Why choose the English College in Prague?
- We are considered experts in delivering an IB education in the Czech Republic
- Most of our graduates go on to prestigious international universities
- We encourage active and independent learning
- Most of our teachers are native English speakers
- Our parents recommend us
Key facts you should know
- 1410+Successful IB graduates
- 23Oxbridge places in past 15 years
- 100%Students take the full IB Diploma
- 26 yrsIB experience
- 70%UK trained native speaker teachers
- 105Students with over 40 pts in IB
Our Patrons
- Read MoreKarel SchwarzenbergPatron
Karel Schwarzenberg
The ECP was delighted that Karel Schwarzenberg agreed to become our new Czech Patron following the death of President Václav Havel. He joined HRH The Prince of Wales as Joint Patron.
- Read MoreVáclav HavelFounding Patron
Václav Havel
“I appreciate the English College’s insistence on combining high academic standards with personal achievement in areas such as art and music, sport and debating, and strong sense of community involvement. The students emerge self-confident and articulate, fluent in English and at home on the international scene.”
- Read MoreHRH The Prince of WalesFounding Patron
HRH The Prince of Wales
"I have watched with great pleasure and a sense of pride as the College has grown and flourished. I was particularly glad to meet many of the students and staff during my last visit to Prague, and see for myself the friendly and stimulating environment at the College. I especially welcome the broader international vision the College encourages in its students and I am particularly glad to hear that several of them are now studying in the U.K."
Mission Statement
The English College in Prague was established, and continues to exist, to provide an English-medium education for young people in Prague, primarily of Czech origin, which is second to none academically but also develops every individual’s potential to the full and prepares them for the practical, social, intellectual and moral challenges that they will face in today’s globalised society.
Headmaster
Dr. Nigel Brown
What our parents say
- Read MoreKateřina BečkováParent
Kateřina Bečková
I am very well acquainted with most of what Prague offers in terms of secondary schools and I believe that the ECP stands out. They are preparing children through their challenging IB and Czech Maturita programmes for university and life beyond in a systematic and balanced way.
- Read MoreIng. Karel HamplParent
Ing. Karel Hampl
ECP is teaching students to see the world around them in a more complex way in comparison to local schools. I like very much how the school contributes to the self-motivation of its students. On the part of management and teachers, I can see all the steps are well thought through, forming our children as susceptible, independent, friendly and educated personalities with very human attitudes towards the environment. I very much appreciate the friendly atmosphere at the school and on the other hand, also the elaborate rules that must be strictly followed.
- Read MoreIrena DuffkováParent
Irena Duffková
"Please be aware that in our eyes the ECP teachers are true heroes of our lives in the current Covid time learning situation. We cannot express enough our appreciation of their work. Their efforts directly form our children and they are indispensable to them."
About Us
The inspiration for the College came as a result of a meeting in 1990 between President Havel and the British Foreign Office Minister, William Waldegrave. One of the Minister’s advisors was Ann Lewis, now our Chairman of Governors, and at that meeting, it was suggested that a project be launched to revive the tradition of a British-style education in Prague, established by the old Prague English Grammar School, which was opened in 1927 before being closed down by the Nazis. It had a brief re-flowering after the war, but was finally closed down for good by the Communists in 1954.
One of our current Governors, Jan Kovařovic, was a pupil at the school and speaks with gratitude and affection about their teachers including Mr Slavík, who was arrested in 1950 and spent time in prison for anti-state activities – for producing a leaflet commemorating the anniversary of President Masaryk. A team of British and Czech supporters, including Ann Lewis, Dr Martyn Bond and Lord Holme, our first Chairman of Governors, set up a UK registered charity – the English College Foundation. These early supporters had been on the point of giving up because of the difficulty in finding a suitable home for the school and were therefore very grateful to Prague 9 Council and the Mayor at the time, Tomáš Szennai, for the offer of our building on Sokolovská.
HRH The Prince of Wales and President Václav Havel agreed to be Patrons of the College and eventually the ECF managed to raise the money from donations to open the school to the first 117 overwhelmingly Czech students in September 1994.
Message from Lord Holme of Cheltenham
“There are at least three principal virtues of the sort of liberal humanistic education which this college offers and which inspired me from the very beginning of the English College.
- The concept of developing each student’s full human potential. Genetic inheritance confers upon each of us a bundle of talents, aptitudes and responses and the life chances that go with them. It is one of the roles of education to identify and nurture these potentials and to raise them further so that each student realises his or her fullest self.
- The ideal of a community built on reciprocity. A school is a community in miniature and it should be guided by mutual care and respect with each student “putting back” into the common store of good will and positive actions at least as much as they take out. Dealings between members of the school community should be characterised by care, consideration and courtesy.
- The importance of international understanding. Not just between the UK and the Czech Republic with ties of language, literature and learning but throughout the larger family of mankind when so many shared problems can only be solved by shared values and shared actions. We are educating responsible and aware citizens of an ever-smaller interdependent world.”
Lord Holme was instrumental in the founding of the College and was its first Chairman of Governors. The Library was named after him in October 2010.
How to apply
Next Open Days
- 23rd November 2021
- 13th January 2022
- 9th February 2022
Talent Awards
A small amount of money is available to students who show exceptional talent in a certain area. This is not a scholarship but students who receive this award get modest help in developing their talent by subsidising experiences or facilitating access to resources. The number of awards made each year varies, but it is usually for three or four students in the school at any one time. In return, students are required to contribute significantly to the cultural life of the English College in Prague through school events, public occasions and by example. These awards are offers to existing students who show particular talent, as such there is no formal application process.
The Founders’ Academic Prizes
The Founders’ Academic Prizes are awarded each year. They are awarded to the two highest-achieving students in each year group on the basis of their performance throughout the previous academic year. The prizes are worth CZK 5000 and celebrated at the Annual Founders’ Day in October.
Donations
The generosity of all those who are choosing to make a donation to the English College in Prague is greatly appreciated. Whether for general school funds, specified items or individual scholarships or bursaries, these donations are really welcomed and change lives. For the avoidance of any doubt, the English College in Prague needs to make it clear that donations of any type or amount cannot in any way either officially or unofficially be related to preferential treatment in terms of admissions of new pupils or influence the application of normal school processes and rules to existing pupils. This statement is to protect both parties from the risk of unfavourable interpretations of such donations.
Recent donors
- Pavel Šaroch, parent
- ASPECTA s.r.o.
School Code & Policies
Would you like more information?
The English College in Prague – Anglické gymnazium o.p.s. is a selective six-year English grammar school, which is also part of the Czech school system. In 1995 it became the first school to offer the International Baccalaureate in the Czech Republic and every year around 70 of our students take the full IB Diploma exams.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or book a free visit.
