Author: Gina Hearn

Everyone at the English College in Prague has been deeply saddened by the news that Dr Jane Goodall has died, aged 91.

Jane Goodall was world-renowned for her pioneering research on chimpanzees in Tanzania. She was the first to observe that chimpanzees used sticks as tools, which changed how we view animal behaviour. Over a career that spanned more than six decades, Dr Goodall went on to become a passionate campaigner for wildlife conservation and environmental education. Through the Jane Goodall Institute and her youth programme, Roots & Shoots, she inspired millions around the world to protect nature and act with kindness towards animals and one another.

We were therefore delighted to welcome her to the English College last year. She spoke to students about her life, her ground breaking work and the urgent need to care for our planet. She reminded us that “every individual can make a difference.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Emma Goldberger, receiving the Dr Jane Goodall prize for ESS from Denis Keefe, Chairman of Governors

One student who was particularly moved by Dr Goodall’s visit was Emma Goldberger. Emma was this year’s recipient of the Dr Jane Goodall prize for Environmental Systems and Societies. She reflects on what the award means to her: “It was a great honour for me to win her prize. As history was being written during the worst conflicts of mankind, chimpanzees, elephants and whales were sharing this earth. Dr Jane Goodall inspires me to continue fighting for our planet’s future and protection of wildlife. I’m hopeful we can keep on building on Dr Goodall’s legacy of conservation, care and kindness.”

Dr Goodall’s Legacy

Dr Goodall’s visit to ECP was inspirational for everyone who attended her lecture and we will all remember her mesmerising chimpanzee calls. Her legacy will be to provide an example to our students. Dr Goodall’s message – that every individual counts – will always remain at the heart of our values at ECP. Those words will continue to resonate with us and her extraordinary legacy will remain an inspiration as we all strive to care for our planet.

Message from the first holder of the Dr Jane Goodall prize, Eliška Paterson:

On the 1st of October the world lost a great soul, Dr. Jane Goodall. She is known for her work with chimpanzees and her many contributions to the environmental movement. When I heard the news about Dr. Goodalls passing, it was right after I had had a conversation with my colleague about what a privilege it was to receive the Jane Goodall prize for ESS and how interesting I have been finding her book, which she kindly gifted to me.

“The book of hope” explains Dr. Goodall’s reason for hope in the future through examples of situations where populations and ecosystems had come back from the dead. However, these spectacular events only took place when actions were taken. She highlights the need for more people to use their frustration with today’s world to fight for a better future. Dr. Jane Goodall inspired so many, especially the youth, to take a stance and demand change. “Please, please rise to the challenge, inspire and help those around you, play your part. Find your reason for hope and let them guide you onward.” – Dr. Jane Goodall

Eliška Paterson, the first holder of the Dr Jane Goodall prize for ESS

. ofessor Brian Cox, Photo credit: Drew Forsyth

The English College in Prague is delighted to announce that two of the school’s major academic prizes are to be renamed in honour of distinguished British figures whose work has inspired generations of students in their respective fields.

The College’s History Prize will be known as the Sir Anthony Seldon Prize for History, and the Physics Prize will become the Professor Brian Cox Prize for Physics.

Headmaster Dr Nigel Brown says, “We are very grateful to Sir Anthony and Professor Cox for allowing us to use their names in connection with these prizes. They will be awarded for the first time at our next Graduation ceremony in May. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our students and to associating them with two such inspirational figures.”

The Sir Anthony Seldon Prize for History

Photo: courtesy of Sir Anthony Seldon

Sir Anthony Seldon, one of Britain’s leading contemporary historians, has kindly agreed to give his name to ECP’s History Prize. A former headmaster and prolific author, Sir Anthony is best known for his acclaimed political biographies and his educational leadership. He has served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham and was previously Headmaster of Wellington College in Berkshire. In March 2023, following the tragic death of the previous Head, he took up the position of Headmaster at Epsom College. Then in September 2024, he returned to Wellington College as the Founding Director of Wellington College Education. Its mission is to “shape and refine what education should mean in the mid-21st century.”

Sir Anthony was knighted in the 2014 Birthday Honours List for Services to Education and Modern Political History. We are therefore delighted to be able to name our History Prize after him in recognition of his lifelong commitment to both scholarship and education. Sir Anthony told us, “I am so proud to have this prize named after me because I think the English College in Prague is such a very remarkable school, which is doing such excellent work.”

Photo: ECP archives

The Professor Brian Cox Prize for Physics

Photo credit: Mark Harrison

Equally exciting is the news that Professor Brian Cox, the renowned physicist and science communicator, has also generously agreed to allow the College to name the Physics prize after him.

Professor Cox is a physicist, broadcaster and Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester. He first came to public attention through his work on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. He is widely known for presenting a series of landmark BBC science programmes. These include Wonders of the Universe, The Planets, and Forces of Nature. His aim is to make complex scientific ideas accessible to a broader public audience.

Through his many documentaries and public lectures, Professor Cox has inspired a generation of young people to explore the wonders of the physical world. We are proud to name our Physics prize in his honour, celebrating his contribution to scientific understanding and communication. When we asked him if we could re-name the ECP Physics prize after him, he replied enthusiastically, saying, “YES – of course, it would be a tremendous honour to have the IB Physics Prize named after me! Thank you again – I’m honoured!” Professor Cox is bringing his new live show to Prague in September 2026. We are hoping to take a party of students to see it – including the first winner of his prize!

Dr Jane Goodall (3 April 1934 – 1 October 2025)

Everyone at the English College has been deeply saddened at the news that Dr Jane Goodall has died. She visited ECP in May last year to speak to our students about her life and work. She reminded us that “every individual can make a difference.” Her words continue to resonate with us. Her extraordinary legacy will remain an inspiration as we all strive to care for our planet.

Dr. Jane Goodall has agreed to give her name to the ECP prize connected with the environment. The school has already awarded two students with the Dr. Jane Goodall Prize for Environmental Systems and Societies.

We are pleased to report another year of excellent IB results. Our Class of 2025 graduates achieved the second-highest IB average in ECP’s history. This continues a very impressive trend. Over the past seven years, our graduates have delivered the top six best-ever IB averages since the College opened in 1994. We offer our warm congratulations to the students and our thanks to everyone who helped deliver these outstanding results. 

ECP’s IB average 5 points higher than the world average

As usual, our full cohort of around 70 students sat the IB exams in May, not just those expected to do well. They achieved an impressive average score of 36 points. This is five points more than the world average of 31, out of a maximum of 45. Notably, 37% of the cohort scored 38 points or more. This is a significant achievement because it is usually the minimum entry requirement for many top universities worldwide. Our average Core points for Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) also rose and we scored an average 1.9 out of 3 points.

Maximum points for the third consecutive year 

Two of our students achieved the maximum score of 45 points. This is exceptional. Fewer than 1% of all IB Diploma candidates worldwide score the maximum points. This brings our total number of ECP students with maximum points to six in the past three years. This year we congratulate Tadeaš Daduliak and Elsa Sršňová on joining this elite group.

Tadeaš consistently excelled during his time at the English College. He seems to have been an almost permanent fixture on stage at our Founders’ Day and Prize Giving ceremonies, a testament to his sustained excellence. While he no doubt regards himself primarily as a scientist, he also deserves recognition for his strong skills in mathematics, the humanities and languages. He is truly the very model of a well-rounded IB student.

University of Cambridge

Elsa has shown superb dedication to English Literature throughout the two-year IB course. She also excelled in Biology and Visual Arts, where her work has demonstrated intellect, intrigue and technical skills. Like Tadeaš, Elsa has proved that her academic ability is not limited to just one discipline.

Elsa’s impressive achievements at ECP has earned her an offer to read English at the University of Cambridge. Tadeaš will be reading Biochemistry at University College London (UCL).

Tadeaš says, “I’m incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received throughout my IB journey, and I feel proud of what I’ve been able to achieve. I’m excited to be starting this new chapter at UCL, and while it’s a little daunting to be moving to the UK, I’m really looking forward to the opportunities, challenges, and experiences that lie ahead.” Elsa added, “I would like to thank all the teachers and staff for supporting us students through the IB process. All of us ECP graduates have an exciting time ahead of us, so I’d like to wish everyone good luck!”

Top University Destinations

Our graduates’ IB scores and the experiences they take with them are important. Even more important, however, is their success in being accepted by their chosen universities. Currently, 87% of our graduates have met their first-choice university’s conditions. This excellent headline figure will increase as we receive more application updates.

They will be attending a variety of outstanding universities across Europe and North America. No fewer than four more ECP students will be joining Tadeaš at UCL, all pursuing a range of excellent degrees. A further two students have offers from the London School of Economics and one has been accepted by City University.

Beyond London, ECP graduates this year have secured offers from diverse, prestigious universities. These include:

• UK: St Andrews, Bath, and Durham
• USA: UCLA and Pepperdine
• Scandinavia: Copenhagen Business School, BI Oslo, and the Karolinska Institute
• Netherlands: Amsterdam, Vrije, Erasmus, Leiden, and Groningen

A few students have also chosen to stay in Prague and will be attending Charles University. This is an outstanding set of university destinations.

Ability, hard work and commitment

These strong outcomes reflect our students’ ability and hard work. They also highlight the extraordinary commitment of our teachers, tutors, and Upper School team. Their dedication is especially commendable this year. We have been operating in temporary, split-site accommodation during the complete renovation and extension of our Sokolovská building. These results reaffirm ECP’s standing as a leading academic choice for families in Prague. They also provide an excellent springboard for our return to Sokolovská in the Autumn.

The Rt Hon Greg Hands

Johana’s passion for education led her into teaching. She taught philosophy at the Lauder School of Prague and interpretation and analysis of literary texts at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and College.  Johana then became involved in developing in-service training for philosophy teachers at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. She is currently on maternity leave from Post Bellum, where she has further focused on the normalisation period, as well as the dark 1950s, as an editor of the project Memory of Nations and its journal.

Research Programme

A strong believer in the value of collaboration between academia and schools, Johana founded Projects in Applied Economics for Talented Students, a research programme for upper secondary school students, based at CERGE-EI (the Centre for Economic Research and Graduate Studies – Economics Institute). She has also focused on educational policy, strategy, and pedagogy, which led her to study Educational Sciences, specialising in Educational Leadership, at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. 

A strong believer in the value of collaboration between academia and schools, Johana founded Projects in Applied Economics for Talented Students. This is a research programme for upper secondary students, based at CERGE-EI (the Centre for Economic Research and Graduate Studies). Her focus on educational policy, strategy, and pedagogy also led her to study Educational Sciences, specialising in Educational Leadership, at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.

Johana was appointed a Governor of the English College in May 2025. With her experience of both the Czech and Nordic education systems, she aims to contribute to ECP’s discussions on academic matters and to supporting its mission of providing a first-class, British-style academic education in the Czech Republic.

“When the first thing the King of England thinks of when he hears the word ‘Prague’ is the English College, we must be doing something right.”

So said Jan Brunner, 1999 ECP graduate and Deputy Czech Ambassador to Austria. He was speaking on behalf of the graduates at a reception at the British Embassy, held to mark the 30th anniversary of the English College in Prague.

We also heard speeches from the British Ambassador, Matt Field, who called the English College ‘this wonderful institution’ and praised it as a ‘beacon of excellence in education’, from Denis Keefe, ECP’s Chairman of Governors, who thanked Prague 9 Mayor, Tomáš Portlík, for his support and from Dr Brown, our sixth and longest serving Headmaster.

But it was Jan Brunner’s account of when he was introduced to HRH The Prince of Wales, as he was then, which caused the most excitement.

HM King Charles III – Our ‘Proud Patron’

It was at the annual Diplomatic Reception in London, when the capital’s diplomats from all over the world gather in the splendid surroundings of Buckingham Palace. Jan had the honour of being introduced to Prince Charles who, when he heard that Jan was from Prague, said, “Prague? The English College in Prague, of which I am a proud Patron!” To which a quick-thinking Jan replied, “And of which I am a proud graduate!”

There was pride in abundance at the British Embassy that evening. Jan was not the only one to be proud of his association with the English College. Joining him were fellow graduates, parents, staff, Governors and long-standing friends and supporters of the ECP for a magical evening in the beautiful Embassy garden, to mark the end of our 30th anniversary year.

Early Visionaries

We remembered the visionaries without whom there would be no ECP. In particular, Founder Governors Ann Lewis and Martyn Bond, who with our first Chairman of Governors, Lord Holme, raised the money and overcame innumerable hurdles along the way to open a school that taught in English, and that would prepare young Czechs for the International Baccalaureate to enable them to study around the world.

We also remembered our first Headmaster, Hubert Ward, who died last year, and were delighted to welcome our second Headmaster, Albert Hudspeth, and his wife Valerie. Albert was Headmaster to many of our older graduates.

But although the evening was primarily an event to thank everyone who had played a role in the success of the ECP, Dr Brown also wanted to look to the future. It was therefore fitting that our Year 3 student, Ariya Man, brought along his amazing working model of the reconstructed Sokolovská building. It demonstrates in great detail what is waiting for everyone when we move back in November. 

Here is Ariya with his model, in the entrance hall at the Embassy. With him were Dr Brown and Tomáš Med, of Med Pavlík Architekti who designed our new building, together with Anna Švarc (2005), Martin Čeněk (2000) and Michel Zapletal (2018), all ECP graduates who are all now also qualified architects.

A toast to the next 30 years!

Dr Brown, looking back on the evening, said, “It was such a great pleasure to be able to bring together so many people with a shared affection for the English College and to not only look back at its past with gratitude, but also forward to its future with a sense of excitement and anticipation. We are grateful for the wise stewardship of our Governors, which has enabled us to buy the freehold of our building on Sokolovská, and to develop and extend the site. And now we are all looking forward to many more years in Prague 9. We will have the security of owning our own building with its improved facilities, and, by expanding our scholarship fund, we will enable many more young people from less well-off backgrounds to benefit from an ECP education, which for some will be a life-changing opportunity.

You can see all the photos of the evening here and watch the videos of the speeches here.

The renovation of the original English College in Prague school building, built in 1889, next to the Vysočanská metro station on Sokolovská, is well underway. When completed, the building will retain the very best of its historic character while also providing a modern glass, concrete and steel extension. This exciting new addition to our facilities will house a wonderful new auditorium, a drama studio, 11 new classrooms and a vaulted atrium containing lots of ‘work pods’ where students will be able to relax and study between lessons. We will also have a fully equipped refectory so we can offer reasonably priced, locally cooked healthy meals.

The new facilities will enable the school to run more efficiently and, of course, strengthen our sense of community. Everyone is very excited about the project and feels the slight disruption during construction is a small price to pay for such a remarkable new building. We anticipate that we will move back into the renovated part of the original Sokolovská building in or shortly after September 2025, while retaining the old Špitálská annexe until the renovation is fully completed later that academic year. Then, for the first time, the ECP will have all our 400 students under the same roof.

Reconstruction Progress and Future Vision

The renovation of the main building began some 18 months ago. A significant amount of work, not to mention financial resources, has been devoted to restoring the building through a complex programme of reconstruction. The original wooden ceilings, having suffered from the ravages of time, have required extensive attention. However, the work is on schedule and construction of the new extension has also now started.

You can see how the reconstruction is going in this time-lapse video

Mgr Tomáš Portlík, Mayor of Prague 9, shared his enthusiasm, saying, “What is not yet shown on the visualisation is the ‘piazzetta’ between the Town Hall building and the English College, which should be re-created as a study and leisure space.”

Tapping the Stone

Recently, all the parties involved in the project including Mayor Portlík, representatives of the architects Med Pavlík Architects, the construction company PP 53, together with our school leadership team and Governors met to celebrate the laying of the foundation stone for the new extension while work on the reconstruction of the existing building continues at pace. 

Doc Ing Zdeněk Tůma CSc, Deputy Chairman of Governors, and ECP Governors Katie Schoultz, JUDr Karel Kühnl and Jan Grozdanovič LLB, were among those present.

ECP’s Headmaster, Dr Nigel Brown, said, “We recently held the traditional ‘tapping of the stone’ ceremony to mark the laying of the foundations of the new extension that will ultimately house a second entrance to the school, 11 new classrooms, an auditorium, drama room and refectory, together with an attractive rooftop garden area. It has taken a long time and a lot of hard work to get to this stage, but everyone involved in the project is passionate about the work. We have been very impressed by both the quality of the design and the standard of workmanship that will create these improved new facilities for both students and staff at the English College to enjoy for many years to come.”

One of the careers popular with ECP graduates is diplomacy. We have many former students who have gone on to work for either the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the European Commission or other public service organisations. One of the first was Jan Brunner. He graduated from the ECP in 1999 and following postings in Berlin and London, he is currently the Deputy Czech Ambassador to Austria.

The Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the recruitment and training of MFA diplomats. It runs training courses to prepare its students for diplomatic work. So when it was considering a school to trial its approaches to secondary school students, the English College was an obvious choice. The Diplomatic Academy usually targets its recruitment programme at university students so we were delighted when its Director, Dana Kovaříková, came into Elektra recently. Our prospective diplomats, most of whom have been involved in our Model United Nations conferences, the Student Council and the School Council, listened attentively as she spoke about the many opportunities open to young people in the MFA.

She was joined by Jan Brunner, who came back to Prague from Vienna to take part in the session. This meant that our students were not only able to hear about the route to becoming a diplomat, but Jan was also able to share with them his personal experience of what it is really like to serve as a representative of your country abroad.

Jan Brunner, when Deputy Ambassador to the UK, at the Czechoslovak memorial at the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey

Every year, the English College in Prague community remembers those who died serving their country.

Remembrance Sunday has its origins after World War I, which ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Every year, on the nearest Sunday to 11 November, every village, town and city in the UK holds a remembrance ceremony and there is a two minutes silence at 11am as a unifying community act of remembrance. The largest ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph in London where our Royal Patron, His Majesty King Charles III, lays a wreath of poppies.

Poppy Appeal

Here in school, we hold an assembly during the week before Remembrance Sunday. We sell red paper poppies for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. Ex-service men and women make the poppies to support the charity’s work, which is to help those who still need its support today.

This year, Annexe School Council President, Ellen Semeradová, spoke at an assembly about what Remembrance is and what it is we are remembering. We were reminded that the poppy was adopted as a symbol of remembrance after WWI because it symbolised the return of colour to the battle fields of Flanders, as the poppy was the first flower to grow again after the end of the war.

Remembrance Sunday

Ellen and her co-Presidents, Anežka Bahbouhová and Tadeáš Vacha, together with student representatives on the School Council, Esme Kalovcová and Aneta Krejdlová, joined Dr Brown, Mr Emmerson and Mrs Hearn at Prague’s own Remembrance ceremony. It took place in the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Olšany and the British Ambassador, Matt Field OBE, led the ceremony. Mrs Hearn’s late father, Rudolf Poledník, was a Czech airman in the Royal Air Force during WWII. His name is engraved on the plinth of the Winged Lion memorial at Malostranská.

Our students play an important role in the ceremony, helping young Scouts, Cubs and Beavers from the 1st Prague Scout Group place religious symbols on the graves of the war dead buried in the cemetery.

They pause for a moment by each grave to remember the person buried there, all of them under 30 years old. Especially poignant are the graves that bear the words ‘Known unto God’. This means that it had not been possible to identify the soldier, sailor or airman buried there. It also means that somewhere, there is still a family who never knew what happened to their husband, son or brother, only that they had been recorded as Missing In Action.

It is thirty years since the English College in Prague opened its iconic blue doors to students for the first time. So this year’s Founders’ Day, held in the beautiful setting of Pražská křižovatka, was a particularly special occasion. The whole school community came together to celebrate our Founders, Ann Lewis and Dr Martyn Bond, and also to remember our first Headmaster, Hubert Ward, who died on Easter Sunday. 

The Hubert Ward Prize for Service to the School

We were treated to a wonderful evening of music and tributes, which saw many students receive prizes for their outstanding work. There was a new prize this year – The Hubert Ward Prize for Service to the School – which went to Tomáš Vachutka in Year 3, presented by our guest speaker, Vanessa Ward, Hubert Ward’s daughter. There was also a very impressive display of artwork. The highlight of the exhibition was an amazing model of the reconstructed and extended school building. It was built by our Year 3 student and aspiring architect, Ariya Man, and was complete with the roof and lower floors lifting up automatically to reveal classrooms filled with 3-D printed plastic furniture. 

ECP Alumna – Eva Indruchová

It was particularly good to see many ECP graduates there. One of them, Dr Eva Indruchová, graduated in 2002 and went on to qualify as a lawyer. She has written this personal account of the evening that we are delighted to share.

Eva writes:

As a proud former student of The English College in Prague (ECP), I had the pleasure of attending the ECP Founders’ Day and celebrating the 30th anniversary of my beloved College. It was heartwarming to hear about the school’s beginnings. It all started back in the 1990s with a vision to revive the tradition of British style education in Prague, originally established in 1927 by the Prague English Grammar School, which was closed down under the Nazis, and later in 1954.

Royal Patron

The English College Foundation was then established, with President Václav Havel and His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales, as joint Founder Patrons. I am delighted that His Majesty King Charles III has decided to continue as Patron of the ECP.

On this special occasion, we paid tribute to our Founders Ann Lewis and Dr Martyn Bond and the first Headmaster, the late Hubert Ward. His daughter, Vanessa Ward, gave a moving speech, followed by Denis Keefe, the Chairman of Governors, Dr Martyn Bond, and the third Headmaster, Peter de Voil.

British Ambassador

It was wonderful to see the support also from the British Embassy Prague, with a video message delivered by Matt Field OBE 

ECP’s Legacy

Of all the schools I have attended, the English College shaped me the most. Václav Havel once said that the students of the ECP emerge “at home on the international scene”. This couldn’t be more true for me. Having lived in the Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and France, I am active in several international organisations and focus on business and international relations development. Yes, I can confirm, I feel truly at home on the international scene, and I am proud to carry the ECP legacy and spirit with me!

So thank you to everyone involved in the organisation for an excellent evening and here’s to the next thirty years.

You can watch the whole of Founders’ Day via THIS LINK

or the shorter, edited version HERE

Here at the English College in Prague we are celebrating our 30th anniversary. It was in September 1994 that the iconic Blue Doors opened to the first 117 students for the very first time.

ECP’s origins go back to the fall of communism in 1989 and to a meeting at Prague Castle in February 1990. UK Foreign Office Minister, William Waldegrave, together with the British Ambassador Laurence O’Keeffe and Foreign Office official, Ann Lewis, were talking to President Havel about how the UK could help the newly democratic Czechoslovakia. 

President Havel’s press spokesman told them about the old Prague English Grammar School. President Havel said that it had been the school that all young people in his day had wanted to attend. It opened in 1927 to provide an education in English for Prague children, but it was closed down by the Nazis. Although it opened again briefly after the war, it was closed down for good by the Communist regime.

Václav Havel’s video message on the 10th anniversary of the ECP

ECP’s First Headmaster

Ann Lewis was intrigued by the possibility of opening a school in Prague to once again, after 40 years of communism, provide a liberal, democratic education in English. She joined forces with Martyn Bond, who ran the European Parliament Office in London. Together with a committee that included the first Chairman of Governors Lord Holme, they spent the next four years raising the money, finding the premises and recruiting the first Headmaster, Hubert Ward. It was he who persuaded Czech parents to take a leap of faith by sending their children to this new, untried educational establishment. The very first parents to enrol their child were the eminent late Czech economist Michael Mejstřík and his wife.

ECP’s Principles

Václav Havel was supportive of the project and agreed to become the College’s Czech Patron. He asked HRH The Prince of Wales to become the British Patron and now, thirty years later, The Prince of Wales is His Majesty King Charles III. The College was delighted when he agreed to continue as Patron in recognition of its standing as a widely respected educational institution that has helped some 1700 young people to graduate with the International Baccalaureate, opening doors to prestigious universities around the world.

But although many ECP alumni choose to study abroad, many remain in Prague. One of them, Ema Srnková, who graduated in 2022, is now studying Law at Charles University.

As a Year 4 student, she was present at Founders’ Day in 2019 for the College’s 25th anniversary celebrations. This is what she wrote at the time, recalling what had inspired our Founders to establish the English College.

“So what makes the ECP different, what is it based on? Our teaching methods are based on discussion and critical thinking, just as they were all those years ago, and liberal and international attitudes and values ​​are supported. Mutual communication among pupils, parents and employees is an integral part of school life. The English College is a solid community of like-minded people who value humanity and tolerance. I strongly hope that every student will absorb these principles after six years of study, and in the future, each of us will at least try to unite today’s polarised world. May we, in the next twenty-five years, return to school and say that we have lived our lives through the philosophy that the teachers instilled in us. Think critically. Don’t be afraid to express your own opinion, but listen patiently to others. Help others. Do not tolerate unfair treatment. Studying at the ECP gave me a new perspective on education. At other schools I did not find teachers so enthusiastic, experienced and willing to help. The 25th anniversary reminded me of what the school was trying to give us in addition to education and how I had to behave in order to represent it with dignity. To take full advantage of the development opportunities it offers me. Not only for academic advancement, but also for growth as a human being.”

British Ambassador sends his congratulations

A Message from Matt Field OBE, British Ambassador to the Czech Republic

It is these principles that have provided the foundation for an ECP education over the past three decades. Throughout that time, we have been grateful for the ongoing support we have received from successive British Ambassadors, ever since Laurence O’Keeffe attended that first meeting with President Havel at Prague Castle. Indeed, we are honoured that the former Deputy British Ambassador, Denis Keefe, is now our Chairman of Governors. We were therefore delighted that the current British Ambassador, Matt Field OBE, sent us this message of congratulations on our 30th anniversary. We look forward to welcoming him to the College this autumn to address our Model United Nations.