University College School - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

University College School, generally known as UCS, is an Independent school

Independent school (UK)

An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...

charity situated in Hampstead

Hampstead

Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...

, north west London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London

University College London

University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of 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."

UCS is a member of both the Eton Group

Eton Group

The Eton Group is an association of 12 leading English independent schools within the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference including some of the most elite academic schools in the country...

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

South Hampstead High School

South Hampstead High School is an all-girls independent day school situated in Hampstead, north-west London. The school was founded and is still supported by The Girls' Day School Trust . The school operates over two sites, the Senior school and Junior school which are run as a single unit with...

and Westminster Academy

Westminster Academy (London)

Westminster Academy, is an Academy located in London, England.It is a co-educational school for 11+ years that specialized in International Business and Enterprise...

. It also has strong ties with Equatorial College School

Equatorial College School

Equatorial College School, also known as ECS, is a private secondary school in the Ibanda District of Uganda. It was founded in 2002 by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Robert Kamasaka, and the current Headmaster is Sebastian Bumbakare...

in Uganda

Uganda

Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

.

In 2008, the UCS Sixth Form became co-educational.

The current Headmaster of the school is Kenneth Durham

Kenneth Durham

Kenneth Durham is a prominent British educator.Kenneth was educated at St John's School, and studied at Brasenose College, Oxford. He taught economics at St. Albans School, before becoming Director of Studies and Head of Economics at King's College School...

History

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

University College London

University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of 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.

Foundation

UCS was founded in 1830 by the University of London (the University College London

University College London

University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

, founded four years earlier). Continuing on the long tradition of dissenting academies

Dissenting academies

The dissenting academies were schools, colleges and nonconformist seminaries run by dissenters. They formed a significant part of England’s educational systems from the mid-seventeenth to nineteenth centuries....

, the University of London had been inspired by the work of Jeremy Bentham

Jeremy Bentham

Jeremy Bentham was an English jurist, philosopher, and legal and social reformer. He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism...

and others to provide opportunities for higher education

Higher education

Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

for men regardless of religious beliefs (if any) - at the time, only members of the established Church

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

could study at Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

and Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

(the only other two universities in England

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

Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux

Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux was a British statesman who became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.As a young lawyer in Scotland Brougham helped to found the Edinburgh Review in 1802 and contributed many articles to it. He went to London, and was called to the English bar in...

(who appears to be singled out as the ring leader in A tradition for Freedom), Lord Auckland (probably George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland

George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland

George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland, GCB, PC was a British Whig politician and colonial administrator. He was thrice First Lord of the Admiralty and also served as Governor-General of India between 1836 and 1842....

), William Bingham Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton

William Bingham Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton

Bingham Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton PC, FRS, DL was a British businessman and a Whig politician who later became a Tory.-Background and education:...

, Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid

Isaac Lyon Goldsmid

Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, Baronet was a financier and one of the leading figures in the Jewish emancipation in the United Kingdom....

, Henry Hallam

Henry Hallam

Henry Hallam was an English historian.-Life:The only son of John Hallam, canon of Windsor and dean of Bristol, Henry Hallam was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, graduating in 1799...

, Leonard Horner

Leonard Horner

Leonard Horner , Scottish geologist, brother of Francis Horner, was born in Edinburgh.Horner was a 'radical educational reformer' who was involved in the establishment of University College School....

(The Royal Society of Edinburgh

Royal Society of Edinburgh

The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...

has described UCS as his 'monument' http://www.edinburghacademy.org.uk/curriculum/history/enlightenment.htm), James Mill

James Mill

James Mill was a Scottish historian, economist, political theorist, and philosopher. He was a founder of classical economics, together with David Ricardo, and the father of influential philosopher of classical liberalism, John Stuart Mill.-Life:Mill was born at Northwater Bridge, in the parish of...

, Viscount Sandon (probably either Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby

Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby

Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby, PC, FSA was a prominent British politician of the Pittite faction and the Tory party.-Background and education:...

or Dudley Ryder, 2nd Earl of Harrowby

Dudley Ryder, 2nd Earl of Harrowby

Dudley Ryder, 2nd Earl of Harrowby KG, PC, FRS , styled Viscount Sandon between 1809 and 1847, was a British politician...

), James Lock

James Lock

James Lock was a sound engineer who worked on recordings by many of the most celebrated and demanding figures in classical music. Most of his life he worked for Decca...

, Stephen Lushington

Stephen Lushington (judge)

Stephen Lushington was a Doctor of Civil Law, a judge, a Member of Parliament and a radical for the abolition of slavery and capital punishment.-Early life and education:...

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

Thomas Hewitt Key

Thomas Hewitt Key was an English classical scholar.He was born in London and educated at St John's and Trinity Colleges, Cambridge, and graduated 19th wrangler in 1821...

and Henry Malden

Henry Malden

-Education:He was the son of Jonas Malden, a Putney surgeon. Malden attended Preston's School and was a scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge where he obtained a B.A. in 1822 and an M.A. in 1825...

.

The School was very original - it was never a boarding school

Boarding school

A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...

(though there were at times pupils who boarded in private lodgings or with teachers), it was one of the first schools to teach modern language

Modern language

A modern language is any human language that is currently in use. The term is used in language education to distinguish between languages which are used for day-to-day communication and dead classical languages such as Latin, Attic Greek, Sanskrit, and Classical Chinese, which are studied for...

s, and science

Science

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...

s, and it was one of the first to abolish corporal punishment

Corporal punishment

Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...

. 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

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

and French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

, and many learnt German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

(a highly unusual subject to teach at that time). Mathematics

Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

, Chemistry

Chemistry

Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....

, Classical Greek and English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

were also taught. There was no religious teaching.

Further Developments

In the mid nineteenth century, the government of Japan sent a number of pupils to the School (see Kikuchi Dairoku

Kikuchi Dairoku

Baron was a mathematician, educator, and educational administrator in Meiji period Japan.-Kikuchi's life and career:Kikuchi was born in Edo , as the second son of Mitsukuri Shuhei...

and Hayashi Tadasu

Hayashi Tadasu

was a career diplomat and cabinet minister in Meiji period Japan. Baron Matsumoto Ryōjun, the onetime private physician to Tokugawa Yoshinobu and founder of the Imperial Japanese Army Medical Corps, was Hayashi’s brother.- Early life :...

) which had been recommended on the advice of Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby

Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby

Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby KG, PC, FRS , known as Lord Stanley from 1844 to 1869, was a British statesman...

, 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

Hampstead

in 1907, which were opened by HM King Edward VII

Edward VII of the United Kingdom

Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...

with the Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...

in attendance on July 27. Kikuchi Dairoku

Kikuchi Dairoku

Baron was a mathematician, educator, and educational administrator in Meiji period Japan.-Kikuchi's life and career:Kikuchi was born in Edo , as the second son of Mitsukuri Shuhei...

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

Duke of Kent

Duke of Kent is a title which has been created various times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of George V.-Pre-history:...

in 1974.

In 1980 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

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

Roger Bannister

Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes...

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 from November 2007 and, in a gesture of respct to one of the School's intellectual founding fathers, was formally opened as the Jeremy Bentham

Jeremy Bentham

building by The Duke of Gloucester

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British Royal Family. Prince Richard is the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. He is currently 20th in the line of succession...

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 into the sixth form entered UCS.

Council

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

University College London

University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

, the Worshipful Company of Grocers

Worshipful Company of Grocers

The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London. It is ranked second in the order of precedence of the Companies and, having been established in 1345, is one of the original Great Twelve City Livery Companies....

and the London Borough of Camden

London Borough of Camden

In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...

.

The Chairman of the Council is currently Sir Brian Leveson

Brian Leveson

Brian Henry Leveson QC , previously styled as the Honourable Mr Justice Leveson, now styled as the Right Honourable Lord Justice Leveson, is an English Judge, a Lord Justice of Appeal for England and Wales and, since 2010, head of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.It was announced on 13...

Academic results

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. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/a_level_gcse_results/.

The Financial Times

Financial Times

The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....

rated UCS the 17th Best School in England in its September 2008 report http://www.ft.com/reports/independentschools2008.

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'). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2006/08/26/ngcse.pdf.

In terms of independent schools for boys, UCS came within the top 10 schools nationally. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2006/08/26/ngcse.pdf.

The Times ranked UCS as the 45th best School in England for GCSE results 2006. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/displayPopup/0,,115677,00.html. 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.http://www.times-archive.co.uk/onlinespecials//topindependentsecondaryschools.pdf. 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. http://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/cgi-bin/gsgdir.cgi?GUIDELINKSLIST&OL=Yes&SiteS=LAR&Resource=Y&Link=wowschools_2006.htm

UCS was separately named best boys independent school for classical Greek A-Level 2006. http://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/cgi-bin/gsgdir.cgi?GUIDELINKSLIST&OL=Yes&SiteS=LAR&Resource=Y&Link=wowschools_2006.htm

UCS was also named best independent school (points score) for boys for Logic / Philosophy A-Level 2006. http://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/cgi-bin/gsgdir.cgi?GUIDELINKSLIST&OL=Yes&SiteS=LAR&Resource=Y&Link=wowschools_2006.htm

'Beyond Words' Festival

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

The Times

The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...

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

Charles Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton

Charles Leslie Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton, PC is a British Labour politician, who became the Lord Chancellor and the first Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs in 2003...

, Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith is a British novelist. To date she has written three novels. In 2003, she was included on Granta's list of 20 best young authors...

(who, according to reports mentioned that one of the characters in her second book was based on an Old Gower), Matthew Pinsent

Matthew Pinsent

Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE is an English rower and broadcaster. During his rowing career, he won 10 world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, of which three were with Steve Redgrave...

and Rupert Everett

Rupert Everett

Rupert James Hector Everett is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981, when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country as an openly gay student at an English public school, set in the 1930s...

, as well as a multitude of journalists, actors, authors, musicians, economists, and many more. Highlights of the 2007 festival included Sophie Dahl

Sophie Dahl

Sophie Dahl , born Sophie Holloway, is an English author and former model. She was born in London, the daughter of actor Julian Holloway and writer Tessa Dahl. Her maternal grandparents were author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal. Her paternal grandparents were actor Stanley Holloway and...

, the ULU Jazz Band, Anton Edelmann and Bombay Bicycle Club

Bombay Bicycle Club

Bombay Bicycle Club are a British indie rock and folk band from Crouch End, London. The band comprises: Jack Steadman , Jamie MacColl , Ed Nash and Suren de Saram ....

.
In 2008, University College School again welcomed a wide and varied range of contributors including Raymond Blanc

Raymond Blanc

Raymond Blanc OBE is a French chef, born in Besançon, France. Today he is one of the Britain's most respected chefs. Blanc is the owner and chef at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, a hotel-restaurant in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England. The restaurant has two Michelin stars and scored 9/10 in the...

, Imelda Staunton

Imelda Staunton

Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton, OBE is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her performances in the British comedy television series Up the Garden Path, the Harry Potter film series and Vera Drake...

, Hugh Pym

Hugh Pym

Hugh Pym is a British journalist and author. He is an instantly recognisable figure, standing at over two metres tall.-Early life and education:...

, Ben Macintyre

Ben Macintyre

Ben Macintyre is a British author, historian, and columnist writing for The Times newspaper. His columns range from current affairs to historical controversies.- Author :...

, Charlie Higson

Charlie Higson

Charles Murray Higson , more commonly known as Charlie Higson - also Switch - is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer...

, Martin Bell

Martin Bell

Martin Bell, OBE, is a British UNICEF Ambassador, a former broadcast war reporter and former independent politician...

, Nabeel Yasin, Daljit Nagra

Daljit Nagra

Daljit Nagra is a British poet whose debut collection, Look We Have Coming to Dover! — a title alluding to W. H. Auden's Look, Stranger!, D. H. Lawrence's Look! We have come through! and by epigraph also to Matthew Arnold's 'Dover Beach' — was published by Faber in February 2007...

, Anjum Anand

Anjum Anand

Anjum Anand is a British Indian food writer and TV chef of Indian cuisine.-Biography:Anjum Anand, of Scottish-Indian descent, grew up in London but has also lived and studied in Geneva, Paris, and Madrid...

, Camila Batmanghelidjh

Camila Batmanghelidjh

Camila Batmanghelidjh is a British businesswoman, charity leader and author of Iranian and Belgian origin. She has been living in England since the age of 11 and founded two charities - the place2b and Kids Company where she and her team care for 14,000 vulnerable children and young people in London...

, Derek Landy

Derek Landy

Derek Landy is an Irish author and screenwriter, famous for the Skulduggery Pleasant series of children's books.thumb|Derek Landy in Edinburgh, August 2011...

, Alex Lifschutz, William Eccleshare, Ziauddin Sardar

Ziauddin Sardar

Ziauddin Sardar is a London-based scholar, writer and cultural-critic who specialises in Muslim thought, the future of Islam, futures studies and science and cultural relations...

, amongst many others. The Beyond Words Festival now includes pupils from the entire UCS foundation.

Community action

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).

School motto, colours, songs etc

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

Post-nominal letters

Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...

"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

Wondrous Oblivion

Wondrous Oblivion is a 2003 British film directed and written by Paul Morrison and produced by Jonny Persey.Set in suburban south London in 1960, several themes run through the film, though the main storyline concerns the friendship between a young boy, David Wiseman who is the son of European...

is thought to have been partly inspired by Paul Morrison

Paul Morrison (director)

Paul Morrison is a British film director and screenwriter. He has mainly directed documentaries and drama films. His movie Solomon and Gaenor was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film....

'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

Rory Bremner

Roderick "Rory" Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC is a Scottish impressionist, playwright and comedian, noted for his work in political satire...

, Gary Lineker

Gary Lineker

Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...

, Henry Olonga

Henry Olonga

Henry Khaaba Olonga is a former Zambian-born cricketer for Zimbabwe.- Cricket career :He made his international debut in a Test match against Pakistan at Harare in 1995, at age 18 years, 212 days, becoming the youngest player to represent Zimbabwe. He helped Zimbabwe to its first ever Test victory...

, Sir Tim Rice

Tim Rice

Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...

, Sir Roger Bannister

Roger Bannister

Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes...

OG, Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry

Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...

, Lord Coe (2007), Professor Malcolm Grant (President and Provost of UCL) (2008), Sir Michael Parkinson

Michael Parkinson

Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...

(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.

Arrangement

The UCS Foundation is composed of three main entities:

"The Phoenix School", co-educational for ages 3 to 7. This was acquired by UCS in 2003. This is known as the "Phoenix".
"The Junior Branch", boys ages 7 to 11 (primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...

). This is also known as "Holly Hill", or "The JB".
"The Senior School", boys ages 11–16 and co-educational for ages 16–18 (secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...

). This is commonly referred to as just "UCS".

The Senior School site is divided into seven buildings:

The main building, housing English, History, Maths (since June 2008) and Politics classrooms, and also the ICT, learning Support and Geography departments as well as History of Art in the crypt (basement). The building also houses the Headmaster's office, main School office and the Common Room.
The "Science Block", housing Chemistry, Physics and Biology laboratories.
The "North Block", housing the 'Enav Library', the Refectory (dining hall) Eonomics and Business Studies and The Bursary.
The "Giles Slaughter Wing" ('GS Wing'), housing Classics (since June 2008), Information Technology (ICT), Music and the Lecture Theatre.
The "Jeremy Bentham Building" housing Art, DT, Philosophy and Modern Languages.
The "Kent Building", housing the 'Lund Theatre' and the Sixth Form Centre.
The "Sir Roger Bannister Sports Centre". Completed in the second half of 2006, the centre contains a 6 lane swimming pool, two indoor sports areas, a fully equipped gym and the Sixth Form Costa Coffee cafe. This is open to the 6th Form and members using the UCS Active health and fitness club.

Location

The Senior School site is located on Frognal, in Hampstead

Hampstead

- a suburb of London

London

. The main campus and the Great Hall are noted examples of Edwardian architecture. Inside the hall is a magnificent pipe organ

Pipe organ

The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...

, used for school concerts, professional recordings and other festivities.

Outdoor sports, including Rugby

Rugby football

Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

, Football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

, Cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

, Athletics

Athletics (track and field)

Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...

, Tennis and Field hockey

Field hockey

Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...

, take place at the games fields on Ranulf Road in West Hampstead. Basketball, swimming, Tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

and Fives

Fives

Fives is a British sport believed to derive from the same origins as many racquet sports. In fives, a ball is propelled against the walls of a special court using gloved or bare hands as though they were a racquet.-Background:...

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.

Year names and Demes

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

House system

The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...

. 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:

Baxters --- Blue
Black Hawkins --- Yellow
Evans --- Black (Pink Badge)
Flooks --- Green
Underwoods --- Purple
Olders (Girls Deme, 6th Form Only) --- White

Admissions

There are 5 main points of entry for prospective pupils:

Phoenix School, at age 3 (Nursery), offered to siblings and UCS connections in first instance. Entry at 4+, 5+, 6+ by assessment by Headmistress.
Junior Branch, at age 7, judged by combination of internal exam and interview. As of 2010, The Junior Branch no longer operates an 8+ entry point.
Lower School, at age 11, judged by combination of internal exam and interview.
Middle School, at age 13, judged by combination of internal exam and interview.
Upper School, at age 16, judged by subject-specific exams and interviews, not conditional upon GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...

results. This is only available for a handful of boys and around 35 girls.

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 (Old Boys)

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

Speaker of the British House of Commons

The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...

, a Lord Chief Justice, a Master of the Rolls

Master of the Rolls

The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...

, 2 Japanese Cabinet Ministers, a Premier of Tasmania, and a Prime Minister of New Zealand

Prime Minister of New Zealand

The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...

.

Academia / Medicine

Vice-Chancellors of the University of London

University of London

-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...

(3), Victoria, Dacca and University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

(2). Provosts of University College London

University College London

University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

, a Rector of Imperial College

Rector of Imperial College

The Rector of Imperial College is the highest academic official of Imperial College London. The Rector is the chief executive, elected by the Council of the college and Chairman of the Senate. The position is currently head on an interim basis by Keith O'Nions after the resignation of Roy Anderson...

and two Honorary Surgeons to the King. Many fellows of the Royal Society

Royal Society

The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...

. Several academic OGs have been inducted into the Order of Merit

Order of Merit

The Order of Merit is a British dynastic order recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture...

.

The Arts

A president of the Royal Academy

Royal Academy

The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...

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

Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

, a Marshal of the Royal Air Force

Marshal of the Royal Air Force

Marshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...

- the highest rank in the Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

and Chief of the Air Staff, an Air Vice Marshal, many Generals (including 'the originator' of the Tank), and several Admirals.

Sport

An England Cricket

Cricket

er (and Wisden Cricketer of the Year

Wisden Cricketers of the Year

The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...

), a leading Mountaineer

Mountaineer

-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...

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

Archbishop of Canterbury

as chairman of the board of governors of the Church Commissioners

Church Commissioners

The Church Commissioners is a body managing the historic property assets of the Church of England. It was set up in 1948 combining the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners formed in 1836...

.

A Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...

of the UK as well as the current head Masorti

Masorti

The Masorti Movement is the name given to Conservative Judaism in Israel and other countries outside Canada and U.S. Masorti means "traditional" in Hebrew...

Rabbi of the UK.
A Christian spiritualist leader.

Business

A CEO of the UK's leading ATM deployer, a Chairman of British Airways

British Airways

British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...

, one of the founders of PricewaterhouseCoopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....

, the founder of Yarrows, a proprietor of the Daily Telegraph.

Notable faculty

Former staff include:

John Lewis Alexander Paton, Headmaster 1888-1903, Stayed only five years. He left due to constant arguments with the Council of University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

about money and the school's need to move out of central London. He left to become Head Master of Manchester Grammar School
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...

(1903–24), according to the Manchester Grammar School website, he was eventually recognised as one of the most renowned school masters of the 20th century and refused a Knighthood and a CH.
Sir William Smith
William Smith (lexicographer)
Sir William Smith Kt. was a noted English lexicographer.-Early life:Born at Enfield in 1813 of Nonconformist parents, he was originally destined for a theological career, but instead was articled to a solicitor. In his spare time he taught himself classics, and when he entered University College...

, Lexicographer and Teacher
The Rev Henry Browne
Henry Browne
Henry Browne may refer to:* Henry Browne, Farmer, a 1942 film about African-American contributions to the American home front in WWII*Henry Browne *Henry George Gore-Browne *Henry Cave-Browne-Cave...

, Headmaster
Thomas Hewitt Key
Thomas Hewitt Key
Thomas Hewitt Key was an English classical scholar.He was born in London and educated at St John's and Trinity Colleges, Cambridge, and graduated 19th wrangler in 1821...

, Headmaster
Henry Malden
Henry Malden
-Education:He was the son of Jonas Malden, a Putney surgeon. Malden attended Preston's School and was a scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge where he obtained a B.A. in 1822 and an M.A. in 1825...

, Headmaster
Thomas Archer Hirst
Thomas Archer Hirst
Thomas Archer Hirst FRS was a 19th century mathematician, specialising in geometry. He was awarded the Royal Society's Royal Medal in 1883.-Life:...

FRS, Teacher 1860 - 1864. Nominated and admitted to the Royal society whilst teaching at UCS. Later, Professor of Physics, University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

.
Augustus De Morgan
Augustus De Morgan
Augustus De Morgan was a British mathematician and logician. He formulated De Morgan's laws and introduced the term mathematical induction, making its idea rigorous. The crater De Morgan on the Moon is named after him....

Distinguished mathematician. First Professor of Mathematics, University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

, according to The British Society for the History of Mathematics, taught pupils when the distinctions between the school and college were somewhat blurred. Believed to have taught James Joseph Sylvester
James Joseph Sylvester
James Joseph Sylvester was an English mathematician. He made fundamental contributions to matrix theory, invariant theory, number theory, partition theory and combinatorics...

. De Morgan was the first President of the London Mathematical Society
London Mathematical Society
-See also:* American Mathematical Society* Edinburgh Mathematical Society* European Mathematical Society* List of Mathematical Societies* Council for the Mathematical Sciences* BCS-FACS Specialist Group-External links:* * *...

. The De Morgan Medal
De Morgan Medal
The De Morgan Medal is a prize for outstanding contribution to mathematics, awarded by the London Mathematical Society. The Society's most prestigious award, it is given in memory of Augustus De Morgan, who was the first President of the society....

is named in his honour. It has been awarded to at least one Old Gower - Sir Roger Penrose
Roger Penrose
Sir Roger Penrose OM FRS is an English mathematical physicist and Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College...

.
John Williams
John Williams (guitarist)
John Christopher Williams is an Australian classical guitarist, and a long-term resident of the United Kingdom. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award win in the 'Best Chamber Music Performance' category with Julian Bream for Julian and John .-Biography:John Williams was born on 24 April 1941 in...

, taught at UCS post World War II, first Master of Music at St Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London, which was then a royal chapel. Professor at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...

. Honorary fellow of the Royal College of Music and Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts.
George Baxter
George Baxter
George Baxter was an English artist and printer based in London. He is credited with the invention of commercially viable colour printing....

MBE, Vice-Master (1938–53).
Alan Barker, Headmaster, Husband of Jean Barker, Baroness Trumpington
Jean Barker, Baroness Trumpington
Jean Alys Barker, Baroness Trumpington, DCVO, PC is a Conservative member of the House of Lords.Born Jean Alys Campbell-Harris to Major Arthur Campbell-Harris and Doris Robson, she was educated privately. During World War II, she worked in Naval intelligence at Bletchley Park...

.
John Story Masterman, Assistant-Master, mountaineer and one of the three pioneers of British Geography.
Thomas Nolan Miller, Fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...

(1862–68), classical lecturer.
J.J. Walker F.R.S.
G. S. Carr
G. S. Carr
George Shoobridge Carr wrote Synopsis of Pure Mathematics . This book, first published in England in 1880, was read and studied closely by Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan when he was a teenager....

, according to BSHM.
Alexander William Williamson
Alexander William Williamson
Alexander William Williamson FRS was an English chemist of Scottish descent. He is best known today for the Williamson ether synthesis.-Biography:...

, according to A Tradition for Freedom he taught pupils at the school.
Carey Foster
Carey Foster
George Carey Foster was a chemist and physicist, born at Sabden in Lancashire,He was Professor of Physics at University College London.-Early life:...

, Professor of Physics at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...

.
Mordaunt Shairp (taught drama 1920-33), left UCS to become a successful play / screenwriter.
Geoffrey Page (taught pottery in the 1970s), rowed for England in 1954 Commonwealth Games, coached GB rowing team for 1964 and 1968 Olympics, rowing correspondent for the Daily Telegraph.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Foundation

Further Developments

Council

Academic results

'Beyond Words' Festival

Community action

School motto, colours, songs etc

Arrangement

Location

Year names and Demes

Admissions

Notable Old Gowers (Old Boys)

Notable faculty

Further reading

External links