Latymer Prep School - Hammersmith

[JesusChristBenton]

Does anyone have any experience of Latymer Prep?

I am thinking of putting DD1 forward for the 7+ and of all the prep schools in our area I think I am most attracted to Latymer Prep because it is small, has both boys and girls, is in a lovely location and is academically selective. However, these are not great reasons and what I should really be basing my choice on is which schools most nurture children, are academic but not pressurised and have happy parents who feel they have made the right choice.

I also wonder how competitve entrance is. DD is only Y1 at the moment so we have a year to prepare but I do not want to put lots of pressure on her. She is in a good but big local state school at the moment. She is doing well but she is an August born and so while I think her progress is amazing I am aware she would be competing for places with children up to 12 months older who have much more chance to develop exceptional talent.

"nurture children, are academic but not pressurised"

You've got it! My son is there (yr5) and this is it exactly. We are very happy with it. However you should be awar that it isn't yet 50/50 boy/girl split. More like 70 / 30. Girls have to do rugby & football for half a term ( and boys have to do netball & hockey).

Entrance is competitive but they do understand that they are dealing with young children and make it as relaxed as possible. You have plenty of time as you say, but I wouldn't start coaching or anything. Just keep supporting her, listening toher read, talking about the book, asking questions, encourage what she's interested in. Don't start an endless round of after school clubs and music lessons. My son said he was interested in jumping mud bumps on his bike and that he thought Meccano was far too fiddly!

You will want to call and ask when they do show rounds, probably in the summer or autumn 2012. You will have to apply by Dec for assessment in Jan 2013 and entrance Sept 2013. The only thing you may have to cover at home is verbal reasoning - you just buy the Bond books at WhSmith and do a couple of test papers at home. They should be happy with the 6/7yrs ones and moving on to the 7/8 ones by the January. But they tell you what you need to have covered when you register. But at the moment it will all seem ages away and impossible!

Just to add, don't worry about the fact she is August born. The school will factor that in, and our experience was that preps that select at seven score by the quarter of year and aim to offer places to children with birthdays across the whole academic year, so that will be taken into account. My understanding this is because children's ability evens out to the point where Summer/Winter born makes little difference any more by about 8. Your dd will sit her entrance for 7+ at six years old so they still make allowances for this at this point. She just has to score in the top set of other Q4 born children. Hope that makes sense?

I am hoping that what you say about "But at the moment it will all seem ages away and impossible!" is right betterwhen thesunshines - I have a year 1 boy that I am contemplating doing 7+ with and at times really wonder whether I am utterly deluded! Keep telling myself that a year is a long time at 6!

OP - I have two friends at Latymer under and they are very happy with it. It is tough to get in, but all you can do is take a punt and see. Make sure that you like Laytmer Upper as an eventual destination - you can of course go somewhere else (and a place is not guaranteed) but it is as well to be happy with the natural course.

I have a child at Latymer prep and make these observations:

Teaching quality is excellent. Teachers really know their stuff and teach with passion, animation and skill which lets face it is the most important thing a school can deliver.

Pastoral care 'needs improvement'. The school is complacent. Concerns are not followed up or addressed with any real significance.

It is clear it was a boys school which a few years ago took in girls. In any girls school (and in many mixed as well) classes get changed every year so damaging cliques get limited air time. Not at latymer. If your daughter ends up in a class with 6 or 7 girls, pray they get on well as 4 years with no movement is a long time. Luck doesn't always work out in your favour.
It is a sporty school which is great - children who do well at sports will get plenty of opportunities to take part. They are building a new sports hall which should be all accounts be amazing.
It is not a nuturing school. Given it is so small and given their rhetoric espoused on the Internet and through school talks, I'd hoped they'd take a holistic view of the children - e.g making sure each child gets some opportunity to 'star' or take part in something (e.g a concert, a play, the sports field). Sadly this isn't the case.

Overall, it is a good school, but considering they don't proactively manage or look out for your child, you should consider how well your child will get on there. If they are socially robust, good at sports and play an instrument they'll get on well. If you are looking for a school to nurture your child my observation would be this is not the right school for them.

Scrabblemum and current parents, can you update us whether the pastoral care at Latymer Prep have improved since 2013? Is there any information on the exit results of the prep school?

Bump

There is a new head at Latymer Prep and she is very different character to the previous head. Whilst the previous head was admirably child-focused and thus much of the tone of the school was set by him thus resulting in a atmosphere which was not pushy and attempted to be nurturing, the new head is very much the opposite.

She has little care of the students and is much more an administrator. She is very much hands off in terms of getting to know parents and students and quite dimetrically opposite to Mr Dorrian.

In terms of pastoral care, I will have to support Scrabble's view. My child has had ongoing issues regarding bullying by the "sporty set" of boys which has been reported but no follow up is given by the teachers beyond interviewing the boys in question. For being a school which prides itself on nurturing, little interest is really given to ensuring that problems, when they occur, are resolved and follow-ed up on. I fear that this environment will be made worse by this new head.

I have long experience of Latymer prep and disagree with the above poster. I think it is simply too early to make a judgement on the new head and as far as I can see she has been going to huge lengths to get to know the children - the parents not so much, but Mr D never made much effort to know the parents either and that was one of the things I most admired about him, as in that job you encounter a lot of sycophancy. My children's pastoral issues - and one child had a very serious problem - have been dealt with hugely sympathetically by the school and in my experience all bullying is clamped down very firmly. I'm not a gushy person but I think the best decision I ever made was to send my children there, they have received a fabulous education in a small, friendly, happy environment.

I would most vehemently disagree w the poster above claiming the new latymer under head doesn’t care about the kids and is just an administrator . This is literally the exact opposite of reality. She has been deputy head at my 2 kids’ prep school for 5 years prior to joining Latymer, and the whole school was absolutely gutted to lose her! She is one of the most dedicated, caring and talented teachers and heads I have ever come across. She has completely transformed our school during her time there: setting up after schools clubs, residential trips and enriching the learning of the pupils like no other single person in my experience of education. Latymer parents and pupils , you have no idea how lucky you are have her in your corner .
At our school she knew each of the 300 junior schools pupils and their parents by name after the first two weeks of term and would greet each and every single one every morning and afternoon.
Wlondonprepmum, I would wager you will look back on your post in a years time and realise the error in jumping to brash conclusions .

Our DS spend 2 very miserable years at Latymer Prep.
Not only was the pastoral care nonexistent (he unfortunately had to cope with various issues) and I agree with the previous comments of no follow up ; but the academic side was also very poor, our DS was disengaged and most teachers were totally complacent, with the exception of the history and science teachers.
Leaving this school was definitely the right choice for our DS.

I'm really surprised by the negative comments here, I had 2dc at LP and they both adored it. They are now in the Upper School and thriving, but miss the prep and its cosiness. I found it an inspirational place with hugely dedicated and caring teachers and very happy children - the academic standards were extremely high, there are some very clever children there and they're catered for accordingly.

I'd also say the school, possibly unlike some other prep schools, doesn't pander to sometimes over-demanding and entitled parents, who feature I imagine at all London prep schools.

The entry exam itself is not a pleasant experience by any measure, and by far the worst we've experienced. Never mind the queuing outside the building in possibly inclement weather, ca. 200 children get initially amassed in a main hall before they are taken to their classroms topped up by I guess up to 400 parents at times. Pushy Russian mums left and right shouting above your head as you're struggling to squeeze your child through. I felt very sorry for the children and to some extent myself. In a sense such an experience is reflective of the adult life for many of us, I just wish I spared my 7 y.o. DC this. The underlying poor idea was to do a bit of a warm-up before other exams since the school wasn't our first choice anyway...

anybody planning to decline a Latymer Prep offer in the coming days? We are on the reserve list.

sanam2010 I am sure places will come up. Lots of offer holders will have St Pauls Junior, Westminster Under, Kings or Bute House offers too. Hopefully you are reasonably high on the list and I'm sure you have a good chance. Fingers crossed for you.

Hi sanam2010. It seems we are in the same both. My DO only sat the Latymer Prep 7+ as it was her only preference and she is also on the reserve list. I phoned the school today and was told there are 15 on the list with no movement yet. The registrar said we could hear back as late as after the half term. If Anyone has declined the Latymer Prep offer please do share.

Mashael73, do you mind I asking whether your DD is in a private school or state school?

She is in a private school hhks. Does it make a difference in the selection process? Are you also trying for Latymer Prep?

Mashael73, I have a number of friends sat the exam this year, and those with offers are all from state school, and those on RL are all from private school. I don't want to jump to conclusion, but it's a very interesting outcome.

Mashael, the list has started to move. But 15 sounds like a lot! Best of luck!

Thank you hhks and sanam for the info. It has put things into perspective and based on that my DD’s chances are looking pretty slim. It was worth a try. Good luck to you too!

The WL should move a little bit in the next couple of days as we have decided not to send our DS there as the WL moved in our preferred school.

Thanks littleredpot. Could you share which your preferred school was, out of interest?

Thank you for the update littleredpot and good luck to your DS in his new school next year. Have you heard from LP sanam2010?

did anyone on the reserve list actually get offered a place at Latymer Prep last Jan/Feb?