St Stephen's School on the Aventine celebrates 50 years in Rome on the weekend of 27-29 June.

The school was founded in 1964 by Revd John O. Patterson with an ethos focusing on a classical liberal arts education, modelled on American independent school traditions. Many people in Rome will also remember Phil Allen who was the principal of the school from 1996 for 15 years.

The school was first located in the Parioli district before moving to the Appian Way in 1970. Two years later it moved to its present site, in an ex-convent building behind the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organziation (FAO).

In 1974 it became one of the first schools in Europe to adopt the International Baccalaureate programme. Headed by Eric Mayer, St Stephen's is a co-ed, non-denominational, boarding and day school teaching approximately 250 students aged from 13 to 19.

For more details about the school see its website.