Incepted in 2011, North London Collegiate School Jeju (NLCS Jeju) is a day and boarding school delivering exceptional British education to Koreans and students worldwide. Here, students combine academic excellence and a deep love of learning with a wealth of co-curricular opportunities to develop into exceptional individuals who believe anything is possible.
“We, at NLCS Jeju, aspire to develop an outward-looking, internationally minded community of young people who have a clear understanding of the value of commitment and service to others,” shares Lynne Oldfield, Principal, NLCS Jeju.
Inspired by 172 Years of Rich History
NLCS Jeju draws on a history of educational excellence from the great Victorian educationalist Frances Mary Buss who established North London Collegiate School (UK) in 1850 and paved the way for an exciting and inclusive movement in the education of young women. Later on, NLCS UK embarked on the exciting project of establishing a Korean campus on the beautiful island of Jeju, followed by founding NLCS campuses in Dubai, Singapore, and Vietnam.
Today, NLCS Jeju has become one of the most prestigious international schools, not only in Korea but also in Asia, providing an aspirational academic education taught by highly qualified, knowledgeable, and inspiring teachers through interactive, thought-provoking lessons. The school enrols students from reception through to Year 13.
“Every child matters at NLCS Jeju, and as Principal, I believe passionately in the importance of the individual,” states Ms Lynne Oldfield. “We value every student at NLCS Jeju in their own right, ensuring they are encouraged to develop his/her talents to the full in a community where there are no stereotypes and where every achievement, however small, is celebrated.”
Modern Infrastructure & Facilities
Situated on the UNESCO World Heritage island of Jeju, NLCS Jeju has a beautiful, large campus with state-of-the-art infrastructure, making it an ideal base for delivering a world-class, holistic, international education in Korea.
As part of its modern facilities, NLCS Jeju is endowed with 3 well-stocked libraries, a specially curated sports centre, drama studios, a huge performing arts centre, computer suites, music suites with practice rooms and performance spaces, a 24-hour medical centre, and a fully equipped science labs. Likewise, the boarding facilities at NLCS Jeju include break-out rooms, games areas, small libraries, computer rooms, study rooms, snack rooms, and soundproof music rooms.
What Sets NLCS Jeju a Notch Above the Rest?
- World-renowned British Curriculum: The students of NLCS Jeju study a British curriculum from year 1 to 9, followed by IGCSEs in year 10 and 11 and IBDP in year 12 and 13.
- Exceptional Co-curriculum Programme: NLCS Jeju offers a unique co-curricular programme designed to develop characteristics such as leadership, teamwork, risk-taking, and commitment in its students. As prefects, house captains, big 8, little 8, and student council members, students have the opportunity to lead and support their community and fellow students. Additionally, with superb outdoor and indoor facilities and a staff dedicated to co-curricular enrichment, NLCS Jeju offers over 150 different activities throughout the week, as well as an extensive range of academic societies. The programme also supports a full range of domestic and international trips for sports fixtures or other events of educational value. As a result, the school encourages students to discover new passions and helps them grow and develop additional skills and interests that the world’s best universities look for when selecting their students.
- Diamond Model: NLCS Jeju employs a diamond model of education which offers the benefits of a single-sex education while at the same time encouraging boys and girls to grow together outside of the classroom. From ages 4-11, boys and girls share classrooms; from ages 11 – 16, students are educated separately, and in the sixth form, they come together again. In this way, students get to experience the best of all worlds.
- Excellent Boarding School Experience: Based on a traditional British approach, the boarding homes at NLCS Jeju provide excellent pastoral care with a supportive, homely environment where students make friends and connections for life. In a nutshell, NLCS Jeju becomes a home away from home.
- Awards & Accreditation: NLCS Jeju is ranked amongst the Top 50 IB schools in the world – Class of 2021. It was also named the British International School of the Year 2021. Moreover, NLCS Jeju is accredited by CIS, a membership community which works collaboratively to shape international education through professional services to schools and higher education institutions and will undertake COBIS accreditation this year. Recently, NLCS Jeju has been shortlisted for International School Award 2023 under the Safeguarding category by ISC Research.
Highly Qualified Faculty Inspiring Passion & Enthusiasm for Learning in Students
The staff of NLCS Jeju brings a wide range of academic and professional experience and a wealth of enthusiasm. They are not only eminently capable teachers but are also compassionate mentors to their students.
The school offers excellent professional development opportunities to teachers, such as professional leadership qualifications (NPQML), PhD opportunities, research fellowships, etc. In addition, NLSC Jeju runs an impressive Graduate Assistant Programme where new graduates spend a year at its campus—spending time in the classrooms, different departments, and at boarding homes. Later, if they decide to pursue teaching as a career, then the school supports them through the teacher qualification programme such as International Postgraduate Certificate in Education (iPGCE). For the in-house, full-time faculty, the school organises regular onsite training, such as suicide awareness, first aid, and other professional development programmes known as ‘Pop up PD’, which includes several virtual talks and workshops via eJAWS.
Creating an Exceptional Classroom Learning Experience
Currently, there are approx. 1500 students enrolled at NLCS Jeju, each class having a maximum of 22 students. The class sizes often get smaller by the time students reach IGCSE and IBDP from year 10.
In every class, there is a class teacher along with a learning support assistant for young students. The school also has learning support assistants, an Academic English department, and a great pastoral team to support students who need additional help with their studies or English. Likewise, NLCS Jeju’s boarding students have access to an ‘Academic Support Programme’, where teachers provide academic support in the boarding homes during evening hours. The students can ask for general advice or subject-specific questions to the teachers who are available to guide and support them at every step of the way.
Making Parents a Key Part of the School Community
At NLCS Jeju, parents are a key part of its school community. For Junior School, NLCS Jeju hosts ‘Meet the Teacher’ events where parents are invited to meet their child’s class teacher, as well as a Parents as Partners Programme. The school also has an active Parent Relations Group (both for Junior and Senior School), where teachers have termly meetings with them.
Likewise, NLCS Jeju also organises ‘Parent Academy’ and ‘Parent as Partners’ events once a term, where parents come to school to participate in a mixture of a presentation and small group workshops. Topics covered in the previous events were related to students’ well-being, the pastoral system, how to work with your child to ensure they are safe online, and how to have difficult conversations with teenagers.
“Our parents are very supportive of the school and have many varied reasons why they have chosen NLCS Jeju,” shares Principal Ms Lynne Oldfield. “They recognise that we succeed in combining academic excellence with a wealth of co-curricular opportunities, all underpinned by a deep commitment to the individual needs and enthusiasms of each student.”
Celebrating Student Success
The students of NLCS Jeju have a track record of excelling in academics and co-curriculum activities. This year, 78.9% of students achieved A* to A in their IGCSE– 91.1% A* to B and 97.5% A* to C (*Provisional). Owing to such remarkable grades, NLCS Jeju’s students are accepted into elite and prestigious universities around the world.
Future Roadmap
Going ahead, NLCS Jeju will continue to focus on expanding its pastoral support and house system and ensuring that students strike a balance between academics and non-academics. Moreover, the award-winning school also plans to shed light on the importance and benefits of boarding and aims to attract a large number of boarders from all over the world.
For More Info: https://www.nlcsjeju.co.kr/