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University College School A GSG School

What says..

 Much teaching material tailor-made by school's own staff - that's proper teaching. Universal praise for the English dept. 'It's phenomenal,' drooled a parent. Very good languages dept and exchange system. Mandarin is growing seriously now and Italian is now an option in year 9 and beyond. DT and art are outstanding. Evident creativity, freedom and experimental ethos and the dept has more the air of an art college than a school. Many media, some wonderfully bizarre and arresting work and all good stimulating stuff. Pupils set up clubs to pursue their own interests...  

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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. Mr Beard came from 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. He is credited with this school's greatly increased number of Oxbridge entrants. He began his career at King Edward's School, Birmingham, where he is remembered as 'a jolly good chap', thence to St Paul’s School, as head of chemistry. Mr Beard is married with two young children and enjoys squash, reading and ancient history.

He is energetic, open, likeable, relaxed and clear-sighted. He followed a loved and warmly respected head, Ken Durham, and big shoes can be hard to fill. However, 'I came in to be myself,' he asserted...

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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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