The American School in London
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| The American School in London |
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| Established | 1951 |
| Type | International, Non-profit |
| Students | 1,350 |
| Grades | K–12 |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Colors | Orange and Black |
| Mascot | Eagle |
| Head of School | Dr. William Mules |
| Website | http://www.asl.org |
The American School in London is an international K-12 school in St John's Wood, London, England. 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 in central London, and maintains 21 acres of playing fields nearby.
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History
The school was founded in 1951 by Stephen Eckard, who continued as head of school for 20 years. The original site was Eckard’s Knightsbridge apartment, and catered for 13 students. In 1952 the school was moved to Grosvenor Square to accommodate 135 student and 10 faculty members. In 1955 President Truman addressed the graduating class. The school moved to its current facility, which was dedicated by Margaret Thatcher (then Education Secretary, later Prime Minister), in 1971.
Mission Statement
"The mission of the school is to provide an American education of the highest quality. Students are challenged to achieve their full potential within a caring and supportive framework. As a richly diverse and international community, ASL fosters active citizenship in a changing world."[1]
Accreditation and Memberships
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.
Philosophy
"At the American School in London, we believe the purpose of education is to challenge all students to develop to their fullest intellectual, social, emotional and physical potential. Understanding that children learn and grow best within a caring and supportive framework, we undertake to provide the most enriching and stimulating educational program possible.
We value our diverse school community and international student body. We embrace the unique learning opportunities made possible by our location and take our students out of the classroom to explore London, the United Kingdom, continental Europe and beyond.
We believe our community should support children and their families and serve as a model from which children can learn responsibility and concern for others.
We prepare our students to be lifelong learners, to benefit from higher education, and to be effective citizens in a changing and challenging world."[2]
Mascot
The school's mascot is Eagle. A recent program from the alumni office has seen him traveling around the world visiting alumni, and sharing his experiences through an online travel blog, Wingin It.
The High School rugby team is known as The Pirates.
Tuition
Tuition varies by grade level and is set annually. The school's admissions office provides current figures and entry requirements on request.
Student Newspapers
The school has two student newspapers, The Standard and The Scroll. The Standard is the High School newspaper, and has a circulation of over 1000 (with additional readership through the school's website), with a volunteer student staff of 11 editors and 30 writers. The Middle School newspaper is The Scroll with a staff of 10 section editors and 2 photography editors.
Podcast
The Middle School's after-school program has a podcast called EPLS (Easy Peasey Lemon Squeezy). It is magazine style, with separate features created by students that are then mixed into one show using hosts to introduce each item. The hosts are rotated show to show.
Notable Alumni
- Nate Ackerman, olympic wrestler
- Devon Aoki, model and actress
- Stewart Copeland, composer and musician
- Erin Crowe, painter
- R. Luke DuBois, composer and artist
- Marc Ewing, founder of Red Hat, Inc.
- Justin Haythe, novelist and screenwriter
- Jacob Lief, humanitarian
- Gabriele Marcotti, journalist and author
- Steve-O (Steven Glover), actor
- Kathleen Turner, actress
- Norah Vincent, journalist and author
Commencement Speakers
Each year the school invites a notable speaker to address the High School class during their commencement. Previous speakers include:
- 2006 Charles Walker, ’86 MP
- 2005 Dr. Norman R. Smith, President, Richmond, The American International University in London
- 2004 Prof. James Cuno, Director, Courtauld Institute of Art
- 2003 Billy Collins, Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the United States Library of Congress
- 2002 Sue McGregor, OBE, Former Presenter Today Program, BBC Radio 4
- 2001 Warren Hoge, London Bureau Chief, The New York Times
- 2000 T.R. Reid, London Bureau Chief, The Washington Post
- 1999 Lord Falconer of Thoroton, Minister of State
- 1998 The American Ambassador, The Honorable Philip Lader
- 1997 The American Ambassador, The Honorable William J. Crowe
- 1996 Daniel Pedersen, London Bureau Chief, Newsweek Magazine
- 1995 Matthew Parris, Columnist, The Times
- 1994 William Roedy
- 1993 The American Ambassador, The Honorable Raymond Seitz
- 1988 Howell Raines, London Bureau Chief, The New York Times
- 1987 William Ruston
- 1985 The Rt. Hon. The Lord Chalfont, O.B..E M.C. P.C.
- 1984 The High Commissioner for Canada, His Excellency The Honourable Donald C. Jamieson P.C.
- 1983 The American Ambassador, John Louis Jr.
- 1980 Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
- 1979 Vice-Admiral Joseph P. Moorer
- 1975 The Right Honorable, The Ambassador, Mr. Elliott Richardson
- 1971 The Lord Chancellor, Lord Hailsham
- 1969 Thomas R Byrne, Labor Attache, American Embassy, London Board of Governors, Georgetown University
