Category: News

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.

Czech literature teaching

If you have an interest in the teaching of Czech literature and how the College is helping modernise and shape the way it could be taught in schools across the country, you might be curious to here we’ve just published new online teaching materials for Czech language and literature, developed by the Head of Czech, Dr. Josef Švéda. These resources offer a deep dive into key Czech literary works from the late 19th and 20th centuries, including Milan Kundera’s Žert and Bohumil Hrabal’s Ostře sledované vlaky.

These materials are designed for teachers of Czech in progressive gymnazia and aim to promote IB teaching and learning methods that we use here at ECP. The resources include engaging worksheets, lesson plans, creative writing exercises, and even educational videos with leading literary scholars (see below). This is a major initiative that the school is proud to be leading.

 

Krysař:

Romance pro křídlovku:

Analýza literárního textu:

Ostře sledované vlaky:

Žert:

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.

The English College in Prague has published a new issue of The ECP Newsletter.

Read the latest issue of the ECP newsletter. It brings information about the Graduation Ceremony, student successes, end-of-year trips, sports competitions, 30th anniversary celebration and so much more. You can access the newsletter via this link.

Summary:

• HM’s message
• News
• Student successes
• Graduation Ceremony
• Sports at ECP
• Trips
• DofE expeditions
• Arts
• Book Talk
• ECPN

You can look at the archive of ECP newsletters here.

The Open Science project of The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic is financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.

Several ECP students joined the annual scientific internships within the Open Science project for secondary school students this academic year. 

Since 2005, the Open Science project has offered gifted secondary school students the opportunity to engage in hands-on research. This is possible through scientific internships at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Its aim is to provide students with a meaningful introduction to real scientific work, inspire them to pursue higher education, and support their journey toward a future in scientific fields.

 

Involvement of ECP students

The following ECP students in Years 4 and 5 participated in the Open Science project at various institutes this year:

Esme Kálovcová (Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)

Anna Malygin (Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)

Marina Žiaranová (Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)

Gabriela Popiolkova (Institute of Philosophy, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)

Lucienne Erent (Institute of History, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)

Anastasia Kulakovska (Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)

Alex H.(Institute of Archaeology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic).

 

Student Experience

Here is what Lucienne Erent from Year 4 says about her experience: For my Academy of Sciences internship, I am working with Dr. Vojtěch Kessler on the History of Everyday Life Database at the History Institute (Databáze dějin všedního dne DDVD, Historický ústav AV ČR). It contains hundreds of personal 20th and 21st century sources, mostly letters, diaries and photo albums. I was fascinated to find out that the majority of sources come from women, since traditionally more women kept diaries.

The team works on digitizing and classifying the collection so even the public can search it at https://ddvd.kpsys.cz/ or easily access sources in the institute’s reading room. Our intern group helps with scanning documents and cropping photos into the required format. The creative side of the internship is writing summaries for the sources, writing social media posts about different sources and preparing my own research project for the student conference this autumn. Every year the database team chooses a theme, like Christmas or Grandmothers or School Days, and then publishes a research book on that topic. This year, the theme is Sex and Love so my research is focused on intimate relationships in the communist era. I really enjoy the atmosphere of the institute and I’m obsessed with the old photographs. The concept that small details from home life and personal experience give insight into larger issues in history really appeals to me, which is why I applied for this internship. 

More information about internships is available here

In November, the Academy will hold the Week of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. You can find out more here: www.tydenavcr.cz.

“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.”

Candidates from abroad or from international schools who didn’t sit state entrance exams – Accepted into Year 1: 

Uchazeči ze zahraničí nebo z mezinárodních škol, kteří nekonali státní přijímací zkoušky – přijati do 1. ročníku:

250333

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250349

250350

250358

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250360

250367

250385

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250398

250427

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250440

 

Candidates who sat state entrance exams – Accepted into Year 1: 

Uchazeči, kteří konali státní přijímací zkoušky – přijati do 1. ročníku:

Výsledky přijímacího řízení 2025

 

Congratulations to successful candidates! / Blahopřejeme úspěšným kandidátům!