City of London Academies Highgate Hill (Islington) and Shoreditch Park (Hackney)

So I recently heard about these new sixth forms opening which are backed by both the NCS and the City of London School (Private).

Their first cohort will begin in September 2022 and it looks like a really modern and capable sixth form, providing elite prep for universities like Oxbridge and even the Ivy League.

I was basically just wondering if anyone has also applied to these sixth forms and what you think about them!

Thanks

HCS seems less academic to me and they seem less on it with emails. ICS seems really good, the interview was challenging though. I was asked like degree level questions about my essay lol. The offer holder induction was really good, they got professors from UCL in.

Yep I totally agree! ICS seems incredible. I've confirmed my offer and am looking forward to joining the cohort!

If you have also decided to enroll, would you mind sending me your discord or another form of social media? I'd love to chat!

I am on the reserve list because I left it too late trying to chase other places but if they accept me I think i'll join. I'll message if I get in so we can chat. But I have 9s and 3 8s so hoping I am high on this list. I have offers from LAE and other places so I have some good alternatives

Does anyone know much about HCS or ICS?

I go to ICS atm and am loving it! Lmk if you have any questions!

Thanks, afaik it’s fairly similar to the NCS but both ICS/HCS are much smaller. I heard STEM is strong at ICS but how about other subjects?

Aside from a levels, how would you describe the overall vibe? Do you feel that sense of academic pressure? How strict?

one thing I don’t know much about is the pastoral care. How much support is there?

Is the sixth form linked to the secondary much?

What do you like and dislike most about it? What sixth form is it most like if you had to compare it?

how is HCS different from ICS do you know? For ICS there is an essay but nothing for HCS.
what’s the essay for?


im confidently on track for 8s pushing for 9s and plan on applying to a top uni and I have Latymer as a given.

Sorry for all the questions but idk much about it so trying to learn as much as I can.

Doing my hw FTW

This is insanely detailed. Real insight. So thank you. Will every year be 30 students? That’s a good point actually. What is the internal/external ratio?

I want to be around students who want to do well so that doesn’t really scare me lol. The older headteacher of the NCS left but sounds like the standards are still really high which is good

No worries at all. When I was making my decision to join ICS, I got quite lucky by stumbling across a really kind internal, who quite literally changed the trajectory of my life... It's only right that I pass on the torch!

Each year the size of the sixth form will increase. I can't give a set number for your cohort, but I would guess 60? Take that with a grain of salt though.

The internal external ratio is 50:50 here, but, in all honesty, it's quite indistinguishable nowadays! For you cohort, I'm pretty certain there'll be more externals than internals, something which is probably better for you. It doesn't matter much after a month though.

Glad to hear that you have the right mindset for this sixth form. A growth mindset is certainly what you should have if you're hoping to succeed.

Yeah, the previous Head Teacher of the NCS really is incredible - he even got an OBE recently! At the start of the year, I was unsure which degree path to pursue, so I was lucky enough to have a quick call with him wherein he gave me some advice. Overall, the partnerships we have with the other schools apart of COLA are really nice. Especially with the private schools, because we get such high quality support, for free! I'm looking to study in America for University, and I was provided with a mentor who's currently at Harvard. Not a joke. Absolutely mental.

We also collaborate with the NCS quite regularly: we have an upcoming history debate which I'm really looking forward to.

Which A-Levels are you looking to study? What sort of school are you at now? Why are you hoping to move? What are your future aims? It'd be pretty cool to hear more about you!

I’m at Latymer right now. Hence the easy option is to stay. I’m thinking Maths, Further maths, biology and maybe psychology - although I should probably do chemistry instead as im interested in human sciences but maths is my strongest subject and I really enjoy it. NCS is too far for me so that’s why im considering ICS and I’ve heard some good things about how it’s run from a mutual friend who has applied. It’s just really hard to pick somewhere. I emailed and they said there are taster days in June so I hope to go to that to get a feel for it. I’m definitely going to apply.

Oh right fair enough.

I can say first-hand that Maths and Further Maths here is incredible - I was actually part of the team who came 9th in the country a week or so ago in the Team Maths Challenge! - and our teachers are super dedicated. Psychology is also exceptional, but you'll learn more about that in due course.

Best of luck for your GCSEs, and once again be sure to reach out if you have any questions. Make sure you produce a high-quality essay too! Speak soon.

Sorry another question. Everyone keeps telling me to go to Woodhouse. Were you considering there?

Woodhouse has become a sort of gag at ICS. I did consider there, but chose not to go. This was for a few reasons.

Ultimately, I think that woodhouse is for a certain demographic of students.

I would recommend Woodhouse if:
- You prefer independent study
- You are quite self-driven
- You are quite social
- You aren't too easily influenceable: this is a big one

I'll leave it at that for now; given that I don't go to Woodhouse, I'd recommend talking to students who have. We currently have a student at ICS who did a year at Woodhouse, hated it, and came to ICS to redo Year 12. However, of course I am bias towards ICS. Take what I am saying with a grain of salt - do your research!

I personally preferred ICS as:
1. Much smaller cohort - everyone knows everyone, and you get personalised support: you will never get left behind
2. Demographic - Woodhouse, as far as I am aware, mainly consists of middle-class students from very similar socio-economic backgrounds, though this is quite an overgeneralisation. ICS is much more diverse - representing almost 25 separate countries! - and I preferred that. I really didn't want to be in a bubble.
3. Culture - The Woodhouse stereotype involves smoking and drinking, they even have a dedicated smoking area. Once again, though this is a generalisation, I didn't really like that sort of environment. There was too high a chance to get distracted during A-Levels, something which I know a few students in the years above me had unfortunately fallen victim to.
4. Structure - I really prefer a structured environment because it ensures you can't fall behind. You are held accountable, and I am personally preferred that.
5. University - Given the smaller cohort size, your support for uni applications here is of course going to be significantly better. We even get the chance to do a university research project as part of The Brilliant Club, which was an incredible opportunity. On top of that, I was quite intrigued by the support for applying to American Universities, so that sold it for me. You also get tons of support from our partner schools (including private schools) which means you have everything you really could ever need to get into Oxbridge and other top unis: now it's up to the students.
6. Enrichment - courses like the codebreakers course which breaks down corporate etiquette and the general secrets that you don't really get taught about normally was a huge deal for me. It's really quite interesting, and goes a longways in increasing cultural capital. I think there's a section on the prospectus about it.

I got rather lucky with insight from previous students, but overall, that's my take. Once again, any other questions, certainly ask.

Woodhouse has become a sort of gag at ICS. I did consider there, but chose not to go. This was for a few reasons.

Ultimately, I think that woodhouse is for a certain demographic of students.

I would recommend Woodhouse if:
- You prefer independent study
- You are quite self-driven
- You are quite social
- You aren't too easily influenceable: this is a big one

I'll leave it at that for now; given that I don't go to Woodhouse, I'd recommend talking to students who have. We currently have a student at ICS who did a year at Woodhouse, hated it, and came to ICS to redo Year 12. However, of course I am bias towards ICS. Take what I am saying with a grain of salt - do your research!

I personally preferred ICS as:
1. Much smaller cohort - everyone knows everyone, and you get personalised support: you will never get left behind
2. Demographic - Woodhouse, as far as I am aware, mainly consists of middle-class students from very similar socio-economic backgrounds, though this is quite an overgeneralisation. ICS is much more diverse - representing almost 25 separate countries! - and I preferred that. I really didn't want to be in a bubble.
3. Culture - The Woodhouse stereotype involves smoking and drinking, they even have a dedicated smoking area. Once again, though this is a generalisation, I didn't really like that sort of environment. There was too high a chance to get distracted during A-Levels, something which I know a few students in the years above me had unfortunately fallen victim to.
4. Structure - I really prefer a structured environment because it ensures you can't fall behind. You are held accountable, and I am personally preferred that.
5. University - Given the smaller cohort size, your support for uni applications here is of course going to be significantly better. We even get the chance to do a university research project as part of The Brilliant Club, which was an incredible opportunity. On top of that, I was quite intrigued by the support for applying to American Universities, so that sold it for me. You also get tons of support from our partner schools (including private schools) which means you have everything you really could ever need to get into Oxbridge and other top unis: now it's up to the students.
6. Enrichment - courses like the codebreakers course which breaks down corporate etiquette and the general secrets that you don't really get taught about normally was a huge deal for me. It's really quite interesting, and goes a longways in increasing cultural capital. I think there's a section on the prospectus about it.

I got rather lucky with insight from previous students, but overall, that's my take. Once again, any other questions, certainly ask.

One more question. What are the staff like?

Ohhh this makes sense. Someone else from ICS spoke about psychoanalysing. Hahaha. I’m really excited about 6th form tbf. Listening to you makes me want to start now lol. Thank you.