Category: People

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Elizabeth McComb

Teacher of Humanities

Elizabeth hails from California where she graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. It was here that the idea of teaching abroad was first planted. Upon graduation she moved back home, where she was a substitute teacher for high school students.

After a year of subbing, she left America with a one-way ticket to Asia to travel and find a job teaching and eventually settled in Shenzhen, China. She started off teaching ESL to all ages, and also American Sign Language as an extracurricular class at an American International School. Teaching ASL helped her realize she was passionate about teaching, so she left teaching ESL to teach Geography, History, and English at an international school for four years. It was during these years she obtained her teaching certification from the University of West Florida. After nearly six years in China, she and her fiancé, now husband, moved to Turkey where she lived for three years and taught for two before moving to Prague after her husband was offered a job working here at ECP.

She is thrilled to be here and looks forward to getting to know the students. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing video games, hiking, running, drawing, and traveling.

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Alan Matthews

Teacher of English

Originally from Dublin, Alan studied English and Geography at Saint Patrick’s College before completing his PGDE at University College Dublin. He began his teaching career in Ethiopia and later taught for the British Council in Prague. After spending 14 years at Nový PORG, where he taught English, Geography, and IB Language & Literature and helped coordinate the Model United Nations conference, Alan joined the English College in 2025. He is eager to contribute to its vibrant academic and extracurricular community.

Beyond the classroom, Alan enjoys drawing, cooking, going to concerts, and is an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction. He also loves spending time in nature and has a particular fondness for dark chocolate.

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Johana Heřmánková

Johana Heřmánková joined the English College in Prague’s Education Committee in 2018 as a co-opted member.

With a Bc and Mgr in Philosophy from the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, she co-edited the book Filosofie v podzemí – filosofie v zázemí: – Podoby filosofie v českých zemích v době normalizace a po sametové revoluci (Philosophy Underground and Overground: Forms of philosophy during normalisation and after the Velvet Revolution in the Czech Republic and former Czechoslovakia), which examines the underground philosophy seminars during the communist era and the resurgence of philosophy in Czech academia after the revolution.
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.

Her 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. She was involved in developing in-service training for philosophy teachers at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. 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.

Johana was appointed a Governor of the English College in Prague 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.

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The Rt Hon Greg Hands

Greg Hands’ own education provided a strong foundation for a distinguished career in politics. Born in America to British parents, he first went to school in New York before moving back to the UK with his family when he was seven years old. He later attended Cambridge University, studying Modern History, German, Czech and Slovak. His commitment to the country was evident even then, as he also attended Charles University and, in the summer of 1989, organised a university exchange scheme between Cambridge and Charles University. This academic background has contributed to his understanding of national and international affairs. After Cambridge, he embarked on a career in Finance, and worked on trading floors in London and New York.

He has had a long-standing involvement with the English College and was a Governor of the ECP from 2009 to 2015, before standing down to concentrate on his work as a UK Member of Parliament and Government Minister. Throughout his parliamentary career, he held numerous ministerial roles across various departments, including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Minister of State for Trade Policy, and Minister of State for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change. He also served as Chairman of the Conservative Party. These roles provided him with extensive experience in economic policy, international relations and strategic leadership.

Greg has also had a long-standing association with Central Europe. He speaks German, French and Czech, which is a testament to this connection and his appreciation for the rich culture and history of the area. He is a frequent visitor to Prague as a speaker at CEVRO and GlobSec, further cementing his ties to the Czech Republic. He is also a patron of the Czech National Trust and of the Friends of Czech Historic Buildings, highlighting his interest in preserving the country’s heritage. In June 2025, he took on a new role, becoming a Strategic Adviser to Daniel Křetínský and the EP Group, based in London and Prague, focusing principally on the EP Group’s operations in Germany and the UK.

Greg’s personal links to the Czech Republic, combined with his extensive political and governmental experience, makes him a valuable addition to ECP’s Governing Body. He hopes to be able to use this experience in public service, his understanding of international affairs and his strong ties to the region to support the College’s mission. He is particularly keen to contribute to the College’s strategic development, enhance its connections within both the UK and Czech Republic, and help further its reputation as a leading academic school.

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Helena Quiney

Teacher of English

Originally from London, this is Helena’s first time living and working abroad. She studied English and History, receiving first-class honours from NCH London. Having realised she had an interest in education after volunteering for an education charity as a student, she started her teaching career as a graduate assistant in Oxford, followed by a PGCE. She then began working as an English Teacher in a large comprehensive school in Central London, teaching students from a range of backgrounds and particularly focusing on developing students’ academic writing at KS5 as the centre coordinator for the Extended Project Qualification. From 2022 to 2024, she simultaneously taught and completed a Masters degree in Literature and Arts from the University of Oxford.

Outside of school, her hobbies include skiing and hiking in the mountains, and discovering the contemporary art scene of Prague. Alongside her work at ECP, she volunteers as part of the education team at Pangea Prague, a non-for-profit queer feminist organisation.

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Irena Smetánková

PA to Deputy Head Pastoral Manager of Czech Ed. Matters

Irena graduated from Charles University where she read Asian and African Studies. She later did research into African Linguistics at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, gaining her PhD. After 1989 she briefly lectured at Charles University.

Since 1996,  Irena  has  lived in various countries around the world, mainly in Asia, as  the “trailing spouse” of a Czech diplomat. She did a lot of volunteer teaching and was always actively involved in her children’s schools – both in and outside the classroom. She has been part of the ECP community since 2009, first as a parent and, since 2015, also as an employee.  She worked as PA to the Deputy Head Pastoral before moving on to become the Admissions Registrar and also being responsible for Czech Educational Matters. 

After a four-year break, Irena  has returned  to her original position of PA to the Deputy Head Pastoral, combined with Safeguarding. She is again also in charge of Czech Educational Matters. 

In her spare time, Irena is an avid reader and enjoys listening to classical music. She likes hiking and is a golfing addict.

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Barbora Pavkova

Barbora Pávková

Teacher of Russian

Barbora graduated from the Faculty of Pedagogy at Charles University in Prague in 2015 with master degrees in both Russian and English Language and Literature. She started her PhD studies of Russian literature in 2015 at the Faculty of the Arts at Masaryk University in Brno but in 2017, she changed her field of interest and started a new PhD research project at the Faculty of Pedagogy. Her project based on Russian literature is now more methodologically oriented. She taught both English and Russian at the Valeo company in Prague for 6 years, then joined the ECP in September 2015. She has organized several trips for ECP Russian language students, founded the Russian Culture Club where she presents Russian culture, history, literature and traditions. In 2017 she joined the school’s Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award team. In her spare time, she loves reading, snowboarding, longboarding, backpacking and listening to reggae music.

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Jade Slee

Teacher Librarian and Teacher of English

Originally from Buckinghamshire in the south-east of England, this is Jade’s first international position. Having been an avid reader and writer throughout her life, she has a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from the University of Roehampton in London. After graduating, Jade took a year out of education to work and decide what career she wanted to pursue. She quickly realised that teaching was the only profession where she felt she could make a meaningful impact and she completed her PGCE at Goldsmith’s, University of London in 2019.

Jade then returned to Buckinghamshire and worked as an English teacher, where she developed a passion for literacy in all its forms, developing the use of Accelerated Reader within her school as well as being part of an in-school AI research group. After five years, she decided to broaden her horizons and to look for a job outside the UK.

Away from work, Jade is a self-described “massive nerd”. She enjoys cooking, learning about history, crafting and is currently trying to solve the notoriously difficult ‘Cain’s Jawbone’ puzzle book.

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Jorge Alvarez

Director of Sports & Activities

Jorge grew up in a small town near the mountains of Segovia in central Spain. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, followed by a Master’s Degree in Teacher Training for Secondary Education from the University of Alcalá de Henares.

As part of his university studies, Jorge spent an Erasmus year at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports (FTVS) of Charles University and he quickly fell in love with Prague. After completing his Master’s, he gained valuable experience teaching in international schools, before serendipitous circumstances brought him back to Prague in 2019.

Jorge is passionate about giving students the opportunity to take on challenges and to explore the outdoors. In his previous roles, he organised student trips abroad for activities such as ski touring, ice climbing, whitewater kayaking, rafting and rock climbing. His sports career began early as a competitive swimmer, a member of his university’s volleyball team and as a ski competition coach.

In his spare time, Jorge enjoys single-track mountain biking, skiing and surfing whenever possible. He also loves road trips, cycling and cross-country skiing with his family.

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Gabriela Cuciuc

PE & Sports; Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

Gabriela is a dedicated Physical Education and Sports teacher from Romania, with a solid academic foundation. Her passion for sports and education has driven her to pursue a career where she can inspire others through physical activity. With experience of working in two international schools in Kuwait, Gabriela has served as both a PE teacher and a sports coach, guiding various sports teams to compete in numerous competitions. She firmly believes in the power of an active lifestyle, highlighting the long-term benefits of physical fitness for both the present and future.

Gabriela is an enthusiast of a wide range of sports, regularly engaging in activities such as handball, volleyball, badminton, fitness, skiing, running and hiking. Now embracing a new country and culture, Gabriela is eager to integrate her international experience into the community, inspiring and motivating her students to achieve their best through sports.