Author: Gina Hearn

František Fajtl 1912-2006

František Fajtl is remembered as one of Czechoslovakia’s most decorated WWII fighter pilots. He was the inspiration for Jan Svěvák’s 2001 film  Dark Blue World and is now one of the subjects of the Good Old Czechs His daughter is Jitka Režná-Fajtlová and we were honoured to welcome her into school as part of this year’s Remembrance Week.

Escape from Nazi-Occupied Czechoslovakia

Mrs Režná-Fajtlová spoke of her father’s escape from his homeland. Like many of his compatriots, he went first to Poland in 1939 and then fought in France. From 1940, he served in the 313 Fighter Squadron RAF and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.  From 1944, he fought with the USSR on the Eastern front. She explained that her father fought, not because he wanted to fight, but because he wanted to liberate his country. She also acknowledged the debt owed to the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and the British people. Until the Americans entered the war in 1941, Britain had stood alone against the Axis powers.

Imprisoned by the Communists

ECP students were fascinated to hear how, when the war ended in 1945, after first being hailed a hero, Fajtl was imprisoned by the communists in a labour camp. Mrs Režná-Fajtlová remembers her mother being summoned to the Ministry. An official told her that she would have to move out of the family home because it was too big for her and her two daughters. She protested and said her husband also lived there. But slowly she realised that he had been arrested and would not be coming home.

One of Mrs Režná-Fajtlová’s most moving memories of this time was of her younger sister, who was only a baby when their father was arrested. There was a photo of their father on the wall and every night, her sister kissed his photo so she wouldn’t forget him. When the family was eventually reunited, she greeted him with a kiss saying, “It’s Daddy – and he’s alive!” 

Order of the White Lion

Asked why she thought the communists treated her father and the other war heroes so badly, Mrs Režná-Fajtlová said it was because they couldn’t stand being wrong. It was only after the fall of communism that her father was fully rehabilitated. In 2004, he was awarded the highest state honour – the Order of the White Lion – Český rozhlas interview 29.10.2004 – and promoted to General. 

Mrs Režná-Fajtlová has written a book about her father. We will buy it for the library so that all our students can read his story.

Remembrance Sunday

We commemorate Remembrance Week at the English College every year. It is about remembering those who died for their country. On the Sunday closest to Armistice Day, which saw the end of WWI on 11 November 1918, the British Ambassador and Ambassadors from Commonwealth countries gather at Olšanské hřbitovy to lay wreaths at the war memorial and to pay tribute to those buried there. It is a special day for many people in the UK. Ceremonies like the one in Prague take place in every city, town and village in the UK, remembering those from the area who went off to fight and who never returned.

Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

Another tradition during Remembrance Week is the RBL Poppy Appeal. The RBL organises one of the biggest charity collections in the UK. Volunteers sell millions of red paper poppies to raise money to help ex-servicemen and women and their families. The poppy was chosen as the emblem of the appeal because it was the first flower to grow back in the battlefields of France and Belgium after WWI. A factory was opened in south west London in 1922 that provided jobs for disabled ex-service personnel, making the poppies.

Founder Patrons

Pražská křižovatka provided the perfect setting for ECP’s Founders’ Day ceremony. A beautiful 14th century building, it has strong connections with our Czech Founder Patron, Václav Havel. We were celebrating the achievements of our students and remembering the people responsible for the opening of the English College in Prague in 1994. This year we paid tribute to our UK Founder Patron, Charles, Prince of Wales, now His Majesty King Charles III.

The Chairman of Governors, Denis Keefe CMG, reminded everyone of Prince Charles’s interest in Prague and the efforts made in the early 1990s to restore its historical buildings after years of neglect. Prince Charles also had a keen interest in education so when Václav Havel asked him if he would join him in becoming one of the English College’s Patrons, he willingly agreed. The two men had a friendship based on shared interests, not least in architecture. This was demonstrated by their joint support of the Prague Heritage Fund and its work in reconstructing the gardens below the Castle.

Royal Visits

Denis Keefe recalled Prince Charles’s first visit to the English College, in 2000, when he had escorted him on a tour of the Art Department. Our royal visitor had been so enthused by the work on display and in engaging in conversation with the students that because of his tight timetable, he had had to find a tactful way to end the discussion.

Guests were able to watch a video of historic footage of the two visits Prince Charles has paid to the school. The soundtrack to the video is one of Prince Charles’s favourite songs. He included it in a special radio programme to thank hospital radio volunteers who had helped entertain patients and staff in UK hospitals during the Covid pandemic.

Academic Excellence

But as well as looking back, ECP’s Founders’ Day is about celebrating the achievements of today’s students. There are subject prizes to recognise academic excellence and several students receive Founders’ Academic Prizes.

Talent Awards

In addition to prizes for academic excellence, a total of eleven students received Talent Awards to help them follow their interests outside school. Last year’s award winners told us how they had spent their prize money. One of them was Prince of Wales Scholar, Kryštof Folbrecht. He had bought a camera drone to enable him to develop his interest in filmmaking. From an award for cake making equipment for a student who would like to open her own cafe one day to one of our Ukrainian students who had to leave behind her full-size harp when she fled to Prague and is using her Talent Award to buy a Celtic harp, ECP encourages all its students to follow their passions.

Performances

There was also music and drama aplenty. We heard Shakespeare’s Sonnet 66 – as relevant today as it was in 1609, with its strong emphasis on the power of love. From Adele to Vivaldi, there was something for everyone and the final performance of the evening saw the whole of our Year 1 students coming together to sing Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years.

Visual Arts

Visual arts works were on display as well. Because of Pražská křižovatka’s wonderful mezzanine exhibition space, we were able to display all the work of our worthy prize winners.

President of the Student Council

And in one of the many highlights of the evening, the newly-elected President of the Student Council, Radim Sirůček, spoke movingly about what the College means to him.

He talked about the values of the English College. He said, “I’m sure you will agree with me, that some of the most important values that our school has been built on are open-mindedness, kindness, respect and healthy ambition. Values that have been inspired by our school’s Patrons.”

Every year, the English College Foundation holds its AGM in London. Our UK supporters hear from the Headmaster about what has been going on in school. Members eagerly anticipated this year’s meeting because it was the first time they had been able to meet in person since the start of the pandemic.

Dr Brown briefed members on how the school has coped so successfully with the challenge of Covid. He also told them about the exciting plans for developing the site, following the purchase of the building. Members were able to see Med Pavlík Architekti’s plans, which will now be sent to our UK Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales.

Alumni speakers

As well as hearing from Dr Brown, the AGM provides an opportunity for graduates to come along to talk about their careers since leaving school. This year, the speakers were Natálie Hendrychová (2016) and Jakub Kohout (2006) 

As a member of one of Prague’s best known fashion houses, Pietro Filipi, it is no surprise that Natálie first studied for a BA in Fashion Merchandise Management at the University of Westminster. She then achieved an MSc in Applied Psychology in Fashion at the University of the Arts in London. Now Business Development Manager for Sans Souci Lighting, Natálie works with prestigious clients ranging from the Richter Villa through Claridge’s Hotel in London to possibly the most opulent hotel in the world, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

Jakub’s strengths in Maths and Economics at school led him in a very different direction. After reading Management; International Business at Royal Holloway, University of London, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He is now Finance Director of Seedrs, who specialise in putting startups in touch with investors. Although ten years separated their careers at the ECP, both Natálie and Jakub spoke warmly about their time here and acknowledged the part the school played in their subsequent success. Jakub is also Treasurer of the ECF and takes very seriously the importance Lord Holme, our first Chairman of Governors, attached to ‘putting something back’.

Origins of the English College

Our former Chairman of Governors, Ann Lewis, together with former Governor, Dr Martyn Bond, and others, set up the English College Foundation in 1992. The ECF is a UK-registered charity and its aim was to open a school in Prague, in the wake of the Velvet Revolution, to teach the IB in English after the fall of communism. The rest, as they say, is history: since the College opened in September 1994, over 1400 ECP students have graduated with the IB Diploma.

Family Tradition

ECF’s Chairman is Elizabeth Cooke, another of our Governors. She is following in a family tradition – her late father, Nicholas Morris, was also an ECP Governor, who served from 2004-2012. A former Deputy Head herself, she is a member of the Education Committee.

The ECF today

The Foundation still supports the College by fundraising and by arranging social events for ECP graduates continuing their studies in London. They also organised, before Covid struck, the London Work Experience Programme. This has given ECP students a first taste of life in London and valuable experience of what it would be like to work in careers as diverse as researching for a policy think tank, through medicine and newspaper journalism to working for a Member of Parliament.

Headmaster Nigel Brown and Senior Deputy Head Tony Emmerson have recently returned from the UK. They met over 120 trainee teachers interested in our ‘Teaching Together in Europe’ placements. There was great enthusiasm for the project, and we expect applications from a wide array of talented young (and not-so-young) people entering the teaching profession.

Innovation

A small group of trainee teachers from the UK will spend a term at the College. By helping to develop and mentor new teachers, we will further enhance our status as a beacon of innovation and professional learning. It will encourage us to engage with our own teaching skills, while helping to develop the next generation of young teachers.

Internationalism

Tony Emmerson says, ‘The Teaching Together in Europe programme will open up a new world of student and teacher exchanges and learning experiences. It will keep ECP firmly connected to our British roots, while also promoting the spirit of collaboration and internationalism in UK schools.’

TTE will provide teaching placements for trainee teachers. The three prestigious schools taking part are the ECP, St George’s British International School in Rome and the British School of Brussels. They are all members of HMC, and COBIS Training Schools. They all have the same academic aspirations for their students and are public benefit schools.

This is an innovative programme, led by the ECP, which educators have welcomed as providing an international dimension to teacher training.

Partners in Europe

You can read more about the TTE project and learn about our UK and international partners – here.

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. 

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!’

The English College in Prague learned with sadness of the recent death of Ivan Havel. Brother of our Founder Patron, Václav Havel, Ivan has been a long-standing supporter of the ECP. We were therefore honoured and delighted when he agreed to allow us to name a prize in his honour.

The Ivan M Havel Prize

The prize was awarded for the first time in May 2020 to Victor Slimák. The College awards 45 prizes each year to our students, across the whole range of school subjects. There are also seven prizes that recognise students’ special achievements.

Polymath

The Ivan M Havel prize is one of these, which we award to a student who displays the qualities of a polymath. Specialism is increasingly important in today’s society but a polymath excels in more than one discipline. The prize winner is primarily a scientist, like Ivan Havel himself. They should show exceptional talent across scientific disciplines. But they should also have an understanding of the humanities and creativity in the arts and be able to apply interdisciplinary competence across several subjects. The prize recognises hard work, enthusiasm and willingness to go beyond the curriculum. It is a fitting tribute to Ivan Havel.

Brothers

As the obituaries have recorded, Ivan was one of the founders of Občanské fórum. Two years younger than his brother, he was formerly the Director of the Centre for Theoretical Studies, a joint endeavour involving Charles University and the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. An expert in cybernetics, artificial intelligence and robotics, he was editor-in-chief of Vesmír magazine from 1990 to 2019.

We will remember Ivan Havel with gratitude for his support in encouraging our students to become polymaths.

Just three of the reactions to the ECP Václav Havel Scholarship concert last week. And they were right. But the concert was not only a great musical event. The donations have now been counted and the VHS team are delighted to announce the result. This year’s concert has raised a very impressive 130,000 CZK towards a scholarship for a second Václav Havel Scholar! And the team wants to say a big ‘thank you’ to the whole ECP community for their donations.

Challenges

Kryštof Folbrecht, our Prince of Wales Scholar, was co-host of the concert. He says: ‘Moving the Václav Havel Scholarship Concert online was obviously a big challenge for our team. But with every big challenge comes even greater opportunity. We had the chance to connect with musicians from so many different places and backgrounds. This made the concert much more accessible for everyone who wants to support this cause.’

Donations and support

‘All the performers, teachers and students working on this project gave it their best. We are excited that people have again, if only metaphorically this time, come together to support the Václav Havel Scholarship. Thank you, we are very grateful for your donations and support.’

Breaking down prejudices

Selma Kaymakci, our other co-host, says: ‘There has been so much work and effort put into this concert and Roma awareness week, from every single person on the team. We raised awareness and encouraged discussion within the school community about the importance of the project. This year, we really did not expect to raise such a large amount of money because the concert was held online. So I would like to thank everybody who has contributed financially. With your help, we are one step closer to reaching our goal and to breaking down prejudices.’

Thank you

‘I would like to thank everybody on the team. Without them, the concert would not have been possible. Firstly, I would like to thank Linda who brilliantly prepared all the Roma awareness week plans and materials, overcoming a few challenges on the way. Thank you, too, to Karolina and Eileen for helping to prepare the assembly. To Anise, who helped with translations, contacts and the assembly. To Martin, who helped with the website and translations and to Tatana who created the beautiful posters. Last, but not least, huge thanks go to Kryštof who edited the whole concert in less than a week despite all the technical difficulties. We are also grateful to Ms Švejdová who stuck with us during everything and to Ms Hatinová who helped us to put the concert together.’

Putting Something Back

Dr Brown says: ‘I would like to congratulate Kryštof and Selma and the whole Václav Havel Scholarship Team on an amazing concert. When the English College Foundation established the College, back in 1994, one of the guiding principles of our first Chairman of Governors, Lord Holme, was ‘putting something back’. He would have been delighted to see how willing our students are to work together as a team for a common goal. They put on a great concert, which was not only very enjoyable, but which showed us why it is important to provide another scholarship for another Roma student.’

Change a life

And it’s not too late to help change the life of a young Roma student. You can still make a donation via The Václav Havel Scholarship website and if you missed the live streaming of the concert, you can see it here: The 2021 Václav Havel Scholarship Concert.

Katie Chlumská on Working with NGOs

We often say at the ECP that helping others is in our DNA. This is a lesson that Katie Chlumská certainly learned during her time here. In the latest addition to the Careers Video Library, Katie has recorded a fascinating account of her experience working with NGOs. She combines a collection of wonderful photographs from working in the field in the Palestinian Territories, Nepal, China and Somalia with some very useful advice for current students.

ECP’s support for good causes

After graduating from the College in 2008, Katie achieved a BA in International Relations at Exeter University. She followed this with an MA in Global and Comparative Politics at Queen Mary University of London. It was while at university that Katie converted her love of helping other people into a passion for development work. It all began at the ECP through raising money and awareness for the good causes our students support. You can read more about ECP’s charity work on our website.

Visit to speak to students

Some of our students will remember Katie coming into school in 2018 to  talk about her work at the time. She was Deputy Head of the Abaarso School of Science & Technology in Somaliland, an NGO school funded by the Horn of Africa Education Fund / USAID.

After three years in Abaarso, Katie returned to Prague. She was offered a job at the Ministry of Education in the International Affairs, EU and ESIF department. Here, as a project/financial manager, she is able to put her practical experience in the field to good use. Although currently taking a break from frontline development work, Katie says: “I may be working behind a desk at the moment, but I am still fulfilling my need to contribute positively to the community, though it is a very different kind of help, and less ‘hands on’ than I have been used to. And while I am glad to be with my family in Prague during the pandemic, we’ll see what the future holds.”

ECP Community Spirit

You can see Katie’s video here. She has very generously, in true ECP spirit, offered to answer students’ questions about her career. So if you would like to know more about her work, you can email her on: [email protected]

The ECP has a new Chairman of Governors, but Denis Keefe is no stranger to the English College. Although he was only appointed to the Board in 2019, this is his second term as one of our Governors. Today he will chair his first meeting of the Board although sadly, it will be online from his home in the UK.

Cambridge and Oxford Universities

Denis grew up in Essex and went to a grammar school in the county and university in Cambridge and Oxford. He then joined the British Diplomatic Service in 1982. His first posting was to Prague during the Cold War. He was Second Secretary at the British Embassy, and managed the Embassy’s contacts with dissidents, including Václav Havel. In a distinguished career, Denis served as British Ambassador to Georgia and Minister and Deputy Head of Mission in Moscow. He finished his diplomatic career as British Ambassador in Serbia and since 2019 he has been a member of the Senior Directing Staff of the Royal College of Defence Studies. We were delighted when he agreed to become an ECP Governor.*

ECP Governor 1998-2002

Denis already knows the College well. He served as a Governor during his second posting to Prague as Deputy Head of Mission from 1998 to 2002, during the headship of Albert Hudspeth, and has fond memories of the school, its students and staff. He has six children, four of whom attended primary school in Prague, and speaks Czech.

Denis said:

“I am delighted to be a Governor of the English College again. It is wonderful to see how far the College has come in the last 25 years, thanks to the work of inspirational headmasters and teachers, the energy of students and the support of their parents. It is an honour to follow Ann Lewis, one of the Founders of the College,  as Chair of the Governors. The College’s prospects are bright, despite the difficulties we all now face in a time of pandemic. I look forward to working with you all to build the future of the College and its students.”

Lord Holme Library

He takes over as Chairman from Founder Governor Ann Lewis, who is stepping down after leading the Governing Body since 2016. We are glad that Ann will be staying on as a Governor and grateful to her for her stewardship of the Board. We are looking forward to welcoming Denis back to ‘in-person’ Governors’ meetings, which will take place in the newly-reburbished library, and to having the opportunity to thank Ann Lewis officially for her service when Covid restrictions are finally lifted.

*See Denis Keefe’s full biography on the ECP website.