Godolphin or Latymer Upper?

Mominatrix, this is a reassuring post of yours, especially for those making this difficult choice (but what a great dilemma!). We chose LU last year over the other neighbouring schools, even though on paper (leagues), it's perceived to be lower down, especially for those measuring the leavers destinations success rate to Oxbridge. The list is diverse including the growth in US/overseas, if that's where the aspirations of students are.

I am not in a position to comment on the higher years, and have therefore avoided provided reassurance to those seeking it on this, but I will concur with Abracadabra10 that the teaching is maximised in lesson time, with any spill over as homework only, and holidays as relax, enjoy and read. For the early years.

We chose it because we felt the learning style would be more innovative and interesting. When I ask my daughter now, half a year in, if there's one thing she could change about LU, what would it be, her response is...longer days to fit more lessons in. Not because she's super bright (because she's not, but just LOVES the lessons!). This is on top of her massive extra curricular schedule. I tell her not to share that one amongst friends, as it is most certainly not cool. She is obviously not one of those ones...there really are all sorts at LU amongst the large year groups!

Good luck with choosing Shirleycantbe, you won't go wrong with either.

I don't know anything about G&L except for the daughters of friends I have who go there, but the inclusive and gentle environment which has been mentioned above is repeated by my friends.

I do know a bit more about LU due to US uni outreach efforts and it's reputation amongst the admissions offices of the top uni's is very, very strong because of it's dynamic curriculum - unique amongst the London Day school (e.g.: getting rid of French in it's prep schools up to Year 9 and replacing with Mandarin and Spanish, its innovations in pastoral care with a new focus on building resilience, and a clear stated focus on trying to develop children to think out of the box). The key figure is its relatively new (young) Head who is not afraid of making changes and has huge ambitions for the school.

Also said this on the Hampton thread so apologies about sounding like a broken record, but the curriculum at LU is, in my view, really well devised. Lessons are really fun and creative as far as I can tell. There is never "homework for the sake of homework" - it's always a short and relevant task. Many nights nothing at all. Pupils are not graded on reports in the same way as they may be at other schools. There is just an L grade which means you are working within Latymer expectations and basically on for A/A star at GCSE and probably 90 per cent of pupils will be in this curve, so no need to stress. If you are the top one or two in the class in a particular half term you may get L star in your report, but they all know that it is perfectly possible to never get LStar and still get top GCSEs. No setting until year 8 and even then only for Maths and French. No exams until the end of year 8. So despite any social pressures that exist, they are really given space to find their feet academically. It's the education I wish I could have had!

Also no matter how much you visit the school and seek opinions, you can never be sure who will turn up in your child's year 7 class. So it's always a leap of faith in this sense and one school is as random as the next. I guess the other consideration would be whether you have any preference for A Levels or IB.

Needmoresleep's point is interesting actually - I grew up in West London when Latymer was a boys' school, and in those days it was very much a second-best to St Pauls, and not an especially great one. I can't think of any other school whose reputation has changed so fundamentally in that time. All thanks to the arrival of girls? Or was it already on the up?

That is not to say there isn't a cool crowd. I know of some of the cooler kids having parties etc but there appears to be room for non cool kids in the school as well.

Our neighbour is at LU. He is far from cool. A very normal boy who isn't at all sporty (but is musically talented). He seems very settled there despite his lack of coolness.

jeanne, I think you are a few years out of date.

It is only about 7 years since LU was fully co-ed, and it has gone from being a clear step below G&L and Putney in the Chelsea-banker-wife informal league tables to possibly half a rung above. Places for boys were always tricky, but it has recently become much harder for girls, in part because over time it feels much less like a boy's school that takes girls. The Tatler 2016 Guide no longer emphasises its coolness but instead talks about rapidly improving results and increased competition for places. With this increased selectivity, results should continue to improve, and there will be less room for the party kids.

But horses for courses. LU is a busy co-ed school, whilst part of G&Ls attraction is that it is a gentler, albeit still very academic, environment. BOth are lovely schools and both are big enough that most DDs should find their own crowd.

I'm slowly getting worried about accepting our LU offer. At the moment it's the best we have. It seems to be a bit "too cool" for us. I didn't look into it too much as l was assuming we wouldn't get an offer as its so popular apparently. No other school seems to have this reputation. Sigh.

My experience is of Godolphin rather than Latymer, but I agree with what has been said so far (although I don't know anything about the specific support at Latymer).

Godolphin, despite its very academic reputation, is a warm and accepting environment where girls of lots of different types thrive. My DD has made lots of really lovely 'normal' friends there and is incredibly happy - there are plenty of cool/rich girls too, but it hasn't been hard for her to find people she feels comfortable with. The headmistress is very down to earth, and the school feels quite grounded although it is constantly busy with lots going on. My sense of Latymer is that it is bigger and perhaps more media-trendy if you know what I mean? I do feel there is more of a Latymer 'type' of girl, but that is very much an outside view. Do PM me if you'd like to know anything more specific, and good luck - and very well done to your DD!

Tatler magazine called LU the 'coolest school in London'. Personally that put me off the place.

Hi Shirley. I'm afraid I don't know G&L, but slow processing is unlikely to be an issue at all at LU. They are excellent at dealing with SEN, eg. in my DC class at least 3 pupils are dyslexic and some DC even had a SENCO/ support worker shadow them for the first few terms. One of my DC also has slower than average processing and has had no problems whatsoever. There are no exams at the end of year 7 as there seem to be at most schools and the academic atmosphere is surprisingly unpressured (in years 8 and 9 at least)! The social atmosphere is fairly "edgy" I would say, but the non-cool/ show offs do find each other eventually Apart from the fact that they are generally confident kids there, there is no particular "type".

(Don't let this influence your decision) but there is a new state of the art sports centre just opening with facilities that would rival any private health club anywhere! Families can make full use of the gym, pool and classes on evening or weekends for a small fee (tbc). And the riverside location is a big plus too.

People do say G&L more nurturing though. I guess at the end of the day, so much depends on the friends they fall in with and this is something we can never predict! Good luck.

Dyslexia and other SEN support is very strong at LU.

G&L is more nurturing. LU has very strong art, music and drama and some very talented and creative pupils, but a girl would probably need to engage and be willing to put themselves forward. G&L might be a better option for a more reserved child who needed to be encouraged to participate.

Very interested to read that both very academic schools were offering extra time for exams and offered her a place. Have you met the SENCO? What are the provisions for SEN? I would love DD2 to go to Latymer, but was ruling it out because of dyslexia. I am sorry I cannot answer your question though, they both seem like really good schools.