Ucs Partnership and Outreach Review
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UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW 2019–20 Introduction UCS Hampstead is a leading London committed to ensuring that the school day school that combines the highest plays a key role in the local community. standards of academic achievement We currently work in partnership and pastoral care with outstanding with over 20 schools at primary and facilities for all-round education with a secondary levels and we support a distinctive liberal ethos. number of other charitable organisations across the capital. From its beginning 190 years ago, UCS has had at its core a commitment In this brochure, we aim to highlight to access, with a pledge that religion much of the partnership work that was should be no bar to entry. In the 21st undertaken during 2019–20. The closure century, we add a further commitment of schools during lockdown meant that a – that the education we provide will not number of regular partnership events be restricted solely to those who can could not take place but they were afford it. UCS consistently ranks at the replaced in our provision by other top of independent schools in London initiatives which we hope will become for the number of 100% means-tested mainstays of the programme even after bursaries awarded each year, and over social distancing regulations are relaxed. the last three years it has provided the equivalent of £1.2 million per annum in We are always looking to broaden our bursary support. partnership provision and if you would like further information, please do not In addition to this support for hesitate to contact us. financially assisted places, staff, pupils and former pupils from UCS are firmly Mark Beard Headmaster 2 UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW 3 IMPACT OVER OVER OVER Thousands 2,400 3tonnes 3,000 of masks, goggles and gloves state-school pupils of food collected meals donated to donated to local care homes reached by partnership for food bank in food bank during and hospitals programme in 2019–20 October lockdown AROUND £50k 136 6,000hrs £64k raised by pupils in UCS staff, parents and Old of voluntary work raised for Great Ormond November and Gowers involved in the carried out by Year 12 Street Hospital at Race December for charity partnership programme and 13 pupils for the Kids during 2019–20 4 UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW 5 Shared Knowledge And Skills “The results from the Year 11 Teacher Secondment A number of mutual benefits students in their Latin GCSEs were arise from UCS staff working In 2018–19 for the first time, spaces within fantastic – all achieving a grade 8! the UCS timetable allowed three staff to be with colleagues and pupils at Thank you to Mr McAra for all seconded to LAE, Stratford to support the local primary and secondary teaching of Maths, English and Spanish. his work.” These teachers found the experience to schools. Our links with JAYA CARRIER be hugely rewarding and in 2019–20, our Westminster Academy (WA), Teacher at WA outgoing Head of Sixth Form taught UCL Academy and LAE, Geography at LAE throughout the year. Stratford in the secondary sector Also, one UCS teacher teaches Latin at WA are well-established, and our every Friday afternoon. This placement has existed for a number of years and this collaboration with Michaela summer, every member of his GCSE Community School (MCS) in group was awarded a Grade 8. This was an Wembley began in January 2019 impressive achievement which maintains and continues to blossom. WA’s consistent A* track record at Latin GCSE. “Russell Chapman joined LAE in September as Lead Teacher for Geography. Across the year, both LAE’s students and Geography Department have benefited hugely from Russell’s great experience and expertise. In addition to his invaluable contribution in Geography, Russell has also thrown himself into the wider life of the school. We are looking forward to continuing to work with him next year.” SCOTT BAKER Headteacher at LAE, Stratford 6 UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW 7 Professional Development Public Speaking Coaching has been an intrinsic part of the Members of the UCS Drama Department CPD programme at UCS for four years. had planned to spend time over the Summer Every teacher who joins UCS takes part in a Term delivering public speaking workshops two-day coaching course run in conjunction at local partnership schools. These were with Graydin professional development. In designed to give pupils the skills required to February, teachers from WA joined the speak confidently in public. The lockdown course for the first time alongside UCS staff. did not thwart the department and the WA were not charged for their places and sessions were carried out remotely. Feedback their involvement was highly valued by both was universally positive: pupils really the course facilitators and the UCS teachers appreciated the advice, guidance and being being trained. We hope more WA staff will given the time to practise a skill that they be able to join the course in 2020–21. did not find easy. Following collaborative CPD events with “The TeachMeet session on robust LAE in 2018–19, in February UCS teachers revision strategies was particularly played a key role in LAE’s first external well attended and well received. TeachMeet. The meeting was run on a Friday “I was so impressed by Mr Grant The talk was evidence-based, evening and UCS teachers delivered several key talks. Other UCS teachers benefited from and his advice was very beneficial engaging and practical. Several joining the event and discussing pedagogy for the pupils. They were engaged attendees used the evaluation form with colleagues from LAE and other schools throughout and asked many to single out this session as their in East London. questions. One of the students only personal highlight of the event.” moved to the UK last September JAMES KANE Governance and she stayed behind after the Assistant Head at LAE, Stratford A number of teachers at UCS serve as session to do a one-to-one with Mr governors for local state schools. This Grant. She really opened up about includes Headmaster, Mark Beard, who acts her lack of confidence in speaking as a governor for both Westminster Academy “Mr Grant really helped me as I “The public speaking workshops English and I could hear her and LAE, Stratford. The Headteacher of struggle with public speaking. I was were extremely informative. growing in confidence as the call Westminster Academy, Dr Rana, serves on able to share my insecurities with They helped me appreciate the the governing body of UCS. went on. Mr Grant’s work with our him and following the sessions I have importance of body language!” pupils has been fantastic!” found I am much more confident.” LAITH Teacher at Westminster Academy DARZAN Year 12 student at MCS Year 12 student at MCS 8 UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW 9 Enrichment Talks and Teaching Invicta Academy On Wednesday afternoons, UCS teachers During the summer holidays, three UCS have continued to contribute to the series of teachers taught online at the Invicta Enrichment talks at LAE. During 2019–20, Academy – a remote learning site which pupils at LAE heard from members of the supported pupils who had missed out on Chemistry and Physics Departments; live teaching during lockdown. Some 1.7 meanwhile more collaborative talks are million minutes of teaching were planned for 2020–21. Pupils from all delivered by the Academy, and we were secondary partner schools are regularly delighted by the contributions of our invited to talks given by external speakers at colleagues to this programme. UCS. ‘An Evening of Economics’ was particularly well received as guests from partner schools enjoyed hearing from Daniel “We covered narrative, irony and free Pryor from the Adam Smith Institute. verse and there were between 70 and 80 pupils at a time on Zoom. The Lockdown Enrichment facilitator was brilliant and was much LAE pupils were invited to join the stricter than I would have been!” Enrichment lessons run for UCS Sixth Form pupils during lockdown. Pupils attended ANNE ISAAC lessons on topics as diverse as Beginners’ English teacher at UCS Mandarin, ‘Sociology of Personal Life’ and ‘Is Understanding Fundamentally Different from Knowledge?’. LAE students enjoyed taking an active part in these sessions and their impact was recognised by both pupils “I was so impressed by the confidence and teachers. and ease with which the LAE pupil joined our group – who, to her, were a group of total strangers. Her contributions were sharp, grounded “All credit to Invicta for thinking in proper reading, and added a really up an excellent programme and a valuable perspective for our students smooth operation!” and myself.” LAUREN BENSTED SOPHIE BENNETT English teacher at UCS History teacher at UCS 10 UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW UCS PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH REVIEW 11 Invaluable University “The university prep sessions lent me an insight into what studying Preparation Chemistry at degree level is like. We were given some very useful tips on how you should tackle difficult UCS works closely with pupils designed to replicate the experience they interview questions such as how might have if applying to a university that from a number of state schools quickly hair grows in metres per uses the MMI system. Pupils were asked, to support their applications to among other things, to discuss team skills, second and how many amino acids leading universities. Pupils in empathy, NHS Hot Topics, ethics and their are incorporated into that hair every Years 12 and 13 attend a number work experience.