For the first time in The English School Girls football history, we entered two teams into the Ayia Napa Soccer Festival 2026, consisting of an U13 group made up of Year 1 players alongside two Year 2 players and an U15 group made up of Year 2, 3 and 4 players, supported by Year 1 players. With two teams participating and 21 players, The English School are proud to continue to support girls’ football in Cyprus and with the strongest girls presence at the tournament which boasts over 3000 participants including international teams, The English School certainly had a successful impact.

Our U13 team started on fire, claiming wins against Portuguese professional side Varzim SC and Cypriot giants Pafos FC in the group stages, finishing second in the group stage out of 5 teams, earning a place in the semi-finals. With a place in the televised final on the line, our determined and passionate U13 side narrowly missed out, losing 6-3 in extra-time to Varzim SC. Not allowing their heads to drop, our U13 girls channelled their disappointment into boosting the depth of our U15 team who arrived determined and motivated to have a successful tournament.

Our U15 team included six Year 4 players who first attended the tournament in 2023 as Year 1 players. In what could be their last tournament together, they had one goal in mind, which was to leave with the trophy. Year after year, we have seen improvements and development, and they arrived with fire in their belly to go one step further after last year’s semi-final defeat. Leaving no room for doubt, they did just that, and they performed to an exceptional level with last minute goals, penalty shoot-out wins and only conceded one goal in the entire tournament to cement their place in history as the 2026 Ayia Napa Soccer Festival Girls U15 winners. Maria Leandrou, one of those experienced and determined Year 4 players finished top soccer in the U15 category and provided two moments of magic with back-to-back last-minute winning goals across two days. It was a hugely rewarding tournament for all involved, culminating in the trophy ceremony on the final day which was televised live on CytaVision Sports. It was a memorable moment to see our Year 4 girls win their first trophy after four years of hard-work and likewise to do it alongside numerous Year 1 players just starting their football journey was a touching moment and the best example of what can be achieved with team-work, spirit and hard-work.

Team:

• Maria Christodolou (GK)
• Andrea Gavriel
• Stella Anastasi
• Leni Solomou
• Maria Leandrou
• Emily Nicoloau (C)
• Nayia Stephanou
• Victoria Georgopoulou
• Kyveli Matsi
• Popi Koumenidis
• Despina Panayides
• Charitini Iosif
• Christina Agathocleous
• Amelie Christodolou
• Sotia Theocharide
• Irene Xenofontos
• Ellie Zavrou
• Mia Michaelides
• Hara Mavrommati
• Erica Tingerides
• Alexandra Iness Lteif

On Friday, 24th April 2026, Year 1 students took part in a special awareness initiative in support of people affected by multiple sclerosis.

To show their support, students wore orange t-shirts, the colour commonly associated with multiple sclerosis awareness, and gathered together to form a heart shape. The gesture was a simple but meaningful way to express solidarity with those living with the illness, as well as with their families and support networks.

The initiative aimed to help students understand the importance of awareness, empathy, and community support. Through their participation, the Year 1 students contributed to a wider effort to bring attention to multiple sclerosis and the work of organisations supporting those affected by the condition.

We thank all students and staff who took part in this thoughtful initiative.

The English School’s charity club, Chain of Change, has organised two successful bake sales over the past two months, raising funds to support worthy causes and highlighting the strong sense of social responsibility among our students.

The first bake sale took place in February and was led by Ariana Vallance in Year 6. The proceeds were used to purchase items in support of the organisation Generation for Change.

The second bake sale was held in March and was led by Year 4 students Cassandra Isidora Pattichis, Loukia Marina Jirka, Panayiota Myrto Papasavva, and Myrto Eliades. Funds raised from this event were donated to support the Sophia Foundation programme, “I Cook and I Offer.”

We are incredibly proud of our students for showing such initiative, compassion, and commitment to helping others. We are also grateful to all members of Chain of Change, who continue to respond with enthusiasm and a strong sense of social responsibility.

We look forward to seeing this spirit of generosity and initiative continue to grow through even more student-led actions in the future.

We are delighted to celebrate the exceptional achievements of our students in this year’s competitions organised by the British Physics Olympiad. Their impressive results are a testament to their talent, dedication, and passion for Physics, as well as to the strength of the school’s thriving Physics community.

Our students performed with distinction across all levels of the competition, achieving results well above the national average in both the Senior and Intermediate Physics Challenges.

Year 6 – Senior Physics Challenge

The Senior Physics Challenge attracted 7,360 students from 336 schools nationwide. In this highly competitive field, our Year 6 students delivered an outstanding performance, earning one Gold, five Silver, and three Bronze awards. Impressively, their average mark was 5% higher than the national average.

We warmly congratulate:

Peiqi Song (Gold)
Angelos Prastitis
Leonidas Elefterios Graves
YouYou Tian
Yiran Zhou
Matthaios Ioannou
Gerasimos Georgios Panayides
Nicolas Maroudias
Michalis Sklavos

Year 5 – Intermediate Physics Challenge

In the Intermediate Physics Challenge, 6,070 students from 195 schools took part. Our Year 5 students also achieved exceptional success, earning ten Gold and two Silver awards. Their average score was almost 8% higher than the overall average of all participating schools.

We proudly congratulate:

Maximos Psaltis
Christian Skriver
Giorgos Giovanni Hadjihannas
Christos Kontopoulos
Mikhail Kiselev
ZhiBai Mark Huang
Stavros Kouyialis
Ioannis Hatjantonas
Anna Rouva
Konstantinos Trigkas
Dimitris Avraamides
Louis Aristotelous

Year 7 – BPhO Round 1 Physics Challenge

We are especially proud of Imanuel Cohen, who was invited to sit the BPhO Round 1 Physics Challenge after successfully qualifying through the highly competitive Round 0 selection examination.

This year, Round 0 saw participation from 599 UK schools and 80 overseas schools, with 9,500 papers submitted. From this very strong cohort, Imanuel qualified for Round 1 — an exceptional achievement in itself.

In Round 1, 1,811 students from 475 UK schools, together with several overseas schools, took part. Imanuel went on to achieve a Silver award, an outstanding accomplishment at this advanced level of competition.

These achievements reflect not only the individual excellence of our students, but also their resilience, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to academic challenge. We extend our warmest congratulations to all of the students who took part and contributed to this wonderful success.

Our athletes delivered an excellent set of performances at the Senior Boys & Girls Nicosia Schools Athletics Competition, representing the school with determination, talent, and pride.

Top results included 1st place finishes for Sotiris Hadjikyriakou in Senior Boys High Jump and Stefanos Ioannou in Senior Boys Shot Put.

We also celebrated 2nd place finishes from Myra Ioannou (Senior Girls Triple Jump), Kyveli Matsis (Senior Girls 400m), Iacovos Antoniou (Senior Boys 110m Hurdles), Gerasimos Georgios Panayides (Senior Boys 400m Hurdles), and Ioanna Maria Katsavra (Senior Girls Discus).

Further podium finishes included Raymond Hadjisotiris, Antonios Ioannou, Panos Tsentas, Gabriel Azar, Myrto Elliades, and the Senior Boys 4x100m relay team of Gabriel Azar, Andreas Florides, Ioannis Metaxas, and Kyriakos Makris, all placing 3rd in their events.

Well done also to Pavlos Zachariades, Sophia Georgiou, Loukia Jirka, Alexandros Emmanuel Christoforou, Alexandros Elia, and Andreas Florides for their strong performances.

Congratulations to all our athletes and to Coach Andy Ioannou for this fantastic team effort.

We were pleased to welcome Grant Thornton Cyprus for an insightful session on risk assessment, banking, data, and artificial intelligence.

Students learned about the role of a risk advisor, the types of risks faced by banks, and the importance of combining technical skills, soft skills, and Mathematics in the field. The speakers also explored the use of data visualisation, research methods, and “what if” analysis in risk management and decision-making.

A particularly engaging part of the session focused on artificial intelligence, including the Turing Test, the differences between AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning, and the growing importance of Generative AI. Students also heard how AI and data can support clients, strengthen the work of firms, and help boost productivity in the workplace.

The session ended with an excellent question-and-answer discussion, during which students asked thoughtful and impressive questions.

We are very grateful to Grant Thornton Cyprus for their time and for sharing their expertise with our students.

Team Rush has done it again! After an outstanding performance at the National STEM Racing Competition, the team secured 1st place and earned the honour of representing Cyprus at the International Finals in Singapore in October 2026.
This remarkable achievement reflects the team’s dedication, creativity, and engineering excellence—and it is a proud moment for our entire school community.
Meet the Champions

A huge congratulations to the talented students who make up Team Rush:
• Despina Charitou
• Orpheas Chimonas
• Sevim Toprakdji
• Selay Vildan Dayioglu
• Platon Trapelides
• Leonidas Graves

Their teamwork, innovation, and perseverance have brought them this far, and their journey is only just beginning.
On the Road to Singapore

With the international stage ahead, Team Rush has already regrouped and is working tirelessly to refine their car, sharpen their strategy, and proudly represent Cyprus. The team is also currently seeking sponsors to support their preparations and travel.

A Bright Future Ahead
We are incredibly proud of Team Rush and all they have accomplished. Their success is an inspiration to our school and a testament to what passion and hard work can achieve.

Wishing the team the very best as they take on the world stage in Singapore. Keep racing forward!

On Friday, 20th March 2026, our Year 7 students attended an inspiring assembly focused on inclusion and raising awareness of neurodiversity.

We were honoured to welcome the President of Voice for Autism, Ms Ellen Georgiou Pontikis, who spoke about the importance of building a more inclusive society. We also heard from a representative of True Heart Café, a remarkable organisation that employs 18 individuals on the autism spectrum, promoting independence, opportunity, and inclusion within the community.

The assembly encouraged students to reflect on the values of respect, empathy, and the role each of us plays in creating a more inclusive environment for all.

“Inclusion starts with understanding, grows with empathy, and becomes real through our actions.”