FAQs
What are the entry requirements for the UCL Academy?
The admissions requirements for the UCL Academy can be found here.There are no academic entrance requirements for Foundation students (Year 7); the school will not set aptitude tests in any subject.
Please refer to the Level 3 (sixth form) section for information on entry requirements post-16.
How do students apply to the UCL Academy?
All Year 7 have now been allocated for 2012 entry.
If you would like your child to be added to our waiting list please contact the borough you reside in and ask them to add your child. Your home borough will let you know how the waiting list operates and you will be able to contact them for updates on your status.
If you live in Camden, the Admissions Team number is: 020 7974 1625.
For Foundation Level (Y7) entry in September 2013, parents should use the Common Application Form to apply to the Academy through their Local Authority. For more information about the process, please visit your Local Authority's admissions website.
For Level 3 (sixth form) entry, please see the Level 3 (sixth form) section of the website.
What will the students be studying?
Foundation (Y7) students will be studying the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC). They will also have a wide range of opportunities to study languages (eg. Mandarin), music and performance, a broad range of sport, as well as focusing on our STEM specialist subjects. Please see the relevant section of our website for more information on these subjects.
Specific details regarding opportunities in areas such as music, sport will be finalised at the beginning of the academic year.
Where has the inspiration for some of the ideas relating to the UCL Academy come from? Have these ideas been tested?
UCL has drawn on examples of good practice from across the world, particularly as these relate to the way in which school design and the use of space can support a curriculum based around problem-solving and group learning. We have been particularly inspired by examples from Australia, Denmark and Holland – all of which have had proven success.
Will students at the UCL Academy have preferential access to UCL as degree students?
No. Although UCL will welcome students who wish to join us from the Academy, there will be no advantage to a student if he/she applies to us from the school. Our aim, as sponsors, is to raise aspirations across the entire school community, and to encourage all students to make the right choices for their futures, rather than incentivising entry to UCL.
How much money is UCL putting in to support the Academy?
An Academy is a secondary school that is independent of the Local Authority, funded by the government and supported by a private sponsor. Following an announcement from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in 2008, the requirement for businesses to provide £2m to become a sponsor does not apply to universities. UCL’s role is therefore a leadership, rather than a financial one. As a university sponsor, we will work closely with the School Leadership Team on the development of the school’s ethos, curriculum and the students’ learning experience. UCL will allocate some of its income to supporting the work of its staff and students with the Academy (in line with the government’s targets for widening participation work). However, financial responsibility for the Academy itself is the responsibility of the Academy’s Governing Body.
Will UCL still work with other schools now that it is sponsoring an Academy?
UCL has a long track record of collaboration with schools in Camden, and we are keen that this should continue at the same level once the Academy is open. We also hope to use the Academy facilities to offer access to lectures and masterclasses to students from schools across Camden, as well as to students in the Academy itself.
When will the UCL Academy Sixth Form open?
We will aim to offer Level 3 programmes at the Academy from September 2012, and to admit 125 students into the school (at the equivalent of Year 12) from that date. There will be approximately 250 students in the Academy equivalent of the Sixth Form (i.e. post-16) once the school is at capacity.
My child has a statement of educational needs - where can I find additional information?
For parents or guardians of prospective pupils who currently have a statement of special educational needs, please refer to the London Borough of Camden SEN team or to the CSF Bulletin.