St Marylebone School vs. Godolphin & Latymer – Which Would You Choose?

[MUMLOVEYAN]

Hi everyone,
I’m currently deciding between St Marylebone and Godolphin & Latymer for my DD’s Year 7 entry this September, and I’d love to hear from parents who have experience with either school.
A bit of background on my DD:

• She moved to the UK in late Year 4 and currently attends a small local state primary.
• She’s academically bright and has been tutored since Year 5 for the 11+ exams.
• She received multiple private school offers and just got an offer from St Marylebone off the waiting list this week.
• She has a talent for visual arts (also received an Holland Park Art Aptitude offer, but we declined it as she prefers a single-sex school).
• She’s not sporty or musical (doesn’t play an instrument but enjoys drama and singing).

My dilemma: I’m considering St Marylebone because it’s free, while Godolphin & Latymer comes with high fees. Based on current tuition costs, if she stays at G&L for seven years, I estimate we’ll spend at least £300k. Is G&L really worth the cost, or do you think St Marylebone is already strong enough academically and in terms of opportunities? I understand it’s hard to compare state vs. private, but I’d love to hear from those with experience. What I’d love to hear from you:

• Is St Marylebone’s student behavior generally acceptable? I know all schools have some bullying, but I’d like to know if the school handles it well and takes quick action when needed.
• How does St Marylebone support bright students and prepare them for top universities?
• Would you pay £300k for G&L, given the increasing fees and potential VAT?

If you’ve had to make a similar decision (or have a daughter at either school), I’d really appreciate your insights! Which would you choose and why? Thanks in advance! 😊

£300k would pay for all university fees and living costs upfront (currently £70k plus) and leave over enough for a house deposit.

Personally I would go for St M's (despite the uniform) and know that you can have nice holidays, chuck some money at tutors in run up to GCSEs or Sabrina Carpenter tickets (or both).

Private is just too expensive if you have a kid who should theoretically do well in any decent school, and definitely not worth it if you have a really good state option.

Look at this as a 5 year decision. A lot of students in London change for 6th form and there is a lot of choice then and admissions tend to be less linked to catchment and more to results (a bit of a generalisation I know). There are also more specialist 6th forms especially in maths and science like Kings and the Imperial one. It is not unusual for students to switch from state to private or vice versa for 6th form.

So I wouldn’t worry at this stage about whether Marylebone will prepare well for A levels/university applications. It does have grade requirements for its 6th form so some girls have to leave as they don’t make the grade, so it is selective at 6th form although obviously not like G&L.

Marylebone sets quite strictly in most subjects and there is a lot of movement between sets. But it is broadly a comprehensive and it is a very limited site.

G&L has a very strong reputation and a wonderful site and facilities.

But private is very expensive these days and it will only get more expensive…. Going private will also exclude your DD from some activities/enrichment/work experience offered by the London unis and local council (some of these are further restricted by income/postcode but some simply exclude private school pupils). So if you do go private, be aware that you will be very reliant on the school and/or your own networks.

Go visit the schools and get a feel for them both. Your gut should tell you, which is right. Obviously involve your child in the decision.

Thanks for your comments !

Thanks for your comments !
It's good to know that one of the benefits of a good London state school is the access to enrichment programs, work experience, and outreach opportunities from top universities and the local council. These can provide fantastic experiences that private school students might not always have priority for.

I have one at G&L and in your position I would chose Marylebone. I think G&L is great but it is very focused on teaching to the test…

My DD prefers G&L for the environment, but she’s also open to St Marylebone because she’ll have familiar classmates there, which might make the transition smoother. For me, in every aspect, G&L is undeniably one of the best private schools and 'better' than St Marylebone, but my concern is whether spending £300k is truly worth gaining this '"better"

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! May I ask which year your DD is in at G&L? I’d love to hear more about her experience—how does she find the teaching style, and does she feel supported beyond just academics? Also, what has been her overall impression of the school environment?

Just compare the GCSE results for St Marylebone and G&L. Results speak for themselves (whilst St M is better than most state schools it’s still nowhere close to G&L results). When I toured St M the girls said that they did barely any sport. If not deterred by either of these (if your DD is not the type to be swayed by classmates who are less likely to study and might become her friends) then go for St M.
fees are a sacrifice but you can switch for 6th form (will be around £150-200k for 5 years) - by then her character is formed - either studious or not, and unfortunately you don’t get 2nd chance

I always wonder whether GCSE/A-Level results depend more on the school itself or on parents providing external/private tutoring for their children. I’d also like to explore whether G&L has a strong tutoring culture—do many students rely on external tutoring? To give an example, our state primary school provided zero support for anything related to the 11+, and the only reason we’ve gotten this far is because we hired private tutors. Academically, I sometimes think it might be worth considering a state school and using the savings for private tutoring instead. However, when it comes to other aspects, I know G&L would provide more in terms of leadership training, critical thinking, and character development.

What is your child like already? Is there anything they excel in? I'm just thinking if you can match your childs personality and aptitudes to the right school it will help you make the best decision for now.

Is £300k worth it? 🤔 You'll never truely know, but with hindsight you'll have an idea.

You're in a wonderful position to be even contemplating these two schools in one of the most affluent areas in the country. It's like choosing between mitchelin star restaurants. 🌟 I'm sure having clever parents with plenty of love, care and wealth your child will prosper either way.

@MUMLOVEYAN plenty of middle class children in St M too, most if not all - to live nearby you’d have to be middle class. Why would only G&L kids be tutored and not St M’s?

I meant that if G&L students’ academic results are largely supported by private tutoring, it would essentially be like paying for education twice—both for the school fees and the tutoring. In that case, I’d prefer sending my daughter to St Marylebone for free and using the money saved to hire private tutors.

Know GL DCs and parents and recent last 3 years graduates and at university, found quite a few families spend on top of school fees for tutors too. Those that did well left at Sixth form for Westminster and Kings at Sixth form. So £300k, plus tutoring. Most of the families don’t mind this.
Drama and singing at high quality with those attending Stage Coach and Sylvia Young in the primary school years.
Good luck with your DC offers.

@HawaiiWake Thanks for sharing your insights! Aside from academics, do you have any thoughts on the overall character and personality of G&L students? Would you say most girls are confident, determined, mature, and well-behaved? How would you describe the typical G&L student?
Also, do you know if G&L has a strong art department? My DD has a talent for visual arts, so I’d love to hear more about the opportunities available. Thanks again!

Heard pastoral care steps in with bullying issues but the grades in tests etc are not given to parents so hence the level of tutoring. It really depends on year cohorts, some have more issue with EDs and MH compare to others. No typical GL type except they seem to prefer bilingual girls, just assuming it helps with ML GCSEs.

Tutoring is rife across London and all school types - 46% of all London pupils have had private tuition according to Sutton Trust, with tutoring most common amongst grammar school pupils: https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/tutoring-2023-the-new-landscape/

Another point you may not be aware of: it can be easier to get a private school place as an occasional place later on than in year 7. So if you choose Marylebone and it doesn’t work out, there will be an opening at a private school somewhere in year 8/9. Not necessarily at G&L of course. School populations are more fluid in London because there is more population movement and also school age population is declining.

There was another thread about how moving in Year 8/9 isn't that easy. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5292065-moving-from-state-to-private-in-year-8-sw-london

You can't compare the results as like for like, because one is academically selective and one not, so by its nature a selective school will have very bright children, meaning better results... Plus higher income families are more likely to be able to afford tutors on top.

You can't compare the results as like for like, because one is academically selective and one not

This. A more reasonable comparison would be the results of the top set at St Marylebone with G&L. Unfortunately, I don't know how you would get that data.

The reason that unis and London council are trying to offer these opportunities to state school students is that many or most private school students already have access to similar opportunities through their parents and old boy/girl networks. Having these programs is better than not having them, but it's not clear to me that the remedies have actually leveled the playing field yet.

Also, be aware that some of these opportunities give priority to disadvantaged state school students, e.g., eligible for FSM. I thought I saw a program which asked about whether the parents had university degrees.

I have a DD at G&L. Unfortunately I have no knowledge of your other school option so can’t compare.
The art dept is very strong and supportive. Practically all students get a 9 at GCSE so it ends up being a very popular choice. They also have art scholarships for those staying on to 6th form.
Pastoral support is good. I think though that any school (state or private) is down to luck with the pupils in your class and year.
For tutoring, I think any private school is going to have some tutoring going on. Is it worth the money? That’s the question no one can answer but you!

Thanks for sharing the information! Just out of curiosity, how many students receive Art Scholarships for Sixth Form? I saw on G&L's website that the school offers a 30% fee reduction to Art Scholars.

Yes, I totally agree!
Both schools have released their 2024 GCSE and A-Level results. Assuming that St Marylebone has 25% Band A students while G&L consists entirely of Band A students, a rough comparison of their Maths results shows that St Marylebone has performed quite well. This suggests that a bright and motivated student can still thrive there, and the school provides effective teaching and support for high achievers.