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
Our Patrons
Václav Havel
HRH The Prince of Wales
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
We hope that English College students will find themselves in a happy, creative environment, in which they can discover and develop their talents, achieve academic goals commensurate with their intelligence and ability, and gain moral awareness and self-confidence. We also need to stimulate the imagination and promote intellectual curiosity across the curriculum. All these elements are necessary for the enhancement of self-esteem and the fulfillment of each student’s potential.
Dr. Nigel Brown
What our parents say
Kateřina Bečková
Ing. Karel Hampl
About Us
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. Most ECP graduates go on to study at universities mainly in the UK, but also in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in the world. The College is a public benefit company, established by the English College Foundation, and supervised by an independent body of unpaid Governors who give their time voluntarily.
Václav Havel’s message to ECP
History of ECP
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
- Contact us and ask to speak to Ms Němečková, Admissions Registrar.
- Visit the College on one of our Open Days, or ask for an appointment for you and your child to visit the College and meet the Headmaster. Please note that during the lockdown and school closure we are only able to offer online appointments. Open Day dates are: 12 November 2020, 13 January and 9 February 2021.
- Print and fill in this Application Form (can be completed in advance)
- Candidates then need to sit the College entrance examination or come for the academic interview on dates specified in our Admission Procedure for the Academic Year 2021/2022.
You should know before you apply that candidates for Y1-Y3 need to sit the College entrance examination in English, Mathematics, non-verbal skills and also Czech, if they speak the language. Exams will be set at the level appropriate for the expected year of entry. Candidates for Y4-Y5 will be invited for an academic interview led by the Deputy Head and two or three other teachers. The academic interview will partly focus on some of the subject specialisms that the student wishes to study at IB. For all candidates, interviews in English with the Headmaster form an integral part of the admissions process.
Entrance Exam Requirements & Examples
Admissions Procedure for the Academic Year 2021/2022
Open Days: 12 November 2020, 13 January 2021 and 9 February 2021
Academic Interviews to Y4 and Y5: at individually arranged times in March
Internal Entrance Examinations to Y2 (Czech, Mathematics, English and NVRT): 22 April 2021
State Entrance Examinations (only to Y1) (Czech and Mathematics): 5 and 6 May 2021
Internal Entrance Examinations to Y1 (English and NVRT, with possibility to sit internal Czech and Mathematics exam): 5 or 6 May 2021, on the same day when state entrance exam will be taken.
Internal Entrance Examinations to Y3 (Czech, Mathematics, English and NVRT): 7 May 2021
Year 1 second round (Czech, Mathematics, English and NVRT): 21 May 2021
Candidates for Y1 need to sit State Entrance Exams in Czech and Maths (provided by CERMAT) and College exams in English and a diagnostic Non-Verbal Reasoning test. Candidates for all other years need to sit College entrance examinations in English, Mathematics and Czech language (those who speak Czech) and a diagnostic Non-Verbal Reasoning test, at the College on the date specified. Interviews in English with the Headmaster are required before sitting the entrance exams. Exams will be set at the level appropriate for the year of entry. Samples of internal test papers as well as the exam requirements are available on the ECP website.
During the interview candidates need to show the Headmaster that they are proficient and fluent enough in English to be able to understand lessons taught in English. Additionally, the Headmaster is looking for candidates whose outlook is broadly aligned with the school’s ethos. In practical terms, this means being both open and internationally minded, as well as being personally self-motivated and willing to engage with the school and the wider community.
Reports from candidates’ previous schools need to show that their academic achievement, behaviour and attendance are satisfactory or better.
Candidates applying for Years 1-3 need to reach a sufficient standard of achievement in the entrance examination papers to satisfy the College’s academic requirements.
Instead of an entrance exam, candidates applying for Years 4-5 will have an academic interview led by the Deputy Head and two or three other teachers. The academic interview will partly focus on some of the subject specialisms that the student wishes to study at IB.
Entry is possible at:
Year 1 (8th grade of Czech primary schools, Yr 8 UK) – A full 6-year bilingual gymnázium programme.
For applicants to Year 1
We would like to remind you that you have to fill in the official application form (SEVT) provided by your child’s basic school and hand it to us by 1 March 2021 at the latest.
Information for the official SEVT application form:
IZO: 108 001 369
Identifikátor školy: 600 006 140
Obor: dvojjazyčné gymnázium
KKOV: 79-43-K/61
Year 2 (9th grade of Czech primary schools, Yr 9 UK)
Year 3 (1st year of Czech secondary schools, Yr 10 UK) – Students will follow a two-year course, at the end of which they will sit internal or external examinations in a wide range of subjects.
Year 4 (2nd year of Czech secondary schools, Yr 11 UK) – Entry in Year 4 for students is relatively rare and is for students who would otherwise plan to join us in Year 5. Although they will arrive mid-way through a two-year programme, it will give them time to settle into the school (both academically and pastorally) before starting the challenging IB Diploma Programme.
Year 5 (3rd year of Czech secondary schools, Yr 12 UK) – The two-year IB Programme; a high level of academic English is required.
Expected number of successful candidates
The College is looking to admit approximately:
- 44 students into Year 1
- 11-12 students into Years 2
- 11-12 students into Year 3
- 4-5 students into Year 4
- 5 students into Year 5
We aim to recruit primarily students of Czech origin, although happily recruit around a quarter from international backgrounds.
Finance & Fees
The English College in Prague is a fee-paying school. Fees are payable in Czech crowns (CZK). Fees are subject to annual review and may be changed due to inflation or for other reasons. Parents must give one full term’s notice if their child is intending to leave the College before the end of Year 6; otherwise we will charge one term’s full fees due to late notification. Where the situation is uncertain it is advisable to discuss the matter with the Headmaster.
Show Fees for 2021-22School fees
| Per Term | Per Year | |
| Year 1 - 2 | 103,000 czk | 309,000 czk |
| Year 3 - 4 | 108,000 czk | 324,000 czk |
| Year 5 - 6 IB & Maturita | 116,000 czk | 348,000 czk |
| Year 5 - 6 IB-Only | 133,000 czk | 399,000 czk |
In addition, school fees include:
- Induction trips in September 2021*
- Trips at the end of the school year 2021/22*
- IB and IGCSE exams
*for both events accommodation, transport and food is included
When first joining the ECP:
Refundable deposit for school fee: 40,000 czk
Refundable deposit for books: 10,000 czk
Scholarships & Bursaries
Although we try hard to keep our fees as low as possible we realise that they are still very significant and we offer substantial scholarships and bursaries to help make it possible for all who want to come to the College to be able to do so. Many of our students benefit from these arrangements.
Show all Scholarships & Bursaries
Social Bursaries
ECP supports students with excellent academic results, but limited or insufficient family income. By the end of spring term, parents of such students need to submit an official application form for the following school year to the Headmaster. The College carefully evaluates all applications and, based on availability of funds allocated for this purpose, decides on social bursaries for selected students, in the form of up to a 50% discount on the full school fees. A bursary is granted for one school year only and each year new applications must be submitted and are evaluated again based on the most recent academic results and the latest family income statements.
If parents find themselves facing unanticipated economic difficulties during the course of the school year, they can apply to the Headmaster for financial support in meeting the continuing costs of their child’s education.
The deadline for submitting a completed application form for the next academic year is 26th of March for all students.
The form can be downloaded here Social Bursaries Application. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Prince of Wales Scholarship
The Prince of Wales Scholarship will be awarded to an ambitious Czech student from a disadvantaged family, currently in Year 7 or Year 9 of a Czech school. The Prince of Wales Scholar will receive a full scholarship for six or four years at the English College, dependent upon their age on joining us in September. It will be awarded to a student who would not normally consider applying for a place at an independent school because of lack of funds.
Schwarzenberg Scholarship
Our Czech Patron, Karel Schwarzenberg, has agreed to the use of his name in connection with a Schwarzenberg Scholarship, which will enable a Czech student to attend the final four years at the English College in Prague. The scholarship is aimed at attracting a student who might not ordinarily be able to attend the College were the scholarship not available. Suitability will be judged on the likelihood of the student’s life chances and comparative academic success being significantly improved.
Prague 9 Academic Scholarship
This is a new scholarship designed to help prospective Year 3 students, who have completed all of their basic school education in Prague 9, to be able to come to ECP. The level of award is up to 50%, which will reflect academic potential and may take into account financial circumstances. The scholarships are usually for a duration of two years, although with sustained excellent academic performance they will usually be continued for a further 2 years. The Prague 9 Scholarship is awarded at the same time a place is offered at the school.
Barta Scholarships
One of the early graduates of the English College, Jan Barta, now a successful internet entrepreneur, generously funds six scholarships to enable promising young people who would not necessarily fit in well with the Czech school system to flourish at the College, as he believes he himself did. These scholarships can be for up to 100% of school fees. In addition, Barta Scholars receive a contribution towards living expenses and other co-curricular activities. Holders of a Barta Scholarship are expected to help organise the annual concert for the Václav Havel Scholarship Fund and are required to undertake one charity project.
Václav Havel Scholarship
The Václav Havel Scholarship was founded by a group of Year 6 students who graduated in June 2011 and was intended to give Roma students access to an education at the English College. The school now financially supports this student-led initiative. These scholarships are usually held by up to two students in the school at any one time. They are for up to 100% of school fees. In addition, scholarship winners receive a contribution towards living expenses and other co-curricular activities. Along with the Barta Scholars, holders of the Havel Scholarship are expected to help organise the annual concert for the Václav Havel Scholarship Fund and are required to undertake one charity project.
English College Foundation Scholarship
This scholarship funds two Czech students who might need financial assistance either on entry or during their time at ECP. The scholarship is usually held by up to two students in the school at any one time. It involves a fee remission of up to 80% depending on circumstances.
Applications for Scholarships should be made via the Registrar by 26th of March after which (and after passing the entrance exams) interviews will take place.
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.
