Latymer Prep or Bute House

[Fancythat2015]

Our daughter has offers from both Bute House and Latymer Prep for Year 3 entry in Sept 2020. Need to make a decision this weekend. We have a preference for one of them, but I would welcome any thoughts from parents familiar with both the schools.....putting aside the obvious girls only/mixed difference. Thanks!

What is your preference? We have a similar decision to make.

it is really a question about senior school, is Latymer Upper your dream senior school or do you want to keep this option open? Latymer Prep won't help you apply to other secondary schools. You enter the school and stay till 18, that's the great thing if you are sold on Latymer Upper. If you have no idea which senior school might be right and you are not sure what school might be best, I would stick with Bute to keep options open.

Agree both are brilliant and so sought after. If you think you would apply to Latymer at 11+ then it is pointless not just taking it and saving a lot of stress and pressure later on.
Bute keeps options open, but in this day and age with London 11+ pressure I'd do anything to avoid it!! It is so tough. Far fewer pick boarding schools now so the pressure on places is huge and competition higher than ever.

Bute is still a special kind of school and give their girls a lot. It manages to do a good job with 11+ without the sort of stress and pressure other top preps seem to have.
And Latymer is an excellent secondary.
So it’s a difficult choice.

I’d say - if you have a quirky academic girl who might be potentially SPGS bound; or just an academic girl who is more used to a quieter all girl environment who would better fit into G&L one day - Bute is the place for you.
If your girl is coming from a mixed school where she is happy - then Latymer is the right place for you.

Only a few girls end up at LU from Bute most years. Not because they don’t get in but more because they prefer to stay in single sex. So your preference on that must inform your decision

I would go for LU to avoid all the pressure from 11+. Whatever Bute says, girls are under so much pressure in year 5 and 6 there with lots of tutoring going around.
LU is an amazing school and results for GSCE and A level are now very close to spgs

I don’t know what Bute says, I can only speak for my kids that went though Bute and their friends. Mine never felt the pressure you are mentioning. Yes - exam prep starts in Y5 but it seems gentle. And of course the Y6 and actually exams are stressful. But again - I was very happy that the school did so much to make sure girls handle it well. And they did handle the stress better than I, at the time.
The level of pressure and tutoring seemed less than in some other high achieving preps.

So - I wouldn’t go to LU simply to avoid the 11+. I’d go if you think it would be helpful right secondary for your Dd.
For one of mine - it would not have been. She is introverted and a little nerdy and shy. So it would have been not a great fit. Another one would have done great there.

Simply avoiding 11+ is a nearsighted approach.

‘I’d go if you think it would be THE right secondary’

Does any one know ,which French and Spanish books in Bute house are taught? My cousin is joining next year and she has never done Spanish or French. It would be helpful to prepare her
Thanks in advance

Butehouse doesn't have books, every girl have different levels and they will put your cousin on the right level, don't worry too much about it.