English College in Prague

The English College in Prague is a unique and special school. It was founded in 1994 in the wake of the Velvet Revolution as a moderately selective independent day school, offering a British-style Grammar School education and holistic pastoral support to students aged 13-19 (Years 8 - 13 in UK terms). Although all non-language lessons are taught in English it is also a part of the Czech school system. The College is a prominent member of HMC and unlike many international schools is a non-profit-making, fully incorporated charity. Around 70% of its students are Czech and 30% are international students from over twenty different countries.

The College prepares students for a mixture of IGCSE exams, Common European Framework language exams (DELF, Instituto Cervantes and Goethe Institut), as well as ensures that all students in Years 1-4 follow an authorised Czech Curriculum. All students study for the International Baccalaureate in Years 5 and 6 and just over half of the cohort also takes the Czech Maturita examination in addition to the IB. The College has more than twenty-five years’ experience of teaching the IB and many of our staff are IB examiners.

The teaching staff consists of a dynamic mix of recent and more experienced graduates, the vast majority of whom are native English speakers or have been trained in the UK system.  A particular benefit, which is relatively unusual for schools abroad, is that, following a successful probationary period, we offer permanent contracts to our staff. We value relationships between student and teacher and of course how both of these connect with parents. We also actively promote a culture of academic aspiration and individualised expectations.

The College traces its traditions back to the Prague English Grammar School which existed in Prague from the 1920s but suffered closure under both the Nazis and the Communists. It seeks to maintain the traditions and rigour of an English Grammar School within the Czech educational framework and its governors are drawn from both the UK and the Czech Republic, symbolised by its two founding patrons – former President Vaclav Havel and Charles, Prince of Wales.