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The United Church Schools Trust (UCST) (formerly the Church Schools Company) is an educational charity founded in 1883 in England. Its principal goal was to create schools for young girls, based on Christian (and particularly Anglican) principles.

The schools

The UCST currently owns and manages 12 schools across England:

• Arnold School
• Ashford School
• Bramcote Lorne School
• Brigg Preparatory School
• Caterham School
• Guildford High School
• Hampshire Collegiate School
• Hull Collegiate School
• Lincoln Minster School
• Sunderland High School: co-educational day school
• Surbiton High School
• Wentworth College

All have pupils from pre-school age to Sixth Form. Five schools are boarding and day; eight schools are day only. Two schools are single-sex (girls) throughout, five schools co-educational, three schools have a single-sex senior school and a co-educational junior school, two schools are co-educational junior schools.

Integration & expansion

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UCST employs about 1,200 people of whom 650 are teachers. All the schools are accredited through the Independent Schools Council ("ISC"). As of 1996 the schools have 7,000 pupils, an increase of more than 100% since 1990.^{dated info}

In 1990 UCST’s 7 schools contained only 3,250 pupils. Four of the schools were identified as being too small to deliver a sufficiently high quality education. UCST adopted a policy of integrating schools so that they would have sufficient students to provide high quality education. Through this process UCST schools have become larger and, it is claimed^{citation needed}, more effective, offering wider opportunity to pupils and staff alike.

To achieve this UCST has invested almost £50 million in new and improved buildings and modern educational technology during the last twelve years.^{dated info}

Advantages for schools

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Participation in the UCST group brings benefits to schools, including:

• learning good practices from each other;
• using common ICT platforms including Whiteboards and the Intranet;
• Group conferences involving external experts and advisors;
• Professional training and development for all staff;
• Cost efficiencies, greater stability and permanency.

However the UCST encourages schools to pursue their own character and style.

Governance

Whilst the schools are based on Anglican principles the UCST is not governed by or directly connected to the Church of England. Students come from all faiths and those with no faith.

All the schools are governed by the Governing Council of The Company supported by a Local Governing Body at each school. The key duties of the Governing Council are to appoint Heads, consider strategic policy, approve budgets, and to monitor progress at the schools.

While the Heads of Schools are wholly responsible for the detailed management of their schools, the Chief Executive has specific responsibilities for finance and general bursarial matters and is responsible to the Company Council for the overall management of the charity. This is run centrally at Church Schools House, in Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire.

Academic record

• Over 90% of Sixth Formers at UCST schools go to university
• Average pass rate for GCSE (A* - C grades) 95% over last four years compared with a national pass rate of 59.1%.
• Average pass rate for A level (A – E grades) of 99.4% over last four years compared with a national pass rate of 95.5%.

External links

• United Church Schools Trust website
• United Church Schools Trust, Registered Charity no. 1016538 at the Charity Commission

Wikipedia content modification information:

• This page was last modified on 11 November 2008, at 20:58.

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