Dana graduated from the Faculty of Arts at Charles University with an MA in English Language and Literature, Czech Language and Literature and Pedagogy and Psychology. She then taught English at Gymnázium Botičská in Prague during the memorable days of the Velvet Revolution.
She has lived in the UK for the past thirty years where she worked as a translator and public service interpreter in London, taught IB in Czech Literature at the International School in London and the ACS International School Egham, and also remotely at the International School of Zug and Luzern and Copenhagen International School.
During the 2020-21 lockdown, Dana worked with vulnerable children in the City of Westminster.
Dana believes in the transformative power of knowledge and literature and likes sharing music and poetry. She plays the guitar and ukulele and enjoys cycling, nature, history and gardening.
Of our students who left school in the summer of 2021, 66 were awarded places at their first choice university. These include Cambridge, University College London, Durham, Warwick, Exeter, Bath, Bristol, King’s College London, New York University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Amsterdam, Leiden, TU Munich, Trinity College Dublin, ČVUT and Charles University amongst others.
In terms of university results, we have had one of the best years in the College’s history. 98% of the students who applied to university succeeded at their first choice university on results day. This figure is usually between 77-82%. Our top university destination country is now the Netherlands with 27.7% of students making it their first choice. Importantly, the UK is still holding strong with 26.3% of students opting to study there. Around 19% of students opted to continue their studies in the Czech Republic, with Charles University being the most popular choice (most students opting for medicine or law).
Additionally, the rest of the students opted for a diverse range of destinations. These include Canada (4 students), the USA (2 students), Italy (2 students), Germany (1 student) or Ireland (1 student). The universities they will attend include the University of British Columbia, NYU, Boston University, TU Munich and Trinity College Dublin.
Congratulations to our 2021 graduates, we wish them all the best in the next chapter of their life.
If you ask any ECP graduate to name one inanimate object that reminds them of their school days, the chances are that they will say ‘the Blue Doors’.
To our students, the sight of those blue doors, as they walk up from Sokolovská or Vysočanská metro station, provides the reassurance that a warm welcome is waiting for them. So it’s not surprising that nearly every graduate who comes back to visit us wants to have their photograph taken in front of the Blue Doors.
Over 1,500 IB Graduates
The ECP opened its doors for the first time on 4 September 1994 and since then, over 1,500 students have graduated with the IB Diploma. But the building was originally a primary school, built in 1890. The Blue Doors must therefore have welcomed literally thousands of young people over the years.
Face-Lift
So when we bought the freehold of the building from Prague 9 Council earlier this year, it was obvious to everyone that one of the first things that should get a face-lift were the Blue Doors.
ECP’s Patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, in front of the Blue Doors during his visit in 2010
130 Years of History
We commissioned a specialist firm to carefully remove the doors and transport them to their workshop. There, a team of experts took off the many layers of paint, built up over more than 130 years. They also removed the brass door furniture, which was also treated to a painstaking restoration process. Then the hard work began. Sanding the wood smooth, filling in the gaps and holes, sanding again. Wiping them down to make sure that every square centimetre was clean and dry. Now the doors were ready for several layers of primer, undercoat and glossy blue top coat. Finally, when the paint was dry, these very special doors were re-hung to welcome everyone back for the start of the new academic year.
Revitalised
We asked Ann Lewis, one of the Founders of the English College and former Chairman of Governors, what she thought of the newly-restored Blue Doors. She told us, ‘When we first found the building, a couple of years before the school opened in 1994, the blue doors were faded and peeling. Now, as we enter our 27th year, it’s great to see the iconic doors not so much restored as revitalised!’
