| The American School in London | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1951 |
| Type | International, Non-profit |
| Students | 1,350 |
| Grades | K–12 |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Colors | Orange and Black |
| Mascot | Eagle |
| Alumni | 12,653 |
| Head of School | Coreen Ruiz Hester |
| Website | http://www.asl.org |
The American School in London is an international, independent K-12 school in St John's Wood, London, England for students aged between 4 and 18 years. Established in 1951 by Princeton graduate Stephen Eckard, it is the oldest American school in the city and the only non-profit American school in England. As of September 2006 the school has an enrollment of 1,344 students.
ASL is situated on 3.5 acres (14,000 m2) in central London, and maintains 21 acres (85,000 m2) of playing fields nearby.
The school follows an American structure and is organised into three departments: the lower, middle and high schools. Although the majority of students hold American citizenship, the school has a strong international flavour with over 50 countries represented. The school functions as an important cultural centre for American families in London and maintains close links with the American Embassy.
The American School in London welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama for a visit during the 2008-2009 school year. He was there to speak with American Embassy employees.
ASL has been reviewed by the online Good Schools Guide International. [1]
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ASL was founded in 1951 by Stephen Eckard, an American journalist and former teacher living in London.
Within half a year, the School had become so popular that three teachers were hired and it was moved to a more spacious property in Chelsea. An alumnus of ASL in its early years remembered Mr. Eckard wearing many hats: "Headmaster, counselor, teacher, administrator, even bus driver – Mr. Eckard did it all."
The School continued to grow, moving first to a large house in Grosvenor Square and then adding two houses in Gloucester Gate and four houses in York Terrace. Students played sports at Regent’s Park and on the lawn of Winfield House, the residence of the US ambassador.
The first High School graduation was held in 1960, an event that brought Mr. Eckard much joy. "It would be difficult to exaggerate the pride I feel in our School’s first graduating class," he said. "To the extent that it marks a milestone of achievement for me in the development of the American School in London, I hope this feeling is shared by the Senior Class."
In 1964, the newly formed Board of Trustees made the landmark decision to raise funds for a $7 million building to house the whole School. They broke ground in 1968 with the help of Ambassador David K.E. Bruce. The cornerstone was laid two years later by Ambassador Walter Annenberg. The Rt. Hon. Margaret Thatcher, MP, then secretary of state for education and science, spoke at the building’s dedication in 1971.
In September 2000, the School opened a new High School wing, which included an additional 24,000 square feet (2,200 m2) of space, a new gym, art studios, computer labs and a renovated library.
In June 2006, the School broke ground on the School Center for Education and the Arts, to create a 450-seat theater and new flexible teaching and performance space. The Center was completed in the Winter of 2007 and officially opened in March 2008.
"Our mission is to develop the intellect and character of each student by providing an outstanding American education with a global perspective."[2]
ASL is housed on 3.5 acres (14,000 m2) in central London, and maintains 22 acres (89,000 m2) of playing fields.
In addition to 80 classrooms, the School has 17 computer centers; nine science labs; five music rooms; five art studios; a photography darkroom; recording studio; a state-of-the-art language lab; two libraries with a total of 50,000 volumes; two gyms; and two playgrounds. The School Center for Education and the Arts was renovated in 2007, and seats 450 people.
Tuition fees for 2011-12 school year:
K1–Grade 4 £19,350
Grades 5–12 £22,550 [3]
Tuition covers textbooks, laboratory fees and all required activities except for the Music Tour for band, orchestra and choir members. There is an additional fee for the support program for students with specific learning difficulties (SLD), which is £3,150 (the fee for High School students receiving half-time support at two times per cycle is £1,575.) There are occasional additional expenses—usually travel—associated with some Middle and High school classes. Tuition does not include expenses for trips related to extracurricular activities such as athletics, Model UN or service learning.
The school has a need-based financial-aid program, employing forms and analysis based on those used by the School and Student Service (SSS) for Financial Aid in the US. Interested families should contact the admissions office.
The American School in London is accredited by the United States Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the European Council of International Schools. It also belongs to the National Association of Independent Schools and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
The school's mascot is Eagle.
The school has two student newspapers, The Standard and The Scroll.
The Standard is the High School newspaper, and has a circulation roughly equivalent to the size of the high school student body (with additional readership through the school's website), with a volunteer student staff of 12 editors and 30 writers. The Standard was a 2005, 2007 and 2010 Pacemaker Finalist.
The Middle School newspaper is called The Scroll. It was a nominee for the Pacemaker in 2008 and won the Pacemaker in 2009 and once again in 2011.
Each year the school invites a notable speaker to address the High School class during their commencement. Previous speakers include:
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