Teachers at the school are mostly from a British background, and are all trained to help students achieve outstanding academic results as well as enable them to develop all the traits of the IB learner profile. In addition we make sure that all our students are developing excellent English and that they are using this in all their lessons under the guidance of teachers who are native English speakers.

We also understand that it is essential that students retain both their academic Czech as well as their Czech culture, and believe our Czech department to be unparalleled in Prague, staffed by six native speakers with a wide range of experience in delivering Czech to native and non-native speakers. The department teaches both Czech language and literature, so all students receive an education in the subject that is relevant to their needs.

Students in Years 1-4 follow a curriculum designed to develop the knowledge and skills required to succeed in the IB Diploma, providing them with a challenging, diverse and stimulating education. In particular we emphasise:

• The development of oral and practical skills
• An investigative approach to learning
• The use of initiative to solve problems
• Digital literacy and the use of technology to enhance learning

The IB Diploma gives access to universities worldwide. The Diploma Programme is a rigorous school leaving qualification which is highly respected internationally. Universities throughout the world appreciate the fact that IB students are more likely than their peers to complete undergraduate degrees and to go on to graduate positions in the workplace. Research also shows that IB graduates are more likely to engage more actively in various aspects of university life such as volunteering for community service, completing internships, leading student activities, and undertaking research. This is because IB students follow a curriculum that is both broad and deep, and they are encouraged to think independently and to take an active role in their own learning. They are also encouraged to be internationally minded and to act locally on community issues. More than 4000 schools worldwide teach IB programmes, teaching over a million students. All our Year 6 students are entered for the Diploma.

The English College is unusual in Prague in that we also prepare students for the Czech State Maturita examination alongside the IB Diploma; this allows those students who take this option the choice of universities in the Czech Republic as well as worldwide. Increasingly we are seeing our students study in a broader range of locations, and our key priority is to enable our students to compete successfully for places at the top universities in the world.

The Czech Maturita

Students at the English College may study for the Maturita as part of their IB studies; the qualification is awarded if a student a) passes the IB Diploma and b) passes the examinations in Czech Language and Literature set by CERMAT and c) has a qualification in a modern language other than Czech and English at B1 or above. As a general rule, those on the IB and Maturita programme should study Czech at Higher or Standard Level for IB.

All students follow the same programme of study in Years 1 to 4, with optional subjects chosen in Years 2 , 3 and 4. In Years 5 and 6 students get to choose between the IB and Maturita programme and IB-only programme. All of our Czech and Czech-speaking students are offered the Maturita. These students  only need to take the Czech component of the Maturita exam in order to be awarded the Maturita qualification in full. (This is possible through an exemption awarded by taking and passing the IB.) Additionally, many of our Czech students on the IB and Maturita programme leave with the bilingual IB Diploma, having achieved equal levels of English and Czech and as such, they are equipped to choose from universities at home and around the globe. Because the government subsidises Maturita tuition, those on the IB and Maturita programme benefit from slightly reduced fees in Years 5 and 6.

The Maturita exam (Czech secondary school-leaving exam) consists of a common and a ‘profile’ part. The exam for the common part is in the form of a didactic test. Exams for the profile part are in the form of written work and an oral exam before the Maturita exam committee (more here). You can find the evaluation criteria here. The school’s reading list for the Maturita oral exam is here.