Senior School Principal

American Academy Larnaca

Information about the school

The School

The American Academy Larnaca was established in 1908 by missionaries of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America and is one of the oldest schools in Cyprus. In 1975 control of the school, and all its facilities, was handed over to the American Academy Alumni Foundation, since which time it has been run as a non-profit making organisation with charitable status by its own graduates. The governing council consists of 11 elected members, who serve for five years – and two representatives of the church.

The School is a private, non-sectarian, co-educational, selective day school, offering education from pre-Junior through to Year 7 (ie Upper Sixth). The Junior School currently has 353 students, with day-to-day administration being the responsibility of the Junior School Headteacher. The Senior School currently has 902 students. The school has built a strong reputation for the high level of educational success of its students and for its emphasis upon service within the community.

Some Aspects of Curriculum

A wide range of courses is available at GCSE from years 1-5 and at sixth form level, most lead to external examinations at A/AS. The school offers its own Graduating Diploma – something of great value on the island. Students achieve very highly, gaining access to top universities around the world. The school boasts that ‘wherever you want to go, we’ll get you there’. Alongside A Levels and the Greek Pathway, we support students in applying for and gaining entry to universities and courses worldwide. In addition to primary and secondary education, the school’s activities include the operation of an afternoon Institute, a Summer School and a Summer Camp.

Greek Pathway

The American Academy Larnaca recently introduced a new curriculum option for Year 6 and 7. As an alternative to A Levels, students can opt to follow a Greek curriculum, focusing on either Business or the Sciences, in order to prepare for the Pancyprian exams. All students will learn and study in English in Years 1 – 5 and will all sit GCSEs. They will then be given the choice of the Greek Pathway or four A Levels.

Academic Performance

The School continues to outperform in exams with an additional focus on improvement in learning for all our students. Every year, our students secure places at some of the most prestigious Universities worldwide and on some of the most challenging courses. More importantly, through our counselling guidance, students are supported in applying to the right course and the right destination for their skills and aspirations, with the majority of students attending their first choice University.

Location and buildings

The School is located centrally in the town of Larnaca and occupies a large site. The main building houses the administration and is the pastoral and teaching base for Years 4 to 7. All classrooms are fully equipped with interactive whiteboards. The facilities also include science laboratories, two computer rooms with Internet access (Windows 2000/Office XP environment), the Library, which is also equipped with 15 Internet linked computers, 14 classrooms and the Auditorium. The Lower School, some 200 metres away, on the same site, includes science laboratories, the art and music rooms and 16 classrooms, whilst the Junior School is located centrally between these two buildings.

The School has invested heavily and strengthened its digital capabilities at an excellent level during the last five years. This is reflected both in the school’s curricula and the organisations’ strategy. 85% of the organisation’s digital infrastructure relies on cloud technologies and 25% in premises hosted technologies. The school has new Cat6a hardwired network, classrooms are equipped with digital interactive 75” screens and Wi-Fi is spread along all premises for staff, student and guest use. The server room has been facelifted by replacing all servers with new and a penetration and vulnerability test was implemented to strengthen weaknesses. All staff is equipped with a laptop supplied by the school.

The Junior School is expanding and will open the new upper school building (Grades 4-6) in September 2025. In addition to eight classrooms, it will also include a new library, canteen, ICT room and two specialist language classrooms.

Pastoral - Student Development

At the American Academy Larnaca every effort is made to nurture each student’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical wellbeing. We have an extensive pastoral system, and at the heart of all we do is the students’ personal development.

Extracurricular Activities

The American Academy Larnaca provides students with an evolving selection of clubs and activities taking place both during and after school. These extracurricular activities are designed to develop their talent and skills with other students who share similar interests.