F.S. 1 & 2 trip to Keratea Cultural Park

At St. Lawrence College we adhere to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) standards for England.

The EYFS comprises three age/year groups:

A child may join FS1 in September from 2 years 6 months old at that time.

A child may join FS2 in September if they have turned 3 years old at that time.

Reception class children must have turned 4 years old by September to join.

We believe that all children are able to learn and succeed. We strive to provide high-quality, inclusive education to each and every one of them within a warm, secure and holistic environment, where our young pupils are encouraged and guided towards becoming self-assured, confident, autonomous learners.

We believe that all children are able to learn and succeed.

We prioritise the safety and physical well-being of our pupils and we always strive to meet their emotional needs. We are committed to a smooth continuum of learning in all areas of learning from FS1 through to reception and we take special care to ensure subtle and smooth transitions between stages. Our diverse cultural pupil body offers rich learning experiences to all children.

Our work is based on four guiding principles:

1) The Unique child
Children are encouraged to hone their skills, develop at their own rate and reach their full potential. We respect each individual’s personal learning journey and we value freedom of expression and equity, whilst providing continuing support towards reaching important milestones and gaining independence.

2) Positive relationships
We purposefully cultivate strong bonds between key persons, parents/carers and children, which lead to positive learning outcomes. Our goal is to help children develop the ability to listen and respect others, work collaboratively, and acquire tolerance, resilience, critical thinking as well as important problem solving skills.

3) Enabling environments
We maintain an 'open doors' policy and we do our best to create an inviting, safe, stimulating place of learning and discovery, where children thrive through child-focused activities, play, exploration and investigation. The setting provides a welcoming, vibrant atmosphere which clearly demonstrates the children’s abilities and accomplishments. It is a true testimony of and reflection on the children and staff who occupy and thrive within it.

4) Learning and Development
We advocate a play-based curriculum, strong on recognising personal starting points or attributes, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities, planned and delivered across seven areas of learning (three prime areas and four specific areas) by a team of dedicated early years' practitioners.

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

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

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

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

Come and join us! 

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

Helping one life at a time

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

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

Our Year 9 pupils recently returned from an unforgettable trip to London and surrounding areas, packed full of excitement and lifelong memories.

The adventure began in London, where pupils had the magical opportunity to visit the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour. It was a dream come true for Harry Potter fans and a fascinating insight into filmmaking for all.

That evening, pupils were dazzled by a spectacular performance of the West End musical Wicked. The incredible music, acting, and staging made for a truly enchanting experience, and many pupils came away inspired by the magic of live theatre.

While in the capital, pupils also enjoyed a guided tour of London’s most iconic sights — Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and Sea Life London Aquarium! They even braved the thrills and chills of the London Dungeon, learning about the city’s darker history.

The trip also took them outside the city to explore more of England’s rich heritage. In Stratford-upon-Avon, pupils walked in the footsteps of William Shakespeare, visiting his birthplace and learning about the life and times of the world’s most famous playwright. 

This trip was not only a fantastic opportunity for pupils to deepen their cultural and historical understanding, but also to bond with peers, grow in independence, and make memories they’ll cherish.

A huge thank you to all the staff who helped make the trip such a success!

Dear Parents,
I am delighted to invite you to a very valuable presentation for the parents of our pupils happening later this month at our school. A leading figure in British education, Mr Andy Buck, will be speaking on strategies that can be used by parents to support their child in his or her education. This really is an opportunity not to be missed and is equally applicable for parents of pupils from any year group across the junior and senior school.

Andy Buck’s influence on education and schools in the UK has been immense over the last twenty-five years. After headships of two schools in the UK, Andy was designated as a National Leader of Education, so outstanding were the improvements in his schools. In 2009 he was appointed as a Director of the National College of School Leadership in the UK, which is the premier training provider for UK Headteachers.

In addition, Andy was appointed as the Managing Director of one of the UK’s largest academy chain of schools, United Learning, and was responsible for setting up the UK government’s Teaching Schools programme – where new teachers are trained, assessed and gain full teaching qualifications while employed in schools.

Somehow, Andy has also found time to set up two educational organisations which support school leaders, ‘Leadership Matters’ and ‘#honk’ and has written five influential books on education and leadership. True to his roots as a Geography teacher, Andy is currently the Honorary Vice President of the UK Geographical Association and is Education Advisor to the Duke of Edinburgh/International Award.

Clearly Andy is a very busy man and so I am thrilled that he is able to visit St. Lawrence College for two days and work with senior leaders of the school, middle leaders, pupils and parents.

Andy will speak to and answer questions from parents in the Cultural Hall at 09.00am, Friday 29th September. The session will last approximately 90 minutes and as I anticipate this will be a very popular event, I ask parents to contact the junior or senior school by phone (210 8917000) or email (juniorschool@slc.gr or seniorschool@slc.gr) to tell us you will be attending and to help us plan the event.

I strongly urge you to come as firstly Andy’s advice to you will be very valuable as you support your child in their learning, and secondly because you will find the experience highly rewarding and entertaining – Andy is a fascinating and engaging speaker and will really challenge how you think about education and learning! I look forward to seeing you at this exciting event.

Sincerely,
Phil Holden
Headmaster