St Joseph School Sliema

St Joseph School is a Catholic girls' school in the centre of Sliema, one of the largest and busiest towns in Malta and a popular base for British families who have moved to the island. The school stands on Cathedral Street, only a short walk from the promenade, and it has grown from a small convent school into a junior and senior school of about 650 girls. It is listed in our directory of international schools in Malta, and it is worth a look for parents who want a faith-based education in a central location.

Its motto is Believe and Achieve. The aim, inspired by Gospel values and the teachings of Saint Emilie, is a holistic education that develops each girl's individual, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, creative and physical potential.

History: from Vittoriosa to Sliema

The school belongs to the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition, a congregation founded in France by Saint Emilie de Vialar, who set out with a few friends on Christmas night in 1832. The first foundation in Malta came in 1842, in two rented houses in Vittoriosa, where the first school opened with around a hundred day pupils and ten boarders. The Sisters later moved to Valletta and then to Cospicua, in 1858.

In 1879 the Sisters bought a house and garden in Cathedral Street, Sliema. Foundations were laid in 1880, and the new convent was blessed on 9 June 1881, when boarders and day pupils from Cospicua were brought across the harbour by steamer in white dresses and blue scarves. The senior section still occupies that original house. If the story interests you, our guide to Vittoriosa and the Three Cities guide describe the harbour towns where the Sisters first worked.

Ethos and religious education

The school's core values are team work, self-reliance, improvement and achievement, and its mission is to embrace all learners. The atmosphere is friendly and positive, and students are encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour and to contribute to the life of the school. The role of the family as the first educator is emphasised in communications with parents.

Religious education follows the teachings of the Catholic Church, with significant curriculum time devoted to it, as well as assemblies, school Masses, class Masses, Lenten talks and celebrations linked to church feasts. Students of all religious denominations are accepted and are allowed to follow their conscience.

The school day

The senior school day runs from 7:55am to 1:30pm, Monday to Friday, with eight lessons daily. The gates open at 7am, and pupils are supervised from then until the bell. Morning assembly is held at 7:55am in Our Lady's Yard, uniting the school in prayer and carrying announcements, and it moves to the hall in poor weather. Break is after the fourth lesson, from 10:40am to 11:00am.

There is no tuck shop, so girls bring a healthy packed lunch. Pupils leave at 1:30pm unless the school has been told that they will be collected later, and supervision after school continues until 2:30pm. Our Malta weather guide helps with planning the hot months of the school year.

Teaching, assessment and facilities

St Joseph's is a mixed-ability school. Girls are drawn by ballot for entry into kindergarten and proceed to the senior section, where they are not streamed by ability, although setting is used in some subjects when teaching loads allow. Parents are kept informed through regular tests and formative assessment, half-yearly and annual reports, and meetings with staff, and the Head may invite parents in to discuss progress.

The senior school has, besides classrooms, one hall, a media room, two science labs, a library, two computer labs, a home economics lab, an art room, an options room and a personal and social development room. The school has invested in hardware, software and staff training for e-learning: all classrooms and laboratories have projectors, and twelve interactive whiteboards are available in the senior section.

Life beyond the classroom

The school keeps a lively programme of events. Book Week includes competitions, a trivia quiz, cinema time in the library and a dress-up day. Art option students have visited exhibitions in Valletta and Sliema, and one class toured a historic theatre in the capital, a trip that pairs well with our Valletta guide. Girls also take part in volleyball tournaments.

Grade 10 and 11 students on the King's Trust International programme complete community projects, such as a visit to a local home for elderly people where they ran craft workshops, danced and sang with the residents. For children's parties and weekend activities in the area, see Afterglow Events and Adventure Hub.

Moving to Sliema and getting in touch

Families relocating from the UK will find practical advice in our guide to relocating to Malta and our Malta tax guide for UK nationals. Parents visiting before a move can browse hotels in Sliema, and the things to do in Malta page has family days out, with the best beaches in Malta a short journey away.

The school does not publish its admissions details or fees on the pages we have seen, so the best first step is a short message with your daughter's age, current school and planned arrival date. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to St Joseph School.