St Lawrence College
Promoted by St Lawrence College

How St Lawrence College becomes home

St Lawrence College specialises in extending warmth to newcomers. Their scenic campus, set on a safe and spacious 45 acres, within walking distance of local sandy beaches, welcomes boys and girls between the ages of three to 18 for an academic experience of a lifetime. With a rich history and a reputation for excellence, the college is an inspirational place to live and learn. 

There is a genuine feeling of family thanks to the inclusive nature of the college and a focus on the individual. Care, compassion and community permeate every corner of the campus. Pastoral care is their highest priority with teachers fully involved in life in and out of the classroom. Their aim is to ensure that every individual achieves their potential and this is most clearly illustrated in their excellent academic results.

A combination of dedicated teachers, a broad and challenging curriculum, strong work ethics and a focus on core educational skills combine to provide a stimulating, inspiring and purposeful learning experience for all their pupils. This is underpinned by High Performance Learning; an understanding that intelligence is not fixed and that high performance in education is achievable by all.  

As one of the first 14 schools globally to be granted the status of a World-Class High Performance Learning School, they use an established teaching and learning framework to create students who have the values, attitudes and attributes that enable them to meet the challenges of adult life. Their policy for keeping class sizes small ensures that teachers can look after the individual needs of each pupil, so that high-flyers gain their places at the top universities and less able pupils develop skills in areas which will serve them well in the future. St Lawrence College has a broad curriculum and, as a small school, they can cater for individual academic needs. Subject combinations are drawn up every year based on pupils’ preferences, giving them more choice.

Pupils at St Lawrence College have the opportunity to take part in the creative arts. From music, drama, art to design technology and photography, the aim is to ensure their pupils make the most of their time and have the space and facilities to enhance their creativity. All children are encouraged to participate, co-operate and support each other in house events and there are many opportunities for friendly competition against others. Sports Day, team matches, singing competitions, house drama and musical theatre performances are all part of that experience. 

From their very first day, students can discover many new opportunities, such as playing paintball with the teachers and swimming in the house swimming competition. “And, even after one year at St Lawrence, I can’t say I’ve tried everything that this school offers!” says a student.

St Lawrence College

St Lawrence College offers a stimulating, inspiring and purposeful learning experience for all their pupils. Source: St Lawrence College

Success for Senior School boarders

St Lawrence College boys and girls have an ever-increasing reputation for sporting success. Pupils achieve personal and team success both within and beyond school grounds. 

The College aims to foster an ethos of sporting achievement as well as encourage the need for a healthy lifestyle beyond their school gates. The College has a long history of sporting excellence, with three past pupils representing Great Britain in the 1908 Olympic Games and their first hockey international being capped in 1920! The College still boasts an exceptional team of coaches who have helped a number of their teams to win National Championships and their pupils to gain International Honours.

“The Sports Excellence programme is amazing especially having coaches that you grew up watching play on TV,” enthuses a sport scholar. “It is incredible to have such great support and having an athlete mentor who works with you and helps you succeed.” 

Creating well-rounded pupils who not only improve academically within the classroom, but also have the opportunity to excel outside of the classroom is key.

Their dedicated teams of Housemasters and Housemistresses provide excellent pastoral and academic support to the pupils in their care. The link between positive mental health and academic success is well publicised and it is their House Pastoral Teams who ensure that each pupil’s wellbeing is maximised to allow them to fully engage and succeed in all areas of school life. New pupils are allocated a buddy to ensure they settle in with ease and make not only a new friend but a mentor too.

“You very easily and quickly get into a daily routine and make close friends,” says a senior boarder. “It’s been a lot of fun being at St Lawrence … Joining this school has been one of the best decisions of my life.”Students receive excellent pastoral and academic support from dedicated teams of Housemasters and Housemistresses. Source: St Lawrence College 

St Lawrence College

Source: St Lawrence College

With an action-packed activities programme, including a combined cadet force and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, children are given many opportunities and experiences to find their forte. Field trips and expeditions are offered throughout the year and are well-supported by pupils and parents. Annual day trips include Art Department visits to London galleries, Year 7 French trips to Calais, GCSE History Experiences and many other local excursions including frequent visits to London to enjoy the theatre or a musical. Senior school pupils are given wonderful opportunities to travel the world and experience different cultures. In recent years, trips have been undertaken to South Africa, Iceland, Switzerland and Tuscany as well as skiing in France and America.

“My school is wonderful and I would recommend it to others who feel like they need the opportunity to spread their wings a little more,” says a pupil in Junior School.

The happy atmosphere and friendly familiarity that exists between staff and pupils always strike visitors to the School. Pupils thrive in their environment which is friendly, calm and polite yet disciplined and purposeful.

“The leadership opportunities and understanding of self, community and teamwork that comes from a broad-ranging extracurricular programme are essential to developing global citizens who are outward-facing, confident, emotionally intelligent and equipped with the skills to lead in the 21st century marketplace,” shares Head of College Barney Durrant. 

To find out more about the warmth, sense of purpose and unwavering support that characterises a school day at St Lawrence College, click here. To speak to the Admissions team please email admissions@slcuk.com