To mark the end of the Christmas term, we hosted the eagerly awaited ‘Teachers vs Pupils’ games. In this spirited event, a mixed team of our sixth-form pupils took on the challenge of facing a mixed team of teachers and staff in both football and volleyball.

The atmosphere was electric as hundreds of pupils from all key stages gathered to cheer on both teams. Many raised banners in support of their peers and teachers alike.

In Periods 5 and 6, the Over-16 football teams—made up of girls and boys—went head-to-head with the SLC staff team. It was a fierce match, with the teachers battling hard, but in the end, the pupils emerged victorious, winning 4-3.

In Periods 7 and 8, the spectators moved to the Indoor Gym for the volleyball match. This time, the teachers showed their strength and determination, refusing to be defeated again. After two incredibly close sets, they triumphed with a 2-0 victory. The final scores were 25-22 and 25-23, respectively.

Younger pupils are already eagerly looking forward to their turn to participate in these games in the years to come, hoping to continue this exciting tradition.

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

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

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

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

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

Junior school

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

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

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

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

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

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

Senior school

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

Each year group has a Head of Year  who works closely with the form teachers in their year group to address the well-being of all pupils under their care and to ensure that the pupils’ needs and concerns are anticipated and dealt with appropriately. It is thus that effective learning can take place in an environment that feels safe, happy and motivating for every child. Heads of Year are in frequent contact with parents as strong, regular communication between home and school is essential to provide great pastoral care.

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

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

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

Whole School

Our school employs three full-time counsellors, all trained and experienced pschologists and they are always available to support pupils as far as possible in any issues or concerns they may have at any given time. Children are allowed to make their own choices and decisions regarding counselling, provided this is consistent with their best interests.

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

Pre-Key Stage 1

Reception is the first year of primary school in the UK and is closely linked to Key Stage 1 which is comprised of Years 1 and 2.

In Reception class, children learn a wide range of skills through an equal balance of self-initiated activities and more formal class teaching methods. They are taught by one of our three experienced Reception teachers, aided by qualified TAs (teaching assistants). Children at this age are exposed to a broad and rich curriculum with units of teaching based on topics which expand their horizons and prepare them for their formal start of primary school in Year 1. More specifically, throughout their Reception year, pupils embark on the phonics, literacy and numeracy programme that they will continue to pursue throughout Years 1 and 2. 

In Year 1, their curriculum is extended to cover a greater range of subjects including those with specialist teachers, such as Music, Computing and Greek language lessons which begin during year 1. Class teachers and TAs thoroughly cover every area of need and facilitate a rapid rate of learning that takes budding pupils to an excellent level of competency in literacy and numeracy. 

Reception and Year 1 classes reside in the same area of the school, thus teachers work closely together to ensure a smooth transition between stages. This creates a natural progression for pupils who have attended Reception class with us, but is also a very careful process which caters for the needs of pupils who join us at this stage from other schools, nurseries or kindergartens.

By the end of Year 2, our pupils have grown and developed into capable, independent young learners with a skillset that ensures they can cope admirably with future challenges ahead. They are well prepared by a dedicated staff of teachers and teaching assistants who provide a rich, nurturing environment for every learner. 

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

On Thursday 27th and Friday 28th April 2017, St Lawrence College participated in a charity event with a difference - a race that isn't a race! No Finish Line is in its 17th year since its first event in 1999, and was held this year at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in Athens. Our school contributed to the grand total of km run or walked by all who took part in order to build up the distance and so build up the amount sponsors would pay. For every km covered, sponsors donated 50 cents to Children in Need . To top it all, St Lawrence took second place in the total of km covered by its team members - our children and teachers! Our 190 children from the Junior School with 21 teachers walked 1221 km altogether - quite an achievement! The Senior School had done 670 km the day before with its 85 pupils and 8 teachers.

Best records were  Konstantinos Chachamopoulos from Year 5 who ran 11km and Daniel Jackson 13km! 

Total: 1891 km in 2 days from SLC and 2nd place in teams! Let's give ourselves a big pat on the back in recognition of our efforts!

Monday 10^th October was World Mental Health Day and some events took place in the senior school to ensure pupils discussed mental health, understand how to look after it, and realise how important it is to talk about things and get help if they, or a friend/family member are struggling. In form time pupils got the conversation going about aspects of mental health with their peers and form teacher. A wall display was produced with every pupil in Years 7-13 sharing something they are grateful for that helps their mental health. The Student Council joined in the celebrations by giving out fruit juice and cereal bars to their peers in the playground at short break. At lunchtime Ms Michaelides did a special session of yoga for pupils and teachers to promote strategies that help maintain well-being. More than 40 pupils and teachers joined in this relaxation activity! Ms Zarri, our school counsellor, brought Mailo, the well-being dog, to school for the day and popped into classes and the playground to discuss the importance of everyone looking after their mental health. It was great to see so many pupils and teachers talking about mental health.

Due to a government imposed school closure, St Lawrence College is not currently able to physically open its doors to its student body. However, we are able to offer a comprehensive set of online alternatives under these unprecedented circumstances and have undertaken considerable efforts to cover every level of learning from FS1 right up to A' level classes.

The Early Years department is in regular contact with families to continue each pupil's development using the online Tapestry platform which is already a big part of the shared learning experience for our youngest children. In KS1, teachers are regularly distributing and receiving work via email and modifying it according to individual learners' needs. 

Right from KS2 (Year 3), to Year 13 for A' levels, the online Microsoft Teams Platform is being utilised successfully by all. It is new to some of our pupils and staff, but not all. Having said this, all pupils and faculty have adapted quickly to the whole situation and are making excellent use of the facilities the platform offers. 

Whilst nothing can replace face to face classroom interaction between teachers and learners, the features of this learning platform mean that lesson material is being delivered with live feedback, thus providing a valuable class experience for our pupils. Lesson material is provided and work handed in as it would be at school. Teachers, who log on for lesson time between 9 a.m. and the end of  the school day, give their classes real time support during lessons and tasks. The experience is proving worthwhile, thus we hold our teaching staff in high regard and thank them for the professional, dedicated effort they are making to ensure no one loses valuable learning time during our closure. 

We wish the whole St Lawrence College community the very best of luck and sincerely hope we all stay safe and healthy in these trying times. 

Rationale

opportunity for the development of self-reliance, self-discipline, self-confidence and responsibility for learning

also strengthens the link between home and school

quality of homework more important than quantity

complementing and reinforcing classroom learning

fostering good lifelong learning and study habit

Aims

to encourage parent/carer partnership in learning

to encourage dialogue between parents/school, school/pupils and pupils/parents

to revisit objectives taught in school

to enhance and support learning

to encourage good learning habits

to be interesting and enjoyable

What homework involves

a short amount of homework to complete

research for a project &  topic work

reading, comprehension or grammar

a maths exercise or specific mental maths skills

spelling lists

Greek, French,  Chinese, Spanish  tasks

Role of the Class Teacher 

to make it purposeful

to reward and praise children

to mark homework and give feedback

to provide an explanation for parents

to give an easy-to-follow routine

to take equal opportunities into account

Role of the Pupil

to discuss homework with parents/caregivers

to complete homework tasks within set time frames

to follow up on comments made by teachers 

to seek assistance when difficulties arise 

to organise their time to allow for homework

Role of Parents /Caregivers

to praise the child for their efforts

to help their child develop a approach with talk and positive discussions

to ensure there is a balance between homework and recreational activities

to communicate with teachers about concerns

to check the homework diary each day

to discuss homework with the child

to provide a homework area without

to use methods suggested by the teacher to assist

to check the child’s efforts to learn basics such as times tables

to encourage reading for pleasure

How long should be spent on homework?

through KS2 time spent on homework will gradually increase

years 3 and 4: up to 30 minutes daily

years 5 and 6 homework will increase to 45 minutes, apart from time spent reading for pleasure

language teachers may assign homework once a week

these time estimations are only guidelines

Assessment in KS2

Summative assessment is commonly referred to as assessment of learning, in which the focus is on determining what the student has learned at the end of a unit of instruction or at the end of a grade level. Summative assessment helps determine to what extent the instructional and learning goals have been met.

What summative assessment is done in KS2?

Weekly reviews in Years 3 & 4 each Friday morning progressing to weekly tests in Years 5 & 6

Spelling lists

Mental maths skills

Regular English comprehension and grammar

Regular maths

Science unit tests according to each year’s  Cambridge curriculum requirements

Year 3: plants, life processes, classification of animals & plants, material properties, forces & motion, scientific enquiry

Year 4: the human body, animals in their environment, states of matter, sound, electricity & magnetism, scientific enquiry

Year 5: plants, changes in states of matter, light, the earth & beyond, scientific enquiry

Year 6: the human body, animals in their environment & feeding relationships, the environment, material changes of state, forces & motion, electricity & magnetism, scientific enquiry

Language attainment tests

End of year tests of attainment in  foreign languages: Chinese, French, Greek, Spanish

Regular unit/topic tests throughout the year

Cambridge Progression Tests

In term 3 in Year 6, official tests from Cambridge are sat in the 3 core subjects: English, maths & Science.

What formative assessment is done in KS2?

Formative assessment is commonly referred to as assessment for learning, in which the focus is on monitoring student response to and progress with instruction. Formative assessment provides immediate feedback to both the teacher and student regarding the learning process.

The most common procedures of formative assessment include the following.

Feedback. A teacher provides oral or written feedback to student discussion or work. For example, a teacher responds orally to a question asked in class; provides a written comment in a response or reflective journal; or provides feedback on student work.

Observation. A teacher observes and records a student's level of engagement, academic and/or affective behaviour; develops a plan of action to support that student; implements the plan; and continues to record observations to determine its effectiveness.

Portfolios. A growth portfolio can be used to create a record of student growth in a number of areas. For example, a teacher may use writing portfolios to collect evidence of a student's progress in developing writing skills.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 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”.

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”.

On Monday 7th October, we were privileged to have the renowned educator Mr Will Ord here at school. Will Ord is an international teacher trainer, keynote speaker, and education consultant based in the UK and he was invited to talk with both parents and teachers in a series of enlightening sessions through the day.

All parents want their children to have 'successful lives', but what does that really mean? What are the key elements of a successful life in the 21st century, and what does the research say? The parents’ session explored these fundamental questions and delved into the areas of confidence, resilience, and Growth Mindsets.

Teachers worked with him to learn how to maximise the efficacy of metacognition in the classroom, recognised as the most strategically advantageous approach to developing children's learning skills. P4C was explored as staff refreshed their training in this wonderful part of the curriculum. 

Truly inspirational!

 Will Ord - Thinking Education 

In celebration of the British Science Week this March, teachers organised a wide range of events including several lessons taught by senior school pupils to our junior school children. They were terrific and enjoyed by both the children-as-teachers and their pupils. Through lessons involving STEM activities with exciting physics topics, and exciting biology topics like Adaptation, the children were completely engaged in learning. Bravo to our budding teachers from Year 7!

During the week leading up to Thanksgiving Day on Thursday 24^th November, the pupils in the junior school reflected on the positive things in their lives and practiced gratitude by sharing with their teachers and classmates something they are thankful for. Their health, homes, good food, family, friends, teachers and school were just a few of the sentiments of gratitude expressed by the children that now fill Our Thankfulness Tree. Each leaf displays our blessings and all that we appreciate in our lives.