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University College School A GSG School

What says..

UCS was already on a strong footing academically and has now upped the ante even further, with recent results among the best in the school’s history. Independent thinking is the name of the game here and this, believe many parents, is their secret weapon. Noticeably warm relationships between staff and students, and with each other. Parents too are welcome to email teachers. Friendly, informal feel all round. Light touch on discipline for most (‘They don’t sweat the small stuff and they’re not hung up on rules’, said parent). But school won’t hesitate to...

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What the school says...

UCS was founded to be different from other schools and we remain so today. Our approach to education is founded on a dual emphasis on liberal academic scholarship and on being a community of individuals; this lends the School a distinctiveness of which we are extremely proud.

We have an outstanding reputation for pastoral care which results in a happy and well-balanced environment for pupils and staff alike. Our pupils are hard-working, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and a lot of fun. We believe in creating a culture of intellectual curiosity where our pupils think outside the box and develop a love of learning for learnings sake. Our inspirational teachers encourage debate and breadth of thought to nurture this culture: our outstanding academic achievements are the result not just of effective learning, but of the fact that UCS pupils leave School as problem solvers.

Our founding principles of tolerance and liberal scholarship can be seen in the kindness and confidence displayed by each of our pupils; their caring attitude is evident not just through the respect with which they treat each other but also through the ambitious programme of charitable fundraising which they undertake each year. We want our pupils to be able to make a real difference to their world, and we take great pride in UCS being such a strong and vibrant community one where the educational experience is truly unique. ...Read more

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Curricula

Cambridge Pre-U - an alternative to A levels, with all exams at the end of the two-year course.

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

Since 2013, Mark Beard BSc MEd (40s), a chemist. Previously at Brighton College where he'd been deputy head with a period as acting head between the redoubtable Seldon and the remarkable Cairns - a good place to cut headmagisterial teeth and during which he was credited for dramatically improving Oxbridge numbers. Relished his own government assisted place at Whitgift, ‘especially the positive relationships with teachers’, but it was being thrown in at the deep end as a gappie to teach science in another language in Kuala Lumpur that clinched his decision to go into teaching after his degree at Oxford. Began his career at King Edward's School, Birmingham, thence to St Paul’s School as head of chemistry, where he did his MEd.

‘He’ll do interesting things over time,’ predicted a...

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Please note: Independent schools frequently offer IGCSEs or other qualifications alongside or as an alternative to GCSE. The DfE does not record performance data for these exams so independent school GCSE data is frequently misleading; parents should check the results with the schools.

Who came from where

Who goes where

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. 09-09

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Aspergers Y
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders
CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia
Dyscalculia
Dysgraphia
Dyslexia
Dyspraxia
English as an additional language (EAL)
Genetic
Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory
Has SEN unit or class
HI - Hearing Impairment
Hospital School
Mental health
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Natspec Specialist Colleges
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Special facilities for Visually Impaired
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
VI - Visual Impairment

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