What is The English School today? What does it stand for? What does it represent for the students that chose us yesterday and will choose us tomorrow?
At The English School we are in daily contact with our students and we have a deep understanding of how critical education is, and especially secondary education.
Indeed, high school education is much more than spending a few years developing knowledge about English Literature or Chemistry; it is a fundamental step that will significantly shape students’ whole lives. Its implications will stretch far beyond their school years. It will lay the ground for the future: which university students will enter, which career path they will follow, which doors will open for a successful future. Education can prepare them for life, teaching them how to navigate the world, but it all depends on the type of education they choose.
At The English School, we are here to support our students to reach their maximum potential. We help them to access the highest quality tertiary education and to become global and democratic citizens, empowered to adopt key leadership roles in their adult lives.
How do we achieve this? This is a product of a unique formula that has been enhanced throughout our 124 years of history, combining excellence, innovation and legacy.
- Excellence: The English School provides rich and engaging educational experiences and challenges, thanks to both its academic programme and its extra-curricular activities. The best students are selected, thanks to our very competitive entrance examination procedure. Likewise, The English School selects the best teachers, who are excellent educators and are extremely well qualified, almost all with postgraduate level education.
- Innovation: The English School prides itself in using the latest technologies, modern pedagogical techniques in state-of-the-art facilities.
- Legacy: Last but foremost, The English School is a community of students, former graduates, staff and parents who support each other during the school years and beyond.
The English School, a long tradition
The English School was founded 124 years ago by Canon Frank Darvall Newham. Since its inception, the school’s mission has been to offer a high-quality secondary level education to children from all the communities of Cyprus.
From its very beginning the school has welcomed students from various communities.
In 1906, The English School’s roll rose to 40, including Greeks, Turks, Maronites, Latins, Syrians, Smyrneans as well as Europeans.
From a very early stage, extra-curricular activities have played a key role in helping students to find their passion and to become well-rounded individuals. As early as 1911 The School Orchestra started.
In 1927, the first Old Boys’ reunion took place in the Savoy Hotel, Famagusta. The same year, for the first time, the son of an Old Boy became a pupil of the School. This event epitomized what The English School’s legacy is about: student today, parent of a student tomorrow; indeed, when one studies at The English School, he or she is forever a member of a community that will help him/her throughout life’s journey. As our motto ‘Non sibi sed scholae’ points out, students should be proud to be a member of the school and put the school community and other people before their own needs.
In 1948, for the first time the School roll exceeded 400.
Always ahead of its time, always a pioneer, The English School was the first co-educational school in Cyprus, when it incorporated in 1962 The English School for Girls which was itself founded in 1957.
Little known to the public, The English School played a significant role in making football popular on the island of Cyprus, with Canon Newham being a fan of the game.
Today, The English School remains the oldest truly multi-communal high school on the island whose aim is to offer the best level of education possible to all its students, regardless of their ethnic, cultural and social background. We are committed to an ethos that promotes respect of identity and diversity as part of a well-rounded education.
The English School Academic Program & Academic Achievements
In today’s world, competition is fierce and being able to access the top universities in tertiary education is the key to secure a fulfilling career. At The English School, our academic programme has proven successful in helping our students enter coveted Russell Group universities as well other top tertiary institutions from around the world.
Our academic programme follows the model of British independent secondary schools. For the first three years, all students follow a broad curriculum designed to lay foundations for public examinations and to give them a taste of all the subjects we offer.
At the end of Year 3 students choose their programme of International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) subjects with a compulsory core of English Language and Literature, Mathematics and Modern Greek/Turkish.
A very wide range of GCE courses are available in Year 6, where students follow four major subjects. In Year 7 the students choose three of these subjects to complete at Advanced Level.
Outstanding External Examination Results
The students’ results at IGCSE and A-Level are regularly among the very best in the field of international schools and measure up to the top independent schools in the United Kingdom. Most of our students gain access to their universities and courses of first choice including Cambridge, London, European and US Ivy League institutions.
The English School academic highlights for 2023:
I/GCSE overall achievement: 67.5% 9-7 [A* and A grades] This compares to a UK rate of 22.7% 9-7 grades.
GCE A Level overall achievement: 67.3% A* and A grades This compares to a UK rate of 25.4% A*-A grades.
Additionally, our students consistently achieve the highest number of external exam board awards in Cyprus for highest performance at National, European and Global level. For example, in 2023 students at our school were awarded 16 of these awards.
Outstanding University Placement
Not only do our students achieve top results but they consistently enter top universities. In the period 2019-2023:
- 71 students received an offer to study Medicine (UK and Europe)
- 43 students received an offer to study at University of Cambridge/University of Oxford
- 91% of our UK applicants students secured places at Russell group universities.
- Approximately 80% of our students secured their first choice university and course.
Beyond the classroom: The English School co-curricular activities & related achievements
Academic education and achievements are essential in the pursuit of a fulfilling career, but it is the richness of our extra-curricular activities that make our students well-rounded individuals.
Indeed, extra-curricular activities broaden a student’s overall education and develop team-spirit and self-confidence. The School has over 50 clubs and societies. The range of clubs and societies to choose from includes Astronomy Club, First Aid training, Choir, Orchestra, Junior Achievement, Drama, MEDIMUN, THIMUN, Debate club, Maths, Robotics, Science, Economics, Languages, The Duke of Edinburgh International Award and numerous others, including a wide range of sports. Many of these involve students representing the School abroad at various international events, with excellent results.
For example, our School’s Debating and Public Speaking Society always attains one of the top places in prestigious overseas competitions. Additionally, The English School has three times hosted the World Individual Public Speaking and Debating Competition in which students from schools from all over the world compete.
For the first time in Cyprus history, in 2018 English School students on the island were approved through the ARISS programme to speak to an astronaut on the International Space Station. This was only made possible because of the enthusiastic and erudite Astronomy and Radio clubs which run at our School.
Sports have always been of great importance at The English School since its founding in 1900, in order to develop team ethic as well as a competitive spirit in the student population. There is a House system which organizes both competitive and non-competitive sporting activities. The more able are encouraged to play in House and School competitions in football, basketball, volleyball, hockey, softball, athletics and cross country; other pupils participate in the same sports for enjoyment and fitness. All the major sports are coached by an experienced team of Physical Education teachers and external professional coaches. This has led to excellent achievements in Pancyprian and International sporting competitions.
The Choir and Orchestra have both been active and highly successful aspects of School life since they were first established by Canon Newham in 1911. Students are encouraged to take up instruments by the School which provides training by specialist music teachers, free of charge for those pupils who reveal special aptitudes.
The English School new state-of-the art building
The English School has a long heritage and has preserved its original facilities while modernizing them and bringing from the ground up a new state of the art building: the new Newham building. This building, follows a linear design and completes the shape of the existing building, thus creating a well-defined and positive exterior space, in the form of an inner courtyard.
Towards the west, the new building follows a different axis, stemming from the layout of the existing Science and Lloyds buildings, thereby achieving a consistent connection between all the school buildings. This gesture provides a contemporary identity to the site and creates a sense of campus, enhancing the educational character and quality of the school.
The new building includes both general and special purpose classrooms, teachers’ offices, a new state of the art canteen and student recreational space, examination rooms and outdoor spaces, which can be used for various educational as well as school community events such as our graduation ceremony.
The Sports Centre has been renovated by rebuilding the changing rooms, positioning lockers and creating a gym. Among other upgrading, the sports centre floor has been renovated with parquet and this enhanced facility is used for indoor tennis, basketball, handball, volleyball, badminton and futsal. Further initiatives have renovated the outdoor facilities: creating new tennis courts, upgrading the futsal courts and significantly upgrading the sports field with lighting, new tracks and fencing.
We have recently opened our new Sixth Form Centre. The former Art Centre has been completely refurbished with the assistance of the generous contribution of an Alumni, as a Years 6 and 7 Centre which includes canteen facilities, IT Workspace, Careers office, Offices for Heads of Year and a number of meeting rooms.
Looking after each other – Pastoral Care
The School is proud of its strong pastoral programme, which creates an environment where all students are actively responsible for their own conduct and development. This ensures that they are emotionally literate, resilient and able to effectively deal with challenging situations, both in their personal life and in their education.
At The English School we believe that promoting the personal and social development of our students is as vital as encouraging their academic progress. The school offers all the opportunities of a large establishment, but each student feels part of a smaller and caring unit. The English School seeks to be a well-ordered community providing educational excellence for all students, which is underpinned by a pastoral care system that meets the changing needs of students as they grow and develop. The welfare of each student is important because when they feel safe and secure in their environment, they can develop all their gifts and talents to the full. To support and guide our students, there is a counsellor, nurse, form tutor for each class and our PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education) programme. This equips our students with life skills and critical thinking, promoting talents, teamwork, respect and care for others, and creating innovative and reflective learners.
For more information please contact:
Admissions Office: Tel: +357 22 799353
Email: [email protected]
Office working hours: 7:30 – 14:30
