6 | LUXlife Magazine Best Independent Co-Educational Day & Boarding School 2025 – South East England Situated right on the Kent coast, and therefore within easy walking distance of the sea, St Lawrence College offers a safe, spacious campus housing both boarding and day pupils from local, national, and international families. Boys and girls alike between the ages of 3 and 18 are welcome at St Lawrence, which promises them the same calibre of first-class education it has been delivering since opening its doors back in 1879. Below, we take a deep dive into what exactly this excellence entails. Home to around 400 pupils across its Pre-Prep, Prep, and Senior School – roughly 120 in lower years and 250 in higher years – approximately 140 boarders stay at St Lawrence, with boarding available from seven years of age. Regardless of whether they board or not, St Lawrence does everything it can to ensure pupils reach their academic best, all while preparing them for life in today’s evolving global society. Such balance is seen throughout the school, particularly in its blending of traditional values with an inclusive, global mindset supported by 21st‑century teaching methods and modern facilities. St Lawrence College’s Christian ethos has been the foundation of the school since it was established 145 years ago, under the Evangelical tradition of the Church of England. Although these foundations remain strong, they are lived out through the guiding belief that we are all equal in God’s eyes. That is why pupils of all faiths, or none, are welcome here and thrive. The friendly and welcoming nature of the St Lawrence College environment stems from this shared, lived experience: to understand difference, celebrate diversity, and “love our neighbour as ourselves.” The school’s vision statement reflects this, underpinning a commitment to promoting positive relationships and building a fair, inclusive community where everyone can flourish – both inside and outside of its walls. It is through this that its unique difference can really be felt. For its pupils, the result is strong pastoral care delivered alongside high‑quality teaching, with equal emphasis placed on life outside the classroom. This is achieved through a range of extra‑curricular activities that promote a strong sense of community through lived experiences that complement what is taught and learned in class. To this end, children at St Lawrence receive added value at every stage of their school experience – from the sports field and the theatre to the concert hall and, of course, the classroom. High‑Performance Learning is inherent across St Lawrence, with the school recognised as a World‑Class High‑Performance Learning School. A large part of this stems from the broad, challenging curriculum pupils are afforded, which covers a wide range of GCSE and A‑Level subjects as well as some BTEC options. Small classes are favoured across the school, allowing dedicated teaching staff to provide pupils with the individual attention they need to thrive. As well as aiming for students to achieve their full academic potential, St Lawrence helps its pupils to excel in other crucial avenues of personal development, such as sport and the creative arts. Ranked in the top 5% of sporting schools in the country, pupils of all ages can enjoy opportunities to play major sports including cricket, hockey, rugby, and netball, as well as more specialist ones such as water polo, golf, and athletics. Pupils who are more artistically inclined may take advantage of the school’s in‑house LAMDA provision that nurtures speech and drama skills and gives pupils the opportunity to take examinations and even perform at local festivals. Supporting this is the 500‑seat theatre at the heart of St Lawrence, which allows its music and drama departments to put on shows and showcase the talent of pupils of all ages and abilities. Moreover, St Lawrence College also offers a robust careers programme for its older students, helping them to make informed, independent, and ambitious decisions about their futures as they reach key stages in their individual journeys. For many, this culminates in a place at some of the most competitive universities in the UK, before a successful career in a range of industries – be they start‑up projects or well‑established firms. As all of the above demonstrates, St Lawrence College is all about enhancing the educational experience – combining timeless values and a strong academic focus with a drive to develop well‑rounded pupils who are respectful, intelligent, and excited to see what the future has in store for them! Contact: Paulo Duran Company: St Lawrence College Web Address: https://www.slcuk.com/
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