One mother tells the story of her son’s voyage through Latymer. In Year 2, the day before the 7+ application deadline, he’d suddenly declared he wanted to come here. Yet the school still squeezed her in for a tour – and the warm attitude to late-comers was indicative of what was to come. ‘Latymer gives all pupils a chance to shine,’ she says. There’s certainly plenty of opportunity to become a star. Rowers have ready access to the Thames and a large boathouse; actors can tread the boards in a state-of-the-art theatre; and musicians play outdoor concerts in the new piazza, which has been freshly landscaped. Academic results are consistently excellent, too; and the school’s ‘Inspiring Minds’ bursaries provide support to roughly one in five students. ‘This initiative is most definitely my favourite thing about Latymer,’ says one student. ‘Having an amazing education and being able to socialise with people from all walks of life makes time at school something to enjoy.’ Latymer is undeniably intellectual and cosmopolitan, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of old-fashioned fun. After students recently staged the musical Legally Blonde, its famous ‘Bend and Snap’ dance found its way into the teachers’ pantomime; and even now, heroine Elle Wood’s great line – ‘Omigod, you guys!’– can still be heard ringing round the campus.
Location: King St, W6 9LR
Website: latymer-upper.org
Head: David Goodhew, MA, since 2012; previously Deputy Head of Durham School
Pupils: 1,250 day: 620 boys, 630 girls
Ages: 11–18
Term fees: £7,510
Oxbridge: 15%
Admission: School’s own exams and interview
Alumni: Hugh Grant, Lily Cole, Alan Rickman
Prep head: Andrea Rutterford
Prep Pupils: 174 day: 93 boys, 81 girls
Prep Ages: 7-11
Prep Term fees: £6,849
