Vasileiadis. Xuefei Alice Zhang scored 4As, while Iliana Batzi, Maida Kourounlian and Max Stephenson each attained AAA.

On to university

These school-leaving children now progress to universities all over the world to study a range of degree courses as diverse as the locations of universities they are preparing to attend. Among the courses our school-leavers will study are Philosophy, Politics and Economics; Medicine; Law; Philosophy and Theology; Finance; Business Economics; Applied Medical Science; Hospitality Management; Chemical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering.

And where are they going? The biggest single destination by country is still the UK, with the University of Sheffield, the University of Nottingham, the University of Durham, the University of Bath, the University of Exeter, Queen Mary London and University College London (UCL) all admitting St. Lawrence College school-leavers this year.

A growing proportion of our pupils now go beyond the UK for their higher education however, and this year we see school-leavers heading to universities around the world, including Les Roches, Marbella, Spain, CUNEF Universidad, Madrid Spain; the University of Groningen, Netherlands; and the University of Southern California, USA. Some pupils will stay in Athens, with more than one school-leaver enrolling at the University of Nicosia (Athens campus).

The headmaster’s reaction to results

Speaking about the results from all public examinations, headmaster Phil Holden declared himself very satisfied. “What we have seen here, as we see every year, is that pupils who apply themselves consistently achieve very high standards in the public exams; whether that is at IGCSE, AS-Level or A-Level. Naturally I congratulate our pupils on their success, but I also congratulate, and thank, our wonderful teachers who made this success possible through excellent teaching across all the many years of schooling that led up to our pupils’ public examinations. Success at school is not measured entirely by grades in exams. Nevertheless, qualifications still matter to pupils and educational institutions alike. All our school community can take pride in what our pupils have achieved this year”.

Back in May and June 2026 public exams dominated schooling for our eldest pupils. Across nine weeks, a grand total of 1106 public exam qualifications were sat by 228 pupils from Years 11, 12 and 13. These IGCSEs, GCSEs, AS-Levels and A-Levels taken by our pupils are also sat at the same time in British schools around the world and in the UK as well. The anxious wait for results is now over, with exam candidates learning how they fared as exam results were released over the past two weeks. 

IGCSEs/GCSEs

622 individual IGCSE and GCSE qualifications were sat by 81 pupils across Year 11 in May and June of 2026. The results achieved were markedly better than last year and represent a typical successful year’s set of results when compared to recent years. 28% of all exam results were an A* (up from 21% in 2025) and almost half, at 47%, resulted in either an A* or an A grade (up from 46% last year). 88% of all exams scored at least a C grade. 

There were many individual stories of excellence.  Konstantinos Christoforos, Laura Nersesian, Ioannis Retalis and Xinwei Athina Su each scored nine A* grades. Aikaterini-Amalia Grammi-Trigkatzi and Ruijie Su both attained eight A* plus one A grade. Three other pupils, Georgios Depolo, Georgios Kotsonis and Sotiris Zafeirakis each earned seven A*s among their results.

AS-Levels

AS-Levels represent the halfway point through an A-Level course as well as being a stand-alone qualification. They are taken at the end of Year 12. In May and June 2026, 86 pupils sat a grand total of 291 AS-Levels at St. Lawrence College. This represents an almost 20% increase on 2025, when 73 pupils sat 243 AS-Levels. 

By far the most common outcome among the AS-Levels taken was an A grade, with 100 of the 291 AS-Levels sat resulting in that top grade (there is no A* in AS-Level). As a proportion, this is 34% and thus slightly lower than last year’s 37%. The proportion of the 2026 AS-Levels that resulted in at least a C garde was 74%, which is the fourth best performance over the past five years.

Individual excellence abounded. Four A grades were achieved by George Anastassiou, Koralia Datsiou, Hyeyoon Hailey Jun, Anna-Lena Lampropoulou, Marios Lempidakis (plus one B), Shangzheng Li, Zhu Julia Min and Constandinos Stathis. Ioanna Nikolopoulou attained 3As and 1B while Sophia Fotakidis, Tina Liras and Konstantinos Lymperopoulos each scored 3As.

A-Levels

A-Levels represent the pinnacle of British school educational qualifications and are taken by Year 13 pupils as they finish their schooling. In 2026, at St. Lawrence College, 61 pupils sat for a total of 193 A-Levels. 11% of these resulted in the top grade of A*. This was a higher proportion than in 2025 (10%) and also above the proportion across all A-Levels taken in the UK (9.5%). 

37% of our A-Levels resulted in either A* or A grade, which was comfortably higher than the proportion across the UK, which is reported as 28%. Nevertheless, our 37% was, by a fraction, our lowest in the last three years and thus, a mild disappointment. More pleasing was that 84% of all A-Levels sat resulted in at least a C grade – a proportion that sits favourably with recent school history and is well above the UK’s 78% figure. 

Once again there were some remarkable stories of individual excellence in performance. Athina Christoforou and Zhuoxuan Snow Ying each attained 3A*1A, George Tzoutzourakis managed 2A*, 2A,1B and Sofia Tzagkaraki-Kaseta scored 2A*, 2A. Other notable achievements included 2A*,A,B from Nikolaos Zafeirakis; 1A*,3A from Mohamed Abdel Fattah; and 1A*, 3A from Alexandros Vasileiadis. Xuefei Alice Zhang scored 4As, while Iliana Batzi, Maida Kourounlian and Max Stephenson each attained AAA.

On to university

These school-leaving children now progress to universities all over the world to study a range of degree courses as diverse as the locations of universities they are preparing to attend. Among the courses our school-leavers will study are Philosophy, Politics and Economics; Medicine; Law; Philosophy and Theology; Finance; Business Economics; Applied Medical Science; Hospitality Management; Chemical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering.

And where are they going? The biggest single destination by country is still the UK, with the University of Sheffield, the University of Nottingham, the University of Durham, the University of Bath, the University of Exeter, Queen Mary London and University College London (UCL) all admitting St. Lawrence College school-leavers this year. 

A growing proportion of our pupils now go beyond the UK for their higher education however, and this year we see school-leavers heading to universities around the world, including Les Roches, Marbella, Spain, CUNEF Universidad, Madrid Spain; the University of Groningen, Netherlands; and the University of Southern California, USA. Some pupils will stay in Athens, with more than one school-leaver enrolling at the University of Nicosia (Athens campus). 

The headmaster’s reaction to results

Speaking about the results from all public examinations, headmaster Phil Holden declared himself very satisfied. “What we have seen here, as we see every year, is that pupils who apply themselves consistently achieve very high standards in the public exams; whether that is at IGCSE, AS-Level or A-Level. Naturally I congratulate our pupils on their success, but I also congratulate, and thank, our wonderful teachers who made this success possible through excellent teaching across all the many years of schooling that led up to our pupils’ public examinations. Success at school is not measured entirely by grades in exams. Nevertheless, qualifications still matter to pupils and educational institutions alike. All our school community can take pride in what our pupils have achieved this year”.

For a third consecutive year the senior school Physics department ran a series of competitions by the British Physics Olympiad to stretch and challenge our talented Physics pupils. For the first time this year, on top of the Intermediate ‘’Physics Challenge’’ for Year 11, the ‘’Senior Physics Challenge’’ for Year 12, the ‘’Physics Challenge’’ and ‘’BPhO Round 1’’ for Year 13, we also introduced the ‘’Junior Physics Challenge’’ for Year 10!

The number of pupils that participated, particularly from Year 10, was impressive showing once again that our pupils want to challenge and push themselves in Physics.

Below is a list of all the contestants and the awards they won per competition. Congratulations everyone, we are very proud of you!

Like every other year, top Physics pupils of their age from UK and international schools took part, so even what may seem to be a modest mark still includes our pupils in the very top rank of participants.

Special shout out to:

• Nassos and George for achieving a Gold award in the Junior Physics Challenge, awarded only to the top 14.7% out of roughly 12,700 contestants from 275 schools!
• Kristian and Ziqing for achieving a Gold award in the Senior Physics Challenge, awarded only to the top 8.8% out of roughly 6,000 contestants from 500 schools!
• Yuqian, our British Physics Olympiad champion, for attaining a Merit Certificate in the Physics Challenge and a Gold award in Round 1 and who is leaving our school with a grand total of six British Physics Olympiad awards!

The anxious wait is over and those pupils who took public examinations at the end of the school year have got their results! Pupils who sat for IGCSEs, AS-Levels and A-Levels now know how they have fared in the exams they sat in May and June this year. And once again, 150 or so pupils have done themselves, their families, their teachers and our school proud. 

IGCSEs

Once again, the pupils’ results demonstrate an extremely high standard of achievement. In terms of proportion of exams that achieved a ‘C’ grade or better, the IGCSE results were the best over the last five years. 90% of all IGCSEs taken resulted in A*-C grades. That beats the 89% (2017), 88% (2016), 86% (2015) and 83% (2014) in recent years. In terms of what proportion of the IGCSEs taken were A*/A grades, this year we achieved 45%. Not as high as last year’s 50% but just above 2016’s 44%.

Stand out performances included Ioanna Moirasgenti, who took nine IGCSEs and achieved 9A*s. Likewise, Dimitris Monokandilos and Alexandros-Gazi Bsarat both excelled with seven A* IGCSEs each.

AS-Levels

AS-Level marks the halfway point in the two-year A-Level programme. This year, a grand total of 184 AS-Level entries were made across 14 subjects. The highest possible grade is ‘A’ as ‘A*’ does not exist at AS-Level. This year, 40% of all AS-Level exams resulted in an ‘A’ grade. That is the best proportion of ‘A’ grades for some time (2017 – 29%; 2016 – 39%) and reflects the high standards achieved by pupils in Year 12 this year. Truly excellent exam results from individual pupils included those by Efstratios Chatzieleftheriou, who achieved an ‘A’ grade in six AS-Level subjects, while Maria Avrantinis, Li Dan, Konstantinos Kapoutsis and Isabella Kontogiannis all scored four ‘A’ grades each across their AS-Level exams.

A-Levels

At A-Level, there were 135 exam entries. The highest grade that can be achieved at A-Level is A*. These are extraordinarily difficult to attain, as a mark of over 90% has to be scored exclusively on the work covered in the exams of the second (and more difficult) A-Level year. The 2018 exam session saw a greater ratio of A*s than in either of our last two years of exams. Thus, while in 2016 A*s were 6% of all A-Levels taken, and in 2017, A*s were 11%, this year A*s made up 13% of all A-Levels taken. A fine reflection on the quality of work by the pupils – and the quality of teaching by teachers!

Furthermore, a remarkable 80% of all A-Levels resulted in “C grade or better”. Among the very notable performances at A-Level were Ivy Hewett (4A* & 1A), Emily Holden (2A* & 2A), Alessandro Gressani (2A* & 2A) and Alexander Petropoulos (2A* & 2A). Absolutely brilliant!

St. Lawrence College A-Level school leavers are now progressing to higher education institutions. For most, this will be to UK universities, including UCL, Warwick, Edinburgh, Queen Mary, Sussex, UEA Norwich, Newcastle, Essex and many others. Some pupils will start their higher education outside the UK, including in the USA, Australia, Holland, Switzerland among other destinations.

Our pupils will be studying for degrees in disciplines as diverse as Medicine, Law, Development Economics, Mathematics, Modern Languages & Business, Human Nutrition, Communication and Media Studies, Zoology, Psychology, Aerospace Engineering and Biomedical Sciences to name just some!

St. Lawrence College Headmaster Mr Phil Holden was understandably very happy with the school’s results, commenting “What wonderful results! As a head – and as a parent – I am so delighted and proud of all these achievements. I also want to congratulate and thank the teachers throughout the school who have contributed to the achievement of these pupils. I hope that these wonderful results will serve as an example and an inspiration to the younger pupils of St. Lawrence College, showing them what can be achieved through hard work and consistent effort”.

This week, our Year 8 pupils presented their projects on the topic of fast food.

The pupils’ research project on ‘How fast food affects health and the environment’, linked to the science department’s  unit on ‘food and digestion’, and gave the pupils the opportunity to explore various aspects of the topic in an open-ended manner. Thanks to their research on this unit, the pupils have been motivated to make positive decisions about their diets, as well as to take action and further and inform and educate our school community, through a poster presentation event.

The event took place on Monday13^th of January, with teachers and pupils from across the senior school visiting the Year 8 science class. During the poster presentation, the Year 8 pupils set their stations around the classroom and presented simultaneously, as their guests circulated and asked questions. They explained the controversies of the topic, described the conclusions and made proposals for the future, discussing their views.

There was definitely a real buzz around the room and our guests were impressed by the pupils’ presentation and debating skills. Several pupils expressed that the experience of researching the topic and what they had learnt through listening to pupils would encourage them to rethink their fast food consumption. Well done Year 8!