St Francis' College

• Location: Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, England,
• Founded in: 1933,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of studying: for girls.

St Francis' College is an independent boarding school for girls. Children from the age of three are accepted for studying, the upper age limit is 18 years.

St Francis' College is part of the Inspired Learning Group, a network of independent schools and kindergartens. Inspired's core values are high quality education, an innovative approach to learning, and recognition of the individuality of each child.

In day classes, children can study from the age of three, and live on campus on a full-board basis from the age of ten.

The residence is located on the top two floors of the main building, thanks to which the girls have immediate access to a dining room, a library, a chapel, and classrooms.

Girls eat on campus either in the cafeteria or in a café run by staff. Meals for students are provided depending on the format of education:

• Afternoon classes – breakfast in the early morning and dinner after evening lessons,
• Full board – breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks.

All meals for girls are prepared right on campus, so they are fresh and of high quality. Each of the menu items is balanced in nutrition. Every season, chefs update the list of dishes, taking into account local ingredients that correspond to a particular period of the year.  Among the school food, there are both classic and vegetarian positions, and suitable for students with special dietary needs. 

In their free time, girls at St Francis' College can engage in sports, creativity or develop their leadership skills. To do this, the administration came up with a hierarchical system in which students are involved: girls can become prefects, deputy prefects, captains, vice-captains of classes, members of the school board and the environmental committee. By participating in extracurricular activities, students express their social positions and influence the development of the school. Together with the staff, the girls organize various school events, for example, talent shows, fashion shows, sports competitions.

Popular school circles and sections include:

• Dance studios,
• Chess club,
• Chorus
• Orchestra
• Football and hockey teams,
• Dance club,
• Linguistic Club,
• Poetry club,
• A workshop of cutting and sewing,
• Swimming section.

On weekends and vacation days, students, together with teachers, go on excursions around the city and beyond. For example, in 2024, they visited locations such as:

1. Cathorpe Court,
2. Grafham Water,
3. Roald Dahl Museum,
4. Woburn Safari Park.

• Small study groups, thanks to which teachers can pay personal attention to each child.
• A commitment to an inclusive approach to education, making learning accessible to most social categories.
• All conditions are created here for students to feel comfortable and confident. The staff helps girls reach their full potential academically and creatively – for this purpose, the administration of St Francis' College not only draws up an up-to-date curriculum, but also organizes extracurricular activities, in which all students are actively involved.
• One of the main goals of SFC is to instill in its students the values of the DREAMS approach: it includes determination, resilience, empowerment, appreciation and motivation.
• For foreign students, short-term English courses are offered, which help them improve their level of knowledge and skills for further study. In parallel with their main studies, students from other countries can take EAL courses, allowing them to study English as a foreign language.

Students of different classes study in one of the four buildings, which bear the names of Greek goddesses:

1. Artemis
2. Hera
3. Athena
4. Selena.

The following facilities and equipment are prepared on the St Francis' College campus:

• Wireless internet,
• Living residences,
• Rooms for storing personal belongings,
• A modern dining room with a dining area in the Broadway building,
• Coworking spaces for extracurricular activities and recreation,
• Library
• A specialized center for high school girls, which includes laboratories.

For full-time students, separate rooms are provided on the territory of the main boarding school, where girls can rest between classes, store their textbooks and uniforms, change clothes, and do homework.

The academic year at St Francis' College usually starts in September. The first semester ends in December and the second semester begins in January. The second semester ends in early April, and the final semester runs from late April to early July.

Thanks to high-quality education, foreign students can qualitatively prepare for British exams and expand their prospects for further admission to universities and colleges in the United Kingdom (and not only).

Girls from St Francis' College perform well in A-levels and GCSEs year after year, and their grades are considered to be among the best in Hertfordshire, neighbouring areas and regions.

St Francis' College has an academic admission process that allows the administration to select among all applicants those students who share the views and values of the school. The specific requirements and criteria for potential students depend on which class they want to enter. Basic requirements for most candidates stipulate:

• Passing an introductory test corresponding to a specific age category,
• Taking entrance exams in certain subjects, including English and mathematics,
• Having a personal interview with representatives of the administration,
• Providing letters of recommendation from the previous place of study.

St Francis' College offers scholarships to high school students - usually payments of up to 20% of the tuition fee. The conditions for receiving financial support change and are adjusted annually, but most often they are awarded to those girls who have achievements in the field of art or sports, academic success.

Foreign students can be awarded a scholarship of up to 20% if they show good academic performance and enter school for the first time.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision