Ms Orfanogianni’s blog (Junior School, Year 4)

Welcome to the new St Lawrence College website. Whatever the reason for your visit, we hope you find the site helpful, informative and easy to navigate. Here you will find all you need to know about our school, whether you’re a parent, pupil or prospective member of our community. The site contains a wide range of information, from details of academic and social events, to inspection reports and guides on the curriculum we offer here at St Lawrence College. You will also find links to our social media pages.

We hope you enjoy navigating your way around the new site and find everything you need in the pages within. We also hope it gives at least a small impression of the vibrant, happy and successful atmosphere of our school. Should you need any further help, please don’t hesitate to visit the contact section and let us help you. Thank you for visiting and enjoy your stay.

The St. Lawrence College Art Club: Creativity and Fun!

The Art Club meets one lunchtime per week and is open to all pupils and to all levels of ability. The only thing required is enthusiasm! Much of what is created by the Art Club is exhibited around the school or at our annual, extremely popular, Art Exhibition.

Activities within the club allow its members to use of a wide range of materials and introduce pupils to a variety of artistic techniques and applications, such as mural painting, which go beyond what is taught during Art lessons. Moreover, club activities help promote pupils’ visual and historical awareness in Art and Design, while enhancing their confidence through the development of projects which require initiative. They also aim to encourage friendships and help pupils practise social skills, through working with children from different year groups. Above all, the club encourages creativity both individually and also through group projects.

When the club meets, Art teachers are always on hand to help pupils who want to further develop their natural talent as well as to those who need more guidance on improving practical skills. They build on the skills already taught during lessons and help children to improve their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

The Art Club offers A-Level Art and Design pupils an opportunity to show their appreciation of the subject through the organisation of small seminars or presentations based on a topic of their choice, which they prepare themselves. It also gives those pupils who have not chosen Art in Key Stage 4 an opportunity to continue to stay in touch with the subject and exercise their creativity in a safe and nurturing environment.

The Club is informal, fun, therapeutic and instructive in its style and content, while practically contributing to our school environment by creating and displaying work which can be enjoyed by pupils, staff and visitors alike.

‘Music making is about enjoyment and personal satisfaction’.

The aim of the music school is to enhance this statement thus enriching the pupils’ school life at St. Lawrence College. The Music School provides instrumental tuition in piano, violin, flute and guitar to both Junior and Senior school pupils.

Children are encouraged to prepare for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music practical and theory examinations. These examinations are internationally recognised and form part of the British National Qualifications framework. In this area, the school has set a record of all pupils achieving Merit or Distinction in their grades.

Concerts are held regularly, with pupils, teachers and also, visiting artists performing. This gives parents the opportunity to see and hear the children’s progress.

The two inspection reports below relate to inspections held in October 2016 and October 2021. Both of these were BSO (British Schools Overseas) inspections, conducted by inspectors representing the UK Department for Education and judging the school against the UK DfE’s BSO inspection criteria.

Extra-curricular clubs are a great way to make new friends, get fit or learn new skills in a safe environment. You can find a whole range of clubs available at St. Lawrence College -from infant yoga to chess.

We offer both Daytime Clubs during lunchtime/school hours, and Afternoon Clubs from 3:30 – 4:30pm, to children from Foundation Stage 1 up to Year 6.These cover a wide array of activities that make full use of our outstanding facilities, including a 25-metre outdoor heated swimming pool, outdoor tennis courts, an outdoor artificial pitch, as well as a four-court sports hall for indoor sports, such as basketball and volleyball.

Team sports
Many of our clubs promote team building and physical activity through indoor and outdoor sports, such as football, rugby, tennis, basketball, yoga, karate, rhythmics, and more. We are fortunate to have professional coaches who use their expertise to provide high quality coaching to all participating pupils.

Swimming
Swimming is a life-saving skill and can also be the beginning of many enjoyable water experiences. At St. Lawrence College, we offer afternoon swimming lessons to pupils from 2 ½ to 18 years of age, taught by friendly, caring and fully qualified instructors. Structured, planned lessons cater for all abilities, from water confidence classes right through to advanced club swimming.

Music
At St. Lawrence we believe that music is a creative and social art to be enjoyed by all and we are proud to be offering to our children the opportunity to enjoy musical experiences in our After-school Music School and Orchestra.

The Music School offers instrumental tuition in piano, violin, guitar and flute and provides children with the chance to prepare for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Examinations.

The Orchestra is great opportunity for budding musicians to display their ability by rehearsing once a week and practising along with other musicians for school concerts.

Other clubs
Other club activities provided throughout the year include the Junior School Choirs, Greek Drama/Dance for National holiday celebrations, Eco-council, Chess and Art Club.

Practical details
At the end of the summer term, families receive letters with all the available choices for both Daytime and Afternoon Clubs to be offered the following academic year. Included in the letter is the intended age group and the cost, if any, of each club.

The timetable/daily programme is drawn up in a way that provides children with varying and engaging activities throughout the year.

Most clubs (e.g. football/drama) are very popular and as a result they may have a waiting list. It’s important to register sooner rather than later, since all places are subject to availability.

An after-school activities shuttle bus service is available, with several drop off points, for those pupils who cannot be picked up directly from school by their parent/guardian.

Το St. Lawrence College είναι ένα Βρετανικό, διεθνές σχολείο, που ιδρύθηκε το 1980 και βρίσκεται στο Κορωπί, κοντά στα νότια προάστια της Αθήνας. Διαθέτει υπερσύγχρονες εγκαταστάσεις που εκτείνονται σε 80 στρέμματα γης, εκτός αστικού τοπίου.

Προσφέρει υπηρεσίες εκπαίδευσης για όλες τις βαθμίδες, από τον παιδικό σταθμό μέχρι τα Βρετανικά GCE A-Levels, καθώς και προγράμματα πρόσβασης σε πανεπιστήμια διεθνώς. Το St. Lawrence College ακολουθεί ένα μοντέλο εκπαίδευσης βασισμένο αποκλειστικά στο Βρετανικό σύστημα, με πρόγραμμα σπουδών που ακολουθεί το Εθνικό Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου. Οι εξαιρετικές ακαδημαϊκές παροχές του χαρακτηρίζονται από το επίπεδο υποστήριξης, ποιμαντικής φροντίδας και ήθους που ανταποκρίνεται στα υψηλότερα στάνταρντς της Βρετανικής εκπαίδευσης.

Στο σχολείο μας φοιτούν παιδιά από περισσότερες από 50 εθνικότητες, τα οποία επωφελούνται καθημερινά από το επίπεδο εκπαίδευσης που προσφέρει το St. Lawrence College.

Η συντριπτική πλειοψηφία των αποφοίτων μας, μετά από εξετάσεις στα A-Levels, επιλέγουν προγράμματα σπουδών που καλύπτουν σε ένα ευρύ φάσμα γνωστικών πεδίων, και συνεχίζουν τη φοίτησή τους σε πανεπιστήμια του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου όπως Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, LSE, UCL, Bath, Warwick κ.ά ή σε άλλα ανώτατα εκπαιδευτικά ιδρύματα της Ελλάδας και του εξωτερικού.

Η Βρετανική Εκπαίδευση

Το βρετανικό σύστημα χαίρει σεβασμού παγκοσμίως για την αυστηρότητα, τα ακαδημαϊκά προσόντα και το συνολικό επίπεδο εκπαίδευσης που παρέχει στα παιδιά, σε συνδυασμό με την ποιμαντική φροντίδα και υποστήριξη που λαμβάνουν καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια της πορείας τους.

Η Βρετανική εκπαίδευση ξεκινά σε προσχολικό επίπεδο, για παιδιά ηλικίας 2,5-5 ετών, στα “Early Years and Foundation Stage”.

Κατά τη σχολική ηλικία, τα παιδιά περνούν από πέντε επίπεδα εκπαίδευσης, που ονομάζονται “Key Stages”. Ξεκινούν από το Key Stage 1 όταν είναι 5 ετών και συμπληρώνουν το έκτο έτος της ηλικίας τους στη διάρκεια του σχολικού έτους.

Το δημοτικό σχολείο αποτελείται από τα Key Stages 1 και 2. Τα Key Stages 3, 4 και 5 αποτελούν το Γυμνάσιο και Λύκειο του Βρετανικού εκπαιδευτικού συστήματος. Οι μαθητές έχουν στη διάθεσή τους ένα ευρύ φάσμα επιλογών, με ακόμα περισσότερες δυνατότητες όσο προχωρούν σε μεγαλύτερα Key Stages.

Οι μαθητές του St. Lawrence College περνούν από δημόσιες εξετάσεις: από τα IGCSEs στο τέλος του 11^ου έτους σπουδών (Key Stage 4) και A-Levels στο τέλος του 13^ου έτους (Key Stage 5).

Μέχρι στιγμής, η συντριπτική πλειοψηφία των μαθητών οποιουδήποτε Βρετανικού σχολείου, στις ηλικίες 16-18, ακολουθεί το διετές πρόγραμμα A-Levels, το οποίο παρέχει ουσιαστική και ολοκληρωμένη εκπαίδευση σε τρία, τουλάχιστον, μαθήματα επιλογής, πριν από την είσοδο του παιδιού στο πανεπιστήμιο. Η πρόσβαση στα πανεπιστήμια εξαρτάται από τα αποτελέσματα των A-Levels.

Οι μαθητές προετοιμάζουν τις αιτήσεις τους στα πανεπιστήμια, υπό την καθοδήγηση και την υποστήριξη του σχολείου, στην αρχή του δεύτερου (και τελευταίου) έτους τους στα A-Levels. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι η πλειονότητα των μαθητών από όλο τον κόσμο που σπουδάζουν σε Βρετανικά πανεπιστήμια το επιτυγχάνει μέσω των A-Levels.

Η Βρετανική παιδεία αποτελεί ιδανικό ξεκίνημα για ένα παιδί, καθώς του δίνει τη δυνατότητα να εισέλθει και να διεκδικήσει τη θέση του σε μια πραγματικά παγκόσμια κοινωνία και οικονομία.

Η Βρετανική παιδεία σήμερα δίνει ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στην ανάπτυξη μαθησιακών δεξιοτήτων και καθοδηγεί τα παιδιά έτσι ώστε να εξελιχθούν σε υπεύθυνους πολίτες, που θα μπορούν να συνεισφέρουν ουσιαστικά μέσα σε μια διαρκώς μεταβαλλόμενη πολιτιστικά πολύμορφη κοινωνία. Δίνει, δε, ιδιαίτερη σημασία στη προσαρμοστικότητα, καθώς και στη φροντίδα για τους άλλους και για το περιβάλλον.

Η Ελληνική γλώσσα στο St. Lawrence College
Στο St. Lawrence College όλοι οι μαθητές διδάσκονται ελληνικά, από Έλληνες εκπαιδευτικούς, με σπουδές στην Ελλάδα και με πτυχία ελληνικών πανεπιστημίων.

Τα μαθήματα της ελληνικής γλώσσας χωρίζονται κατά επίπεδο (προχωρημένο, για όσους μαθητές έχουν τα Ελληνικά ως μητρική γλώσσα, μεσαίο και αρχάριο). Στη συνέχεια, γίνεται εντός των τάξεων και περαιτέρω διαίρεση της εργασίας, ανάλογα με τις ανάγκες των παιδιών, έτσι ώστε να λαμβάνονται υπ’ όψιν οι ιδιαίτερες απαιτήσεις του κάθε μαθητή. Αυτό στη Βρετανική εκπαίδευση καλείται “differentiation”, δηλαδή διαφοροποίηση.

Το ακαδημαϊκό πρόγραμμα των Ελληνικών, ωστόσο, επεκτείνεται και πέραν των γλωσσικών δεξιοτήτων. Οι μαθητές του Junior School, από τον τέταρτο χρόνο (Year 4) και μετά, έχουν την δυνατότητα, αν οι γονείς τους το επιλέξουν, να κάνουν επιπλέον μαθήματα στην ελληνική Ιστορία, τα οποία παραδίδονται και εξετάζονται στα ελληνικά. Στόχος των μαθημάτων είναι να εμβαθύνουν τα παιδιά στη κατανόηση και την εκτίμησή τους γύρω από την ελληνική ιστορία και τον πολιτισμό.

Στο Senior School, οι μαθητές δίνουν εξετάσεις στην ελληνική γλώσσα, αφού τα Ελληνικά προσφέρονται τόσο σε επίπεδο IGCSE όσο και σε A-Level. Συμπληρωματικά, οι μαθητές μπορούν να εξεταστούν για την πιστοποίηση της ελληνομάθειάς τους, μια πιστοποίηση η οποία αναγνωρίζεται από την ελληνική πολιτεία.

Σε όλο το σχολείο, οι σημαντικότερες επέτειοι και γεγονότα της ελληνικής Ιστορίας (28^η Οκτωβρίου, 25^η Μαρτίου, 17^η Νοεμβρίου) τιμώνται και εορτάζονται με σχολικές εκδηλώσεις, ομιλίες, θεατρικές παραστάσεις, χορευτικά και εκθέσεις της σχετικής δουλειάς των μαθητών.

ACADEMIC YEAR 2025– 2026 CALENDAR

AUTUMN TERM

Monday 1st September ** Teachers return for in-school training and pre-term preparation
Friday 5th September ** Early Years & Junior School orientation meetings
MONDAY 8th SEPTEMBER ** Autumn Term begins
Mon 27th Oct - Fri 31st October ** Half –Term Break
FRIDAY 19th DECEMBER ** Last Day of Term 

SPRING TERM

WEDNESDAY 7th JANUARY ** Spring Term begins
Mon 23rd - Fri 27th February ** Half –Term break
Wed 25th March ** Greek National Holiday
FRIDAY 3rd APRIL ** Last Day of Term

SUMMER TERM

MONDAY 20th APRIL ** Summer Term begins
FRIDAY 1st MAY ** Labour Day
MONDAY 1st June ** Whit Monday
FRIDAY 19th JUNE ** ANNUAL AWARD CEREMONY
MONDAY 22nd JUNE ** Summer School begins

SCHOOL RE-OPENS         Monday 7th SEPTEMBER 2026

Please note that in the course of a year unexpected circumstances may arise and cause the Greek authorities to issue directives which all schools must be in compliance with. For that reason all dates on this calendar are subject to potential change. Parents will always be informed of any adjustment to the calendar.
If either General or Local Elections are held during the academic year, this will necessitate the closure of the schools on the Friday before and the Monday after election day.

At St. Lawrence College we recognise the power of “drama” as an educational tool whatever the age of a child.

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

...hundreds of pupils have matured thanks to those experiences...

Highly popular drama clubs in both the junior and senior school work towards annual productions while taking time to explore theatrical and dramatic technique and practice along the way. Pupils are encouraged to learn 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”; Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” in the senior school and “The Wizard of OZ” and “Modern Fairy Tales” and “Alice in Wonderland” in the junior school, earned rave reviews. More importantly hundreds of pupils have grown for the experience and will never forget being a part of a memorable performance.

Come and join us!

On 4th of October the Government and Politics Lower VI class traced the origins of democracy on a trip to the Athenian Ancient Agora with the help and guidance of Ms Kyriakopoulou from the Greek department.  Pupils participated in an educational programme on the public life in ancient Athens and took a virtual tour of the Classical Agora at the Hellenic Cosmos Foundation. They were particularly impressed by the Athenian democracy’s methods to protect itself from potential tyrants as the assembly could vote to expel them from the country for a period of ten years. The trip was a great success, and presented an excellent opportunity for students to reflect on the foundations of their learning. How lucky we are to be learning such a subject at the birthplace of modern democracy!

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.

Public Exam Success – 4th best exam results over last 10 years

Summer 2015 results

IGCSEs –

• 59 candidates sat for a total of 506 IGCSE exams
• 53% of all IGCSEs taken resulted in A*/A grade
• 86% of all IGCSEs taken resulted in A*-C grade
• 98% of all IGCSEs taken resulted in A*-G grade

AS and A-Levels –

• 80 candidates sat for a total of 292 AS and A-Level qualifications
• 41% of all AS & A-Levels sat for resulted in an A*/A grade (A* is not available at AS-Level)
• This represents best rate of A*/A grades in last five years
• There were 20 A*s at A-Level – more than in any previous year
• More pupils got multiple A*s at A-Level than in any previous year
• 83% of all A-Levels were awarded a C grade or better

Greater detail is given in exam results video posted on this website within two weeks of the release of all results and also posted on SLC’s Facebook page

For videos from previous years click below

2015 – click here
2014 – click here
2013 – click here
2012 – click here

The St Lawrence College IGCSE Computer Science revision site. The site is aimed at year 10 and 11 pupils who have opted for Computer Science as an option and can be used to aid classwork, homework and revision.

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities / Learning Support in the Junior School

At St. Lawrence College, we are committed to fostering an inclusive education throughout the school, ensuring that the needs of every pupil are met.

All of our teachers are teachers of SEND, and differentiation is an integral part of their practice. Lessons often incorporate multi-sensory and creative approaches to provide a stimulating and supportive learning environment where every child can thrive.

an environment that nurtures self-confidence and celebrates success 

We recognise that every child is unique. Our pupils bring with them a wide range of skills and abilities, and it is vital that we identify any additional learning needs through careful observation and, where appropriate, screening. In this way, we are aware of pupils who may require extra support in order to achieve their potential and reach their goals. For some, this support may be short-term; for others, it may be longer-lasting, delivered through in-class support, small-group teaching, or one-to-one sessions. In each case, we design tailored educational programmes to meet individual needs.

Our dedicated Learning Support team includes an experienced Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), a Learning Support Coordinator, and a skilled learning support assistant.

We aim to provide an environment that nurtures self-confidence and celebrates success by recognising pupils’ strengths and encouraging them to excel. At the same time, we work closely with each child to strengthen the key skills that enable them to access the curriculum at a level appropriate to their ability. Our SEND policy outlines our code of practice here at SLC.