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. 

Ms. Giaouri’s Greek Department Blog.

This is the school’s Debate Club blog that contains information, links and training for the SLC debaters.
 

This the blog from the Library that contains a fascinating collection of creative writing and poetry from pupils of all grades as well as news of events and displays hosted by the school Library.

This is a YouTube channel containing many videos for Economics AS and A-Level pupils. There are a few videos on accounting for Business Studies IGCSE pupils as well.

This is also from the Geography Department that caters specifically for AS and A-Level pupils taking Geography.

This is the blog of the Geography Department. It is designed to provide pupils with useful materials and links to real world Geography issues in the news. This blog was voted as one of the best 20 schools’ Geography blogs on the internet in a recent British educational review.

This blog has been set up, again by the History Department, but this is for the exclusive use of AS and A-Level History pupils.

This is the History Department’s blog aimed for use for pupils from year 7 through to year 11. It contains useful articles, downloadable material and links for all pupils.

School lunches are an integral part of school life. Our own catering service prepares international-style food on site. The menus are regularly assessed by independent experts to ensure that our pupils enjoy nutritionally-balanced, healthy meals.

The menus are regularly updated to ensure that a fresh and healthy selection of food is available for the pupils. Vegetarians and children with special dietary requirements are also catered for.

In the Early Years and Junior School, the children’s lunchtime orders are dealt with on a daily basis at the start of the school day when registration is taken. At lunchtime, the children’s orders are sent to their classes.

In the senior school, a more informal arrangement stands whereby the pupils make their own arrangements for meal choices during either of the two breaks between sessions.