University College School Junior Branch A GSG School
- University College School Junior Branch
11 Holly Hill
London
NW3 6QN - Head: Mr Lewis Hayward
- T 020 7435 3068
- F 020 7435 7332
- E [email protected]
- W www.ucs.org.uk/
- A mainstream independent school for boys aged from 7 to 11 with linked senior and pre-prep schools
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Camden
- Pupils: 251
- Religion: Non-denominational
- Fees: £24,852 pa
- Open days: June, September and October
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Linked schools: University College School, University College School Pre-Prep
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Lessons are pacy and fun, with all pupils eager to put their points across and a happy buzz prevailing in group work. Parents praise the ‘transformational effect’ that teachers have on their pupils and say they are also ‘very responsive’ to parental queries. Maths and English teaching take centre stage, but the emphasis is on a broad and creative curriculum. Outdoor space is limited but three afternoons a week, the boys are out on the fantastic playing fields shared with...
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmaster of Junior
Since 2014, Lewis Hayward MA (Oxon), a classicist who spent 10 years working in industry in Kenya and Saudi Arabia. An unsuccessful attempt to launch a business newspaper in Nairobi prompted a move back to the contrasting world of British country prep schools, where he discovered his real love of teaching, and thence to Highgate prep, where he was deputy head. Now firmly committed to single sex education: ‘The boys get a longer childhood here and there is no feeding of stereotypes, they are free to explore their creativity.’ It’s not an isolated bubble though - from spring 2024, year 6 will be embarking on focussed curriculum projects with a local girls’ school.
He is clear that ‘frills and gimmicks’ don’t constitute good education: ‘What really works is a...
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Special Education Needs
There is currently one full time Learning Support Specialist in the Senior School. Pupils are screened for dyslexia on entry to the school. Progress of pupils with specific learning difficulties is monitored and reviewed at regular intervals. Individual support by withdrawal from lessons is offered in short blocks (usually 6 sessions) aimed at remediating specific areas of difficulty. If long-term, continuous support is required parents are advised of contacts outside the school. Once admitted to the school, children are assessed and, where necessary, given support specifically in English, Maths and general organisation. The number requiring support each year is minimal.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | Y |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | Y |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| University College School Pre-Prep | 2024 | 100% to Junior Branch. | |
| Wetherby School | 2024 | 2 | |
| Wetherby School Kensington | 2024 | 1 |
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