Best prep school in central London

[Rats82]

Hey ,

My son is going to turn 3 this October.
I am trying to figure out schools for him in central London. Since we are new in this city probably locals will know the real feedback's about schools.
I had Arnold house in mind. Not sure about other schools. kindly suggest what other schools I should definitely consider. ( I would prefer a school with good campus and sports facility )

Also I was thinking if he gets into a school which is a through out school ( age 2/4 - 18 ) do that we don't have to keep changing. Please suggest top five schools.

Thanks

You've had lots of great recommendations here. A left field suggestion if you really want good facilities and a school that goes all the way through is ASL. We had one there and one at UCS. I thought both were very good in different ways. Different curriculums obviously though.

@user1477249785

You've had lots of great recommendations here. A left field suggestion if you really want good facilities and a school that goes all the way through is ASL. We had one there and one at UCS. I thought both were very good in different ways. Different curriculums obviously though.

Actually curious about this as considering ASL near future. If you had to say which one you thought was best what would that be ? Did your child go to ASL as they wanted to go to uni in the states ?

Hey what is ASL ?

Ah! Is it American school of London !!

Knightsbridge School is pretty central, Co-Ed and will go through to 16 soon.

Yes American School in London.

@preppingforlife I think it depends on the child and on what you are looking for from their education so it's impossible to say which is better. My boys are very different and they both ended up at the right places for them. We chose it for a variety of reasons but lots of kids from there go on to British universities.

Hey!
Actually not sure whether we want to follow an American curriculum. Also it's too early to say what he wants later . US or UK or Asia. Though I ll look into it as well now that you have given me this idea. I am sure we will have to register at N number of schools so get his name on at least two or three.
Thankssss.

I would strongly recommend to have a look at Falkner House Boys (in Earls court) although not sure whether it is too late to register.
They are very nurturing, lovely family atmosphere and cater for individual needs academically. They go up to 11+. They will prepare kids for 7+ if they feel they are ready. Can t praise them enough!

I think location is important when they are quite small - it’s quite tiring for them and you don’t want to be driving them through rush hour traffic or running for the bus. It’s stressful enough getting a little one ready for nursery!

Don’t believe the scaremongering about registration dates. There is a lot of fluidity in London. My DS got a place at one of the top NW schools from registering on the waiting list 5 months before Reception.

I think some are worse than others - it doesn’t reflect the ‘quality’ of the school!

@Rats82 - I second @SouthLondonMommy, South London has a wealth of independent schools and various entry points so if your child is a late bloomer or has an off day then all is not lost.
Reading between the lines, you will be able to afford to live quite close to these schools but even if you lived a little bit, there are plenty of transport links., coaches and driving is an option (not too bad once you have sussed out the routes and parking options).

Alleyn’s has main entry points at 4+ and 11+ with small number entering at 7+ and 9+. It’s an amazing school and is co-Ed

DUCKS has a first come first served entry for nursery (with automatic entry into Reception£ and an assessment for entry into 4+
They may have changed the entry requirements into the Dulwich College at 7+ for DUCKS boys

Dulwich Prep London (boys only) goes from 3+ to 13+. Absolutely brilliant early years, loved it.
Majority of boys leave at 13+ for Dulwich College.

Herne Hill (mixed) goes to 7+
Rosemead and Oakfield (2 different schools both mixed) go from 3+ to 11+

All these schools are within 2 miles of each other.

Trinity and Whitgift are also a popular options from Dulwich Prep at 13+

So I want to know what's with this whole Dulwich school / college/ prep .. are they all same entity.
Or is there any difference ?
Thanks everyone for your time

DUCKS (mixed) is part of Dulwich College (boys)

• however, there didn’t used to be automatic transition for boys from Y2 DUCKS to Y3 DC but that may have changed

Dulwich Prep London is a separate entity altogether

• goes from age 3 (nursery) to Y8
• nursery year is mixed but thereafter it’s boys only

DPL now does both 11+/common entrance prep as well as the 13+ (apologies if I am mixing up the terms), reflecting the fact that some schools have scrapped the 13+ entry point.

LOTS of boys move from DPL to DC at the d of Y8 following the 13+ exam.
www.dulwichpreplondon.org/prep/academic-results/

Dulwich Prep is a prep school that finishes in Y8. A lot of the boys go on to Dulwich College, Trinity or Whitgift (plus boarding schools) in Y9. The main entry points are 4+ and 7+ - there are a couple of places available in every year group though.

Dulwich College starts in Y3 after the 7+ entrance exam and goes up to the end of school (A levels).

Both are good options, and fantastic schools. Go for Dulwich Prep if you would like to choose your senior school. Go for Dulwich College if you just want to stick to it throughout.

Superb. Thanks so much for clearing my confusion.

@rats82 here is a run down of all the local schools in Dulwich:

Dulwich Prep London is a separate entity with no affiliation to Dulwich College and prepares for the 11+ and 13+. Girls are only in the preschool and after that its boys only. It sends boys to the likes of Eton, Westminster, Whitgift and less selective schools like Royal Russel etc. However, the majority go to Dulwich College for senior school. Its a great option if you aren't sure yet how able your son is and it keeps options open. Its academically selective but as they take children from 3 the intake is naturally a bit broader.

DUCKs is a co-ed nursery and pre-prep affiliated with Dulwich College. There are multiple entry points (baby, 2+, 3+, 4+) and it prepares children for the 7+ examinations for Dulwich College Junior School and the other local independent schools like Alleyns, JAGs, Rosemead etc. The majority of the boys have always gotten places in Dulwich College Junior school at 7+ however, it's not been automatic but dependent on performance in the exam. This may have changed recently though so its worth ringing the school to confirm. Even though DUCKs prepares kids for the 7+, Herne Hill has a better reputation locally for getting more academically out of its kids for the 7+ exams.

Your other options in the area are all co-ed. Herne Hill as previously mentioned is a stand alone pre-prep that is geared to the 7+ and has a very strong track record sending children to JAGs, Alleyns and Dulwich College. Herne Hill has official entry points at 2, 3 and 4 years old.

Rosemead and Oakfield both are co-ed prep schools in Dulwich that prepare for the 11+ and have attached nurseries for children from age 2 as well and multiple entry points (3, 4 and 7). These schools are more mixed ability in their intake but Rosmead in particular regularly sends a good portion of its students to Alleyns, JAGs and Dulwich College with scholarships for art, sport and music.

Not sure if you are planning to have more children but if you do have a girl, JAGS is another top through school with admission at 4 and 7 as well as 11 and 16. Sydenham High has a broader intake but is a very popular all girls option within easy commute of Dulwich with similar entry points to JAGs.

No matter what the ability is of your child, living in Dulwich you'll have a wealth of choice including the outstanding state schools. Dulwich Hamlet, Dulwich Village Infants, Judith Kerr and the Charter North Dulwich for secondary. The latter two schools are amongst the top performing state schools in the country (top 1-2%) with huge value-add scores.

And remember that’s there is no ‘best’ prep - some live by their reputation! It’s a case of the right school for the child - will they be happy there? Is it an exam factory or do they focus on children who are confident and rounded? Is it very strict or less so? Think of the culture - an unhappy child is dreadful to deal with.

Confusedaboutschool and kittenkong thank you for your response. This information was much needed. Also kittenkong you are so right. I shall be booking personal tours with schools and I strongly feel that I should get a feeler where my son will fit. thanks again guys.

I always advise to wander by the schools at drop off and pick up and observe - are the children skipping into school and coming out looking excited, do they look happy? You can get a gut feel from that too.