Maxine Janecek was awarded the ECF scholarship in 2023 for the final three years of her education at The English College in Prague. She graduated this term and during the graduation ceremony she was awarded the English Prize. Before doing her IB exams, she wrote to us, expressing her appreciation of the opportunities ECP and ECF have given her. You can read what she says below.
The ECF Directors wish her well in her future studies and hope she will stay in touch!
Maxine told us:
Having had the rare opportunity to attend ECP through the support of an ECF scholarship has profoundly shaped both who I am and who I aspire to become. From the very beginning, I was welcomed into a community where students and teachers alike always showed kindness and encouragement. This environment allowed me not only to feel safe and accepted, but also to grow in confidence and independence in ways I had not experienced before. What makes the ECP particularly meaningful to me is how it nurtured my individual passions. I have always loved Theatre, so having that creativity as a school subject permitted me to continue pursuing it. Performing and collaborating in productions pushed me out of my comfort zone and strengthened my confidence in public speaking and self-expression – skills I now consider central to who I am.
Discovering new interests, for example philosophy as an IB subject, challenged me to debate and explore different perspectives, and just like Theatre, to develop and share my own opinions in discussions. These passions have begun to shape my future ambitions. I plan to pursue an English language and Literature or Liberal Arts university degree, which would give me the opportunity to explore ideas across disciplines while continuing to develop both my interest in reading and writing skills. I am particularly
interested in how literature and philosophy intersect, and I hope to carry this forward into a future where I communicate ideas in a meaningful way, perhaps working in media or journalism.
The scholarship itself has made a significant personal difference. It has given me access to opportunities that I might not otherwise have had, from a broad and fascinating curriculum to extracurricular activities and school events that enriched my experience. Just as importantly, it has given me a sense of responsibility: to make the most of these opportunities and to fully engage with everything the school has to offer. The support behind the scholarship has motivated me to work harder, challenge myself, and appreciate the value of education in a way I had never realized before.
While the academic demands were challenging at times, they ultimately helped me develop resilience, time management, and self-discipline. With the guidance of my teachers and the support of my peers, I learned how to navigate these challenges and grow from them. Being treated as an individual capable of managing my own learning encouraged me to become more responsible and self-motivated, which are qualities that I know will be essential at university and beyond.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the donors who made this opportunity possible. Their support has not only allowed me to attend ECP, but has also played a crucial role in shaping my life in terms of confidence, ambitions, and future direction. I am incredibly thankful for the experiences I have gained and the person I have become as a result.
Overall, my time at ECP has been transformative, both academically and personally. I will continue to build on what I have learned here, carrying forward the curiosity and determination that the school has helped me develop.
Our AGM, held on 26th February, was re-energised by its fantastic new venue at Davis, Polk and Wardell. Thanks to Sophie Vacikar Bessisso (a Director of the ECF) for arranging this light bright space which was commented on so positively by the attendees.
The business of re-electing the three longest standing Directors was carried out, and the Treasurer gave a concise summary of the annual accounts. It was pleasing to hear about the significant increase in donations, of which the majority will be used to support the ECF scholarship. Thanks were given to Bohdan Svach and Ann Lewis for their work on the Annual Report and Accounts.
The first of the speakers was the Headmaster of the College, Dr Brown, who updated the meeting on the College’s reconstruction project and the ambitious scholarship programme. Then the attendees were treated to three short videos of the renovated school building, the Cultural Olympiad and this year’s Graduation Ball which brought the school to life. They can be seen on YouTube along with other clips of life at the school, see below. A fabulous way to experience the life of ECP – but from your home!
Then Milan Bednar (2013) and Ly Leova (2019) spoke about their experiences post-ECP. Milan stressed the importance of networking and the influence of AI and Ly explained how well ECP had prepared her for university where she focused on 3D modelling and VR.
The Chairman expressed her thanks to Bohdan who was resigning as Treasurer at the end of the meeting but was happy to note that he was staying on as a Director.
On a final note, the meeting remembered David Cawte who was the ECF Treasurer for many years and sadly died recently.
All present were offered a glass of wine and were able to network and catch up with old and new friends.
This week has been very exciting for students and staff of the English College in Prague (ECP) as they moved back into the newly reconstructed main school building on Sokolovská in Prague 9. Here is a fun video of the rebuild!
Everyone was officially welcomed back by the Headmaster and the Senior Leadership Team, and students were taken on a tour of the beautifully restored and renovated building. ECP Governor JUDr Karel Kühnl had earlier celebrated this once in a generation event with a short speech, paying tribute to the staff for all the hard work that had gone into the project. He also recalled ECP’s first Chairman of Governors, the late Lord Holme, and praised his vision for the English College. At Founders’ Day a few days later, the Headmaster referred back to the kind of values which he had said the College would share with President Havel: freedom, honesty, responsibility, humanity.
Now the construction of a brand-new extension is already well underway, which will provide even more improved facilities for students and staff.
On 13 October the ECF hosted its annual drinks party for newly arrived and pre-2025 English College graduates at a historic pub called The Wheatsheaf (previously frequented by George Orwell and Bernard Shaw). It was a new but attractive venue for us, and a record number of alumni signed up, from virtually all the 2024 and 2025 graduates studying in London, to veteran alumni going back to 2004.
The chairman made a short speech welcoming all those present and highlighting in particular the garden party planned for next May/June, to which ECP alumni and friends and supporters of the school will be invited.
The English College Foundation held its 32nd AGM on 25th February 2025 at St Bride’s Foundation in London. This event consisted of two parts, the first was the usual statutory business matters and the second informal drinks for all attendees. The Directors were delighted that Mrs Sophie Vacikar Bessisso, a ECP alumna, was officially ratified as a Director by Members of the ECF. Sophie has been working with the ECF for a number of months already and her contributions have been extremely valuable.
We were pleased that Sophie agreed to be our guest speaker; she talked about how the English College had prepared her well for her law studies at King’s College, London, and she remembered with fondness the strong friendships forged at the school. Indeed, she even met her husband there!
The ECF Board of Directors thanked Members and supporters for their generosity throughout the year. Everyone was very pleased that the Headmaster, Dr Nigel Brown, was able to attend from Prague and he gave us an informative speech about the recent exciting news from the school, notably the progress of the building works, some of which will be finished this autumn, the developing scholarship programme and the three recent inspections which all went well. How good to hear this news firsthand with the opportunity for questions at the end.
On 3 June the 30th Anniversary of The English College in Prague (ECP) was celebrated with a brilliant reception at the British Embassy. On a gloriously sunny evening, governors, teachers, students and parents, past and present, enjoyed the party in the beautiful gardens below the walls of Prague Castle. The photo shows ECP graduate Jan Brunner, Headmaster Nigel Brown, Chairman of Governors Denis Keefe and Ambassador Matt Field. Two ECF Directors, Ann Lewis and Denis Keefe, were able to attend the reception. Sadly, Liz Cooke, ECF Chair, was sick.
Jan Brunner, who graduated from the ECP in 1999 and is now a senior member of the Czech Diplomatic Service, made a short speech on behalf of the College’s alumni. He mentioned that he had been introduced to the then Prince of Wales at a diplomatic reception when he was Deputy Head of Mission in London. On hearing that he was from Prague, Prince Charles exclaimed that he was ‘a proud Patron’ of the English College. To which Jan replied, “Yes, and I was a proud student there!”
The event was particularly cheerful thanks to two recent pieces of good news: the King has confirmed he wishes to remain a Patron, and the old College building in Vysocany, after two years of renovations, is on track to reopen on schedule in October. A full account of the event, with photos and a video of the speeches, can be found on the English College website at A Toast to the English College in Prague! | The English College in Prague
ECF Directors who were in Prague for the Governors’ meeting in March were able to attend the Havel Concert. This is an annual event which is organised by current ECP scholarship students, and is one element of their fund-raising for the Havel Scholarship.
The Havel Scholarship was initiated by a group of IB students, Dora Robinson, Marie Smetánková, Chhavi Maggu and Courtney Kaye, in 2009. It funds a student from the Roma community in the Czech Republic, a disadvantaged group who experience discrimination. The late President kindly agreed to the use of his name for the Scholarship.
The first beneficiary of the Havel Scholarship, Marek Horvath, graduated in 2018 and gained a BA from Charles University in The History and Culture of Islamic Lands and is now an IT recruitment specialist with Hays. There are currently two further Havel Scholars, in Years 2 and 4. One of them is not only Roma but disabled as well and both are thriving in the College’s unique environment of academic aspiration and supportive care.
The concert, held at the Emmaus Monastery, was a very enjoyable occasion, with contributions from talented ECP students and a few guests, including an extremely lively Roma band.
A number of ECF directors and ECP graduates had the pleasure of attending the Czech British Chamber of Commerce and British Czech & Slovak Association Annual Dinner, held at the May Fair Hotel on 22 November 2024.
It was a great evening with several inspirational guest speakers. ECP Headmaster Dr Nigel Brown spoke about the ECP and its mission to provide an English-medium academic education to young people in Prague and to develop every individual’s potential to the full to prepare them for the challenges of today’s globalised society. We were pleased to see support for the ECP from the attendees and hope to stay in touch with them in the future.
Photographs by Erik Weisenpacher from @doubleyoubrothers
On Tuesday 5 November we celebrated the ECP’s 30th anniversary and Founders’ Day at Pražská křižovatka (Prague Crossroads), a spectacular meeting place in a former church founded by St Vaclav that is one of the projects of the Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation.
It was particularly welcome to be able to celebrate this year following the news that HM King Charles III has kindly agreed to continue as Royal Patron following his accession to the throne – the King was a Founder Patron of the College alongside President Vaclav Havel.
We were joined by two Founder Governors, Ann Lewis and Martyn Bond, as well as by Vanessa Ward, the daughter of Hubert Ward, the Founding Headmaster of the College, who died recently. Vanessa Ward spoke movingly about her memories of her father and the adventure of starting a new school in Prague. She presented a scrapbook of press cuttings from those days which will form part of the College’s archives.
As ever, it was the students who set the tone of the evening, with prize-winners, musical and dramatic performers and the stories of our Talent Award winners all demonstrating the imagination and creativity of ECP – staff, students and parents.
There was also a very impressive display of artwork. The highlight was an amazing model of the reconstructed and extended school building. It was built by Year 3 student and aspiring architect, Ariya Man, and was complete with the roof and lower floors lifting up automatically to reveal classrooms filled with 3-D printed plastic furniture.
