Higher education for the website

1. Where our children go
2. Getting there – guidance, advice
3. UK Higher education
4. US universities
5. Other destinations
6. Proud of our record, but never complacent

Overview

1. It is the expectation that all children who complete their schooling at St. Lawrence College will progress to higher education
2. About 80% of pupils who graduate from SLC go to UK universities. About 10% go to universities and colleges in the USA. About 10% are “other” either staying in Greece or following higher education at universities in countries as diverse as Canada, Australia, South Africa, Holland, Ireland, South Korea
3. Pupils receive guidance and counselling at every step of the process – in group presentations and meetings and on one-to-one basis.
4. Our university guidance counsellors have immense experience to help pupils arrive at the right choices and gain access to the best higher education institutions for them.

How do pupils enter university and how does the school support them?

1. A-Levels – being globally recognised as the traditional school-leaving qualification from British education, can take a child anywhere in the world for their higher education. Most of our pupils choose to progress to UK universities and higher education institutes
2. Initial discussions with pupils begins in the first year of A-Levels, shortly after pupils start the A-Level courses. Initial discussions are held with form tutors
3. Applicants for UK universities are given guidance through the completion of the UCAS application system, including meetings and handouts. University counsellors track the progress of pupils during the process of completing all stages of UCAS applications, advising pupils on their progress
4. Extra support is given in the preparation of the personal statement – a critical component of the UCAS application
5. University application advisers prepare detailed, sympathetic references for pupils, tailor-made to illustrate the strengths and suitability of that child in the context of their educational journey thus far.
6. Applicants are given full support on all subsequent communication with higher education institutions which can include sitting for aptitude tests, travelling for interviews, submission of portfolio work and more.
7. Mock interviews are arranged for Oxbridge applicants and for pupils who have applied for Medicine and Veterinary Science
8. Applicants for the USA are given support from a dedicated team of advisors for US universities
9. US applicants are given support whether their selected universities subscribe to the Common Application System or require a unique direct application.
10. US applicants are supported through the completion of SAT or ACT examinations and are provided with appropriate transcript documentation and key points during the final school year.
11. SLC has developed and maintains close relationships with a variety of higher institutions in the UK, the USA, in Greece and beyond.
12. SLC selects with care and invites representatives of top universities to come into school and talk to pupils about higher education.
13. SLC monitors a vibrant, lively facebook group of ex-pupils who interact with current pupils in the process of applying to higher education to offer advice, tell of their own experiences and to answer questions.

Where have SLC children progressed to?

1. UK university placements over last ten years: 

2. In last two years we have sent pupils to study at a wide range of UK universities, including the following universities:Cambridge, Oxford, Bath, Leeds, Queen Mary London, LSE Reading Manchester Edinburgh, Birmingham, King’s College London, Imperial College London, Durham, Warwick, York, Lancaster and Bristol.
3. Beyond the UK: USA: Brown, NYU, Columbia, UCLA Berkeley, Boston University, University of Miami, UMass Amherst, Worldwide: Concordia (Canada), University of Toronto (Canada), University of Oslo (Norway), Melbourne (Australia), Bocconi University, Milan (Italy), Erasmus Univeristy, Rotterdam (The Netherlands)

What do they study?

The A-Levels that pupils take at SLC can give access to undergraduate studies in any field. In just the last two years, pupils have left our school and begun degree courses in subjects a s diverse as

Medicine, French, Linguistics, Sociology, Government & Politics, Natural Sciences, Accounting & Finance, Law, Animation, International Relations, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, Art, History, English Literature, Creative Writing, Film & Television Production, Biochemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Genetics, Nanotechnology, Economics

(Closing statement) SLC is proud of our pupils’ success and proud of our record in helping our pupils access many of the very best universities in the world. But we are not complacent. We recognise that receiving the right university studies at globally recognised institutions has never been more important, and has never been more competitive. We intend to build upon our success by remaining completely aware of changes to the demands made by universities. By continuing to develop the expertise of our university application advisory team and by developing our relationships with universities themselves and with organisations such as UCAS in order to give our school leavers the best chance to succeed.

The Mathematics Department celebrated International Pi Day today (traditionally marked on March 14 each year)! Pupils took part in hands-on π activities, and our Year 9 pupils even shaped the symbol of π together. Each Maths teacher wore a t-shirt with a digit of π on the back, assigned according to the number of years they have worked at the school—a riddle that several pupils successfully solved! Our pie sale was a great success, and overall it was an in(pi)ring day for everyone involved! 

On Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st May, the annual KS3 swimming galas took place, bringing together Year 7, 8, and 9 pupils for two exciting days of competition and team spirit. Our pupils gave their all, proudly representing their houses in a series of competitive and spirited swimming races.
The final results were impressively close, reflecting the determination and enthusiasm of all participants:
•    3rd Place: Epirus – 530 points
•    2nd Place: Macedonia – 550 points
•    1st Place: Attica – 680 points
A huge well done to everyone who took part and contributed to their house’s performance!
A special congratulations goes to Melina (Year 9), who made school history by setting a new record in the 25m breaststroke for Year 9 girls with an outstanding time of 18.22 seconds. This breaks the previous record of 19.71 seconds, which had stood since 2013—an incredible achievement!
Well done to all swimmers for your hard work, sportsmanship, and energy.
 

On March 19th, our school celebrated the 25th of March anniversary, Greece’s National Day, with great enthusiasm and pride. Year 6 pupils took part in a heartfelt play that portrayed key moments in Greek history, while both Year 5 and Year 6 pupils danced traditional Greek dances and sang timeless songs. These performances not only showcased the students' creativity but also provided them with a deeper understanding of the significance of this important event in Greece’s struggle for independence.

The day was a wonderful reminder of the strength and resilience of the Greek people. We are incredibly proud of our school community, which wholeheartedly embraces the Greek spirit. Together, we celebrate the past, honour our heritage, and continue to shape a bright future for the generations to come.

The week of Monday, 10th February, saw KS3 pupils compete in thrilling 80m and 150m races. Boys and girls from Years 7, 8, and 9 raced for glory, with two new school records set during the event.
Alexandros in Year 7 sprinted to victory in the 80m, clocking an incredible 11.22 seconds, breaking the previous record of 11.56 seconds. Meanwhile, Noah in Year 9 made history in the 150m, finishing in just 19.70 seconds, smashing the old record of 21.78 seconds.
Congratulations to all participants, and a special shoutout to Alexandros and Noah for their remarkable achievements!
 

On our last day of term, Year 6 pupils took a trip which has become a rite of passage for this year group as they celebrate being in the final year of junior school. The children headed off for the local bowling centre in Glyfada, where they played together, roller skated, aimed for strikes in ten-pin bowling and jumped on the trampolines to their heart's delight. 

With a party lunch to enjoy at the venue too, they came back to school at the end of the day just as full of beans as they had been at the start of the day. They headed off for home with a smile on their faces and good memories of all the laughs they'd had that day. The holidays are just round the corner, and they just can't wait!

On Thursday 10th of October 70 pupils from year 7,8 and 9 took part in a cross-country tournament hosted by ACS in Sygrou Park.
Hundreds of pupils from various international school’s took part in a cross country running tournament with plenty of healthy competition occurring between schools. Our year 8-9 pupils ran 3km and our year 7 pupils ran 2km all of whom received big cheers as they approached the finish line.
Some notable placements are Miran Kourounlian and Noah Sturmel who finished in 10th and 11th place respectively in JV boys’ division. Julia Michaelidis and Penny Karakosta who finished in 6th and 8th position in the JV girl’s division. Whereas in the 2km race Serafym Maievskyi and Yingzhi Lou finished first out of pupils in our school.
Congratulations to all those who came and took part in the event, you truly gave it your all and as a school we are very proud of how you represented us!

With the warm summer weather upon us, it's that time of year when we need to think about the important topic of sun safety. The children of Year 3 take responsibility for sharing this vital message to their schoolmates here in the junior school and they were helped by the lovely ladies from ISDIN who donated many product samples to us. The famous song – Slip/Slap/Slop is a fun way for children to learn about the ways to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun. It was an amazing day of sun awareness for the whole of the junior school. Well done Year 3!

On Friday 27^th October, the whole of the Junior School gathered in the auditorium under a warm October sun, to honour the important historical event now known as Oxi Day. Our pupils proudly portrayed the events of 1940 with enthusiasm, respect and understanding of what had happened when the Prime Minister of Greece, Ioannis Metaxas refused to comply with the Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini’s demand for troops to enter Greece unopposed. He responded to the Italian ultimatum in French, the diplomatic language at the time, “Alors, c’est la guerre!” or “Then it is War!”. His courageous stand spread around the country with Greeks taking to the streets shouting “Oxi!”. This occasion is commemorated each year as a day that represents bravery and heroism for millions of Greeks all around the world. Our pupils participated in this national celebration with Year 6 pupils narrating the most important events of that historical period, reciting poems and literacy extracts and finally singing songs together with Year 5 pupils.

On Wednesday 19^th June, St. Lawrence College hosted its Annual Awards Ceremony to bring the academic year 2022-2023 to a close. With a warm atmosphere of affection for the school, nostalgia for times gone by and with excitement for the future, our extended school community congratulated the pupils who had worked so hard all this year. The graduating class of senior school pupils preparing for university and beyond were acknowledged by all and their achievements noted. Our guest of honour, Professor Stathis Kalyvas from Oxford University spoke of finding integrity in whatsoever one should choose to do in life, and our Head Pupil relayed her thanks to all those who had contributed to educating this cohort of graduates. All in all, it was a joyous occasion to be remembered as we head into the summer and the range of fun-filled sunny days that follow. We look forward to welcoming our school body back in September for another successful year of learning!

Year 1 took a trip, which was a well-deserved treat as this year is coming to its end, when they visited the Attica Botanical Park on Wednesday 7th June. The children have been enjoying their science unit on Plants and made the most of a day in the sun to put their classroom learning to real use in the big wide world. They had the chance to play in a beautiful environment, extend their knowledge and become “plant parents”. Now their little baby spring onion will not only add a special flavour to their food but also to their lives, as it will remind them of one of the best days in Year 1! It is wonderful to see our pupils grow and blossom like the finest flowers and healthy home-grown vegetables!

We were particularly pleased with the high levels of participation in the UK Junior Maths Challenge at St Lawrence College this term. Pupils from Years 5 to 8 achieved some respectably high scores. A number of our Junior School pupils in Years 5 – 6 received Bronze and Silver awards, whilst some senior school pupils in Years 7 – 8 received Bronze, Silver and even Gold awards with excellent results. We would particularly like to commend Lawrence Papadakis, who achieved the school's highest result and will be going on to take part in an international competition of some renown, the Junior Maths Olympiad, on 14^th June. We wish him the very best of luck!

Congratulations to all who participated and tried their very best!

On Thursday 6^th April, the annual Early Years Gym Displays for FS1 and FS2 pupils started with a heart-warming dance. Following the dance, our youngest pupils displayed the skills they have developed throughout the year during their physical education lessons. The children thoroughly enjoyed performing in front of a large live audience which was made up of family and friends. 

Thank you to all who were in attendance cheering for the children as they put on a show of their accomplishments in PE this year. Most of all, well done to our amazing pupils who relished the chance to show off their learning!

On Monday 21^st and Monday 28^th of November, St Lawrence College hosted friendly football games against DES school. These games were the first interschool games for the junior school since the onset of restrictions due to the pandemic.

With a total of 40 boys and girls playing from year 5 and another 40 playing from year 6, the friendly tournament proved hugely successful. Furthermore, our after-school Cheerleading Club cheered for the year 6 pupils from the side-lines, chanting St. Lawrence and displaying an impressive performance between games.

All pupils involved loved their first taste of friendly interschool competition which was visible by their smiles on their faces in a day which brought back school spirit in a most successful manner.

The Senior school Study Zone has been a hive of university activity in recent weeks. After an initial visit by two UK university representatives a few weeks ago, we were delighted to go one step further and host our first ever mini university fair on November 11^th. On that day, representatives from five top UK universities were on hand to talk to Year 12 and Year 13 pupils on an individual basis, giving them guidance and advice. This was followed by a presentation to Year 11 pupils to give them a general idea of what to expect if they were to attend university in the UK. Finally, on Friday 18^th, for those who are interested in tertiary education a little closer to home, we were happy to welcome the International Enrolment Manager from Deree, the American College of Greece who came to talk to our sixth formers about another possible option for life after St. Lawrence College.