On Tuesday, 25th February 2020, Year 3 took an interesting trip to Planet Physics in Athens. There, they examined all kinds of interactive displays which taught them about their latest topic in science, Forces. There were experiments pertaining to gravity, magnetism, pushes and pulls, torque and inertia. Learning happens everywhere!

On Tuesday 11th June 2019, Year 3 visited the Diomidous Botanical Gardens in Athens.The trip was an extension of their fascinating science topic work and served to teach them all about plants and habitats. 

Walking through the gardens, the pupils enjoyed the beautiful, serene environment and witnessed first-hand how much life there is around around us even in the city. They learned about the different types of plants and their life processes including carobs, rosemary bushes, a bamboo forest, magnolia trees, waterproof lotus pads, and ginkgo biloba, just to name a few. 

On Wednesday 13th February 2019, Year 6 headed off to Gaia, the Earth section of the well-known Goulandris Museum in Kifissia, Athens. Having studied a fascinating science unit on the environment at school since this Spring term began, the children were well-prepared to respond to our guides' questions and quizzes during the visit. Information about how humans affect the Earth was shared and displays about our precious natural resources were discussed. A very valid experience was had by all.

Following on from our hugely successful science fair a few week's ago, all the children have been eagerly participating in class investigations with great gusto. Here's year 3 working outdoors on an investigation of forces. They looked at creating a fair test which used particular variables - some groups tested various ramp surfaces for friction, while others varied the height of the same ramp to see how far their objects rolled. Distances were compared and scientific conclusions discussed. Excellent job!

Year 7 will enjoy a visit to Attica Zoo at Spata as part of the Science Curriculum completing a variety of written tasks to help them better understand the mammals, reptiles and birds on show at the zoo. The pupils leave school at 9am and will return at the beginning of lunch break.

On Tuesday, 10th October, 2017, our Year 3 children visited Pedopolis where they took a close look at a subject very close to their hearts in more ways than one - Healthy Eating. They participated in numerous hands-on activities related to their science unit under study this term.

The children really enjoyed making themselves a colourful place mat which illustrated all five different food groups. Then, they followed instructions to prepare a delicious healthy smoothie! Eating it afterwards was even more of a treat! 

The children also listened to a guest speaker, Mr Bill Kokkalis, an Australian trained physiotherapist who taught them about the importance of exercise in their daily life and the many benefits it offers to their body and mind. When asked if the children preferred an active 'Kangaroo Lifestyle' or an inactive 'Koala Lifestyle', we were extremely happy that they happily chose the kangaroo over the koala! A great day overall!

On Wednesday 15th March, Year 5 dashed off to Planet Physics, a new museum that promotes science learning in a fun, interactive format. As the children have been studying the topic of light, this trip was the finishing high point of their course of study. They witnessed use of a prism to demonstrate how white is not a colour: when white light is directed onto a prism, light is refracted into different colours. Additionally, a colour wheel (Newton’s disc) was spun very quickly and once it was spinning very fast, all that could be seen on the wheel was white. Our pupils thought it was quite impressive! Following this, coloured shadows were made and mixed using a blue, red and green laser which overlapped, producing a variety of coloured shadows. A whole range of other exhibits were available for the children to manipulate including a plasma ball and a theremin (a musical instrument which requires no physical contact). All in all a fascinating trip that was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

And that's just the children! On Wednesday, 1st February, Year 4 took themselves off to the Athenaion Cinema in Athens to participate in a 3-D interactive programme all about wildlife in Greece. They learned about the animals and their habitats as part of the children's current unit of study in Science.

The children responded ever so enthusiastically to the experience and answered many questions on the topics explored.  Our little experts did so well in fact, that Nicholas Giannopolous and Leo Droggitis excelled themselves, winning first place out of the three schools who attended the show.

All in all, it was a highly entertaining and super informative experience for these young scientists who are growing up to have an excellent awareness of real-life issues are of relevance to them here in Greece.

Year 2 enjoyed a visit to the Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum near the Acropolis in Athens on Wednesday, 23rd November 2016. As part of their topic work in science this term, the pupils have been discussing Changes in Materials. They were awestruck watching how gold is melted and worked with using various techniques to produce intricately beautiful gold pieces of art.

A hands-on approach to the workman’s bench and tools; a look at semi-precious stones like amethyst and obsidian in their natural forms; as well as a video on fine gold techniques, all had the pupils mesmerized. They even tried on a large golden snake and ancient neck piece!

Pupils were then asked to produce a sketch of their own which may end up as the basis for “real jewellery” from the Lalaounis craftsmen. Wouldn't that be a treat to see!

1. Outstanding facilities in a beautiful campus

Situated in a 20-acre campus, the school boasts some of the most up-to-date and complete facilities among education providers in Greece. Sports facilities are unrivalled and include a water-polo dimensioned heated swimming pool with an adjacent mini-pool for very young children, a full-sized all-weather football pitch with seating for 300 spectators, a fully equipped indoor gymnasium with seating for 200 spectators and outdoor tennis and basketball courts.

In addition, the school makes constant use of an amphitheatre, piano rooms, outstanding science laboratories, junior and senior school libraries, fully equipped I.T. suites and the most modern teaching tools in classrooms. All of this is contained within our glorious campus – an entirely single storey purpose-built complex which is airy, uncrowded, surrounded by beautiful hills and by in the fresh air of the southern Athenian suburbs, thus creating a peaceful, calm environment for learning.

2. A truly British education

Our school truly delivers those characteristics of an educational system that is internationally recognised as being effective and progressive – the British educational system, governed by the English National Curriculum. Furthermore, it is the intention of St. Lawrence College to promote among our pupils a value system that is underpinned by the values that make up the core of a modern British education – values of caring, tolerance, fair-play, showing enthusiasm, the practice of a moral code of decency and the intent to strive for excellence while being aware of the needs of others. These values are coupled with progress in learning through self-belief and self-confidence and, ultimately, academic qualifications that are globally recognised. This is what a pupil at St. Lawrence College can aspire to.

3. A broad curriculum that builds great learners

Pupils experience a broad curriculum -built around the UK government’s National Curriculum for England- whatever their age and whichever Key Stage they are in. They also take Greek classes from Year 1, as well as a third language, chosen from a wide range of options, at Year 4. Pupils enjoy great flexibility in IGCSE choices and their A-Level subjects, but also receive considerable guidance and orientation as they make their selection. Parents are also provided with constant advice and information as to what the curriculum choices mean for their child and are encouraged to discuss options choices with their child.

4. A multicultural community

As a British school in Greece we take pride in that our pupils are drawn from a very diverse background: we wouldn’t want that to be any other way. At the last count, there were more than fifty nationality backgrounds among our pupils –a true celebration of cultures. This provides a wonderful opportunity to promote tolerance and understanding, an awareness and appreciation of differences between our experiences. This diversity is also present among our teaching staff and functions as a key element in our drive towards the values of mutual respect and care.

5. A fully inclusive, non-selective pupil body

St. Lawrence College is non-selective. This means there is no entrance examination that must be passed for a child to be admitted. We believe that every child has the right to an opportunity to learn. We work hard to instil a growth mindset among pupils and staff and we celebrate effort and determination to learn, first and foremost. Children with learning and behaviour challenges progress well at St. Lawrence College, thanks to the attention provided by our learning support and SEN programmes for both Junior and Senior school students [links to their respective pages] and by the happy learning environment that permeates the school as a whole. Simply put, every child matters.

6. A happy and safe environment – top quality pastoral care

Great care is taken to ensure that our pupils are able to grow and develop as thoughtful citizens, aware of each other and of the community they live in, and that they feel happy, safe and enthusiastic about their learning. This is the result of first-rate pastoral care, which, at St. Lawrence College, is achieved through a system of care provision modelled on the British system and undertaken by experienced, trained and caring staff. See Pastoral Care for more information.

7. Smooth integration of pupils seeking to improve their English

Every year we are joined by pupils seeking to improve their English before fully integrating into the regular British school programme. St. Lawrence College has carefully designed EAL (English as an Additional Language) programmes to help pupils quickly raise their English skills. It is a system that works – irrespective of the age of the child. We are proud of our ability to assimilate pupils into our very diverse pupil body, where everyone learns and everyone is welcome.

8. Enrichment opportunities - activities beyond the classroom

Learning can take place at any time and should be fun. That is why at St. Lawrence College there is a wide range of activities and clubs that pupils can be a part of. There are so many opportunities to develop a new skill, have fun and make new friends. These range from sports activities such as swimming, football, basketball, tennis and many others, to challenges such as the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, to music, drama, debating, forensics and public speaking, the Model United Nations, environmental and charity work and plenty more.

9. Excellence in early years

Fostering the pleasure of imaginative play and a love and enjoyment of learning, our Early Years setting and dedicated practitioners provide the most wonderful start to your child’s learning journey at St. Lawrence College. Our warm and caring environment and its provision of stimulating play-based activities inspires our pupils to be curious, ask questions and develop an awe and wonder of the world.

10. The largest provider of A-Levels in Greece

A-Levels are the true and traditional post-16 educational qualification in the UK, with over 95% of UK schools offering education after GCSEs using it. Most importantly, A-Levels help pupils develop the essential study skills that must be in place if their progression to higher education is to be successful. No other institution in Greece teaches or enters more pupils for A-Level examinations than St. Lawrence College.

Here at St. Lawrence College, that the most common grade at A-Level, year after year, is an A grade, demonstrates the quality of delivery of this vitally important, pre-university stage of British education. Along with our expert and individually-tailored pastoral support and counselling, St. Lawrence College pupils are well-served and on track to access UK higher education or indeed any higher education institution in the world.

11. Top Academic Results Year After Year

Formal assessment through public examinations first occurs in Year 11 with IGCSEs, then continues in Year 12 with AS-Levels and is completed in Year 13 with A-Levels. St. Lawrence College has maintained very impressive standards in all of these examination standards, year after year. We are a non-selective school, and as such we are proud that the proportion of pupils who achieve at least five IGCSEs of at least grade C is consistently close to 90% (the UK average being 55%) – and at all levels of examination, IGCSE, AS-Level and A-Level, the most common grade achieved by far is the top grade of A/A*.

12. The perfect springboard to UK and global higher education

Pupils from our school access the very best universities all over the world. Most (around 80%) select to enter UK universities while others choose to go to the US, Canada, Europe or elsewhere for their higher education. Wherever they choose to study, St. Lawrence College provides the perfect combination of teaching excellence and informative one-to-one support before during and after the application process. It gives us great pleasure to see a young adult leave school and embark upon their chosen field of study, that’s why we strive to ensure that our pupils have access to a team of professionals in possession of deep experience, who also really care about them. 

13. Enthusiastic and highly qualified teaching staff

More than eighty teachers and more than 150 staff across the entire school are here to deliver the highest quality educational care within a safe and pleasant environment. Children are given the very best of opportunities to learn, thanks to the dedication and experience of teachers and educational practitioners who receive continual training in educational theory and who always seek out opportunities to improve their work. At St. Lawrence College we firmly believe that learning does not end with childhood –and we practise what we preach!

14. Continual Improvement

We stand for and expect continual improvement, from pupils but also from ourselves. We are proud of what we have achieved but we never want to stop moving forward. After all, when we promote and encourage self-reflection in our pupils, how could we not do the same as a school? This results in our teaching staff enjoying regular training delivered by expert educationalists, from the UK and beyond, undertaking on-line and off-site courses and working together to support and build upon their performance and effectiveness in their teaching. The school also continually reviews its curriculum and facilities in order to provide the very best and most modern and relevant educational experience possible.

The St. Lawrence College campus is ideally located at the south eastern suburbs of Athens, 15 minutes by car from the airport and Glyfada, 30 minutes from Kifissia. The well-designed and well-equipped school setting consists of a wooden, earthquake resistant construction all at ground-floor level, situated in a 20-acre peaceful country environment.

...situated in a 20-acre peaceful country environment.

The school is constantly undergoing considerable expansion and refurbishment through considerable investment to cater for our growing school roll. The school currently features a modern suite of science laboratories, state of the art computer labs, a junior school library, a purpose built study room in the senior school, a 400-seat open-air amphitheatre, an Exhibition Centre, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, an Olympic-size heated swimming pool, an all-purpose air conditioned indoor gymnasium and a full size 11-a-side football pitch. Plans are underway for construction of significant additions to the school in the foreseeable future and should enhance our wealth of resources even more.

The school’s extensive facilities serve to complement the high academic standing of St. Lawrence College and provide the foundation for its many educational and extra-curricular activities.

(Years 1 and 2)

Key Stage 1 covers Years 1 and 2 of primary education and builds on children’s early learning by introducing a broader, more structured curriculum. At this stage, pupils begin to deepen their understanding of core subjects while developing greater independence and confidence as learners.

In Year 1, the curriculum expands to include a range of subjects delivered through engaging, topic-based learning. Alongside class teachers and teaching assistants, pupils benefit from the expertise of specialist teachers in subjects such as Music, Computing, and Greek language, which is introduced during this year. Teaching is carefully differentiated to meet the individual needs of each pupil, ensuring strong progress in literacy, numeracy, science and beyond.

Our experienced staff foster a nurturing environment that balances high academic expectations with personalised support. Teachers and teaching assistants work closely to ensure pupils are continually challenged while also receiving the encouragement and guidance they need to succeed.

a nurturing environment that balances high academic expectations with personalised support

By the end of Year 2, children have developed into capable, curious, and confident learners. They are well-prepared for the transition into Key Stage 2, equipped with a solid foundation in essential skills and the enthusiasm to embrace new challenges. Throughout their time in Key Stage 1, pupils benefit from a rich, supportive learning environment where each individual is valued and empowered to achieve their best.

Key Stage 3 is the first stage of British education that is in secondary (senior) school. For the first time in their education, a pupil will have ten specialist subject teachers across the eleven subjects that they will learn. These subjects are Mathematics, English, Greek, Science, History, Geography, Information Technology, Art & Design, Music, a third language (French or Spanish) and Physical Education (swimming, football, basketball and volleyball). Of these subjects, Mathematics, English and Greek are streamed on ability.

Pupils are carefully assessed throughout these three years of their education. This is achieved in a variety of ways through formative and summative assessment techniques with unique statistical and descriptive analytical information being communicated to parents regularly. End of year internal examinations not only provide an opportunity to assess learning that has occurred but help develop skills of examination preparation and the resilience to cope with the public examination process that is ahead of these pupils.

These three years of school are immensely important to the educational development of a child. They enter this Key Stage from primary (junior) school and leave it to start IGCSE public examination courses. This Key Stage does so much more than take a child forward in their understanding of the subject matter they are studying. It is during this Key Stage that children learn to work with a range of specialist teachers who each have a different style and slightly differing expectations of their classes. Pupils learn how to interact with and work with different adults and different sets of children. Their organisational skills develop as they learn to cope with the demands of different subjects with multiple deadlines and study skill requirements. Pupils also, of course, start to develop definite preferences for subject areas which are the first indications of where they may choose to specialise in the future.

The EAL is a language support department for new pupils from all over the world, whose English needs to be brought up to the level required to follow classes in our British curriculum successfully. It offers a safe, nurturing, multinational environment that helps newcomers settle into the school programme and improve their English, so that they are adequately equipped to follow regular classes whatever their year group. The EAL department caters for pupils with English of any level from beginners to intermediate.

Depending on their level of English, new pupils start by spending up to 26 periods a week following an intensive English language course, which covers all skills – reading, writing, listening, speaking. These periods are gradually reduced and replaced by different subjects that are added to the pupil’s timetable as their level of English improves.

...offers a safe, nurturing, multinational environment...

As a basis for the intensive course, we use a well-tested course book, which is supplemented by extra vocabulary, grammar, speaking and discussion and other language-learning activities – anything goes, really, as long as it helps improve everyone’s English!

The department also has a lending library of graded readers, whose aim is to aid acquisition of language outside of school in an enjoyable way. Support in other subjects, such as History, Geography and Science, is also provided, especially in terms of vocabulary.

The EAL Department plays an important pastoral role, as its teachers are in a position to oversee the pupils’ progress in all areas and intervene when necessary, to ensure that every pupil is being encouraged, rather than discouraged, by the level of challenge they are exposed to.

The EAL department can also offer continued support in the form of “Extra English” whenever an additional language (French / Spanish / Chinese) is deemed an excessive demand for a pupil still trying to master English.

From 9^th-13^th October the senior school had some interesting events happening for Mental Health Awareness Week.

To get the ball rolling, on World Mental Health Day the assembly by Ms Perraki was all about ending the stigma attached to mental health. All pupils and teachers in the senior school wore stickers of a green ribbon for the day showing our support for reaching out and talking about mental health. Also, some Year 12 and 13 pupils took fun photos of senior school pupils and staff with helium balloons and our St. Lawrence College mental health matters photo frame at short break and lunch. It was incredibly popular, and it was great to see so many people enjoying the photoshoot!    

On Wednesday 10^th October all the senior school had extended form for ‘Friendship Form’. An older and younger form group were paired up and pupils had the opportunity to discuss scenarios about mental health support and the older pupils shares advice with younger pupils. We will have some more Friendship Form opportunities at regular intervals in the year to encourage the cooperation and interaction between different year groups. At lunchtime on Wednesday, Ms Michaelides ran a yoga session for staff and pupils to enjoy. The Year 7 and 8 pupils that attended really enjoyed the session. 

During the week the Art, PE, Science, EAL and PSHE lessons had an array of happenings related to mental health. Pupils in Years 10-13 did an activity about managing stress in form time to get pupils to consider how to manage pressures they may face.

Around school, wall displays also raised awareness of the importance of looking after your mental wellbeing and ending the stigma attached to mental health.

The Pastoral Team ensure that mental health is considered every day at St. Lawrence College, but this very varied week was much appreciated and supported by all our school community.