St Christopher School Letchworth School

• Location: Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, England
• Educational programs: pre-school education, middle school (KS1-3), high school (GCSE, A-Level )
• Age of students: 3 to 18 years
• Type of accommodation: full-time form and boarding house (residence)
• Total number of students: 500 people
• Type of education: mixed.

The independent private school of St Christopher School Letchworth is created for the quality education of boys and girls. Programs for children aged 3 to 18 are offered here, and the total number of students reaches 500 people. An educational institution is located in Hertfordshire county, in the small town of Letworth Garden City - you can get to the center of London in just an hour: students are actively using it during walks and weekend excursions, and it facilitates the transfer from the capital airport.

Year of foundation of St Christopher School Letchworth is 1915: the total campus area reaches 15 hectares. It is located in a park town known to all the English: it is a well-groomed, green and cozy place, ideal for walks, living and outdoor activities.

St Christophers School Letchworth differs from other British educational institutions in many ways, primarily by its informal approach and the maximum level of tolerance to the students. For example, there is no school uniform, freedom of speech is encouraged, student referenda, discussions and voting for the adoption of new school rules are conducted. The director has a personal right of veto, but even in this case he must publicly prove his decision and his expediency. Voting is also chosen by school leaders, and all teachers and students address each other exclusively by name. In general, the atmosphere inside the campus is more in line with the American school - it's hard to believe that this is a respected and prestigious British educational institution, so there is no traditional strictness and some stiffness here.

Students of all religions are accepted, no faith is considered to be the main one and is not imposed as the main one.

St Christopher School Campus Letchworth is one of the few in England that provides roller skating and skate grounds with a special "climbing tree". For students 3-5 years old the Montessori system is used. For children of all ages the all-round development of the individual, the disclosure of personal talents and abilities are widely promoted, and teachers use an individual approach to give each child maximum attention. Despite the high level of freedom, children demonstrate excellent academic results, especially in the fine arts and the natural sciences:

• According to data for 2014, 100% of graduates passed the A-level exams: 33% received the highest A-A* scores, and 85% - scores from A* to C;
• According to the statistics of 2014, 100% of schoolchildren passed the GCSE exams: 35% received the highest A-A* scores, and the majority - 90% - passed the exams for grades from A* to C.

The St. Christopher School Letchworth has a special International Studying Center, which effectively prepares students for entry into a complex, advanced A-level course: the educational program includes intensive lessons of English and academic subjects at the main course.

The Independent and prestigious directory of The Good Schools Guide indicates the following: "Unconventional school in which they take care of their students. Students demonstrate good academic performance. The emphasis in the school is put on the natural sciences and the arts."

The institution is regularly inspected and evaluated - for the last time (2010), the independent commission Schools Inspectorate (ISI) has produced the following results and estimates:

• Quality of school leadership, working with parents, learning conditions, childcare and safety, quality of childcare, quality of teaching - "Excellent"
• Academic successes of children, accommodation in the guesthouse - "Good"
• The level of childbearing and development of children is "Great."

StChris pupils living in the residence receive daily support in the form of personal and group lessons with teachers in the evenings, which gives them the opportunity to do their homework or focus on topics that are difficult for them. Additional lessons with teachers are available for all students, and EAL language classes are available for international students, which will help them adapt to the English-speaking environment faster and master the curriculum effectively.

Scheduled academic classes take place not only in the classrooms, but also outside of them - in the Forest School. In the fresh air, students can try their hand at many scientific fields, experimenting and studying the environment, their capabilities. Under the supervision of teachers and their assistants, students of all ages develop leadership and team qualities, maintain an active lifestyle, and acquire important life skills.

StChris provides instruction at all stages of schooling:

• Nursery is a preparatory department for children from 3 years old,
• Junior School — primary school,
• Senior School — middle classes,
• Sixth Form - Graduating Classes.

StChris runs a professional swimming program that is available to students of all ages.

When studying on boarding basis, children live in comfortable residences right on the campus. During the resettlement, the gender of the children is taken into account (for boys and girls, separate houses are prepared), as well as age (schoolchildren live with their peers). Together with the children there are experienced teachers who control the cleanliness and discipline, guarantee the full safety of the wards, help them to solve administrative and everyday issues.

Vegetarianism is officially accepted here - but if desired, students can exclude themselves from the list and eat meat and fish dishes.

Subject list: Art, design, drama, English literature, geography, history, maths, music, Natural science, philosophy, physical education
Activity list: canoe in the pool, Canoeing, fitness, rock climbing, self-defense, yoga

St. Christopher School Letchworth employs a huge number of various clubs, sections of interest in different directions - each student will be able to find an activity for himself during extra-curricular time. Popular sports activities and directions are the following:

• Chess
• Choreography
• Cricket
• Roller skates and skateboarding
• Table tennis
• Martial arts
• Cricket
• Tennis
• Badminton
• General fitness
• Canoeing
• Gymnastics
• Swimming
• Basketball
• Squash
• Football
• Rugby.

You can attend music lessons or engage in acting and theatrical skill, master photography or fine arts, join a club of astronomers or movie lovers. There is a section of debates, computers, you can design and technology, sing in the school choir.

• Highly rated by ISI, Good Schools Guide,
• The school has long been the flagship of progressive education aimed at developing the individual abilities of students,
• A large number of extracurricular areas.

St. Christopher School Letchworth has excellent technological equipment - on campus there is everything that can be needed for teaching, living and extra-curricular activities. The territory is occupied by educational buildings and residences, own library and a large research center, its own observatory is built. There are various studios and mugs: theater, culinary, art and creativity. The infrastructure is rich and for sports:

• Indoor swimming pool
• Climbing wall
• Functional sports complex
• Numerous fields and playgrounds
• Special slides for roller skates and skate.

The cost of courses is not included and is paid additionally:

• Registration fee;
• Visa fees and services;
• Deposit confirming the place on the course;
• Contribution to the development of the school;
• Examination fees;
• Tuition fee (semester cost);
• Additional lessons, excursions and activities (if necessary and desired);
• Transfer in both directions (the cost depends on the chosen airport);
• Guardianship;
• Medical insurance.

Extras:

• Registration fee (for a programme/course) 100 GBP
• Deposit for a course/programme 3000 GBP

The family of the future student needs to fill out an online form and provide documents, after which the admissions committee will invite them to a trial day, an interview, when teachers informally check the level of knowledge of the child, and he gets acquainted with students and teachers. Applicants entering middle and high school must pass several standardized tests in the main subjects of the curriculum - based on the results of this stage, a decision will be made on admission.

The majority of GCSE and A-Level students achieve high grades in their core subjects, which allows them to continue their academic career at leading institutions in England and abroad.

The exact admission rules and dates of admission may vary depending on the age of the students - we recommend that this question is always clarified in advance; St Christopher School Letchworth is famous for its loyal attitude towards foreign students.

StChris offers a number of scholarships for new students entering grades 7, 9 and Sixth Form: they are awarded based on previous academic success, covering a portion of the tuition fees for the year. Scholarship programs are also being implemented, according to which students who are especially successful in their studies and art are awarded.

Students can request financial support based on their family's financial difficulties – anywhere from 5 to 100% of the year's expenses, depending on the conditions.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision