Latymer Upper, Alleyns, Highgate

[TrunkiTrailer]

We are due to move back to London next summer as our daughter finishes year 6. We want to find an academic, friendly, co-Ed private school. So far we have identified the ones above that she will sit exams for. Does anyone know how they compare? Are are there other academic private co-eds to consider?

DD is very into maths. She is fine at other subjects but maths is her thing. She is also very keen on swimming, water polo
and drama.

[MrsPatmore]

I'm only familiar with Alleyns from your list. It's a great school for academics, drama and sports. However, it is very competitive to get in as there aren't as many spaces as other schools. The children seemed quite sophisticated but I think that's possibly a London private school thing! It is also quite monied - not a lot of diversity compared to other Independents in my opinion and given its geographical position.

[Mary21]

Kingston Grammar, academic, sporty down to earth.
Emmanuel? Used to be a back up school increasingly a first choice.
Forrest? Bancrofts
The other option is girls schools with partner boys schools such as city london girls/boys
Hampton/LEH
Latymer has a bit of an urban reputation but is well regarded and has had some top flight swimmers.I think they belonged to local clubs rather than trained through school.

[TrunkiTrailer]

That's interesting about the lack of diversity at Alleyns. DD is mixed race. Are Highgate or Latymer any more diverse?

And what is an Urban reputation? Does Trust mean rough?

Mary - thanks for the other school names. I will look them up. We definitely want full co-Ed though, not just a girls' school with a partner boys' school. We hope our son will follow our daughter to the same school plus she is vey clear she thinks single sex classes are weird (she was not raised in the UK).

[Mary21]

Hi, no I don't mean rough, more streetwise London teens, teenage parties. The school is in Hammersmith so the kids are used to traveling by themselves/with friends on the tube since age 11. Where as school a bit further out may have more on school coachesetc. It is a very well regarded school .
Not sure where in London you plan to be.
Other schools are Kew House and Radnor House which are smaller and newish. So time will tell how academic they are. 1st year or so is always bumson seats as they build a reputation.
Ibstock place, increasingly academic,
Harrodian,
Mill Hill , Colfes, St Dunstans, solid schools but maybe more middle of the road academically. Happy to be corrected
North bridge House and Portland place , I don't know them but often sighted on MN as back up schools or used by newcomers who need a school place now again maybe maligning them

[Blueemeraldagain]

I think one of the reasons Alleyn's is less ethnically diverse is that there are two single sex schools nearby (JAGS and Dulwich College) which some groups prefer.
When I was there (97-04, so a while ago admittedly) I never saw/heard/heard of any issues.

[hardboiled]

Latymer has a brand new pool where they swim and play waterpolo. Like said above, some serious swimmers al national level. They use the pool when they need it. It's becoming more and more diverse because of their bursary program, which is annually increasing. The school is really keen to offer more and more means-tested places.

[noitsnotteatimeyet]

Alleyn's is quite a bit more diverse than people often think - all my dc's closest friends have a mixed heritage (polish/Jamaican, Chinese/British, Indian/British, Russian/British etc). It's true that there aren't as many children there where both parents are Asian for example but that is often because there are two single sex schools nearby. Drama and water polo are great, and the theatre and new pool are fantastic but it's not the most sporty school around....

[TrunkiTrailer]

Latymer and Alleyns both sound great. Anyone have experience of Highgate?

I've looked at Emmanuel website but I think it's waiting list may be closed already. I also looked at Ibstock but its exam record isn't as good. Any others I should investigate?

As we are moving back to London we can rent anywhere so we will choose a neighbourhood close to whichever school she gets into that we like. We do need to be able to commute into the centre of town in under 45 mins though.

[wheredoesallthetimego]

Highgate - very academic, very wealthy parent body. not unusual for kids to be privately tutored throughout secondary to keep up.

[wheredoesallthetimego]

oh yes and very sporty.

[TrunkiTrailer]

Thanks. Has Highgate got a more wealthy vibe than Latymer and Alleyns? Although we are choosing to send her private I would like her to be at a school that has a down to earth student body. I don't want her growing up believing extreme privilege is the norm. Her education so far has been in international schools which have had a nice mix of people for all sorts of backgrounds.

[HowcouldIpossiblyknow]

Hi OP, Bancrofts and Chigwell are also both co-ed - and if you choose your location you may be able to commute in 40 mins (Central Line!). I think Bancrofts has a great maths reputation - others can confirm!
Not sure about the water polo provision though....

[TrunkiTrailer]

Last attempt at bumping in case anyone else has knowledge of these schools. TIA.

[dinkystinky]

OP - I have friends with kids at Highgate. There's a real mix of families who send their kids there but yes, there are lots of wealthy north london families. Latymer more of a mixed cohort.

[TrunkiTrailer]

Thanks. I am doubting whether we should apply to highgate now. It is hard as we can't go on the tours so can't get a feel of these places.

[Lalalandfill]

I'd say all these schools have mixed cohorts in terms of wealth and are all - London being the way it is - hugely international. I know some very middle-class i.e. not superrich people with dc at Highgate. Latymer has some superrich kids.

I wouldn't rule out any school on the basis of advice here. The ones you mention are all very hard to get into, so the reality is you may not have a choice, the school will choose you. Keep your options as wide as possible for now and make decisions much further down the line.

[ineedmorethanthis]

Are you just considering south London?

The Latymer in Edmonton is very well thought of. Also Dame Alice Owen's in Potters Bar is an excellent school.

[Lalalandfill]

Yes, but the above are both state grammar schools and the OP wants private. Also, even harder to win places at these two ...

[ineedmorethanthis]

Sorry. Didn't read it properly! I missed the private specification!

[EmpressoftheMundane]

Bancrofts is very strong in the STEM subjects. It's an attractive, leafy area where you get a lot for your money and you can get into the City quickly via the tube.

[underneaththeash]

I have three friends, all with three children at Highgate and none are super-rich. They are all really happy with the school.

[squeaver]

If you're still reading this thread, OP, I just wanted to add to the comments about Highgate (my dd is at the school).

Yes, it does have some super-rich/international (increasingly Russian)/celebrity families, but the vast majority are your "average" North Londoners - parents working in the City, lawyers etc.

The diversity is good, imo.

It is an academic school but but it is also very sporty and places a lot of focus on music/art/drama etc. The school makes a big play of offering more than just the academic experience. The comment about kids using tutors may be true in some cases but it is definitely not as widespread as in other schools.

[Avebury]

Don't rule Ibstock out on academics. Friends with DC there say that academically it is now strong with good pastoral care and fantastic facilities and extra curricular activities.

It was not their first choice for DC1 6 years ago but surprised them in such a positive way once he started at the school that they have since tutored DC2 and 3 to make sure they got in. It sounds like the entrance exam has definitely upped its game between DC1 and DC3.

Their top tip to me now I am starting to do the rounds of open days is to focus on how relaxed the pupils seem, how they interact with the staff and their peers and also to focus on the staff my DD will be spending her actual days with rather than focusing on the people at the top giving the generic speeches.

[Buru]

Hi. I see that this thread is an old one but wonder what the current thinking on the above schools is. What would be the choice today for a top co-ed school? We hold offers for two out of three but for the sake of a clean experiment I would not mention which one we missed. Hope it makes no difference