North London Collegiate School

Located in north‑west London, NLCS's Senior School is on Dalkeith Grove in Stanmore (HA7 4SQ) and has a Canons Drive entrance in Edgware (HA8 7RJ). The school sits in the London Borough of Harrow. Stanmore Station (Jubilee Line) is about a 10‑minute walk to NLCS; Canons Park Station (Jubilee Line) is about 8 minutes away; Edgware Station (Northern Line) is about a 15‑minute walk to the Canons Drive entrance.

Girls aged 4-18; Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form.

Independent day school

The Medical Centre and Cedar Space provide health and wellbeing support, including a Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead, a School Nurse, a healthcare professional, and two counsellors; tailored support to meet individual needs.

United Kingdom

Junior School day: First School (Reception–Year 2) arrives 8.30–8.45am; registration 8.50am; lessons finish 3.20pm; Lower School (Years 3–6) arrives after 8.15am; registration 8.40am; lessons finish 3.25pm; after-school clubs 3.30–4.00pm. Senior School day: nine 35-minute lessons; arrivals 8.15am–8.35am; Period 1 8.40–9.15; Period 2 9.15–9.50; Form time/assembly 9.50–10.25.

Coach and minibus services operate; morning coaches aim to reach the School by 8.25am.

In Years 7–9 the curriculum follows the National Curriculum, and in Years 10–11 pupils study the Edexcel IGCSE syllabus, with all students taking IGCSE Language and Literature in Year 11. In the Sixth Form the school offers two pathways: A Levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, with English Literature available through IB and Cambridge Pre-U. The Mathematics department uses the Edexcel IGCSE syllabus in Years 10–11, and about three-quarters of Sixth Form students study A Level or IB Mathematics, with some choosing Further Mathematics or IB Higher Level. Pupils can study six modern languages—French, Spanish, German, Russian, Mandarin and Italian—with language exchanges and a Polyglot Society. The Music Department offers IB, A Level and IGCSE music syllabuses, following Cambridge IGCSE Music and AQA A Level Music.

IB Diploma 2025 average score 42.94, making NLCS the second highest performing IB school in the world and the best in the country. A Level 2025 results were outstanding with 54.3% A grades, 86.1% A-A and 96.1% A-B. GCSE/IGCSE 2025 results were record-breaking with 83.4% grade 9, 95.9% 9/8 and 99.2% 9/8/7.

Notable university destinations include Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College London, UCL, King's College London and LSE, with many graduates also going to Yale, Brown, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, McGill and other leading institutions. Destinations span the UK, USA, Canada and Europe.

The Sophie Bryant Scholarship commemorates the intellectual brilliance of Sophie Bryant and offers an individualized mentoring and enrichment programme. It includes termly mentoring sessions, a Sophie Bryant Symposium, a Sophie Bryant Journal and potential fee remission, and is offered to a small number of girls entering NLCS in Year 7 and Year 12 who demonstrate a deep love of learning.

NLCS places safeguarding and wellbeing at the center of pastoral care. Staff receive regular safeguarding training to recognise and respond to concerns. The school operates a whole-school Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy, promoting regular physical activity and addressing adolescence challenges such as social media pressures and healthy boundaries around tech. The wider pastoral team includes Heads of Year, Heads of Section, a Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead, the School Nurse, a Healthcare Professional and two Counsellors. The Medical Centre and Cedar Space provide spaces and activities for physical and emotional wellbeing, including Mindfulness and wellbeing-focused clubs. Peer support and PSHE help students develop resilience, confidence and healthy relationships.

NLCS operates a whole-school SEND approach. Every teacher is a teacher of all pupils, including those with SEND, and each pupil is supported to reach her full potential, academically, socially and emotionally. The school has two SEND advisers: Mrs Lisa Weisgard (Junior School including EYFS) and Mrs Sonya Beale (Senior School). The SEND policy emphasises equality under the Equality Act 2010 and the Children and Families Act 2014, and embraces the neurodiversity of its pupil population. The policy follows a graduated approach (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) to identify and address needs and involves parents in planning and reviewing support. It covers admissions, assessment and the provision of Individual Support Plans, with liaison to outside professionals where appropriate.

The School has an English as an Additional Language (EAL) Policy. EAL is defined as language used at home differing from the language of instruction. EAL pupils may come from multilingual backgrounds and may be fully bilingual. The policy promotes equality of access to the curriculum and compliance with the Equality Act 2010. A five-stage model of English acquisition is used, ranging from New to English through Fluent. When pupils are identified as having EAL needs, the Deputy Head (Academic) works with SEND advisers to provide support, including Individual Support Plans and targeted differentiation; additional English teaching is provided as required.

NLCS runs a school-wide Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy. The team includes a Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead, School Nurse, part-time Health Care Professional and two part-time Counsellors. The Medical Centre and the Cedar Space host wellbeing spaces and activities. The PSHE programme supports pupils to develop resilience, healthy relationships and to manage issues such as online safety and body image. Tooled Up Education provides resources to families to support wellbeing at home.

NLCS has a Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. Safeguarding is central to all activities and all staff are trained to identify and respond to concerns. The school designates safeguarding leads; details are available in the policy. The policy sets out staff responsibilities to identify and report abuse and to involve external services when necessary. Early help is provided by staff, and safeguarding information is kept confidential and shared only with those who need to know. Safeguarding records are securely stored and disposed of in line with policy. The policy requires at least annual safeguarding training for staff and annual review by the Governing Body, with oversight by the Pastoral, Safeguarding and Compliance Committee.

Entry points for NLCS: 4+ (40 places), 7+ (8–10 places), 11+ (approximately 70–75 places), and 16+ (approximately 20 places). There are also Junior School Occasional Places and Years 8–10 Occasional Places. Registrations for 2026 entry are closed. NLCS seeks students with strong academic potential, curiosity about the world, ambition, and readiness to embrace opportunities, and it values diversity. A range of scholarships and bursaries is offered, including music scholarships, sports scholarships, and the Sophie Bryant Scholarship, available to Senior School entrants at 11+ and 16+. Occasional places may be available in other year groups, and School in Action mornings can be booked to visit.

Music Scholarships are offered at 11+ and 16+ for outstanding musical promise; Handel Music Scholarship provides a remission of 10–20% of school fees and 11+ scholarships last for the duration of studies while 16+ scholarships cover the duration of Sixth Form. The Sophie Bryant Scholarship is awarded to a small number of Year 7 or Year 12 entrants, includes mentoring and enrichment, and usually fee remission (not guaranteed); assessment follows the 11+ or 16+ process and is open to external and some internal applicants. Sports Scholarships are open to external 11+ and 16+ applicants as well as current Year 6 and Year 11 pupils; candidates must demonstrate high-level sport and potential; recipients receive mentorship, a strength and conditioning programme, some NLCS kit, nutritional support, and usually fee remission; assessments include fitness tests, skill evaluations, and interviews.