THE FROGNAL UCS NEWSLETTER — ISSUE DECEMBER 2023
Celebrating the events and achievements of the Autumn Term at UCS Senior School.
University Applications
Spotlight On UCS Rugby
Trips to Europe And Asia
Bake Off Star At Frognal
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Welcome To The Autumn Term Edition Of The Frognal
Small things matter. Details. One Remove pupil’s feedback from the recent Hamburg exchange trip was that he loved his host family’s “German bread – it was just so good compared with English bread”. It’s a minor thing, a detail, but memorable all the same. As you know, if we do the little things well, then the rest should follow… And when we give the specifics due care and attention then we engage more curiously and kindly with the world around us. Reading this latest edition of The Frognal, it appears that we have done many things well. We have helped our Sixth Formers through the various stages of the university application process. We have facilitated our pupils’ participation in and enjoyment of sports,
including rugby and netball, achieving marvellous results on several fronts. We have worked with other schools and organisations in mutually beneficial partnerships, earning recognition from the Independent Schools Council. The Old Gowers’ Association has launched a thriving new netball club. Parents have shared their wisdom and experience with students at Careers and mock interview events. Upper School pupils have imparted information and expertise to Lower School pupils in junior lectures for Enrichment Week. Students have travelled to Asia to broaden their horizons as well as improve their subject knowledge. Pupils have also shown individual initiative, endeavour and talent to win accolades – including from a Great British Bake Off star! I could go on…
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Welcome To The Autumn Term Edition Of The Frognal
You get the picture and, thanks to the efforts and support of so many in our school community – teachers, parents, pupils, support staff, members of Council, the newly created UCS Donor Board – this picture is a healthy one. The high standards, the values, that we insist on at UCS, these we have applied in many things, great and small. When we are kind and curious in our encounters with people, with differences and with situations, then hopefully we are developing habits that can be transformational in a world that is far from perfect. Sadly, its imperfections have stood out in stark relief in recent months. That being said, however, it hasn’t been difficult to find the beauty in our pupils’ industry and
output – think of the evening concerts put on by the Music Department or the recent UCS Drama production Machinal. Envisioning beauty, imagining a better world is an important step towards realising such a vision. It is a beautiful thing when our pupils commit countless hours to charitable fundraising for Community Action every November and December. I will finish with a story about a doctor treating soldiers during a particularly fierce battle of World War II. Confronted by cruelty and brutality, he drew on the wall of his makeshift surgery a picture of a mother protecting her child – and around the edges he wrote “Light, life and love”. Hopefully we, as a school, have exuded all three of those things this term. Mark J. Beard, Headmaster
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Lower School Reflections
Lower School pupils have enjoyed a typically energetic term and amid success on many fronts, it is their overall involvement in various aspects of school life that has impressed me most. For example, when our Under-12 rugby sides played Cardinal Vaughan, all four UCS teams won but my highlight was the fact every Entry pupil who was available to play rugby represented the school that day. Sport, generally, has provided standout moments. The U12B rugby side are unbeaten while the U12As were Middlesex Cup runners-up. The U13 football team are through to the ISFA Cup quarter-finals, the best progress by a UCS side in this national tournament. Despite the chilly conditions, UCS’s U13 tennis team triumphed in local and regional heats before contesting the National Finals in Bolton. Here, UCS trailed 2-0 in the deciding rubber before two impressive performances in the decisive sets (then tie-break) secured victory and the national championship.
Large numbers of boys have signed up for James and the Giant Peach auditions. This Lower School play will run in early May and we are excited by the prospect of a hugely entertaining production. Pupils have also performed brilliantly in several concerts this term: a number of Entry boys made impressive debuts at September’s New Arrivals Concert and the recent Shell lunchtime recital was terrific. The Ensembles Concert featured over 30 Lower School pupils and the Autumn Concert was a spectacular conclusion to a term of captivating Performing Arts. I have been delighted by Shell pupils’ commitment to the Young Leaders Award and the Headmaster’s Lower School Award. Shepherded by Mr Reiderman, the Young Leaders produced fantastic induction videos for the Entry and have planned some creative charity fundraising initiatives. The two conservation trips to Hampstead Heath were well-attended as the boys worked hard building shelters for hedgehogs and clearing leaves. The
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Lower School Reflections
House Captains of Bonington ran a coat collection for WrapUp London and Lower School pupils contributed to Community Action with typical enthusiasm. I have been so impressed by their creativity, and if you haven’t bought Treat Trumps yet (a Top Trumps game produced by a Shell boy), copies are available at treattrumps.com. In September, ten Shell pupils were named as new House Captains and they have led their Houses superbly. They have delivered House Assemblies and have been excellent role models to their peers and the Entry. We have enjoyed seeing the Houses compete in rugby, science, a geography quiz, singing, chess, debating and table tennis. Macarthur lead the points table but, with 15 competitions to go, the pupils know nothing is decided. Furthermore, Lower School pupils have worked hard in the classroom. Mr Hughes, Mr Barnish and myself have observed over 30 lessons and have been
pleased with their approach to learning. The Entry settled impressively into UCS routine, making the most of their team-building day which formed part of Learning Values Week. In November, we had a Life Values Week and the pupils, alongside their Form Tutors, considered the merits of a growth mindset and how to navigate school-based scenarios with sensitivity and compassion. Ms McVicker also led eight Shell boys through the Pupil Champion Course as they worked together with pupils from St Margaret’s School looking at empathy, vulnerability and humility. It has certainly been a busy term and I know the pupils are looking forward to a well-deserved rest. We look forward to seeing them re-energised in January.
E. Roberts
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Middle School Reflections
It may seem some time ago that we returned from the long summer break to the new academic year. But we should cast our minds back to the early days of term; a time of real change for everybody. September saw Lower Remove starting to settle into their new Demes and entering a Middle School that will seem very different to their previous experiences. They have explored the co-curricular fare and it has been good to see how many are joining a wide variety of clubs and societies.
such occasions as does the level of conversation…). The Upper Remove, of course, return with an eye on Public Exams in the summer; it is a big year for them, and juggling the demands expected in and out of the classroom can be a challenge, but so many have shown they have the resilience and willingness to stay abreast of academic challenges while simultaneously plying their varied trades out of class. Recent discussions about A Levels and life beyond UCS (including the workplace) have certainly sharpened minds.
Old hands in the Remove start their GCSE courses proper and are challenged with leading Middle School assemblies; those heard to date have been outstanding and shown real sensitivity to the world around as well as maturity in standing in front of peers. Most impressive. Also, each Remove Deme group is due to meet the Headmaster for breakfast on Friday mornings (uniform seems tighter on
Deme Song is the first event which brings all three year groups together and initial nerves give way to great excitement and not a little talent on stage. Our sports players have been active and successful; every Monday morning in the Weekly Sports Report we hear of exploits from far and wide. Rugby warrants a special mention; there has been particular success at Under-15 level and there are
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Middle School Reflections
a number of Upper Remove boys playing senior rugby; their highlights are probably the successful floodlit game against Latymer and winning the Middlesex Cup most convincingly. Hockey has drawn an increasing number of pupils together to represent the school and we have seen more great success with racket sports. Table tennis enjoys ongoing achievement locally, leading to national competitions in 2024. And in tennis, the four boys who travelled to Bolton for the LTA national schools finals returned in early December with the winners’ trophy; an absolutely remarkable achievement. National champions! Closer to home it is always interesting to meet with Form Reps who sit on Student Council. Mentored by some exceptional senior Monitors, each of the representatives has presented ideas discussed within form groups. Student voice is important and the reps have done a fantastic job in raising issues,
making suggestions and really helping to drive our Middle School forward. At the time of writing we are looking forward to a number of musical performances including the showpiece Autumn Concert. Middle School, as ever, are playing a significant part. It is also pleasing to see some braver souls contributing to Deme Dance. After a long second half of term everybody needs and deserves a rest; even those who have mock exams at the start of January must recharge their batteries. This is an opportunity to congratulate everybody within Middle School for the positives they bring to our community and to wish all families a peaceful time together.
S. FitzGerald
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Sixth Form Reflections
As we bid farewell to the autumn leaves and welcome the winter chill, the Sixth Form has been buzzing with industrious spirit and creative energy. For students in both Transitus and Sixth, these past few months have been a whirlwind of new beginnings and new horizons. The Transitus students wasted no time immersing themselves in the full scope of their new academic environment. Navigating the challenges of A Levels, they’ve seamlessly integrated into the social, academic and co-curricular fabric of Sixth Form life. Beyond the classroom, their influence extends into mentoring Entry forms, advocating for mental health through the Peer Education Project, participating in Young Enterprise, and collaborating with students from LAE for a day of intellectual engagement.
Their footprint in co-curricular activities is equally commendable. From commanding the stage in the recent Machinal to contributing their musical talents in concerts, showcasing their athletic prowess on the field, and actively participating in various clubs and societies, the Transitus cohort has truly embraced the diverse opportunities presented to them. Notably, they form a significant part of the newly elected Sixth Form Union, focusing their collective efforts on combating bullying and reshaping the culture of their academic community. Meanwhile, the returning Sixth Formers have approached the new academic year with an infectious enthusiasm and resolute determination. As the senior cohort of the school, they have shouldered the weight of responsibilities and embraced the challenges that come with being role models within the student body. Amid the flow of
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Sixth Form Reflections
“The Transitus students wasted no time immersing themselves in the full scope of their new academic environment. Navigating the challenges of A Levels, they’ve seamlessly integrated into the social, academic and co-curricular fabric of Sixth Form life.”
university offers, the Sixth Formers have managed to strike a balance between academic and co-curricular pursuits. Their leadership skills shine through in the various Deme competitions, where they ignite the competitive spirit of the lower years. From Deme Song and Deme Dance to Deme sports, they have left an indelible mark. Overall, it has been a vibrant and exciting term for both Transitus and Sixth, sealed by achievement, leadership and a collective commitment to shaping a positive and enriching academic year.
R. Baxter
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University Applications
‘Our students are well valued and well received’ For Year 13s at UCS, autumn is synonymous with UCAS and the rite of passage that’s university applications. Overseeing the process as pupils chart a successful path through the shifting Higher Education landscape is Lisa Jenkins, stalwart of the Sixth Form team and the school’s Head of HE. Mrs Jenkins oversees an application process in which academic departments, subject teachers, form tutors, Careers staff, and pupils past and present strive for the best outcome for each individual student. She, or a member of the HE team, is present when pupils send off their UCAS applications and, symbolically, students get to press the ‘big green button’ at this moment of real personal import.
It is the culmination of months of searching and researching, beginning in the Spring Term of Year 12 with the preliminary period of the school’s comprehensive Beyond UCS programme. This is when pupils and parents attend an information evening, receive one-on-one guidance, participate in workshops, and familiarise themselves with the UCAS website – “a fantastic Aladdin’s cave of information” says Mrs Jenkins – the school’s HE site, and those of universities. Alumni share more advice and experience at the Beyond UCS day and Careers and University Fair, before Transitus pupils also sit down with Sixth Formers to glean further insights into the process. The next step, in the Summer Term, is the application: “We do an introductory session on how to write a personal statement, then a session to get them registered on UCAS,” explains Mrs Jenkins. “By the end of term, most have started to fill in
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the form, done a draft of a personal statement, and are beginning to get a sense of where they want to apply.”
preparation with its extra reading and written work, mock interviews, entrance tests and, it is hoped, real interviews.
Students are encouraged to visit universities during the months between Transitus and Sixth, heralding the adventure of open days. However, the starker reality is that they must limit their possibilities to five choices. “The general strategy is that those five choices should cover a range of offers – a couple aspirational, a couple reflecting their recent end-ofyear exams, and one or two with less risk,” says Mrs Jenkins.
While pupils are guided step-by-step through the system – to the extent that the HE team can edit their work-in-progress within the UCAS website, offer timely advice, and sit with students as they send their applications – come the May of ‘Upper Sixth’ they have the responsibility of reducing their choices to just two destinations. “Your top choice and a back-up,” advises Mrs Jenkins. “Most students take our advice, but ultimately the decision is theirs.”
The anomaly is Medicine as applicants make only four choices of medical school. Medics also sit an entrance exam and go for interviews, for which they are well prepared. Oxford and Cambridge applicants, meanwhile, face the challenge of having their whole first term of Year 13 taken up by Oxbridge
Sometimes the reality will bite, given the numerical pressure on university places caused by factors such as increased domestic and international competition, the context of widening participation, plus the fact that the top universities have limited numbers and cannot simply expand.
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University Applications
Even so, after more than a decade in the Sixth Form team, Mrs Jenkins notes a healthy broadening of horizons with UCS pupils increasingly applying for a wider range of courses. “There was a myth about so-called ‘soft’ subjects like Drama, Arts and DT, and thankfully that’s no longer the case,” she says. “Economics and Psychology are very popular, you now get Liberal Arts-type courses or combined courses, and there’s more students considering courses such as Film and TV. We’ve had students apply for Fashion, Design Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Neuroscience. “We have got much better at supporting the creative pathways – for example, students choosing Art Foundation courses or applying for Drama school or a Music conservatoire. We’re also more familiar with product design, industrial design and applications that may have a portfolio or audition.”
With the Careers Department asking pupils to consider pathways to potential future careers, some students are preferring more vocational courses. Mrs Jenkins sees great value in degree apprenticeships. “They are terrific because you go to university, get a degree and are paid to do it. Unfortunately, there are still not that many of them and they are incredibly competitive.” In terms of destinations, Bristol, Leeds, Nottingham and Durham, alongside the Scottish universities, remain popular, but students are now looking at the likes of Lancaster, Newcastle, York and Southampton. UCS is also a hub for applications to North America, partnering with college admission specialists UES to become familiar with what is a very different system to UCAS. Ireland, Italy and Spain are other destinations that the Sixth Form team has expertise in.
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“I really appreciated the fact that the support from the HE team was so personalised and focused on my individual needs and ambitions. The HE team was really knowledgeable when providing advice and guidance.”
Wherever they end up, Mrs Jenkins says “the offers we get from universities reflect the fact that our students are well received and well valued”, crediting the broad education and independent learning skills that UCS imparts. “As a school, we try to nurture the independent learning that is so important at university, with opportunities like the EPQ and the academic symposium in Year 12. The academic clubs and journals help too. I would also say the groundwork is laid further down the school, with pupils encouraged to work hard for their GCSEs and aspire early on. Our students can write about themselves as well-rounded individuals with good soft skills as well as academic ones.”
Jackson Neumann-Naimski (Sixth)
L. Jenkins & P. Hart
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UCS Rugby
Head coach Dan Brown reflects on a season to remember. The 1st XI won their Middlesex title, the Under12As and U16s so very nearly followed suit, and the overall win ratio soared together with participation figures. Yes, UCS Rugby is booming and Head of Rugby, Dan Brown, explains why.
What have been your highlights of the season? Definitely the 1st XV winning every game of the Middlesex Cup without conceding a point. It was amazing to see them rewarded for their hard work. The Under-12s have also been amazing. Approximately, their A, B and C teams combined lost three games out of 50. That means we have boys moving through the school who are really keen to play and have a high level of performance. So I’d
highlight these two things: the Under-18s at the top end being rewarded with a trophy; and then the strength of the Under-12s – not just the games won, but the numbers playing and their consistent performances. What has been the secret of the 1st XV’s success? The boys have been brilliant – the most fun team for me to coach in my time at UCS. Player for player, they’re not the strongest team on the circuit, not the strongest team I’ve coached. But they are more than the sum of their parts and that’s because their commitment levels have been so high. As coaches we look for 100% buy-in, 100% commitment, and these boys have given that in spades. They have exceeded expectations and that’s down to the effort they’ve put in. They’ve worked hard and had success.
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UCS Rugby
What are the key values of a UCS rugby side? Rugby’s pretty unique in the values and cultures it promotes, and what we’ve prioritised with the boys are hard work and selflessness. It’s been really pleasing to see the 1st XV demonstrate these values this year because, as UCS’s flagship team, they get other boys, staff and parents watching them. They have been role models for the younger children in the school, helping to disseminate these behaviours. And what do you expect of your players as individuals? We ask them always to turn up, to work as hard as they can, to be selfless and to put their team-mates first. That’s all we ever really ask. Yes, there are technical and tactical elements: they need to be fit enough to play and to have the requisite skillset. But, primarily, they should take control of the things they can control: just make sure they are there,
working as hard as they can and putting everybody else first. What experience do you bring to the role? I have been at UCS for five or six years and this is my second year as Head of Rugby. I’ve worked at other major schools – successful rugby schools and also schools just starting up rugby programmes. I have played rugby and coached rugby in different settings, including professional ones. I grew up with the game, so I bring all that experience. How is rugby developing at UCS? There’s been an explosion of playing numbers with boys choosing to play rugby and choosing to represent the school. That’s demonstrated by the fact that in the Seniors we have had 1st, 2nd and 3rd XVs and Under-16 A, B and C teams. Down the school you have A, B, C, D, E teams representing
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UCS which shows that there’s the appetite for boys to play rugby; they enjoy playing rugby, they find it fun and they want to continue playing. That’s the first factor, with the rise in participation and boys wanting to play and to get better. The reason the performances have been better is that increase in participation coupled with a really high level of coaching as we have some really experienced, high-achieving coaches. Put those two things together and you see a real surge in results. So we’re ticking the two boxes of participation and performance. They go hand in hand. If you get the participation right, the performance goes up; the performance goes up and the boys want to play. A virtuous cycle. What part does touch rugby play in the provision? We offer all versions of the game. The most popular is full-contact rugby but we offer both touch
rugby and graduated contact rugby which tends to be small sided. The provision is exactly the same: pupils experience high-level coaching in the Games sessions and they play fixtures within these bandings against other schools. These conditions have ensured the game is inclusive, safe and one reason why we have had that really high participation. Rugby has been successful because we have approached it in a progressive manner and found like-minded schools to play against. We are working hard to promote the benefits of rugby which are physical, mental and social. Looking at the Under-15s, the C and D teams played graduated rugby with no scrums and no line-outs; eight-a-side on a small pitch and you can just tackle and ruck. Recently we had Under-12s, 13s and 14s playing touch rugby fixtures against Latymer. Everything’s catered for. If you want full contact, you have top-level coaching and external
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“This season is one to be immensely proud of. The credit goes to Mr Brown and the PE Department for their inspiring coaching as well as to the lads for their unmatched resilience and teamwork.”
fixtures; if you want reduced contact, you get the same; and for touch, the same again. Do girls play too? We have just started a girls’ rugby club. They play an internal touch-rugby competition on a Wednesday afternoon; then there’s the opportunity for the girls to attend a weekly club with our female lead coach. If there are really keen players who might be interested, she has contacts with local clubs. So there’s a pathway for girls that’s pretty novel. Any plans to take UCS Rugby back on tour soon? The Under-14s and 15s are off to Italy next October half-term. It’s a biennial tour. Our last big overseas tour was to Australia in 2019 – that was hit by Covid – but we’ll be looking to get it off the ground again in summer 2025.
Oliver Shaw (Sixth)
D. Brown
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Partnerships Programme Continues To Inspire
September saw the annual visit by members of UCS ‘House’ at LAE Stratford, as UCS Transitus pupils volunteered to take part in a morning of lectures alongside their LAE counterparts. The theme was ‘Catalyst for Change’ and three Sixth pupils presented their EPQ research to an audience of LAE and UCS students. After listening to presentations on Art History, climate change and natural disasters, the pupils conducted collaborative research projects into a topic which they agreed satisfied the same theme. Some submissions were video, posters and slide show presentations. The event helped develop pupils’ oracy skills and invited creative thinking and the trialling of ideas. The Medics Interview Evening followed in November, with the aim of demystifying the Oxbridge interview process. This unique gathering
was graced by 22 specialists from the medical field, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to eager pupils. The main purpose was to conduct comprehensive interviews with eight UCS pupils and 28 pupils from partner state schools such as LAE, Westminster Academy and Michaela School. These young minds, fuelled by ambition and thirst for knowledge, found themselves face-to-face with experts in the nuances of the medical admissions process. The success of the Medics Interview Evening lies in bridging the gap between aspiration and achievement. The specialists not only provided guidance on navigating the intricacies of the Oxbridge interview but also instilled a sense of belief in pupils that their dreams were within reach. Throughout the term, one of our endeavours has been centred on fostering meaningful connections
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Partnerships Programme Continues To Inspire
between partner schools and those in our local community. Emphasis has been placed on empowering student voices and encouraging active engagement with contemporary art. Our commitment to the arts has been further exemplified by visits to galleries where students have had chances to explore and appreciate diverse artistic expressions. Additionally we invited local artists to conduct workshops specifically tailored to Year 8 and Year 9. This collaborative approach not only enriches pupils’ artistic experience but strengthens the bonds between our school and the vibrant local arts community. We were delighted to welcome a new group of Lower Remove pupils to our weekly English literacy mentoring programme with Richard Cobden School. With the aid of a Zoom link, our
pupils have supported their mentees in key areas of literacy such as identifying and pronouncing unfamiliar words, thinking about synonyms and antonyms, and reading a text with the correct expression and tone. The experience has been equally beneficial to both sets of pupils; the UCS boys have learnt how to put themselves in the shoes of a learner and developed communication and interpersonal skills, while Richard Cobden pupils have improved their confidence in literacy. A talented group of LAE musicians joined some of our students from a very accomplished Upper Remove rock band for an afternoon of jamming in October. They played such classic tracks as ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Under the Bridge’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and ‘Johnny B. Goode’. Our pupils played a version of ‘Free Bird’ which included a
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Partnerships Programme Continues To Inspire
“The play was performed brilliantly by the actors, especially Frankie Hervey who played the lead role in the first half of the play and Harrison Leonidas who was her husband. They embodied the characters phenomenally. Furthermore, the lighting and special effects were also great with professional design. I almost forgot this play was made by Sixth Formers. The production was splendidly executed and I hope more of the public can enjoy future viewings.”
jaw-dropping guitar solo from Charlie Rollo. They all learnt new techniques, fills and rhythms from Shelley Walker, Simon Da Silva and their own band leader, Tony Calvo. The pupils enjoyed using professional equipment and came away inspired by the collaboration. Many said what a valuable experience it had been for improving confidence, developing improvisational skills and discovering new ideas. Finally, we were delighted to welcome LAE students to our production of Machinal in November. They were impressed by the high standard of acting and design on display and took the trouble to share their impressions after a wonderful evening of high-quality theatre.
Rachayita Thakur (LAE Stratford)
A. McVicker, C. Rancon, D. Swanson, B. Timpson & V. Trinder
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Kaleidoscopic Enrichment Provision Adapts And Thrives
What connects blues music, yerba mate and Cicero? UCS pupils enjoyed all three as part of the school’s academic enrichment provision this autumn. Academic enrichment at UCS is multi-faceted and extends across all year groups, presenting a diverse range of opportunities to pupils who have the freedom to craft their own academic journey as they progress through the school. To kick off the year, the Modern Foreign Languages Department put on a real show during its Enrichment Week. This featured trips to a Monet exhibition, an Italian language tour of the National Gallery and an exploration of ‘China’s Hidden Century’ at the British Museum. Back at school, amid an array of opportunities, pupils enjoyed tasting dulce de leche and yerba mate as part of a talk on ‘Argentine delicacies’ and participated
in both a national translation competition and a Mandarin rap battle. Head of Spanish, Ms Tyson, wrapped up the week with a riveting lecture titled ‘How Languages Make You Richer’. Following Modern Languages, the Art, Dance, Music and Philosophy Departments joined forces to provide pupils with practical workshops from a host of visiting artists: painters, dancers, actors and musicians. In a marriage between body and mind, the concept of ‘authenticity’ within the context of artistic performance was discussed as part of a seminar chaired by UCS’s very own Dr Viswanathan and Mr Gibson. The final Enrichment Week of term saw the Classics, English and History of Art Departments come together in formidable style. Pupils
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Kaleidoscopic Enrichment Provision Adapts And Thrives
from all year groups lit up the Great Hall with rhythm, symbolism and rhyme during UCS’s Poetry Evening, hosted by Head of English, Mr Hardingham. Fresh from a trip to Rome, pupils interested in Latin and Ancient Greek took part in a Classics-themed escape room as well as hearing from Dr Westwood, of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, on the speeches of Cicero. On top of this, Mr Mee, Head of History of Art, gave a number of talks throughout the week including one titled ‘Edvard Munch – Inside Out: Human Experience in Paint’. This term also witnessed a new feature of the UCS Enrichment Week: the Junior Morris Lecture. With the timing and content of most Morris Lectures making them inaccessible to younger pupils, Junior Morris Lectures are delivered by Transitus and
Sixth pupils specifically for Lower School pupils. The first ever Junior Morris Lecture was given by Isabella Nouril (Sixth) who adapted her Transitus Academic Symposium into a fascinating talk on the link between murals and revolutionary movements in Mexico. This was followed by Joseph Hayes (Transitus) on ‘Latin, Greek and the Labyrinth of Language’. It has been incredibly pleasing to see older and younger pupils engage with each other academically. I look forward to seeing how this initiative develops within the wider context of academic enrichment at UCS.
M. Reiderman
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Let’s Talk About Maths
There is a whole lot going on within UCS Mathematics to foster a love of the subject and drive forward excellence. Last year, beyond timetabled Maths lessons, teachers of the Maths Department collectively wracked up over 400 hours of additional provision by running enrichment activities, clubs and support classes. This led to some great achievements and, in 2022– 23, success in the UK Maths Trust competitions was at an all-time high. In the most recent Junior Maths challenge, 32% of UCS students earned a gold award (nationally only 5% of entrants achieve this), and such proficiency has manifested itself in top results for departing Mathematicians. In 2022– 23, over 90% of Further Mathematicians submitted applications to study at Oxford or Cambridge, and in the same year three pupils applied to study Pure Mathematics at Oxford or Cambridge; all three secured an offer.
To get to this point, there is a whole lot of administration and logistics along the way, settling students into an environment that works for them, ensuring they have the right model of calculator, checking access to online textbooks, making sure pupils know where to go for extension material or support, or thinking about whether it is sensible for a student to take an additional GCSE in Mathematics. For this reason, we have set up the Maths FAQ pages, found on MySchoolPortal, and we recommend that all parents of Mathematicians take a look through to better understand the ins and outs of the Maths courses.
D. Armitage
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UCS Common Room: New Staff Induction Is The Perfect Introduction
Joining a new school is both an exciting and a daunting prospect, so a lot of energy is invested each year in ensuring that the onboarding process is a welcoming and informative experience, without being too overwhelming. The new staff induction process started on 30th August when the 18 new colleagues were invited to UCS for a welcome morning. This was designed to give new staff the opportunity to meet some key members of staff and to provide them with essential information about the workings of the school day. New colleagues were also treated to drinks in the Headmaster’s study and a delicious lunch in the Gower Room. It was a great opportunity for colleagues to ask questions and get to meet each other in a friendly and informal atmosphere before the start of the new term.
Throughout the first half of the Autumn Term, new colleagues were also invited to weekly induction sessions on a variety of different topics covering academic, pastoral and co-curricular operations. It is in these follow-up sessions that colleagues were coached through the nuances and intricate details of UCS life. It also allowed for regular check-in with the new staff to ensure they were happily settling into the community. Joining UCS isn’t just about stepping into a new role; it’s about becoming part of a supportive community. We hope the induction process ensures new colleagues feel not just informed but welcomed, laying the groundwork for a successful journey ahead. P. Milton
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UCS Common Room: New Staff Induction Is The Perfect Introduction Weekly Induction Session: Teaching & Learning
Patrick Milton, Director of Teaching and Learning
SEND: Inclusion and Diversity
Patrick Milton, Director of Teaching and Learning
Tracking and Reporting
Thomas Underwood, Assistant Head (Director of Studies)
The Pastoral System
Edd Roberts, Assistant Head (Head of Lower School)
Rebecca Baxter, Assistant Head (Head of Sixth Form) Co-Curricular Opportunities
Sophie Bennett, Assistant Head (Co-Curricular)
Action Research
Adriane Martini, Head of Research
The AKO Centre
Penny Davison, Head of Library
Inclusion and Representation
Jessica Lewis, Assistant Head (Pupils)
PSHE
Darius Bluck, Head of PSHE
The UCS Foundation
Edd Pickering, Director of Development
“Joining this school has been an incredible journey, and I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive and welcoming environment. The induction process by Patrick truly made me feel like a valued member of the team from day one.”
“A well-organised, relaxed and welcoming induction, packed full of information! A great opportunity to meet everyone before the official start of the term too.”
A. Abokor
I. Kurokawa
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TER M HIGHLIGHTS
Rave Reviews All Round It has been another busy and bustling Autumn Term in the Drama Department at UCS. The academic year began with the triumphant homerun performance of CTRL, which returned from a highly successful run at the Fringe where it was met with critical acclaim and some sell-out performances.
phenomenal production has inspired their ideas for their upcoming devised performances, which will be staged in January. The Transitus have seen so much excellent theatre this term, including Dear England, The House of Bernarda Alba and Mlima’s Tale, and in September the Lower School saw the highly sophisticated dance show Alvin Ailey at Sadler’s Wells.
The Upper Remove also presented their examined devised pieces; these searingly political plays explored various inequalities – past and present. Pupils across all year groups have also participated in a number of excellent and stimulating theatre trips. The Sixth saw a matinee performance of the award-winning revival of Cabaret – this
The term culminated in our highly ambitious production of Machinal, featuring a cast of Transitus and Sixth pupils.
C. Abbott
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TER M HIGHLIGHTS
UCS Students Earn Newspaper Review At Edinburgh Festival UCS Drama and its Lund Company took the play CTRL to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it ran from 21st to 26th August. The piece, co-written with and about AI, was a meta-theatrical work set in a dystopic future. It captured the zeitgeist at a Festival where AI was one of the defining themes and also caught the attention of reviewers, with The Scotsman awarding CTRL three stars: “London-based young company Lund is presenting its ensemble drama CTRL, which ambitiously grapples with AI’s impact on education, creativity, theatre and more. This is a thoughtful play that tackles big topics with commendable spirit.” C. Abbott
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K E Y H IGH L IGH T S
Concert Season Offers Cornucopia Of Music
New musicians impress. An exceptionally busy start to the UCS Music year saw no fewer than ten concerts.
The New Arrivals’ Concert included a piece of violin virtuosity with Vittorio Monti’s Czardas.
This term’s concerts have spotlighted solo performances from more than 60 students.
Our trumpeters were suitably extrovert and dramatic in this rendition of Abreu’s Tico Tico.
Fifteen new UCS musicians took the chance to make debuts in the New Arrivals’ Concert.
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K E Y H IGH L IGH T S
Concert Season Offers Cornucopia Of Music
New musicians impress. An exceptionally busy start to the UCS Music year saw no fewer than ten concerts.
November’s Upper Remove Performance Platform included Chopin’s Polonaise in A major.
Gaspar Cassadó’s Requiebros was a thrilling addition to the Upper Remove programme.
There were four lunchtime concerts for specific year groups and a fifth for the rock musicians.
The triptych of end-of-term events involved over 200 pupils, a veritable feast of music.
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K E Y H IGH L IGH T S
Deme Song: Viva Underwoods!
Underwoods performed a rendition of two songs with around 20 musicians taking part, playing a range of instruments from strings to brass sections, guitars and piano. There were many outstanding performances such as Luka Moriarty’s superb guitar solo with Cristian holding it all together on piano; not forgetting our magnificent singer, Milo Kester. We ended up winning the competition. As co-organiser of the competition for Underwoods, I spent a long time transcribing the parts for the pieces. The original song choices were ‘I Want You Back’ by The Jackson 5 and ‘Purple Rain’ by Prince. Transcribing the parts was a difficult process and we ended up changing ‘Purple Rain’ last minute. There were some complications with the Prince song in terms of the instrumentation and just the general musical talent, but we made it work in the end when we decided to play ‘Viva La Vida’ by Coldplay.
Underwoods began rehearsing for the competition in the second week of term and I believe this is what gave us the ability to win. We worked hard throughout the rehearsal period and, closer to the competition, we would have rehearsals in the mornings before school. Everybody’s resilience and diligence in the practices really allowed Underwoods to pull through together, despite the last-minute switch. When it came to the actual performance, the electric violin, which plays one of the main parts of ‘Viva La Vida’, wasn’t working but everyone managed to stay positive and play confidently. Gary Kemp, of Spandau Ballet, was the guest judge. On announcing us as the winners, he told the crowd that we had won because of our Deme participation and the enthusiasm of our performance.” Charlie Hall (Upper Remove)
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TER M HIGHLIGHTS
Deme Dance: Olders Take A Bow! Deme Dance marked the end of an eclectic term of entertainment. The theme was musicals, the competition was fierce, and the judges said the standard was the highest seen in this event. There were excellent performances: Freddy Beard wowed with his Irish dancing in Black Hawkins’ take on Singing in the Rain; Evans brought inventiveness to their spin on a Hairspray classic; Baxters were original and ambitious in reinterpreting the opening number from La La Land. But in the end head judge, professional dancer and b-boying expert Tim Hamilton announced Olders as the winners for their energetic performance from High School Musical, choreographed by Charlotte Goodgame. C. Abbott
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TER M HIGHLIGHTS
Art Partnership Connects Youth Of London And Beirut UCS’s partnerships have gone global thanks to collaborative art project ‘A Dream of a Generation’, which paired UCS pupils with students at Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour (NDJ) in Lebanon. The Foundation for Art & Psychoanalysis project invited cultural dialogue between young people in London and Beirut. Pupils in each school worked simultaneously on creating artworks inspired by their home city and the idea of a journey. The students explored their memories and identities in the context of where they live and considered the concept of a monument reflective of their generation. The project will culminate in two exhibitions of pupils’ work running concurrently in London and Beirut. V. Trinder
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K E Y H IGH L IGH T S
Sixth Form Essayist Wins Oxford Psychology Trip
Sixth student Sammi Shapiro was commended for her entry to the prestigious John Locke Institute’s 2023 Global Essay Competition, and as a shortlisted essayist attended an academic conference and awards dinner at Oxford University.
your beliefs. When considering the neuroscience of the brain, it is evident that our brain physiology is hard-wired to prioritise pre-existing beliefs and ignore contradictory information. These are just some examples of the factors that suggest that beliefs are either voluntary or involuntary. I am deeply interested in cognitive psychology.
My Psychology A Level teacher, Ms Martini, introduced me to the competition and nominated me to submit an essay. There was a choice between three Psychology questions. After deciding on ‘Are Beliefs Voluntary?’, I conducted research and then began to write my essay. I covered the arguments for and against, considering the question from multiple perspectives. For example, there are unconscious cognitive biases that influence beliefs, such as the ‘confirmation bias’ which is the tendency to favour information that strengthens
Ms Martini kindly gave me feedback and helped me make some revisions before submitting it. When I then received the email telling me I was shortlisted, I was very excited, especially as it meant I had the opportunity to visit Oxford and go to the awards ceremony. I immediately emailed Ms Martini to let her know and thank her. At Oxford I stayed in a dorm in Keble College. Attending breakfast every morning in the college
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K E Y H IGH L IGH T S
Sixth Form Essayist Wins Oxford Psychology Trip
hall, as well as walking around the beautiful grounds, gave me a taste of student life. I am applying to read Psychology and Neuroscience at university. Seeing the Ashmolean Museum and the Sheldonian Theatre also inspired me. The weekend programme started with Saturday’s academic lectures by Oxford professors and academics at the John Locke Institute. I attended interactive seminars that discussed potential arguments to each of the essay questions, a talk on ‘How to write an award-winning essay’ by the chairman of examiners at John Locke Institute, and a lecture from a professor at Oxford’s Experimental Psychology Department about her research into affective psychology. We had lunch at Christ Church College. Later, I attended the awards ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre, followed by the gala reception
and exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum. It was such a privilege to visit such historical buildings and I found the day very enriching. Sunday’s programme included an Oxbridge admissions briefing by both the academic director at John Locke Institute and an Oxford Psychology professor. My favourite part was definitely the academic programme on the Saturday. I enjoyed debating psychological topics with other students and made some friends. There was a seminar about the effect of swearing on emotions by Dr Olly Robertson. It was very interactive; the audience all participated in an experiment, then we analysed the results. This experience gave me a taste of what to expect at university and helped enrich my psychological knowledge. Sammi Shapiro (Sixth)
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K E Y H IGH L IGH T S
Old Gower Gruffydd’s Laser Vision For Squash
A former UCS pupil has won funding for his idea to revolutionise the game of squash after catching the eye of judges during a nationwide enterprise competition at the Royal Academy of Engineering. Gruffydd Gozali, 21, came up with the concept of a laser-line detection system to help squash referees to decide whether the ball is in or out while completing his Mechanical Engineering degree at Lancaster University. He first conceived the idea, dubbed ‘Squaser’, during a university module on Engineering Business Development and entered it successfully into Lancaster’s enterprise competition. Gruffydd’s reward was to be shortlisted as a finalist in the Engineers in Business ‘Champion of Champions’ competition, held at the Royal
Academy last month, pitching his idea against nine other teams of student innovators. The Old Gower impressed sufficiently to win the runner-up prize – and, with it, £1,500 – in the competition’s ‘Big Ideas’ category.
“It feels amazing,” said Gruffydd, who studied Maths, Physics and DT at A Level. “I was very nervous but the presentation went perfectly. The money will go towards component costs and testing... and the award will go on the mantelpiece at home!” P. Hart
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K E Y H IGH L IGH T S
Pupil Poem Adopted By Premier League Club
The UCS Foundation is delighted to learn that a poem written by a Year 7 pupil is being used by a Premier League football club to promote diversity and equality. Entry pupil Zachary has been training with Fulham FC for a couple of years and ‘Zach’s Poem: Fulham for all’, written to celebrate Black History Month, was so successful that it has been promoted by the club and published on the Fulham website with different sections read by players and staff. Zachary joined the Senior School from the UCS Junior Branch in September, and his former Headmaster at Holly Hill, Lewis Hayward, said: “I was thrilled to hear how a poem written by one of last year’s JB leavers has been taken up by a football club as part of their campaign.”
Zach’s Poem: Fulham for all We live in a world full of diverse races, We see different colours on different faces. Each race reveals features that are distinct and unique, From our hair, our eyes and even how we speak. We live in a world where we are judged by our skin, But what’s important to me is who you are from within. Do you show respect to your elders and your peers? Put an arm around a friend and wipe their tears. We live in a world with different cultures and creed, The beauty is respecting people’s beliefs and needs. Whether they pray in a mosque, a church or a school, Or they don’t pray at all, either way that’s all cool. We live in a world full of diverse races, We’re all different colours and have different faces. Let’s open our hearts and appreciate what we see, Let’s embrace our uniqueness and diversity. P. Hart
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K E Y H IGH L IGH T S
School Trips Regain Lustre With Leading Foreign Destinations
Pupils have enjoyed activities across London including an Italian trip to the National Gallery.
The Geography and Mandarin trip to Malaysia and Singapore was the stuff of lifetime memories.
October’s Hamburg exchange trip had many highlights including a visit to the car museum.
Pupils wandered the streets of Rome absorbing the ancient and the modern with the Classics Dept.
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C A R E E R S A N D TA L K S
Less Travelled, More Interesting Routes Into Careers
Our overall Careers strategy remains centred on offering our pupils opportunities to think about life and learning beyond school. We are especially keen to develop opportunities that grow soft skills like confidence, networking and public speaking as well as those that open pupils up to career paths they may not have previously considered. These events impart knowledge and cultivate curiosity in our pupils, helping them to prepare to thrive in a rapidly changing world. This term’s flagship event saw the return of the annual Careers in Humanities afternoon. It played host to a range of speakers looking to inspire the whole Upper Remove cohort with how their Humanities degrees helped guide and inform their careers to date. The pupils heard how languages could take one into Corporate Relations
at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and how Geography led to Planning Law among other talks. One of the reasons for the event is to highlight the breadth of options Humanities study can bring, and potentially some of the more obscure career paths. On this occasion, an English degree leading to Civil Service in Foreign Affairs and International Development, History into a TV Series Producer Director, or Geography segueing to Senior Counsel at a private equity firm could arguably stake a claim for most ‘obscure’. It was great to catch up with the speakers after. They spoke about how enjoyable it is to take time to reflect on their careers and to stay connected with the pupils. The event is nothing without these fantastic speakers giving up their time to come in, so a big thank you to them and the UCS staff who helped to support the event.
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C A R E E R S A N D TA L K S
Less Travelled, More Interesting Routes Into Careers
Kicking off this year’s round of Careers external speakers was the company InvestIN, coming in to talk about the benefits of work experience and the opportunities they offer. Attended by 45 Upper Remove and Transitus, the talk covered how work experience can help grow transferable skills, is highly prized by employers and university recruiters, and of course gives an invaluable insight into potential careers. This year’s Young Enterprise cohort was selected from a number of pupils who expressed a strong interest in the programme. The group have settled quickly and are currently leading the Young Enterprise Company Connect Leaderboard. UCS have been allocated two mentors, from Amazon and JP Morgan, who attend weekly meetings to help and advise the students. The group hope
to have their business idea finalised before the Christmas break and to start promoting it in the new year. Once the product is finalised, the group will be selling it at Old Spitalfields Market as well as Portobello Road Market. Next term, the Lower School will spend time growing their soft skills in PSHE and get more insight into subject choices. In the Middle and Upper Schools, visiting speaker talks will aim at broadening knowledge and increasing work experience opportunities. Alongside this, the flagship event will be the University and Careers Fair, primarily for Transitus.
M. Baron, contributions by S. Bennett & W. Jones
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C A R E E R S A N D TA L K S
Inside Frognal: Powerful Learning Strategies
This term’s Inside Frognal event was themed ‘Powerful Learning Strategies’ and aimed to share with parents and guardians key evidence-based strategies used in lessons at UCS to supercharge pupil learning. The evening provided insights and guidance to nurture these skills at home and comprised three presentations based on the principles behind the three UCS pupil toolkits: Revision, Focus and Metacognition. Kirti Shah, Head of Economics, shared proven revision methods underpinned by cognitive science. Her presentation focused on the benefits of retrieval practice as a core method for boosting recall. Kirti discussed examples of how this method is used in lessons and strategies for pupils to deploy when revising independently.
Pia Maggioni, Head of Mandarin, offered insights into overcoming procrastination, improving concentration and enhancing wellbeing through mindfulness. Parents were given tips to help children overcome distractions and procrastination tendencies, and details of apps and publications to help pupils incorporate more mindfulness into their lives. Patrick Milton, Director of Teaching and Learning, discussed metacognition and self-reflection techniques to enhance academic self-awareness, boost confidence and improve learning outcomes. The key message was that thinking about the thought process behind learning is just as important as focusing on the content itself, and that the transferable benefits of metacognition allow pupils to become effective lifelong learners. P. Milton & P. Miller
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C A R E E R S A N D TA L K S
External Speakers: Bob Kirk Is Guest Of Honour
At UCS we are very fortunate to be able to welcome visiting speakers from the panoply of professional and personal circumstances, each passing on their wisdom and experience to pupils. And yet even within this enriching context, it was a red-letter day when UCS, through the efforts of Jsoc and Mr Wayland, hosted Bob Kirk BEM and heard about his experiences as a young schoolboy in Nazi Germany and his long, lonely journey to England as a refugee in the Kindertransport programme in 1939. Mr Kirk was a remarkably energetic and eloquent speaker: at 98, he spoke for nearly 45 minutes – standing – telling us about his background and his experiences. Bob was a young schoolboy in Hanover, and the antisemitic laws of the Nazis directly impacted him from their inception.
He was bullied by his peers and made to sit at the back and excluded from active participation by his teachers. Life was difficult but tolerable until Kristallnacht, the November 1938 pogrom that marked the transition in Jewish life in Germany from overt racism to outright persecution. Bob witnessed the burning of the famous synagogue in Hanover. Soon afterwards Bob was allowed to leave, travelling in the Kindertransport from Germany to the UK. As he described the moment when they arrived in France, the only sound in the room was the crack in his voice as he conveyed his deep feelings for reaching some semblance of safety while feeling guilt for leaving his family behind.
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C A R E E R S A N D TA L K S
External Speakers: Bob Kirk Is Guest Of Honour
“We are very pleased that you would like to use our archive images for your school’s endof-term magazine.”
Bob’s parents remained in Germany. Bob shared some of their correspondence – monthly, via the Red Cross – showing us postcards with selfcensorship as well as the black streaks of the German censors. Tragically, we see the letters stop: in 1941 his parents were taken from Hanover to a concentration camp in Riga, Latvia, and were not heard from again.
Kristin Baumgartner AJR Refugee Voices Team
Unfortunately with the passing of time, direct testimony of those who witnessed the events surrounding the Holocaust is getting ever rarer. Therefore, it was a real honour to host Mr Kirk, and Jsoc thanks the Holocaust Memorial Trust for its help in enabling this event to happen.
G. Wayland
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C A R E E R S A N D TA L K S
External Speakers: Bob Kirk Is Guest Of Honour
On Tuesday 14th November, UCS welcomed former child refugee Bob Kirk BEM as a guest speaker at Jsoc. Listen to his fascinating account of his experiences as part of the Kindertransport rescue effort of Jewish children from Nazicontrolled territory in 1938–39. https://drive.google.com/file/ d/1FuAehIJ7FFbQFmW1bSYwahHDvY7ocGd/view
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SP ORT S
Rugby Buoyant Amid Tournament Success And Unbeaten Runs
UCS Sport enters the winter recess with a warm glow of satisfaction after a fruitful term. Autumn is primarily a rugby term and, under the direction of Mr Brown, teams of all ages made significant progress, chalking up notable milestones. The headline news is that the 1st XV won the Middlesex Tournament, a triumph built on a six-game winning run and fantastic team spirit. Where the school’s senior team led, the juniors followed as the Under12B team ended their campaign unbeaten while the U12As were runners-up in their Middlesex competition – a feat replicated by the U16s. The 2nd XV posted their best results since 2018 and the growing number of touch rugby matches meant more pupils could access the sport. Pleasingly, this includes the Year 12 and Year 13 girls whose Girls Rugby Club launched. Plans are also afoot for a U13 and U14 tour of Italy next October.
Beyond the rugby field, the U13A footballers made impressive progress in the national ISFA tournament, reaching the quarter-finals. Three of UCS’s four representative teams – U19 boys, U19 girls and U16s – won their Central London Schools’ table tennis qualifiers to advance to January’s zonal finals. Better still, the U13 tennis team were crowned the best of British after winning the LTA Schools Youth title for Year 7 and 8 boys at December’s national finals in Bolton. Another success is the fact Mr Peck’s Athletic Development sessions are UCS’s most popular co-curricular club with more than 130 pupil participants. The mantra of ‘sport for all’ also resounded during Women in Sport Week which featured student-run football master classes, a fencing taster session as well as spinning classes and netball.
P. Hart
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SP ORT S
Rugby Buoyant Amid Tournament Success And Unbeaten Runs
Sporting Director’s Cut “An amazing term for UCS Sport! Despite the setbacks we face, UCS pupils are performing at an outstanding level. Our focus on team sports has produced results and if we had even more pupils throw themselves into our major sports, things could get even better. Particular highlights include our tennis players winning the finals of the LTA’s national Years 7 & 8 competition (www.ucs.org. uk/news/tennis-aces-lift-title/) and the Under13A footballers reaching the quarter-finals of the ISFA competition. In rugby, the 1st XV won the Middlesex rugby competition while the U16s and U12s both finished second in their equivalent tournaments.
I have also been delighted with the 2nd XVs, a team who have struggled in recent times; however, this term, with captain Seb Gershinson encouraging his peers to step forward and play, they can proudly say they have won three matches (at the time of writing). Their commitment and attitude to representing the school have been great and I hope the younger years look up to them. They are a shining example of what we want from pupils – team first, always improving and hard work. Whatever their ability, I believe every pupil can give back to UCS and be proud to play for the school.”
E. Sawtell
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TER M HIGHLIGHTS
Pupil Joy At Hocroft Restoration UCS has reiterated its commitment to investing in and upgrading its facilities by completing the redevelopment of one of its most historical sports buildings. Staff, pupils and visitors joined the Headmaster, Mark Beard, at a celebration event to mark the opening of the newly refurbished Hocroft Pavilion at the Hocroft sports centre, which caters primarily for girls’ netball as well as for Pre-Prep PE and forestry. The event was held to coincide with the school’s first netball home match of the season, as the Pavilion sits beside the courts used by the Sixth Form girls for netball and by the boys’ basketball teams. S. Bennett
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SP ORT S
Talent Profile: Get The Gen On Next Generation Golfer Arun Ayaru
We caught up with talented teenage golfer Arun Ayaru after the Transitus student qualified for next summer’s World Teen Championship in the US and European Championship in Scotland.
What is your best sport and what has been your biggest achievement so far? Golf – finishing in the top 20 at the European championships and winning the Under-16 Middlesex championship two years ago.
Please can you describe your commitment to the sport in terms of practice, coaching and competition? I try to practise at least twice a week. I am lucky enough to get coaching once a month. During the summer I aim to play as many competitions as possible – one a week – and try to play at least five times a week. How well does the school support young sports people and enable them to pursue sporting excellence outside UCS? What have you found most helpful in this regard?
How long have you practised golf and what are your key strengths? I started playing when I was seven and I would say my key strengths are my driving and my power.
The school allows you to play your desired sport during Games lessons. This is helpful as it lets me practise during school hours as well as on the weekends or after school.
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SP ORT S
Talent Profile: Get The Gen On Next Generation Golfer Arun Ayaru
Would you agree that being a UCS pupil has benefited your sporting career, and if so, in what ways? At UCS, good manners are integrated throughout school life. On the golf course the worst thing to do is lose your temper, because all that does is hinder you, so the main thing UCS has taught me is to leave any negativity behind and focus on the next shot. In which sports do you represent UCS and at what level? Hockey 1st XI. What are your sporting ambitions, be it short, medium or long term? I would like to finish at least top ten at the European championships and top 50 at the world championships.
Who are your heroes or role models, sporting or otherwise? My golfing hero is Rickie Fowler who has a great attitude and mindset to golf. One good example is that before 2020 he was ranked as high as fourth in the world but then, due to a change in coach and external factors, he dropped to outside the top 100 at the start of 2022. However, he showed great resilience and self-belief to battle back to the world’s top 30 in just over a year. My life hero would be my Dad as he spends money he does not need to and takes time out of his day and summer holiday to take me to competitions. I am extremely grateful for this. I also admire his mindset to life as he is extremely hardworking and has efficient qualities I envy.
Arun Ayaru (Transitus)
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C OM M U N I T Y
It Is “Community Action” In So Many Ways
Community Action is UCS-speak for the studentled fundraising programme in the Lower, Middle and Senior Schools. This is run mainly in the second half of the Autumn Term and provides opportunities for the students to support our communities, to turn ideas into projects and to experience the highs and lows of organising an event or selling a product. The charities are chosen by the year groups and Demes. Here ‘community’ can be interpreted locally or globally according to the interests and inspirations of the pupils. Through Deme and whole-school assemblies the students learn how the money raised will be used by their chosen charity.
This year’s charities are: Lower School (Year 7 and Year 8): Secondary1st, breast cancer research Baxters Deme: Alzheimer’s Research UK Black Hawkins Deme: Beyond, mental health support for young people Evans Deme: MediOliver Foundation, supporting communities in Ethiopia Flooks Deme: WaterAid Olders Deme: Greenhouse Sports, sports coaching to improve life chances
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C OM M U N I T Y
It Is “Community Action” In So Many Ways
Underwoods Deme: War Child Sixth Form: World Central Kitchen, food aid to natural disaster areas and war zones With support from Mr Enemuwe, Ms Lewis and Ms Martin, the pupils choose and implement their fundraising projects. Domino’s Pizza sales and the Year 7 disco are emerging as UCS traditions. Other social entrepreneurs have sold cookies, Christmas candy canes, and Treat Trumps, a UCS version of top trumps based on the favourite desserts of UCS students. Sponsored sporting events are a way to build Deme spirit and community spirit and different groups of students have completed sponsored walks and runs, swims and cycles, in addition to the all-too-popular 5-a-side football
competition run by Flooks. Not all charitable activities raise money and this autumn the school has had several very successful charity collections including an immense amount of baby products for North Paddington Food Bank and pre-loved coats for WrapUp London. The generosity of the UCS community continues to surprise, year after year. Ms Martin, Community Action Coordinator, noted: “The enthusiasm and energy the students display for fundraising is heartwarming, learning that it really is better to give than to receive. The pupils grow in confidence as they navigate issues with project delivery, but most of all they enjoy working together on projects they have devised for a cause they have chosen. It is ‘Community Action’ in so many ways.”
E. Martin
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Bake Off Star Sprinkles Stardust On Coffee Morning The UCS Parents’ Guild hosted its annual late-September Macmillan Coffee Morning in the Great Hall, selling Krispy Kreme donuts, donated by the Guild, and other baked goods provided by members of the school community. Besides the chance for parents to have a cake and cuppa, the Guild organised a decorate-a-cake/ cookie competition with a Halloween theme. The judge was no less an authority than former The Great British Bake Off finalist Maxy! “They were all amazing,” she said. A gently worn uniform sale ran alongside the main event and together these activities raised more than £4,000 for Macmillan. T. Levenfiche
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UCS Reflects On Service And Sacrifice The UCS Foundation remembered the sacrifice and service of previous generations when the annual Act of Remembrance took place at the Senior School’s War Memorial. In a sombre occasion at Frognal, Headmaster, Mark Beard, together with Headmistress of the Pre-Prep, Zoe Dunn, Headmaster of the Junior Branch, Lewis Hayward, and Old Gowers’ Association President, Mark Alden, processed to the War Memorial, where they each laid a wreath. Mark Beard had the privilege of remembering the fallen when he spoke to students and staff before the sounding of the last post and the observance of a two-minute silence. P. Hart
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TER M HIGHLIGHTS
OG Netball Club Growing Fast As Recruitment Drive Goes On To mark the 15th anniversary of girls first being admitted to UCS, the Old Gowers’ Association has expanded its sports provision to incorporate a club aimed specifically at female alumni. UCS OG Netball Club is a fun, social netball club for former UCS girls, their friends, family, UCS Active members and Hampstead residents. Old Gowers’ Association President, Mark Alden, said: “Netball is one of the main female sports at UCS, so it was a natural fit.” The Netball Club encourages as many alumni as possible to come along and participate, irrespective of experience and performance levels. Training is in the UCS Sports Hall every Tuesday from 8–9.30pm. M. Alden
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