Open Gate – Grammar and Primary School () is a private primary school and eight-year grammar school in Babice, in the Central Bohemian Region nearby Prague. The grammar school offers on-campus boarding and combines the Czech national curriculum with the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

The grammar school was founded in 2005 by Petr Kellner and Renáta Kellnerová. From the outset, it combined fee-paying private education with financial support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including children from low-income families and children's homes. A Czech-English primary school covering the first five grades was added in 2011. The Kellner Family Foundation continues to fund need-based and academic scholarships for grammar-school students.

History Open Gate's eight-year grammar school opened in Babice in September 2005. It was established with the support of Petr Kellner and Renáta Kellnerová through their Educa Foundation. From the beginning, the school combined fee-paying private education with scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including children from low-income families and children's homes.

The school underwent several management and staff changes during its early years. Director Petr Albrecht left in 2007, followed by several teachers, some of whom later joined Nový PORG in Prague. Open Gate said the changes resulted from differing views about the school's future development. In 2009, Open Gate was authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Open Gate added primary education in 2010. In September 2011, it expanded this into a Czech-English primary school covering the first five grades, with 108 pupils enrolled at its opening. The campus was expanded at the same time. Also in 2011, the Educa Foundation became part of the Kellner Family Foundation, which continued to fund scholarships for Open Gate students.

In 2013, PPF Group acquired the site of the former Hotel Praha in Prague's Dejvice district for a planned second Open Gate school. The project, known as Open Gate II, was intended to be about twice the size of the Babice school. It was delayed by the permitting process and was abandoned in 2017.

The school's student mix changed over time while its scholarship programme continued. In 2025, about one tenth of students paid full tuition in the school's first year, compared with roughly two thirds by 2025. Other students received need-based or academic scholarships.

Location The Open Gate campus in Babice comprises a total of 7 hectares and its final construction costs came to 250 million Kč. The campus consists of the school and boarding facilities, library, theater, rural studies area including stables, the sports’ hall, swimming pool, all-weather outdoor multi-use sports’ ground and the refectory. As a matter of course school uniform is worn throughout the school day and on all activities or visits outside the Open Gate grounds.Open Gate: the first boarding school in the Czech Republic, rozhlas.cz, Oct 23, 2008

The Grammar School At the end of their studies at Open Gate, the students have the opportunity to sit for International Baccalaureate Diploma qualification, or the State Maturita.official website of the school In reality the great majority of students sit for both.official website of the school From year five (kvinta) education is delivered through the medium of the English language across the curriculum; an exception being Czech and Czech realia.

The application process for entry to the Grammar School includes a general assessment of expected knowledge, an IQ test, and an interview. Applicants for Grammar School study may try a mock exam well in advance. Candidates with excellent results at the mock exam only then have to sit the interview section of the application process at the given date.

All students have the opportunity to avail themselves of participation in the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award scheme, (the DofE). Amongst the students successful on this scheme are Filip Chalupa and Lukáš Kotlár.

The Primary School The educational plan of the Primary School is in agreement with the criteria as laid down by the Ministry of Education and Sport ČR and contains many guiding principles of the IB Primary Years Programme.official website of the school Pupils are graded more by written comment than by the traditional numerical system.

Tuition The Primary School fees are 215 000Kč per annum as of the school year 2025/2026.Staff, primary tuition, Open Gate. Annual fees for the Grammar School are 620 000Kč for boarding students, and 282 000Kč per annum for day students (this information is also from the 2025/2026 school year).Staff, elementary tuition, Open Gate. Almost half of all students receive some form of financial assistance with their fees from The Kellner Family Foundation. Students with exceptionally high academic results are eligible for, and encouraged to apply for academic scholarship stipend.official website of the school

Thanks to grants from The Kellner Family Foundation, hundreds of students have studied or continue to study at Open Gate School. To date, 442 students have benefited from grants exceeding a total of CZK 615 million.

References

External links

Official website of Kellner Family Foundation