UCL Academy - Thoughts please

[FreshPrinceofBelleville]

Can anybody give me feedback on UCL Academy please?

We have been offered a place at UCL. We have a bright child who really liked it when they toured the school but we hear very mixed reviews. Main concerns:

1. Do they know how to stretch bright children?
2. What is the mood and energy of the school?
3. There is little data to go on, so I suppose we are looking to understand what trajectory it is on.
4. How does it compare to the likes of Parli, CSG, QK, St Marylebone, Acland Burghley and William Ellis?
5. What is the teaching really like and is it paying off?
6. is it rough?

There is woefully little info out there and a new school like this can vacillate over the course of 2-3 years.... we just don't want our kids to be guinea pigs.

Many thanks

UCL is my second nearest secondary and a fair few kids from my DDs' primary usually go there but I can't tell you a huge amount about it I'm afraid. It's certainly the most over-subscribed school in Camden and both Haverstock and QK have suffered dramatically from it opening in that location. Arguably it was one of the contributing factors (though there was a LOT more going on there than just another school opening) in the demise of QK resulting in its takeover by Harris.

I presume you've been to see it and so have an idea of the structure and characteristics? It's a fairly unusual set-up and the tutor groups appeal to a lot of people.

I do hear anecdotally that it can be rough, but this is just hearsay and certainly doesn't seem to have dented its popularity.

I'd hesitate to try and rank it against other schools, one league table is enough really, but for girls the single sex ones always seem to be the most popular. It's a slightly academic question anyway as the UCL catchment doesn't overlap with any of the other schools you mention except QK/Harris and potentially St Marylebone if you are a churchgoer.

Sorry I can't give more info on the teaching etc. FWIW kids do seem to be happy there and the ones I see around in the uniform are always well-behaved.

Re: stretching brighter kids, have you looked at the GCSE data by prior attainment?