Category: News

The English College in Prague, the first IB school in the Czech Republic, opened in September 1994 as a 6-year grammar school with high academic standards, offering the IB Diploma together with the Czech Maturita. Its Founder Patrons were President Václav Havel and HRH The Prince of Wales. The Graduation Ceremony serves two purposes: Graduates with outstanding achievements in both academic and co-curricular work during their IB studies are awarded prizes and all Graduates of 2023 are presented with their graduation certificates.

This year it was an honour that Mr Oswald Kittel presented the new Oswald Kittel Prize for German personally.

A NEW PRIZE IN 2023 – The Oswald Kittel Prize for German 

Oswald Kittel (here is his speech) has been co-operating with the College since 2016. Every year he brings his friends to meet our students on their Exploring History trip to Česká Kamenice. This is how students hear about the unique life stories of Germans who had to leave Czechoslovakia after the war. It helps them to understand the difficult history of Sudetenland in the 20th century and to contribute to reconsiliation.

The LORD HOLME PRIZE FOR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY – Selma Kaymakci, Jan Barta Scholar 

A conscientious and caring member of the English College, Selma’s achievements over the course of this past year make her a very deserving winner of the prestigious and much sought after Lord Holme Prize. Top of these achievements was her project-management of the Václav Havel Scholarship concert. She has played an integral part of this event for several years. This involved chairing meetings, organising the various facets of the programme and hosting the event on the night.

Initiative for Ukraine

Selma utilised a similar set of skills when she was one of the driving forces behind the school’s response to the events in Ukraine last year. Her team raised 57,724 Kč for the People in Need charity. Her reflections on this (as part of CAS) really gave an insight into the extent of the work involved. They also showed her drive and determination to help those impacted by the war.

Selma was also the student leader for raising money for the relief effort as a response to the recent earthquake in Syria and Turkey as well as during Roma awareness week. Striving to make a difference in how the EU deals with equality in education, Selma was a part of the “Claim the Future” conference in the European Parliament. She attended this event as a Czech delegate to the EU policy-making process. This focused on internet safety for the youth of today and involved presentations and communication with the EU Commission and the Ministry of Education – a nod to her future career ambitions perhaps!

Selma’s enthusiasm for helping those in need is infectious. She has contributed greatly to the positive and healthy ethos within the school community over the past four years. We have no doubt whatsoever that Lord Holme would have been very happy to see Selma receiving the prize that bears his name.

THE JAN BARTA PRIZE – Kryštof Folbrecht, Prince of Wales scholar

Kryštof is one of the most unconventional students we have ever had at the English College; he is extremely intelligent, but balanced in his lifestyle and a true adventurer in every sense of the word. He pushes himself to take on new challenges both academically and personally. His sunny approach to life lightens the mood of everyone around him. His work with Ukrainian refugees at the Polish/Ukrainian border last year was outstanding, displaying leadership skills beyond his years. He made real connections that brought much needed hope to people in distress – several of whom he has kept in touch with – in the most challenging of circumstances. Kryštof truly epitomises the spirit of the Jan Barta Prize.

Accepted after the second round of entrance exams to Year 1 from 2 May 2023 / Přijati po 2. kole přijímacích zkoušek z 2.5.2023:

Year 1 / do 1. ročníku:

221710

221578

221604

221640

221638

221373

221570

221580

221637

221711

221590

221550

Congratulations to successful candidates! / Blahopřejeme úspěšným kandidátům!

Saturday 6 May will see an event in London that few people alive today will have ever witnessed – the coronation of a monarch. The last coronation took place on 2 June 1953 and we have to go back even further to find the last coronation of a king, to 12 May 1937, when King George VI was crowned. He was the late Queen Elizabeth’s father and King Charles III was his grandson.

When the then Charles, Prince of Wales became our Patron back in 1991, along with President Václav Havel, he was well aware of the historic links between our two countries and supported the work that had begun to encourage the newly democratic Czechoslovakia to modernise and thrive. 

One of the ways of doing this was to encourage the teaching of English and to introduce liberal teaching methods to replace the old politically-based communist system with its emphasis on rote learning. Teachers began to encourage their students to express and defend their own opinions and there was a move to open up tertiary education to everyone instead of only to those who supported the regime. The English College, as the first IB school in the country, blazed a trail in encouraging those cultural changes and continues to do so today.

Royal Patron visits the English College

Over the years, our Royal Patron has shown a continuing interest in the College, despite being patron of over 400 organisations. He has visited the English College on two occasions. The first was in October 2000 (pictured below) and the second on 23 March 2010. You can see a video of the 2010 visit on our YouTube channel

In 2019, he gave us permission to create a new Prince of Wales Scholarship. ECP’s Scholarships & Bursaries Following the death of Václav Havel in 2012, he officially asked Karel Schwarzenberg to become the College’s Czech Patron and we were delighted to hear Mr Schwarzenberg recently recall this connection between our two Patrons in an interview he gave to Prima News

Coronation Quiche

So to celebrate ECP’s relationship with the new King, we wanted to find a way to mark the historic coronation and what better way than through our two countries’ shared love of food? 

King Charles’s mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, had a special dish invented for her own coronation. Coronation Chicken has become a staple at many British buffets and its creamy, mild curry flavoured mayonnaise, mixed with shredded chicken, was seen as a nod to the British Commonwealth. However, it is interesting to reflect that at the time, in 1953, it would have been an expensive ‘special occasion’ dish as it was only much later that chicken became as ubiquitous as it is today.

Now, King Charles has chosen one of his favourite dishes with which to celebrate his coronation. Most people like a good quiche, usually containing bacon. But King Charles’s special Coronation Quiche is a more modern affair. Vegetarian, to enable more people with different dietary requirements to enjoy it, and chock full of healthy green vegetables, Coronation Quiches are being busily prepared in kitchens up and down the UK, ready for the long Coronation Weekend.

ECP’s Great Coronation Quiche Bake Off

So it seemed fitting that three keen ECP cooks should take part in our very own Great Coronation Quiche Bake Off, each submitting their own version to be judged by members of the Senior Leadership Team. It was a close contest, with the panel judging each entry on appearance, texture and flavour, while on the lookout for the dreaded soggy bottom! But in the end, the worthy winner of the ECP’s Great Coronation Quiche Bake Off was Julie Viačková in Year 4.

The ECP always seeks to encourage its students to follow their passion and this year, Julie won a coveted Talent Award for cookery. She intends to use her award to enroll on a specialist bakery course to improve her baking skills.

And if you want to try to make your own Coronation Quiche, you can find the recipe on the Royal Family’s website.

Accepted after the first round of entrance exams to Year 1 from 17-18 April and 21 April 2023 / Přijatí po 1. kole přijímacích zkoušek ze 17.-18.4. a 21.4.2023:

Year 1 / do 1. ročníku:

221412

221597

221573

221577

221668

221606

221652

221591

221642

221631

221551

221587

221633

221584

221464

221645

221586

221582

221628

221612

221669

221643

221588

221562

221581

221665

221616

221621

221579

221576

221607

221592

Congratulations to successful candidates! / Blahopřejeme úspěšným kandidátům!

Accepted after the first round of entrance exams to Year 3 from 20 April 2023 / Přijatí po 1. kole přijímacích zkoušek z 20.4.2023:

Year 3 / do 3. ročníku:

221696

221697

221589

221572

221603

221574

221636

221293

221646

221702

221649

221704

221492

221683

221483

221217

Congratulations to successful candidates! Letters of acceptance and further instructions will be sent by registered mail shortly. / Blahopřejeme úspěšným kandidátům! Rozhodnutí o přijetí a další instrukce budou v nejbližší době zaslány doporučenou poštou.

Accepted after the first round of entrance exams from 19 April 2023 / Přijatí po 1. kole přijímacích zkoušek z 19.4.2023:

Year 2 / do 2. ročníku:

221459

221687

221644

221535

221596

221627

221555

221583

221453

221618

221686

221700

Congratulations to successful candidates! Letters of acceptance and further instructions will be sent by registered mail shortly. / Blahopřejeme úspěšným kandidátům! Rozhodnutí o přijetí a další instrukce budou v nejbližší době zaslány doporučenou poštou.

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

Read a new issue of the ECP newsletter. It brings information about the French Exchange, Václav Havel Scholarship Concert, sports, various student activities and trips and so much more. You can access the newsletter via this link.

Summary:

• HM’s message
• Events
• Subject activities
• Sports at ECP
• Diversity Week
• Arts
• Book Talk
• ECPN

You can look at the archive of ECP newsletters here.

The Baroque Refectory of the Dominican Monastery in Prague will host the seventh annual concert in support of the Václav Havel Scholarship on Friday, 31st March from 7.00pm. The scholarship is intended for boys and girls from Roma families. We believe that education can help the Roma community overcome the problems they face.

In previous years, the organising team of students from The English College in Prague managed to raise a total of 2 million czk through the annual Václav Havel Scholarship concerts and related activities. In the last school year, the second Roma scholarship holder was able to start his studies at ECP in Year 1.

Even in the time of Covid the benefit concert took place. It had a virtual form (online) and attracted great support. Also, in the time of Covid, students announced an art competition Three times what! and a  literary contest A Pumpkin for All. The well-known Romani English author Richard O’Neill collaborated with them on the literary competition. The now annual art competition attracted a great response throughout the country. It helps spread awareness about the need for education for Roma children. The pictures that the children and their teachers send to the competition form part of the auction. The profits from the sale are also used to support the Václav Havel Scholarship.

New fundraising cycle

Last year, the students started a new fundraising cycle. Within the next five years they aim to collect the amount needed for the next holder of the Václav Havel Scholarship. The next scholar will enter the school when Adam finishes his studies at ECP. 

“My huge thanks also go to everyone involved in the Václav Havel Scholarship initiative, both now and in the past. I hope that even after my departure this initiative will continue and enable another Roma student to have the great chance in life that this scholarship gave to me.” said Marek Horváth, the first recipient of the Václav Havel Scholarship.

A number of talented high school students will perform at the concert. The event will include performances by well-known Romany musicians Milan and Petr Horvát. A Romany conservatory student Martin Balog will perform as well. A number of important personalities have donated interesting objects or books to the auction, which will take place during the concert. The winners of this year’s art competition Třikrát co! will also be announced at the event.

Week of Roma Culture and Diversity

The concert is preceded by the Week of Roma Culture and Diversity. A number of activities related to the topic of Roma culture will take place in the school, and at the same time students will focus on the topic of freedom.

During the week, a wide range of activities will take place. There will be film workshops – How I Became a Partisan and Vox Populi, a presentation by the Kher publishing house, a talk about Roma literature, a lecture on the roots of the Roma, a workshop on the Roma Holocaust led by the Museum of Roma Culture, a visit to the Concentration Camp in Lety, a sports tournament in table tennis and a debate about freedom with important guests. The invitation was accepted by  Patrik Banga, Filip Boháč, OP  a Jan Urban.

The partners of the Week of Roma Culture and Diversity are Charles University, the Institute of Documentary Film, the Museum of Roma Culture and the Roma Publishing House KHER.

Patronage

Both the concert and the competition received the Patronage of the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic this year.

“Václav Havel said in May 1995 at the memorial of the internment camp for Roma in Lety that the quality of our relationship with ethnic minorities is a measure of the quality of our society. I believe that the efforts of our students, together with the generosity of all the supporters of this initiative, also contribute to its improvement to a non-negligible extent,” said Nigel Brown, Headmaster of the English College.

You can watch a video from last year’s concert here.

You can find information about the scholarship and the possibilities of its further support on the school’s website and on the website of the scholarship.

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

Read a new issue of the ECP newsletter. It brings information about the Graduation Ball, ski trips, Cultural Olympiad, student successes and so much more. You can access the newsletter via this link.

Summary:

• HM’s message
• Graduation Ball
• Sports at ECP
• Cultural Olympiad
• Student successes
• Other events
• ECP Literary Festival
• Book Talk
• ECPN

You can look at the archive of ECP newsletters here.