Now in its 36th year of operation as an English international school, following a largely British curriculum, Campion School in Pallini bases the quality of its education on the experience gained during these years, and on the founding aims which guide all its activities: to create a wholesome environment in which children can strive for academic excellence and be encouraged to develop an understanding and love for Greece and for Greek ideals.

At the same time, the school is not afraid to embrace change and innovation where these are seen to improve what is offered to its students. One such innovation was the replacement a few years back of GCE Advanced Levels with the International Baccalaureate Diploma, for which the school is now preparing its sixth set of candidates. The school’s IB results this last year, and its success in securing its students university places (most of them in Britain), are ample confirmation that the IB has indeed been a positive innovation at Campion. Last year, the percentage of students passing the diploma was over 92 percent, while the average diploma score increased from last year to 33 points. Slightly more than 30 percent of students gained 35 points or more -the kind of score needed to enter the most competitive courses at British universities.

Three of this year’s graduating class applied to Oxford and Cambridge in the first term and all of them were offered places. Each is a potential scientist and the subjects they are hoping to study are medicine, natural sciences and biochemistry. The conditions they must meet are tough: top marks in their IB higher examinations and all but full marks in the diploma as a whole. Given the fierceness of the competition for places at Oxford and Cambridge, it is to the school’s credit that its students were able to impress the interviewing panel sufficiently to be given the chance to study there.

“We are particularly proud of the high quality of our IB results,” says Headmaster Stephen Atherton, “since we are not an academically selective school. We are in principle open to all pupils, whatever their previous educational background, who we judge will benefit from an education in English. The students we accept are very diverse in their previous experiences and aptitudes, but I think it’s because our teachers can respond to that diversity in relatively small classes, allowing some degree of personal attention to individuals, that our students end up with academic results that invite comparison, certainly with all other IB schools in Greece, and indeed with other top international schools in Europe.”

More information on Campion School may be found on its website, www. campion. edu. gr, which includes full details of examination results (both the IGCSE and IB) and university placements in “Academic Programs and Results.” The Admissions Officer, Miss D. Baker (at 210.607.1700), will be happy to hear from anyone who wishes to learn more of the school or would like to pay a visit.