Originally from London, this is Helena’s first time living and working abroad. She studied English and History, receiving first-class honours from NCH London. Having realised she had an interest in education after volunteering for an education charity as a student, she started her teaching career as a graduate assistant in Oxford, followed by a PGCE. She then began working as an English Teacher in a large comprehensive school in Central London, teaching students from a range of backgrounds and particularly focusing on developing students’ academic writing at KS5 as the centre coordinator for the Extended Project Qualification. From 2022 to 2024, she simultaneously taught and completed a Masters degree in Literature and Arts from the University of Oxford.
Outside of school, her hobbies include skiing and hiking in the mountains, and discovering the contemporary art scene of Prague. Alongside her work at ECP, she volunteers as part of the education team at Pangea Prague, a non-for-profit queer feminist organisation.
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Jade Slee
Teacher Librarian and Teacher of English
Originally from Buckinghamshire in the south-east of England, this is Jade’s first international position. Having been an avid reader and writer throughout her life, she has a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from the University of Roehampton in London. After graduating, Jade took a year out of education to work and decide what career she wanted to pursue. She quickly realised that teaching was the only profession where she felt she could make a meaningful impact and she completed her PGCE at Goldsmith’s, University of London in 2019.
Jade then returned to Buckinghamshire and worked as an English teacher, where she developed a passion for literacy in all its forms, developing the use of Accelerated Reader within her school as well as being part of an in-school AI research group. After five years, she decided to broaden her horizons and to look for a job outside the UK.
Away from work, Jade is a self-described “massive nerd”. She enjoys cooking, learning about history, crafting and is currently trying to solve the notoriously difficult ‘Cain’s Jawbone’ puzzle book.
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Merve Alemdar
Teacher of Physics and Science
Merve is originally from Istanbul. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from Istanbul University and completed her Master’s in Physics Education. She began her teaching career in 2007 and since 2014, she has been dedicated to teaching IB Physics, gaining valuable experience working in various educational institutions, including an American school and a bilingual Czech gymnázium.
In 2022, Merve moved to Prague to continue her teaching journey. Outside her professional life, she is an advanced scuba diver and has a deep appreciation of movies, especially arthouse films.
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Jorge Alvarez
Director of Sports & Activities
Jorge grew up in a small town near the mountains of Segovia in central Spain. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, followed by a Master’s Degree in Teacher Training for Secondary Education from the University of Alcalá de Henares.
As part of his university studies, Jorge spent an Erasmus year at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports (FTVS) of Charles University and he quickly fell in love with Prague. After completing his Master’s, he gained valuable experience teaching in international schools, before serendipitous circumstances brought him back to Prague in 2019.
Jorge is passionate about giving students the opportunity to take on challenges and to explore the outdoors. In his previous roles, he organised student trips abroad for activities such as ski touring, ice climbing, whitewater kayaking, rafting and rock climbing. His sports career began early as a competitive swimmer, a member of his university’s volleyball team and as a ski competition coach.
In his spare time, Jorge enjoys single-track mountain biking, skiing and surfing whenever possible. He also loves road trips, cycling and cross-country skiing with his family.
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Gabriela Cuciuc
PE & Sports; Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award
Gabriela is a dedicated Physical Education and Sports teacher from Romania, with a solid academic foundation. Her passion for sports and education has driven her to pursue a career where she can inspire others through physical activity. With experience of working in two international schools in Kuwait, Gabriela has served as both a PE teacher and a sports coach, guiding various sports teams to compete in numerous competitions. She firmly believes in the power of an active lifestyle, highlighting the long-term benefits of physical fitness for both the present and future.
Gabriela is an enthusiast of a wide range of sports, regularly engaging in activities such as handball, volleyball, badminton, fitness, skiing, running and hiking. Now embracing a new country and culture, Gabriela is eager to integrate her international experience into the community, inspiring and motivating her students to achieve their best through sports.
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Michaela Salačová
Teacher of Czech
Michaela comes from Mladá Boleslav, but studied in Hradec Králové at the Biskupské gymnázium Bohuslava Balbína. She decided that one school would not be enough for her and she also wanted to further pursue her love of singing by studying classical singing at the Prague Conservatory while also enrolling in the Czech Studies Bachelor’s Degree programme at Charles University. She fell in love with Czech literature and language, leading her to deepen her knowledge and obtain a grounding in pedagogy. In 2024, she graduated with a Master’s Degree in two programmes at Charles University: Czech as a Second Language and Czech Language and Literature.
Since 2019, Michaela has enjoyed the experience of teaching Czech as a second language in several language institutions in Prague. She is especially grateful for the experience she gained taking seminars on Czech as a second language at the Faculty of Humanities at Charles University. Additionally, she enjoyed teaching Czech language and literature in a primary school in Prague, where she was able to apply her academic background and practice methods of inclusive teaching. She also continues to enjoy singing, so if she isn’t teaching, reading or walking with her dog, you might find her performing at the occasional concert.
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Eric Huang
Teacher of Mathematics and Computer Science
Eric Huang is a Chinese American who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Prague in 2021. He was a teacher at the New York City Department of Education after teaching Mathematics and Computer Science in secondary schools for over six years and university-level Mathematics for over three. He has Bachelor’s Degrees in Mathematics and Secondary Mathematics Education and a Master’s in Professional Mathematics Education from Brooklyn College and Hunter College in NYC. He also spent half an academic year studying Mathematics and Chinese Philosophy and Education at the Nanjing Technology University in China as part of his undergraduate programme.
Eric was a teacher coach/mentor and pedagogical course facilitator at the Math for America (MfA) a not-for-profit education organisation in NYC. In his spare time, he enjoys playing indoor volleyball and singing while accompanying himself on the piano.
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Leidy Arenas
Spanish
Leidy is from Colombia. While studying Business Administration, she was building a career in the financial sector as a Commercial Director for HSBC Colombia.
In 2014 she decided to leave Colombia in search of new adventures and experiences, settling in Prague a few years later. She started to teach Spanish by chance and discovered how rewarding the world of teaching is and so she decided to train for a professional teaching qualification and certification at the Cervantes Institute of Prague. As a Spanish teacher, she has worked on her own project teaching Spanish to mothers and children, has taught many one-to-one lessons and has taught Spanish in both a public and an international school in Prague.
As a teacher, Leidy’s goal is to have her students learn in a practical and dynamic way, bringing Hispanic culture into the classroom as much as possible.
Outside work, Leidy is a mother of two beautiful, confident, Spanish speaking children. She looks for any opportunity to escape into nature and very much enjoys walking and hiking and doing her best to live in the present moment. As a Colombian of course she misses the culture, music and fresh fruit, but she is happy and proud to be living in Prague, having a family and raising her children here.
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Ivana Chvátalová
Parent
The reason we chose The English College in Prague for our daughters was not only the academic results of the students and graduates of the school, but above all the individual approach, which, in my opinion, and my previous experience with other similar institutions, is really special and exceptional at this school.
During summer 2020, the Lord Holme Library underwent a massive reconstruction with the aim of creating a space that was tailored more effectively to meeting the needs of our students. Earlier in the year, students and teachers had been consulted about their ideas for developing the library to create a resource to house our extensive collection of books and to provide a flexible space that would support both quiet study and collaborative learning. Initial design ideas were then drawn up by former student, Sibel Rhea.
The walls separating the library office, textbook store and classroom were removed and a new space was created which is light and airy; giving more room for a quiet reading room and to house our collection of over 10,000 books. New carpets, lighting and furniture completed the look and finally, at the end of August, books were put back on the shelves and our new library took shape.
The excitement of new students visiting the library for the first time, and the enthusiasm of old students returning to this new space, was wonderful to see. One student recently remarked, “This is my favourite place to be in the whole school!” – and that was certainly our intention. We hope that this new space will encourage more students to use the library and to develop a life-long love for both reading and learning.
The newly refurbished Lord Holme Library is an exceptional space where staff and students can access information, read for pleasure or work in a peaceful environment. It is one of the best English language libraries in Prague, housing over 10,000 books, thousands of textbooks, a range of magazines and a photocopier. There are 10 computers available for students to use during the day and 10 laptops that students may borrow for use in lessons. In addition, the library has a large reading room that students can use throughout the day for quiet reading or private study.
The library catalogue, Destiny, is available 24/7 giving access to over 200 e-books as well as a range of subscription databases such as Britannica Schools, JSTOR Infobase and The Day as well as providing links to other free online resources. The Library staff are available before and after school and throughout the day to help students find appropriate resources, books to read or to support students with information searching or referencing.
