North London Collegiate School

North London Collegiate School is an independent all-through day school for girls, based in Edgware. Its motto translates from Latin as "in the hope of labour". There are 1,065 aged 4-18 on the school roll.

The school was founded by Frances Mary Buss at the family home in Camden in 1850. The current site was acquired in 1929, and the school was fully relocated in 1940. The main site is a country house built in the eighteenth century. Since 2011, North London Collegiate School has had a franchise school in South Korea.

Headmistress

Mrs Vicky Bingham

Values and vision

The school is proud of its tradition of producing independent and pioneering young women with the drive and confidence to make the most of opportunities and a difference in the world. North London Collegiate School combines academic excellence with a vibrant extracurricular life, an international outlook, excellent facilities and a warm community.

Pupils are shaped not just by the academic excellence of the teaching but by the spectacular environment in which they learn. As well as the beauty of the Old House, pupils and staff also experience and learn in the school’s expansive grounds and modern Performing Arts Centre.

ISI report

In April 2024, North London Collegiate School received its latest routine inspection, which took place within the new Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) framework.

We were delighted that the inspection team gave a strong endorsement for all aspects of the education provided and the wellbeing and engagement of our pupils at every stage of the School. The inspection also identified NLCS as being fully compliant with all regulations and requirements, with best practice in place across the board.

One feature of the new framework is that ISI no longer uses single-word gradings of schools, such as ‘Excellent’ which NLCS received at its previous routine inspection. ISI now seeks to make an evaluative commentary across the various aspects of a school’s provision.