At St. Stephen’s, we believe that academic excellence means: the readiness to channel natural curiosity into a coherent learning process; the ability to write and speak with clarity and precision; the ability to reason and describe in mathematical language, and to engage in thinking of an exact scientific character; a command of at least two languages; and the capacity to benefit from the historical, artistic and cultural heritage unique to Rome and Italy, as well as from the international and multi-cultural context of our school and the local community. 

Strategic Plan Four (SP4): Pillars of Excellence, 2022 charts a five-year, high-level course of action for St. Stephen’s School based on a set of emerging priorities and abiding institutional values targeted to effectively meet this moment in the School’s development.

SP4 builds upon its predecessor plan (SP3), adopts a multidimensional yet synergistic approach, and is shaped in part by its timing on the cusp of a Head of School transition.

St. Stephen’s School is fundamentally healthy and thriving. SP4 addresses some challenges the School faces as it moves to maintain its competitive edge as a global destination of choice in a new era.

The Plan is an adaptive strategy that can be adjusted or amended along the way as circumstances dictate and according to the programming needs and priorities determined by the incoming Head of School.

The four overarching objectives and thirteen initiatives in Pillars of Excellence address student boarding, academic excellence, facilities, and financial health. Some items will entail significant expenditures. In each case, funds will be set aside in the School’s annual budget to cover those costs.