ARRIVING at Stratford College, you could be forgiven for thinking that you are at the wrong address. It doesn't look like a school. Its red bricked facade and green front garden does not speak of spotty adolescents milling about. It resembles, rather, a large private residence on a quiet leafy road in Rathgar.

In fact, that is exactly what it once was. The original building was a mid Victorian house. Stratford College was founded there in the 1950s, and the house was completely rebuilt in 1983. The original facade was kept.

Stratford began as an all Jewish school, serving the large Jewish community in the area. With the subsequent drop in the Jewish population, its doors were opened to other denominations and those of no denomination. Today, the school has only about 170 students boys and girls with a full time teaching staff of 10. "We're a small school, running a tight ship," says principal Colette O'Broin.

Despite its multi denominational nature, "the ethos off the school would still be Jewish," says O'Broin. Jewish culture particularly the Hebrew language are on the curriculum. In Transition Year, pupils can opt to study either Hebrew or classical studies.

O'Broin feels that studying the classics "gives people a feel of the other world". She recalls one student who visited Knossos after learning about it in class. She had been "overwhelmed" by the sense of history surrounding her. O'Broin feels that this sort of experience is vital for the personal development of young people.

Stratford, she feels, "promotes the idea of people of integrity taking on responsibility and accountability in the world outside". For this reason, social development is on an equal footing with academic excellence in the school.

This is particularly evident in the school's record of community involvement and social work. A number of Transition Year students are competing for the President's Award. The students have also helped charities such as Women's Aid and the ISPCC. Another group of students are preparing for the "mini UN" convention which will be held in Dublin soon and where Stratford will represent Brunei.

Transition Year students get a taste of the world of business and finance through mini companies and the school bank. The bank is run by the students themselves, supervised by the staff of the TSB. Apart from the preparatory courses in the Leaving Certificate subjects, the Transition Year programme contains a number of modules such as public speaking, first aid, self defence, careers and computers. There are also modules in sports such as golf, tennis, basketball and football.

ALL of these exercises, Colette O'Broin says, give the students experiences which will be of benefit in later life. "They will be going into a work world, where there is also a lot of time for leisure," she says. By opening up a wide range of experience, the students may discover something that will interest them as adults, whether as a hobby or in a career.

Alongside this training in social and personal development, Stratford College has maintained a high academic standard. Almost all students go on to third level, and many have had successful careers in professions such as medicine, architecture and accountancy. A Stratford student last year scored the highest marks in the country in accounting in the Leaving Certificate. And, every year, the school boasts two or three winners in the Aer Lingus Young Scientist Competition.

Elizabeth Byrne and Meio Gordon both left Stratford in 1992. "The one to one with the teachers was great," says Byrne. Gordon also appreciated the personal attention of the teachers. "If there were any problems, they would often stay back after class to sort them out. For its size, I don't think there's really a better school." Byrne feels that "it's a very different, educational experience, fairly unique." She found the multi denominational aspects of the school "very interesting. It was fascinating learning about Jewish life, the Jewish festivals."

As to the future, Colette O'Broin doesn't think the school will be getting much bigger. "We'll be consolidating, building on what we have, maintaining the excellence that the staff has built up over the decades."