St Patrick's Salesian School

St Patrick's Salesian School stands in Sliema, on the street named after St John Bosco, and it is a small Catholic school run by the Salesians of Don Bosco. The school describes a family-like atmosphere in which students and staff work side by side, and visitors often remark on how friendly it feels. For families moving to Malta from the UK, that small scale may appeal if a child would be happier in a close community than in a large campus.

Sliema is one of the island's most popular places to live, with a seafront promenade and plenty of shops. Our guide to hotels in Sliema is useful for a first visit, and the international schools directory lets you compare this school with others.

Curriculum and vocational training

The school follows the National Curriculum Framework and adds vocational training. Each student is guided according to ability, so some sit MATSEC examinations while others sit ECDL, the computer skills qualification. Core subjects include Maltese, English, mathematics, religion, Italian, science, physical education and music.

Students can also gain experience in vocational areas such as media, food preparation and design and technology. The photographs on the school's pages show lessons, a school play, sports and cookery, and they give a flavour of the practical, hands-on side of school life. Staff see themselves as role models and companions who help students to build self-esteem, accept responsibility and reach their goals.

Salesian roots in Sliema

St Patrick's has a long history. The foundation stone of its home and school for boys was laid in 1898, and the building opened in 1903 as the first Salesian house in Malta. A public church was added in 1905, and a past pupils association was formed in 1955. The Salesians are a Roman Catholic organisation founded in the nineteenth century by Don Bosco, an Italian priest who dedicated his life to young people, and they have worked in Malta since 1903.

Their approach aims to educate young people spiritually, mentally and physically. Beyond Sliema, Salesian communities have included an oratory in Sliema, Savio College in Dingli and a presence in Senglea, and our Three Cities guide and Valletta guide cover the neighbouring harbour towns. The history of the order also touches on Gozo, covered in our Gozo guide, where a Salesian oratory opened in Victoria in 1949.

Values and student experience

The Salesian motto, Da Mihi Animas, Cetera Tolle, means give me souls and take everything else, and it sums up a mission centred on the wellbeing of young people. Salesian work rests on educating the whole person, so lessons sit alongside pastoral care, religion, sport, drama and practical projects. The school's own message is that a student can only learn when he feels safe and valued, and its teachers try to recognise each student's worth so that students learn to recognise it in themselves.

For a family arriving from the UK, it helps to know that this is a faith-based school within the Catholic tradition, with religion on the timetable, and that Maltese, English and Italian are all taught as subjects. Ask the school how it supports children who are new to the Maltese system, and whether a particular year group has space.

The wider Salesian family runs oratories in Sliema, Dingli and Senglea, a Salesian press and a theatre, and it is worth asking whether any of these activities are open to your child outside lesson time.

Living nearby and getting started

Families settling in the Sliema area can read our relocation guide for UK families alongside the Malta weather guide and the best beaches in Malta. For tax matters on a move, see our Malta tax guide for UK nationals, and note that CLA Malta is our featured partner for relocation help. The about Malta overview covers daily life, and things to do in Malta covers weekends.

To ask about a place at St Patrick's Salesian School, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the school.