Introduction

The school in Sučany was formally established by Banská Bystrica School Council on 1 September 1991. For two years it was part of the V. Pauliny Toth Grammar School in Martin. In September 1993 it became independent and the Bilingual English Slovak Grammar School was fully integrated into the Slovak Secondary School system.

The main aim of the school was to provide a full secondary education combining the best experience of both the Slovak and British education systems. A set of governing principles for the educational process were elaborated under an agreement between the Czech and Slovak Ministries of Education and Science and the British Council, supported by the British Know How Fund.

From this marriage, Sučany Grammar School was born. Although the political and economic map of the region has changed, the school has prospered. Five years on, it produces some of the most gifted students in Slovakia, whose educational and language skills mark them out as potential leaders of industry and commerce.

The project through which Sučany was established was experimental in character. The school receives state funding as part of the Slovak Secondary School system, but differs from all other state schools, in that most subjects are taught in English using English-language books and materials. The staff are trained in Western teaching, which have proved highly successful in engaging the students in an interactive learning process.

The school is open to students from across the Slovak Republic. Those coming from far afield are accommodated in nearby Martin. Entrance to the school is based on examinations in Mathematics, Slovak and General Knowledge. English is not required on entering the school, as extra language coaching is provided during the first year. Such is the reputation of the school that each place could be filled several times over by the number of applicants.