| Motto | Paulatim sed firmiter (Steadily but surely) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1830 |
| Type | Independent day school |
| Headmaster | Mr Kenneth Durham MA |
| Chairman of Council | The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Brian Leveson |
| Location | Frognal, London England |
| Staff | 100 approx. (Senior School), 23 (JB), 14 (Phoenix) |
| Students | 800 in Senior School (boys/co-ed Sixth Form), 250 in Junior Branch (boys), 130 in Phoenix School (co-ed) |
| Colours | Maroon and Black |
| Demes | Baxters, Black Hawkins, Evans, Flooks, Olders and Underwoods |
| Website | www.ucs.org.uk |
University College School, generally known as UCS, is an Independent school charity situated in Hampstead, north west London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views. According to the Good Schools Guide, the school "Achieves impressive exam results with a relaxed atmosphere."[1]
UCS is a member of both the Eton Group of twelve independent schools and the Headmaster's Conference and it maintains links with a number of other schools in north and west London, including South Hampstead High School and Westminster Academy. It also has strong ties with Equatorial College School in Uganda.
In 2008, the UCS Sixth Form became co-educational.
The current Headmaster of the school is Kenneth Durham.
Contents |
According to H.J.K. Usher (author of An Angel without Wings), giving a detailed history of UCS is close to impossible as many of its early records were lost when the archives of University College London were destroyed during bombing in the Second World War, and because many documents were destroyed or left to rot by a headmaster, C.S. Walton who believed "that tradition began with him".
The following is largely based on the published histories of the School which are given as references at the bottom of the page.
UCS was founded in 1830 by the University of London (the University College London, founded four years earlier). Continuing on the long tradition of dissenting academies, the University of London had been inspired by the work of Jeremy Bentham and others to provide opportunities for higher education for men regardless of religious beliefs (if any) - at the time, only members of the established Church could study at Cambridge and Oxford (the only other two universities in England at the time). Furthermore, the subjects taught at Cambridge and Oxford at the time were very narrow, with classical subjects dominating.
University College found that fewer students were being admitted than had been expected and that the quality of the school education of many of its applicants was inadequate. Several of the founders of UCL therefore took the decision to establish a school.
Several of the founders of the University of London are directly associated with the founding of the school; they include Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (who appears to be singled out as the ring leader in A tradition for Freedom), Lord Auckland (probably George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland), William Bingham Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton, Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, Henry Hallam, Leonard Horner (The Royal Society of Edinburgh has described UCS as his 'monument' [1]), James Mill, Viscount Sandon (probably either Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby or Dudley Ryder, 2nd Earl of Harrowby), James Lock, Stephen Lushington D.C.L. M.P., John Smith M.P., and Henry Waymouth.
According to A Tradition for Freedom, further inspiration for the School came from an elderly Jeremy Bentham who had attacked the traditional education he had been given, and Church of England schools in Chrestomathia.
The first headmaster was The Reverend Henry Browne, who quickly caused controversy, by publishing a prospectus for the School which appeared to include some type of communal worship. This was quickly replaced with a new version which also stated that the School would not use corporal punishment (highly unusual at the time).
The School opened at 16 Gower Street (from where the sobriquet 'Old Gower' derives) on November 1, 1830, under the name 'The London University School'. Browne soon resigned from his position and was replaced by John Walker (an assistant Master).
By February 1831 it had outgrown its quarters, in October 1831, the Council of UCL agreed to formally take over the school and it was brought within the walls of the College in 1832, with a joint headmastership of Professors Thomas Hewitt Key and Henry Malden.
The School was original - it was never a boarding school (though there were at times pupils who boarded in private lodgings or with teachers), it was one of the first schools to teach modern languages, and sciences, and it was one of the first to abolish corporal punishment. It has also been noted that, in fact, UCS had a gymnasium before the school that is generally credited with having the first gym. Originally, there were no compulsory subjects and no rigid form system. Most boys learnt Latin and French, and many learnt German (a highly unusual subject to teach at that time). Mathematics, Chemistry, Classical Greek and English were also taught. There was no religious teaching.
In the mid nineteenth century, the government of Japan sent a number of pupils to the School (see Kikuchi Dairoku and Hayashi Tadasu) which had been recommended on the advice of Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby, who was the British Foreign Secretary at the time.
Under the University College London (Transfer) Act 1905, University College London became part of the federal University of London, and the School was created as a separate corporation.
UCS moved away to new purpose built buildings in Frognal in Hampstead in 1907, which were opened by HM King Edward VII with the Archbishop of Canterbury in attendance on July 27. Kikuchi Dairoku was invited to the first annual prize giving at Frognal where he represented those who had received their prizes at Gower Street.
The Sixth Form Centre, which also houses the Theatre, was opened by the HRH The Duke of Kent in 1974.
In 1980 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the school to celebrate its 150th Anniversary and to inaugurate the rebuilt hall which had been destroyed by fire in 1978.
In 1993 a new library, music school, lecture theatre, computer laboratory, sports hall, geography block, mathematics School and further classrooms were added to the senior school site. The Junior Branch buildings were also refurbished, with the addition of an Art & Technology Centre.
In 2005 UCS announced a four year £12 million development programme.
The Sir Roger Bannister Sports Centre was officially opened by Sir Roger (himself an Old Gower) in December 2006. A new Art, Design Technology and Modern Languages building came into use in November 2007 and, in a gesture of respect to one of the School's intellectual founding fathers, was formally opened as the Jeremy Bentham building by The Duke of Gloucester on 22 May 2008. Also in 2008, the Sixth Form Centre was completely renovated along with most of the School's interior and classrooms were renovated. In September 2008, the first intake of girls to UCS entered in the sixth form.
The governing Council consists of 20 members.
The Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and London each nominate representatives on the Council, as do University College London, the Worshipful Company of Grocers and the London Borough of Camden.
The Chairman of the Council is currently Sir Brian Leveson.
As policy, UCS does not measure academic success by exam result league tables. However the school is firmly based in the top of the national league tables as shown below;
2008
93.7% of A level exams were graded A/B and 81.1% of GCSEs (including IGCSE maths and science) were graded A*/A.
UCS came 25th of all schools nationally according to The Times. In terms of schools which were for boys only, UCS came 5th. [2].
The Financial Times rated UCS the 17th Best School in England in its September 2008 report [3].
2006
93% of A level exams were graded A/B and 83% of GCSEs were graded A*/A.
UCS came 25th in the Telegraph independent school A-Level league table (within the 'Premier League'). [4].
In terms of independent schools for boys, UCS came within the top 10 schools nationally. [5].
The Times ranked UCS as the 45th best School in England for GCSE results 2006. [6]. This ranked the school as 19th in terms of schools where boys can attend. For schools which accept only boys the school was ranked 15th.
The Times 'Parent Power' 2006 Survey ranked UCS 27th in the secondary school category for independent schools.[7]. For boys schools UCS was ranked 10th. It was also wrongly labelled as mixed.
The Good Schools Guide named UCS as the best English school (points score) for any pupils taking classical Greek A-level in 2006. [8]
UCS was separately named best boys independent school for classical Greek A-Level 2006. [9]
UCS was also named best independent school (points score) for boys for Logic / Philosophy A-Level 2006. [10]
The school's annual Beyond Words' UCS Festival has received press attention in recent years because of the number of celebrities that attend; in 2006, The Times placed the festival at the top of its list of 'Top Cultural Places To Be' that week. The festival has also appeared several times in Time Out magazine, rated as one of London's top cultural attractions of the season. The 2006 festival welcomed many household names including Lord Falconer, Zadie Smith (who, according to reports mentioned that one of the characters in her second book was based on an Old Gower), Matthew Pinsent and Rupert Everett, as well as a multitude of journalists, actors, authors, musicians, economists, and many more. Highlights of the 2007 festival included Sophie Dahl, the ULU Jazz Band, Anton Edelmann and Bombay Bicycle Club. In 2008, University College School again welcomed a wide and varied range of contributors including Raymond Blanc, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Pym, Ben Macintyre, Charlie Higson, Martin Bell, Nabeel Yasin, Daljit Nagra, Anjum Anand, Camila Batmanghelidjh, Derek Landy, Alex Lifschutz, William Eccleshare, Ziauddin Sardar, amongst many others. The Beyond Words Festival now includes pupils from the entire UCS foundation.
A major part of the contemporary school culture is community action, where for about six weeks a year students raise money for various charities (2009 total - £20,000).
The school motto is "Paulatim sed firmiter", roughly translated as "Steadily but surely". The school song is called Paulatim.
Paulatim Lyrics
Back in the old time, the morning time, the brave time,
Earnest hearts once labour'd for the halls we tread;
Paulatim, Paulatim, Paulatim!
Paulatim, blow on blow,
They laid intolerance low,
Up, up and let us follow where our founders led,
Up, up and let us follow where our founders led.
Now in the new time, the noontide time, the brave time,
Lightsome hearts are beating in the halls we tread;
Paulatim, Paulatim, Paulatim!
Paulatim, blow on blow,
Let us lay ignorance low,
And broaden out the pathway where our founders led,
And broaden out the pathway where our founders led.
On in far time, the twilight time, the brave time,
Hearts will hold an echo of the halls we tread;
Paulatim, Paulatim, Paulatim!
Paulatim, blow on blow,
May they lay tyrannies low,
Tho' they fall beside the highway where our founders led,
Tho' they fall beside the highway where our founders led.
Old Gowers (old boys) are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "OG".
The school's colours are maroon and black. On blazers these are in vertical stripes.
There have been numerous songs written about UCS. The film Wondrous Oblivion is thought to have been partly inspired by Paul Morrison's experiences at UCS.
The annual Speech Day, at which boys are awarded various prizes, has been hosted by many famous speakers, including Rory Bremner, Gary Lineker, Henry Olonga, Sir Tim Rice, Sir Roger Bannister OG, Stephen Fry, Lord Coe (2007), Professor Malcolm Grant (President and Provost of UCL) (2008), Sir Michael Parkinson (2009) and in 2010 Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
UCS publishes a termly newsletter called The Frognal and a yearly magazine called The Gower; both publications are sent to current and past students for free. The latest editions are available on the school website. A Masonic lodge (the Paulatim Lodge) exists, which former pupils or those with links to the school may join.
The UCS Foundation is composed of three main entities:
The Senior School site is divided into seven buildings:
The Senior School site is located on Frognal, in Hampstead - a suburb of London. The main campus and the Great Hall are noted examples of Edwardian architecture. Inside the hall is a magnificent pipe organ, used for school concerts, professional recordings and other festivities.
Outdoor sports, including Rugby, Football, Cricket, Athletics, Tennis and Field hockey, take place at the games fields in Ranulf Road in West Hampstead. Basketball, swimming, Tennis and Fives take place at Frognal.
The Junior Branch and the Phoenix School are located on two separate campuses in Hampstead. The Junior Branch has its own Library, Science Laboratory, Music, Computer and Drama rooms.
Both the Phoenix School and the JB use the School playing fields as well as the Sir Roger Bannister sports centre at Frognal.
The Senior School is divided into three schools by age, and each year has a unique name:
| Lower School | |
| Entry | Year 7 |
| Shell | Year 8 |
| Middle School | |
| Lower Remove | Year 9 |
| Remove | Year 10 |
| Upper Remove | Year 11 |
| Upper School | |
| Transitus | Lower Sixth (Year 12) |
| Sixth Form | Upper Sixth (Year 13) |
Students in the Lower School are arranged into Houses, each named after a bird. In the Lower School, there is one form (class) per year in each house. Students in the Middle School and Upper School are arranged into Demes, each named after a former prominent member of staff. This is similar to a school house. In the Middle School, there is one form (class) per year in each Deme, and in the Upper School there are two forms per year in each Deme. There are regular inter-Deme competitions in sports throughout the year. In the Middle School the distinctive school blazer carries a coloured school logo on the breast pocket depicting the pupil's Deme. There are currently six Demes:
There are five main points of entry for prospective pupils:
Since the acquisition of the Phoenix School, a pupil transfer between the school and the Junior Branch is in place at age 7 for those "displaying academic potential".
Notable Old Gowers include people in the following broad categories:
' Politics / Judiciary
4 UK Cabinet Ministers, a Viceroy of India, a Speaker of the British House of Commons, a Lord Chief Justice, a Master of the Rolls, 2 Japanese Cabinet Ministers, a Premier of Tasmania, and a Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Academia / Medicine
Vice-Chancellors of the University of London (3), Victoria, Dacca and University of Cambridge (2). Provosts of University College London, a Rector of Imperial College and two Honorary Surgeons to the King. Many Fellows of the Royal Society. Several academic OGs have been inducted into the Order of Merit.
The Arts
A president of the Royal Academy and several members of it, one of the four founders of the BBC, at least one Academy Award winner, film and television stars, broadcasters, musicians, artists, playwrights and composers.
Military
A recipient of the Victoria Cross, a Marshal of the Royal Air Force - the highest rank in the Royal Air Force and Chief of the Air Staff, an Air Vice Marshal, many Generals (including 'the originator' of the Tank), and several Admirals.
Sport
An England Cricketer (and Wisden Cricketer of the Year), a leading Mountaineer and the first man to run the sub-4 minute mile.
Religion
Several Archbishops including a Primate of All Canada and Bishops including a General Secretary of the British Council of Churches who also deputised for the Archbishop of Canterbury as chairman of the board of governors of the Church Commissioners.
A Chief Rabbi of the UK as well as the current head Masorti Rabbi of the UK. A Christian spiritualist leader.
Business
A CEO of the UK's leading ATM deployer, a Chairman of British Airways, one of the founders of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the founder of Yarrows, a proprietor of the Daily Telegraph.
Former staff include: