Should my DD go to Latymer or not?

[Misspepeye]

Hi,
My DD is one of the smartest students in her school and I've been thinking about placing her in The Latymer School (in the borough Enfield). She's going into year 8 this September and I want her to start going to this school when she's in year 9. She's not sure whether she wants to go to Latymer or not, since her friend told her that new kids at Latymer get bullied.

Can you please give me some advice about whether I should enrol her or not and if any of you have a child who goes to Latymer (or is a student there) could you please tell me about your experiences in Latymer.

Do you mean Latymer grammar school ? If so I'm not sure about 'enrolling' her if you mean this school. It's a highly selective grammar school, places mid year only become available v rarely.

Where on earth did you get the information from regarding the bullying of new students?

Have you lived in London long? Because the idea of simply "placing" your child in any school; let alone an over subscribed grammar school is almost laughable.
You can apply, certainly, but the admission decision is out of your hands and I'd be astounded if you were successful.

I am puzzled with your post. If I understand you correctly, your DD is not now at Latymer but you (she) hope to walk into Latymer in just over 12 months time to start Year 9 there?

Absolutely no chance, I might add. The Latymer School in Edmonton, north London is one of the nation’s top super-selective grammar schools - sending more than 2 dozen pupils to Oxbridge annually, for example. It’s a co-ed school. My niece was a Head Girl there not so many moons ago as was her brother who was there too. She is now a GP and her brother, my personal dentist.

To give you an idea how very competitive and academic Latymer is, many boys for example, who failed to gain entry to Year 7 there after the entrance test were successful instead in entering the other awesome super-selective boys grammar in neighbouring LB Barnet, The Queen Elizabeth’s Boys School within the same cycle of entrance tests.

It seems to me if your DD is going into Year 8 in another school next month, you have then completely missed the boat as far as entering Latymer is concerned. Unless there is a vacancy arising in Year 9 (which is very, very unlikely and even then your DD has still got to take a competitive test) I would suggest Latymer is not now an option.