University College School A GSG School
- University College School
Frognal
London
NW3 6XH - Head: Mr Mark Beard
- T 020 7435 2215
- F 020 7433 2111
- E ssadmissions@ucs.org.uk
- W www.ucs.org.uk/
- A mainstream independent school for boys aged from 11 to 18 with a linked junior school
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Camden
- Pupils: 958; sixth formers: 361 (120 girls)
- Religion: Non-denominational
- Fees: £25,413 pa
- Open days: September- November
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: University College School Pre-Prep, University College School Junior Branch
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Performing arts take centre stage. Drama is ‘amazing', with substantial numbers doing GCSE and A level and making good use of the high-spec Lund theatre. There’s a culture of intellectual curiosity evident in staff and pupils alike, with an annual research review published by staff and a plethora of subject-specific journals that amply demonstrate students’ enthusiasm for thinking creatively. ‘There’s space to explore and be curious,' approve parents. Some parents wonder how their apparently laidback offspring get such stellar results.‘We work very hard to...
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
Do you know this school?
The schools we choose, and what we say about them, are founded on parents’ views. If you know this school, please share your views with us.
Please login to post a comment.
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.
Sports
Rowing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmaster
Since 2013, Mark Beard BSc MEd, an Oxford chemist who almost read classics and retains a great love of all things classical. Previously at Brighton College as deputy head and acting head. Started teaching at King Edward's School, Birmingham, then became head of chemistry at St Paul’s School. Warm, engaging and thoughtful, he delivers his shrewd insights with gentle humour. His enormous wood-panelled study, with striking colourful velvet sofas, exudes tradition mixed with contemporary flair, somehow encapsulating UCS’s distinctive style.
His first few years in post were all about establishing a culture of high expectations - now well-embedded. Not one to rest on his laurels though: the pandemic, Black Lives Matter and Everyone’s Invited have prompted deep reflection ‘about what it’s like to be a teenager in the modern world’ and...
Subscribe now for instant access to read The Good Schools Guide review.
Already subscribed? Login here.
Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
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 | Y |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | Y |
| Dysgraphia | Y |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | Y |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | Y |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| PD - Physical Disability | Y |
| 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 | Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hereward House School | 2023 | 1 | ||
| John Lyon School Prep | 2023 | 1 | ||
| Keble Prep School | 2023 | 1 | ||
| North Bridge House Preparatory School | 2023 | 4 | ||
| Notting Hill Preparatory School | 2023 | 1 | 1 | 1 Music Scholarship |
| St Anthony’s School for Boys | 2023 | 5 | 2 | Music Scholarships (2) |
| The Hall School | 2023 | 1 | ||
| Thomas's Fulham | 2023 | 1 |
The Good Schools Guide newsletter
Educational insight in your inbox. Sign up for our popular newsletters.