St Lawrence College

Founded in 1879, St Lawrence College provides a first-class education for boys and girls from 3 to 18 years. Located on the Kent coast, within easy walking distance of the sea, we are a private school set in a safe, spacious campus housing boarding and day pupils from local, UK and international families.

We have approximately 625 pupils – 150 in the Pre-Prep and Prep School and 450 in the Senior School, of which 185 are boarders (boarding from 7 years of age).

We ensure pupils attain their personal best academically, whilst preparing them for life in a rapidly changing global society. Modern facilities combined with traditional values based on our Christian roots draw out the talents of each pupil.

Strong pastoral care, high-quality teaching, and a great emphasis on extra-curricular activity make this a special community to live and learn.
Enjoy the website, which will give you a taste of school life; even better, visit us and meet our best asset – the pupils themselves!

Our Christian Ethos

St Lawrence College was established in 1879 under the Evangelical tradition of the Church of England. Its Christian ethos remains strong and this is seen most clearly in the way that every individual is nurtured at the school under the belief that we are all equal in God’s eyes.

There are many opportunities for pupils to explore their faith informally, or in formal settings such as Chapels, Christian Unions and Confirmation classes, if they wish to do so, and we welcome pupils of all faiths and none.

We recognise our responsibilities as a school: to understand difference, to celebrate diversity and to love our neighbour as ourselves. This is summarised in our School’s Social Vision statement: ‘a caring community of kindness, positivity and respect’.  As a school, we are committed to promoting positive relationships throughout the school and building a fair and inclusive community where everyone is able to flourish.

St Lawrence College has a rich history and a reputation for excellence. The genuine feeling of community is tangible and there is no doubt that the Christian values, boarding ethos, all-through nature of the school and focus on the individual contribute to a feeling of care and compassion that permeates every corner of the campus. It is my honour and privilege to be leading such an outstanding school.

Our aim is to ensure that every individual achieves their potential and this is most clearly illustrated in our excellent Value Added academic results. A combination of dedicated teachers, a broad and challenging curriculum, strong work ethic and focus on core educational skills combine to provide a stimulating, inspiring and purposeful learning experience for our pupils. All of this is underpinned by High Performance Learning; an understanding that intelligence is not fixed and that high performance in education is achievable by all. We are proud to have been one of the founding 14 schools globally to be granted the status of a World Class High Performance Learning School.

This belief in the potential of every child is also seen through our pastoral provision. Our dedicated team of Housemasters and Housemistresses provide excellent pastoral and academic support to the pupils in their care. The link between positive mental health and academic success is well publicised and it is our House Pastoral Teams who ensure that each pupil’s wellbeing is maximised to allow them to fully engage and succeed in all areas of school life. The central role of the Chaplain and strong Christian ethos also ensures that our pupils develop an understanding of tolerance, diversity, faith and forgiveness.

St Lawrence has a long history of sporting excellence, with three OLs representing Great Britain in the 1908 Olympic Games and our first hockey international being capped in 1920! The College still boasts an exceptional team of coaches who have helped a number of our teams to win National Championships and our pupils to gain International Honours. However, it is not just sporting excellence that is prized as we aim to provide our pupils with a genuinely holistic education. Children should be exposed to a raft of opportunities and experiences to find their forte, whether this is in the creative arts, charity and service activities or the CCF.

The leadership opportunities and understanding of self, community and teamwork that comes from a broad ranging extracurricular programme are essential to developing global citizens who are outward facing, confident, emotionally intelligent and equipped with the skills to lead in the 21st century marketplace.

One of the wonderful things about being educated in an all-through school is the continuity of education that your child receives. The staff at St Lawrence get to know your children incredibly well and understand how they learn best. We support them throughout their school career without the anxiety, uncertainty and ‘lost education’ that can happen when changing stage and moving schools. However, there is also a clear sense of progression as you move through the school and an increase in challenge from Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep, to Kirby, Senior School and the Sixth Form, which keeps our pupils enthused, inspired and motivated.