Applications to join UCS in September 2021 are now open
We are now accepting applications to join UCS at 16+ in September 2021, i.e. from candidates who are in Year 11 during the academic year 2020-21.
At present we are not taking bookings for school tours during the school day. Open Evenings run during the autumn term will be virtual events and advanced booking is required. Please reserve your place here: https://ucs.onlineopendays.com/
The deadline for applications for places at 16+ in September 2021 is Monday 28th September 2020.
Due to prevailing government guidelines relating to schools, we have had to change the published date of our 16+ Entrance Examination. It will now take place on Friday 30th October instead of Thursday 5th November 2020, but will still take place on-site here at UCS. The nature of the assessment has not changed. Further details of arrangements for the exam will be provided to the families of all candidates once the deadline for applications has passed.
We offer approximately 55 places to girls aged 16 or over each year. A small number of places will also be available for boys of the same age. The successful candidates will join the vast majority of our current Year 11 boys as they continue into the Sixth Form.
Needs-based financial assistance with fees is available, as well as Music Scholarships. A separate application needs to be made for Music Scholarships. Please see the Bursaries & Scholarships page for more details.
The selection process
Initial selection will be by means of the UCS 16+ Assessment. The Assessment will not be subject-specific, but will be an objective multiple-choice test of thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills. There is also a short, 20-minute writing task on a topical issue.
A confidential report (including a forecast of GCSE grades, or equivalent) will be requested from each candidate’s current school. As many candidates as possible will be called to UCS for interview following the assessment. Offers of places will be made to successful candidates in December. These offers must be firmly and finally accepted or declined at that time.
All offers to come into the Sixth Form at UCS are conditional on GCSE grades. Candidates receiving offers must score an average of 7.0 points or more in their GCSE/ IGCSE examinations, where 9 points is equivalent to a Grade 9, 8 points equivalent to a Grade 8 and so on. Any GCSE grades awarded on the legacy A*-U scale will be counted as 8 for an A*, 7 for an A, 6 for a B, 4 for a C, 3 for a D, and 2 for an E. Please note that we assume students will take a minimum of nine eligible GCSEs and IGCSEs in total, and we may set an alternative requirement for any student taking eight or fewer eligible subjects at GCSE. We only count grades in eligible subjects, which include all those offered at UCS plus Religious Studies. Other subjects may be eligible, but please note that ineligible subjects include, and are not limited to, Modern Languages subjects where the candidate is a native speaker, or is bilingual. For full details please contact the Admissions Office.
In addition to the conditionality of our offers, please note that we require a minimum Grade 7 in the equivalent GCSE of any subject to be taken at A Level, except for Maths where the requirement is Grade 8. There are different requirements for Core Maths and Further Maths, and for subjects without commonly-taken GCSE counterparts, the most relevant GCSE subject is considered. Full details of requirements for the following September will be given during the selection process in the Autumn of Year 11.
If you have any questions, please contact the Senior School Admissions Office on 020 7433 2117/ 2118 or email us at ssadmissions@ucs.org.uk.
Data Privacy Notice
Before you begin the application process, we ask all applicants to read our Data Privacy Notice so that you know how your data is retained and used. You will find them here;
