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Welcome from the Headteacher
It is my great pleasure to extend to you a warm welcome to The Urswick School’s website. I hope the website gives you a real sense of our school community and the excellent work we do preparing young people on a journey to live happy, successful and fulfilled lives.
At the Urswick , we truly believe that every single child matters and that we hold a professional responsibility to help every child realise their talents in order to give them the very best opportunities to maximise their potential as adults. We do this by getting to know our students and their communities in depth and then creating for them a curriculum that is wide and varied, supportive, engaging and ambitious. Through our curriculum offer we can guarantee that over the course of their years of learning at The Urswick School, every student will have acquired vital knowledge, gained confidence in applying their knowledge, gained wider experience of cultures, and gained a curiosity about learning that will stay with them for their next stages in life. Students at The Urswick School make excellent progress from Year 7 through to Year 11, and many continue their learning journey with us in the Sixth Form where the vast majority attain places in their university or apprenticeship of choice through results that are in the top percentile in the country for the progress made by students.
We achieve all of the above by being wedded to, and guided by, our core values which act as guardrails for every decision we make as a school. They are:
- Jesus said, ‘If you love me, feed my sheep’ (John 21.17) - This is our commitment to nourishing our students through a rich educational diet, care, support and free school meals for all.
- ‘Believe and Achieve’ - This is our commitment to develop young people with a belief in hard work and the limitless opportunities it opens for them.
- ‘A Christian school, not just for Christians’ - This is our wide umbrella as an inclusive Church of England School where all are welcome with love, regardless of faith, identity and personal preferences.
During their time at The Urswick School, students receive excellent pastoral care and support. Visitors to the school are struck by the cohesive nature of the students and the friendly camaraderie that exists between them. We expect and impose strict standards of behaviour so that all students can access the learning, and all students feel safe. We expect parents to support the school in achieving these conditions for all students.
The Urswick School is a school that very much reflects its local communities in its intake of students. I strongly and warmly encourage you to visit our school. You will find a school that represents all that is strong, good and vibrant about the communities that we represent. You will find a school where we celebrate the work done and crafted by the students through their hands, speech, endeavour and intellect. You will find a school you can truly be proud of and proud to send your children to. We look forward to seeing and meeting with you in the near future.
Dele Rotimi
Headteacher
Further Information
The Urswick School is a mixed secondary school located in the heart of Hackney. We are one of the oldest schools in England and we will celebrate our 505th anniversary in 2025.
In 1520 Christopher Urswick, Rector of Hackney, set up a free school in his Rectory on the site of what is now a public house on Mare Street. The original school taught 12 ‘poor boys to learn and read’. The school was known for centuries as Hackney Free and Parochial and eventually settled on a single site in Paragon Road where we are located today.
Our school offers 150 places in Years 7 to 11 and has a highly successful Sixth Form. In September 2011 we re-named the school in honour of our Founder Christopher Urswick. We are proud of our history and continue to provide education consistent with Christian teaching. Our Mission Statement ‘Believe and Achieve’ promotes our high aspirations for all our learners of whatever background or faith. We are a Christian school not just a school for Christians.
Since rebranding, the DFE have named Urswick as one of the Top 100 most improved schools nationwide, we have numerous awards and our building was the Hackney Design Awards People’s Choice Winner. We have been awarded Artsmark Platinum by Arts Council England in recognition of the excellence of our provision in the Arts.
“The teaching standards at Urswick are exceptional! My daughter is very well cared for while she is at school. She very much enjoys attending lessons as all of her teachers are kind, patient and thoughtful to her individual needs. Thank you to everyone at The Urswick School"
- Year 11 Parent
The school was last inspected by OFSTED in November 2023. All aspects of the school were graded as 'Good'. OFSTED reports 'Children are happy and safe at this school' 'In the classroom, pupils behave well and with a positive attitude towards their learning'.
In October 2021 Urswick achieved the highest grade, Excellent, in an Inspection by the National Society – who regulate Church of England Schools. The report describes the school as ‘truly transformational’ and states ‘There is a strong sense that this is a family. The Urswick School is a loving and inclusive community where diversity is celebrated widely. Staff and pupils are richly nurtured and encouraged so they flourish abundantly’.
https://www.theurswickschool.co.uk/71/siams-report
If you are looking to educate your child in a caring environment focused on achievement, then come to The Urswick School. We have an excellent staff team, with very low staff turnover and specialists with relevant qualifications to teach their subject, especially in Maths, Science and English. OFSTED praised the ‘exemplary’ behaviour of our students, and reported how rare incidents of bullying are effectively dealt with by the school. In a survey of Year 7 parents in 2023, 98.5% agree with the statement ‘My Child Enjoys School’. 96% agreed, ‘I feel my child is safe and well cared for at school.’
If you currently have a child in Year 5 and 6 at primary school, I hope very much you will visit our school to find out more. I look forward to meeting you in the future.
Dele Rotimi
Headteacher
Headteacher's Surgery
Headteacher’s Surgery
All parents / carers are welcome to speak to me during Headteacher's Surgery on Mondays from 3.00pm to 4.30pm during term time. Please contact the school to arrange a telephone call back.
Please note: Mr Rotimi and other Urswick staff will not meet education advocates, solicitors or any other professional adult accompanying parents unless this is by prior arrangement and the request has been made in writing. Parents are most welcome to bring a translator or a family member or friend to support you.