From Banking to Classrooms: How Dana Robertson Built Victoria School Prague

From banking to education: Dana Robertson changed careers after struggling to find an English-speaking nursery in Prague. Her solution became a long-term project. Today, Victoria School Prague provides bilingual education across several levels.

An economist by training, Dana Robertson never planned to work in education. For 20 years, she worked in banking — until a personal challenge changed her direction.

After meeting her partner Mark and having a daughter, the couple began searching for an English-speaking nursery in Prague. Finding no suitable option, they decided to create one themselves. They bought a small kindergarten in Újezd, but quickly realised it needed a complete overhaul.

“It wasn’t properly set up,” Robertson recalls. “We had to rebuild everything from scratch.” The goal was simple: to ensure their daughter grew up bilingual. “In a Czech nursery, she would be surrounded by Czech all day. We couldn’t make up for that at home.”

Foto: Dana Robertson | Victoria School

What began as a practical solution soon developed into a passion. Watching young children naturally absorb English in an immersive environment convinced Robertson she was on the right path.

As demand grew, parents began asking what would come next. Despite initial doubts, Robertson decided to expand, launching a primary school in Prague’s Klánovice district. The beginnings were modest: the first class had just four pupils.

“We were sitting on the stairs during an open day, wondering if anyone would come,” she says. From those early days, the project steadily grew into Victoria School Prague, offering education from nursery to secondary level.

Foto: Victoria School

The concept remains focused on bilingual education. Children are immersed in English from an early age, with up to ten hours of English per week at primary level and a gradual shift towards bilingual teaching.

Small class sizes are central to the approach. “Individual attention only works with fewer pupils,” Robertson says. Classes are typically limited to around 18 to 20 students.

Today, Victoria School Prague includes a nursery, primary school and grammar school. Despite its growth, Robertson has deliberately kept the school small.

“I never wanted a large school,” she says. “This way, we can maintain a personal approach.”

Foto: Victoria School

Running a private school, however, comes with challenges. High costs, particularly in Prague, and investment in international programmes make it a demanding business. More than a decade after its beginnings, the school continues to grow — shaped by a clear idea: combining Czech education with strong English skills in a supportive, smaller-scale environment.

For more information on Victoria School Prague visit www.victoria-school.cz