Category: Understanding

From time to time, individual departments organise lectures about a particular theme in their subject. These are attended by whole year groups or by students who are interested in the topic. Thanks to the enthusiasm of ECP’s departments, our school has benefited from lectures given by many specialists from the academic world such as historians, economists and scientists. Here are a few examples: 

Economics: Future Business Leaders, Bloomberg Professional

History – Terezín during World War II

Czech – The Fiction of Bohumil Hrabal 

Science – Careers in Science

The English College is an academic school and therefore effective teaching and learning is our priority. Teaching does not take place only in the classroom, but also elsewhere. Almost all Faculties organise educational trips in Prague – as part of Prague Programme – and also around the Czech Republic. This gives students an exceptional opportunity to connect what they have learnt in school with real life situations.

Czech

Every year, the Czech Faculty takes students on a literature trip, such as the Mácha or Karel Čapek Trip. Students visit the places connected with the author’s life, read texts written by or about the author; they read their correspondence, but above all, they discuss their unique life stories and the impact of their literary work. Discussions that take place in a beautiful natural setting have a very special flavour and make these trips unforgettable both for students and their teachers.

English

Whilst opportunities for English language and literature trips in Prague are limited, we take Year 1 students to the Old Town to research and produce brochures and guides for tourists.  In October, students from Years 3-5 are invited to travel to the UK to attend the Cheltenham Literature Festival.  Cheltenham celebrates the written and spoken word, presenting the best new voices in fiction and poetry alongside literary greats and high-profile speakers.  It is a fabulous trip which gives students the opportunity to experience the regency spa town of Cheltenham as well as meeting some of the greatest contemporary thinkers and writers.

Arts

Various trips and excursions are organised by the Arts Faculty, under the Prague Programme. The faculty makes excellent use of the cultural institutions available in the Czech Republic and further afield. Trips in the Visual Arts have previously included Dresden, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Amsterdam and Paris – allowing students to enrich their cultural appreciation and expand their visual understanding by viewing both traditional and contemporary art forms.

Modern Languages

The Modern Languages Department organises different culturaltrips every year, usually one for each of the foreign languages we teach:

• A trip to Russia, normally in Term 1, visited either to Moscow or St Petersburg. It was a largely cultural visit because the students’ language skills were still at an elementary level. Under normal circumstances we would run this trip, however, due to the current climate, it is not possible. We hope this rich experience will be available for students in the future.
• A German trip to Berlin is organised for Year 3 students every year. This is a mixture of language and cultural activities, with students visiting the key tourist sites in the German capital. They learn a lot about German history, and it complements their studies of the First and Second World Wars as part of their History course.
• ECP has two language exchanges which run during the school year, one for French and one for Spanish. The partner schools’ students visit us in one term and we visit them in Nantes (France)/Valencia (Spain) the next. This is an excellent opportunity for our students to experience life in a French/Spanish family as well as host a student from a country where the language which they are studying is spoken.

Humanities

The Humanities Faculty organises a number of trips each year. These are mostly day trips to local places of interest, such as the annual visit to the Škoda factory, which is run by the Geography Department or our History students’ walking tour of renaissance sites in Prague city center.

Science

As an integral aspect of both the IB and Pre-IB courses, students monitor, analyse and evaluate conditions in several local ecosystems. They investigate how changing abiotic factors affect the abundance and diversity of local flora and fauna. This helps the development of their knowledge and understanding of human effects on ecosystems and inculcates a wider appreciation of both the fragility and resilience of natural systems. 

Our school year is framed by trips. While at the beginning of the school year students in Years 1- 4  go on induction trips, the end-of-year trips are more educationally focused. Students in Year 1 sample a DofE expedition. They learn how to read maps, how to pack and all students go on an intensive First Aid Course. The PE Department organises a CCC trip for students in Year 2. Students learn and develop skills needed for camping, canoeing and cycling in a beautiful area of Šumava by Lake Lipno.

Year 3 students are taken on a Science trip to the Jeseníky mountains. They visit a paper factory in Velké Losiny, a power plant in Dlouhá stráň and explore the Jeseníky countryside.

It is obvious that subjects such as History, Science, Literature, Art, Geography and Biology are all “in action” during these trips. Students can appreciate not only that knowledge they gain in school can be used outside the classroom, but also that everything they learn during the trips will help them to understand what they are taught back in school.

Year 4 students explore universities as they are coming closer to their University decision making. They can choose between visiting Oxford or exploring the main Moreavian universities.

All trips also play another important role in school life – they enable students and teachers to spend time together in an informal setting. Thanks to the trips, students and teachers learn more about each other and develop friendly relationships.

Year 1 June Trip brochure

Year 2 June Trip brochure

Year 3 June Trip brochure

Year 4 June Trip brochure

Prague is not only a beautiful city, which is now visited by thousands of tourists, it is also a city where you can see and feel not only the history of the Czech Republic, but also of Europe. King Charles IV made Prague the centre of Europe, founded a university here and built what was then a modern town.

To artists, Prague is a place of many galleries and amazing art collections of every period. It is a place that can serve as a textbook of architecture. Prague’s museums house collections from every area of knowledge. Its public and botanical gardens are workplaces for academics as well as places for recreation. In other words, Prague offers endless possibilities for exploring and learning. This is why we established the Prague Programme and each department prepares a programme for students, related to Prague’s unique facilities. Czech students visit the Kafka Museum, students studying Czech History explore Vyšehrad, the Science Department arranges visits to the Technical Museum or the botanical gardens, while Art students visit galleries and art workshops and the Prague treasure hunt – a programme focusing on mediaeval Prague organised for Year 1 students. 

By the end of their studies at ECP, our students, therefore, know Prague much better and also know a lot about Prague – which, as students of the English College in Prague, they should!

It is very important for young people to meet, at the right time, someone who can inspire them in their lives and be a role model. In order to enable our students to meet a range of interesting people, we organise a Lecture and Talk Programme, which has become an important tradition at the ECP.

Over the years. we have invited into school many specialists in their field – to talk about their professions, projects or just to share their life stories with the students. We are proud that in recent years, former students who have fascinating careers have been amongst the speakers.

There are usually four guest speakers annually and lectures are often connected with the Theme of the Year. Each lecture is followed by a discussion and although the programme is primarily designed for students in Years 4 and 5, students from other years are also welcome to attend if they are interested in the topic. The lectures are also a good opportunity for TOK-style discussions. Students and their tutors discuss the topic before each lecture and then follow it up again after the lecture has taken place.

See the overview of the Lectures and Talk Programme.

Some students have particular talents and it is very important to support them in developing those talents. This is why we encourage our students to take part in many external school academic competitions. We are very proud that ECP students have twice won the Václav Havel Library Essay Competition and the International Poetry by Heart Competition.  e have also had very good results in various subject Olympiads. Regularly our students take part in the Czech Olympiad. Our students are also regularly successful in the UKMT Maths Challenges, and several have achieved high enough scores to take part in the invitation-only Kangaroo challenges.

Information about these competitions is available in the Student Bulletin, with all relevant links, and posters publicising them can be found on the :more notice board.

Competitions ECP students have taken part in:

• COBIS Poetry Competition
• Lingvistická olympiáda
• Olympiáda v českém jazyce
• Ekonomická olympiáda
• Student Investor Challenge
• Logická olympiáda
• British Biology Olympiad
• Shake Me Up Shakespeare Online Festival
• Regent’s University (London) Fashion Competition
• UKMT Maths Challenge
• Poetry by Heart Competition
• Global Young Journalist Award

Creativity is a key element of our school philosophy and :more programme itself. The Art Department promotes a vibrant and energetic atmosphere by facilitating a variety of specialisms including Fine Art (Drawing, Painting and Printmaking), Sculpture, Fashion Design, Architecture, Digital Photography, 3D Printing and Ceramics. Our students are inspired through their exploration of a broad range of cultural references and influenced by both traditional and contemporary art forms.

The Art Department aims to promote excellence and the interior of the school serves as a permanent showcase of student work for both the school community and also for visitors to ECP. We also incorporate student artwork into our print and marketing materials, and feature outstanding pieces in the annual school calendar. 

A number of our senior students are also keen to involve themselves in developing independent exhibitions as part of the Creativity and Service opportunities that are incorporated in the IB core. Additionally, the English College schedules an annual series of exhibitions that showcase the array of work created across the year groups:

Term 1: The Founder’s Day Exhibition focuses on showcasing Prize Winners and Talent Award Winners, supplemented by selected pieces from Pre IB and IB.

Term 2: The IB Art Exhibition is self-curated by students at an external, professional venue and is the final representation of work undertaken in Years 5 and 6.

Term 3: Summer Art Exhibition aims to showcase outstanding work from across the year groups.

Music performances always have played an important role in school life. Music is not only part of all the main school events such as Founders’ Day and Prize Giving, but there are also many other musical events during the school year.

Open Mics, organised by the Head of Music, are rather informal musical events. Any student can try to perform and test his/her music talent.

The Václav Havel Scholarship Concert organised by students and supported by the Head of Music, is one of the biggest musical events of the school year. Its aim is to raise money for the Václav Havel Scholarship, but equally important is that it provides an opportunity to celebrate the talents of our musicians. Students also invite guest performers such as our former students or students from other Prague schools but the main guests are Roma musicians who always create an unforgettable atmosphere.

The main music event of the school year is undoubtedly the Christmas Concert – a traditional event held in a beautiful venue, the Emauzy Monastery,  where parents, students, and teachers enjoy the Christmas atmosphere through the musical performances of our students. The best ECP musicians and drama students create a programme with a wide range of musical performances and poetry readings. At the end of the concert, the audience and performers all sing Czech and English carols together. The concert not only provides a welcome opportunity to pause and reflect at the very hectic time of Advent and to enjoy the talents of our students, but it also helps a good cause. All the money raised is donated to the charity chosen by students at the beginning of the school year. 

Drama has a unique position in our school. It is an academic subject – students can study Drama at IB level and students in the lower years can take the LAMDA examination, which is a distinguished theatre qualification.

But drama is not just a subject – it is a platform where students develop imagination and discover the power of creativity.  It is very popular as it is open to everyone – not only to those who are particularly talented. This gives any student an amazing opportunity to explore theatre art, to gain confidence in public speaking, to explore different stories and characters, to make new friends, to learn how teamwork is particularly important in theatre or just to enjoy the very special atmosphere of the theatre. 

There are several drama productions during the school year, organised either by the IB Drama students or by the Head of Drama. They take place in various small theatres in Prague or in the school’s Drama Studio.  

School productions are always very creative, unconventional and well-attended by students, parents, staff and friends of the College. One of the performances – a joint production by the Arts Faculty –  is watched by the whole lower school community during school time.

Midsummer Night’s Dream musical

ECP Theatre Hotel

ECP Dracula’s Requiem

FRAGMENTED – Theatre of the Absurd

University Program 

This is a partnership with the East and Central European Studies (ECES) study abroad programme of the Philosophical Faculty of Charles University. This semester programme includes American and Erasmus students and classes are held in English. ECES offers classes in the Humanities: Art History, Gender Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Literature, History, Economics, Politics. 

The ECP/ECES partnership constitutes a unique opportunity for Year 4 and Upper school students to attend ECES lectures and to get a taste of university life. The process is simple: students look at the syllabi of the different courses, choose one or two specific classes they would like to attend and ECP organises their visit. ECP students are authorised two absences per semester to attend ECES lectures but are welcome to attend more outside of their class time.

Every year, an exciting Literary Festival, celebrating the joy of reading, is organised by the library team. The Festival lasts for a whole week and includes an exciting range of stimulating activities intended to introduce students to a wider variety of authors and genres and to help them develop a deeper interest in reading for pleasure. National and international authors are invited to speak and to lead workshops with the aim of inspiring our students and helping them to discover new ideas.  Recent speakers have included: Martin Vopěnka (author), Štěpánka Jislová (comic illustrator), Jenny Valentine (author), Ash Dickinson (poet), Mara Menzies (storyteller), Seth Burkett (author), Karl Nova (poet), Kathryn Evans (author), Hana Ulmanová (translator) and many more… and many more….

World Poetry Day

Every year, we celebrate World Poetry Day on or around 21 March.  This day was established by UNESCO in 1999 to celebrate “the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.”   Leading up to the day, students are encouraged to learn poems by heart and to record their entries for the International Poetry by Heart Competition.  On the day itself, poetry readings and events are organised to encourage a love for poetry and an appreciation of its ability to express more profoundly the reality of the human condition. 

Every year we organise a debate on a particular pressing theme or on a topic connected with the Theme of the Year. Distinguished external guests – specialists in their field – form the panel, together with students and teachers. The subject is discussed and explored in tutor time before the debate takes place so that students have enough information and can make better judgments.

Many discussion topics are controversial, which is a great opportunity to test our open-mindedness and tolerance. Thanks to the debates, students learn that having different opinions is not a problem, but what makes it problematic is a lack of good will to understand each other and a lack of mutual respect.

Studying foreign languages would not be effective without exploring cultures and countries, where the languages being studied are spoken. Young people naturally love meeting their peers despite the language barriers, which is a good basis for an exchange programme.

For many years we have been organising a French Exchange and we have established a strong relationship with the Lycée Notre Dame de Rezé in Nantes. We have recently established a Spanish exchange with Rivas-Luna Centro de Enseñanza in L’Eliana, Valencia which we hope will become a successful exchange too. Every year our students spend a week with the Spanish/French families and at a different time in the year the Spanish/French students come to Prague and enjoy the hospitality of our students’ families. Spanish/French and Czech students also sample the education that the other school provides as they attend some classes during their stay. Both the Spanish/French school and the ECP prepare interesting cultural programmes so that the exchange is a very enriching experience for all those involved.

At the end of each academic year, the school community decides on the theme that will be explored throughout the following school year. The theme is reflected in many activities and school events. It appears in the teaching of all subjects, which enables students to observe its complexity. Exploring a particular theme also gives teachers the opportunity to explore cross-curricular connections. 

Departments organise different activities including competitions. Literary festival and the very popular Culture olympiad have their main focus on the Theme of the year, which is always a creative challenge for all students. There are also lectures connected with the theme and the annual debate is usually the highlight of the year’s theme-related activities. 

Amongst the themes we have explored in previous years are Czech and British Connections, Internationalism, the Natural World, Technology, Time, Roots and The Star.

The Festival of the Arts is our way of exposing students to the creative industries whilst building new skills in the visual and performing arts. Running annually, students in Years 1 and 2 take part in various workshops led mainly by external specialists – in drama, music, art and dance – for two days. It is an excellent opportunity for students to connect with other like-minded individuals, and forge new friendships. We advise students to opt for workshops which introduce them to new skills, thus providing a creative and enriching experience.  

At the end of the second day, there is a showcase of each of the workshops alongside an exhibition of Festival artwork.

You can enjoy here the video from the last time we run Festival of The Arts

 

During the school year, we explore a range of different themes through our tutor time programme and assemblies. Students have the opportunity to express their opinions and also to learn about various topics, perspectives and ideas through a variety of activities. 

This is the list of awareness week topics: 

• Leadership
• Mental Health and Mindfulness
• The History of the ECP
• Democracy and Human Rights
• Families and Healthy Relationships
• Safeguarding and Internet Safety
• Technology
• Diversity and Equality
• International Environment
• LGBTQI+ History
• Nature and the Environment

The English College Foundation, the charity that set up and still supports the English College, for many years arranged a programme of work experience in London in the autumn term for about 10 final-year students at the College. This involved finding placements in organisations working in areas of interest to the students, who stayed for the week with volunteer host families. The programme was halted by the Covid crisis but the ECF continues to support with career information and advice where required.

The English College Foundation, the charity that set up and still supports the English College, for many years arranged a programme of work experience in London in the autumn term for about 10 final-year students at the College. This involved finding placements in organisations working in areas of interest to the students, who stayed for the week with volunteer host families. The programme was halted by the Covid crisis but the ECF continues to support with career information and advice where required.