I don’t post often, but I wanted to share our experience of supporting our son, who goes to a state primary, through the independent / 11+ grammar route in North London over the last year, in case it’s helpful to other families considering this path. I would have appreciated this post two years ago anyway?!
It’s obviously a privileged position to even be able to explore private schools. We have one child, which makes it just about manageable for us. But what surprised me most, and isn’t discussed as often, is how demanding, expensive and emotionally intense the process can be well before any offer is made! For context, our son attends a relatively gentrified, Ofsted Outstanding state primary in North London. In Years 5–6 he has been consistently assessed as “above expectations” across subjects. He’s bright and curious, though not a standout academic.
He used Atom Learning for nearly two years and had two tutors (maths and English) who came weekly in Year 5. Both tutors felt he was a reasonable candidate for the schools below; Latymer was mainly for experience/practice. In the run-up to exams, he generally scored Strong or Master on Atom islands and achieved around 105–110 on Atom SAS mocks (slightly above average — noting that Atom’s average reflects the cohort using the platform rather than all children nationally).
Costs (before fees)
- Atom Learning: ~£60–£70 per month plus extras like puzzles and creative comprehension downloads
- Tutors: £55–£65 per hour (per subject)
- Additional books
- Application fees: ~£180–£200 per school or for in-school mocks
This did affect how we spent elsewhere, though that was our choice, just laying out the costs.
So the grammar/ indie schools we applied to were as follows and our final outcomes:
Latymer Grammar School A very popular option locally, with a MASSIVE number of applicants for relatively few places. The assessments include written maths, English and VR, with a strong emphasis on speed, particularly in VR. We found that Atom alone was not sufficient preparation, and that the overall level required is extremely high. Our son’s mock results were around 60% in maths and 75% in English.
Assessment day (my son’s score): minus 4/10 Son intensely disliked this. Large numbers of children in big halls, which he found quite intimidating. Communication felt limited, and the experience was stressful for him. This may suit children who are very VERY academically strong and comfortable in highly pressured environments. For others, it’s worth thinking carefully about whether it’s the right fit. Our son didn’t get to the second stage.
Highgate School: Also highly competitive and very popular, with many applicants from paid primary prep schools drilled for entrance exams unlike state school kids. The assessment included written maths, English (comprehension and creative writing) and NVR, followed by interviews for shortlisted candidates.
Assessment day rating: 8/10. Well organised, with friendly staff and smaller groups, which felt more supportive.* *Challenging, but felt fair and well run. A positive experience overall, worth it as a 'stretch' option for my son. He was then asked back for an interview and activity day at second stage, which was also well run - he had fun soldering and doing team games. He wasn’t offered a final place however (I think 700 kids went for 80 places).
Forest School: A lengthy assessment day (around four hours) covering a wide range of skills: maths, comprehension, VR, NVR, written English, a collaborative task and an individual interview. Assessment day rating: 9/10 Long but warm and well structured. Breaks and group activities helped children manage the day. Overall this was* *academic, but with a clear emphasis on balance and rounded development. They do the interview on the day which suggests they are at least interested in the child, not just their results. He also applied for a drama scholarship and found both the initial assessment and the second stage assessment fun and engaging. In the end he didn’t get a drama scholarship but DID get offered a place which he is taking up! YAY!! About 400-500 kids went for I think around 120-140 places.
North Bridge House (Canonbury): A smaller intake and a noticeably calmer atmosphere. Says it's non selective, but assessment included Maths, English and NVR Quest exams plus a small group interview. Assessment day rating: 9/10. Friendly and reassuring, with a strong focus on pastoral care. A follow-up taster day helped our son feel comfortable in the environment. He was later invited back for a drama scholarship day. Overall, this felt like a good fit for a bright, motivated child who might benefit from a smaller, less pressurised setting. My son also applied for a drama scholarship and found the drama assessment fun. He didn’t get a drama scholarship but was offered a place but in the end we went for Forest.
So - would we do this differently? I asked my son if he would do it again BEFORE he got any offers and he said yes as he thought it had helped him overall as a person. We agreed however that we'd have skipped the grammar and probably have asked my son to apply to another indie however. North London indies are competitive but the Latymer/ grammar experience is off the scale and not in a good way.
However - both the 11+ and independent entrance routes increasingly seem designed for children who have been intensively prepared from a very young age. That isn’t the reality for many state-school families, even those in strong schools. I’ve also noticed that platforms like Atom are now suggesting short, regular practice from as early as Year 3 in preparation for 11+, which can start to feel like an arms race rather than a measured approach to learning. Latymer’s position is particularly complex. As a grammar school, its purpose is to offer academic opportunities regardless of background. While huge congratulations to the children who secure places — they’ve clearly worked very hard — it’s difficult not to question how accessible the process truly is for families without the means to invest heavily in preparation.
Lastly, as this was our first rodeo, we also didn't realise how hard as a family we would find it to set him doing a load of extra study - not just to always arrange and support it (weekends get restricted, fast), but the worry in case he'd done all this extra study and didn't get any indie or grammar offers, and whether this would affect his view on the benefits of working extra hard. The emotional toll is not small on anyone!! In the end his hard work paid off, but I didn’t sleep that well for about 6 months…
Hope this might be helpful to people about to plan for next year! :) Please share your experiences if any of this chimes...