Latymer’s story dates back 400 years to when founder Edward Latymer donated funds ‘to clothe and educate eight poore boies’ from Hammersmith. Sited on the banks of the River Thames in West London, it is one of the country’s leading co-educational, independent day schools. Visitors frequently refer to the ‘palpable buzz’ and energy they experience when they come on site and this vitality is one of the many characteristics of Latymer that makes studying and working here so stimulating. Latymer values and respects diversity; it is modern and forward-thinking; it promotes a global outlook and has a community of talented people who combine the highest academic achievement with excellence in the arts and sport.
Latymer Upper School has a proud tradition of widening access through its long-running bursary programme, which provides academically talented students with the opportunity to receive a first-class education. Today, we are delighted to offer bursary support to one in four pupils in the Upper School, with an average fee remission of 86%.
For entry into the Prep School, candidates sit the 7+ entrance exam. Those applying to the Upper School take the 11+ examination in December of Year 6, with successful applicants invited back for interview in January. Year 6 pupils moving up to Latymer Upper School are not required to sit the 11+ entrance exam. Entry to Sixth Form is based on a dedicated entrance exam in November of the year prior to admission, followed by an interview. Conditional offers are then made, subject to GCSE results. Further details about admissions and upcoming Open Days can be found on the School’s website.
Tuition fees per term (2025-2026). Upper School: £10,365; Prep School: £9,440 (fees include VAT).
Scholarships. 11+ entry: Music Scholarships of varying amounts are offered, together with music awards of free tuition on two instruments. Scholarships will only be offered to candidates who are successful in the School’s competitive entrance examination.
16+ entry: Scholarships for Music, Drama, Art and Sport. Candidates who have satisfied the academic requirements will be invited to interview and assessment in December of the year preceding entry.
Curriculum. In 2027, a new Middle School curriculum will be introduced; students will study Mathematics and English Language GCSE, plus Latymer Upper School-designed GCSE replacement courses covering the Sciences, Arts, Humanities and Languages. There will also be short courses in a range of subjects including AI, Entrepreneurship, Information Literacy and Climate Change. A full range of academic subjects is also offered at A level. Languages include Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, French, German and Ancient Greek. Science is taught as separate subjects from Year 7. Form sizes in the Prep and Lower School sit at around 22 students. The World Perspectives Course, now UCAS accredited, comprises elements of Geography, History, RS, Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and is enjoyed by Years 10 and 11. Also running in Years 10 and 11 is a new Interdisciplinary Perspectives course assessed through Higher Project Qualifications. Students learn about and implement problem classification, systems thinking, system mapping and design thinking in order to create non-linear solutions to complex problems. Year 9 students take our Global Goals sustainable development course.
The Prep School offers a broad and ambitious curriculum covering all main subject areas and is taught by specialist teachers. Habits of learning, such as persistence, questioning and posing problems, and listening with understanding and empathy, support building independent, creative and resilient learners, preparing them for a seamless transition into Upper School.
University destinations include leading institutions worldwide, such as Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Imperial and other Russell Group universities, as well as renowned institutions for Music and Art. Many Latymerians complete their higher education overseas, with nearly a fifth of the cohort in recent years enrolling at international universities. This includes highly selective and leading universities in the US, Canada and Europe. Popular international destinations include Bocconi, UChicago, Duke, Dartmouth, Georgetown, IE and UPenn.
Pastoral care. The School takes pastoral care very seriously. Each student has a tutor, and tutor groups are small, allowing individual care and attention. Tutors see their pupils frequently, monitor their academic progress and help them with day-to-day issues. Form Tutors deliver a coherent PSHE programme which promotes involvement in the community, charity work and students’ personal, social and academic development. Tutors are supported by experienced Heads of Year and Assistant Heads of Year, who have significant pastoral expertise. Tutors are the first port of call for parents’ and students’ concerns. Three Heads of Division (Lower School, Middle School and Sixth Form) support the Deputy Head (Pastoral). Our Pupil Welfare Officer and Safeguarding Officer, both of whom are non-teaching staff with expertise in supporting individuals and families, complete the pastoral team. Additionally, many specialists also support the teaching staff in caring for our students, including a team of three counsellors, two registered nurses in the Medical Centre, a Chaplain and the Head of Wellbeing and PSHE.
Much of this is echoed in the Prep, which also has access to the on-site counsellors and nurses. The Prep provides a caring, happy and safe environment, promoting high-quality personal development alongside independent learning. While Form tutors have primary pastoral responsibility – in terms of pupils’ academic and social life at the school – wellbeing is a whole-school responsibility. PSHE and RSE are taught by specially trained teachers.
The Academic Mentoring Department (AMD) is integral to the academic and pastoral structures at both Latymer Upper and Prep School. With a deep understanding of current thinking on neurodiversity and growth mindset, the AMD team embraces a creative approach to teaching and learning. Using assistive technology, AMD support enhances the academic work of students across age ranges, providing an education that will enable all our students to achieve the highest academic standards while simultaneously maintaining excellent mental health. There is also an effective prefect and peer mentor system where more senior students provide advice and a listening ear for their younger contemporaries, as well as demonstrating leadership across the School community.
Music and Drama. Performing arts play a large part in the life of the School. The Latymer Arts Centre houses music practice rooms and a 191-seat theatre in addition to increased facilities for Art. The Latymer Performing Arts Centre houses a 100-seat recital hall, Music classrooms, and a Dance/Drama studio. The installation of a 5-metre drop screen, laser projector and surround-sound system in the Recital Hall enables the space to transform into a cinema. This supports the School’s courses and competitions in film-making and history of film. Students in both the Prep and Upper schools enjoy these spaces.
Across the Prep and Upper School there are several orchestras and bands and concerts each term, both in school and Central London venues. There are several drama productions each year and opportunities for all pupils to perform. The School also has its own recording studios.
Sport. The emphasis is on opportunity, engagement and excellence with pathways for those competing at county, regional, national and international level. The School maintains an excellent fixture card for all major sports with teams enjoying great success in football, hockey, netball, rugby, rowing (with extensive use of the Tideway), as well as fencing, cricket and tennis. Athletics, badminton, basketball, climbing, dance, swimming and water polo, table tennis and yoga are also available either competitively or as recreational clubs.
The major sports played at the Prep School are football, rugby, cricket, athletics, hockey and netball, in addition to various PE activities such as basketball, badminton and gymnastics. Sport is fully co-educational with all pupils participating in team games. Each year the whole school participates in the Bandstand Cup cross-country race. There is also a thriving competitive swimming club.
The Sports Centre – opened by Sir Steve Redgrave in 2017 – features outstanding facilities including a six-lane, 25-metre pool with an adjustable floor, a large sports hall, fitness suite, climbing wall and three studios, all providing indoor sporting activities and fitness training throughout the year.
The School has netball courts and an on-site Boat House with direct river access and a large pontoon installed in 2021. Our new 32-acre sports ground is an incredible facility and will provide world-class sports provision for generations of Latymerians to come.
Additional facilities. A state-of-the-art building houses three floors of Science laboratories. The spacious library on the ground floor is popular with all year groups and is overseen by a dynamic and multi-award-winning Librarian. The Prep School Librarian is a published author.
Sixth Form. In the large co-educational Sixth Form, all students will follow the core curriculum, the majority studying three A levels from a choice of 25 – the academic requirement that universities expect – with the option to take a fourth. In addition, we help prepare students for university with a 10-week course on Research Skills and different types and theories of knowledge. All students take Games once a week, undertake at least a term of Service in the Community and complete a series of Life Skills units. Students also have the opportunity to take exciting elective courses, giving breadth to their studies beyond core subjects. We are especially keen for students to pursue the Extended Project Qualification or the slightly shorter Latymer Research Report, and to take a selection of the non-examined Latymer Designed Courses which are a distinctive, enriching component of our Sixth Form provision.
Extracurricular activities. There are roughly 150 clubs and societies for pupils to enjoy at lunchtime and after school. From chess to dance, aerospace to cryptic crosswords, life-drawing to water polo, each student is encouraged to try new activities, be it for a term or longer. For some, these become lifelong passions. All pupils are encouraged to join at least two clubs and societies.
Every Upper School pupil has a choice of residential experiences and outdoor pursuits as part of the annual Activities Week. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme flourishes. The Prep runs residential courses and an annual overseas trip to support learning in Spanish.
Our Parents’ Guild is an integral part of the School community and its fundraising ensures no child is excluded from any activity for financial reasons. Volunteers organise social events throughout the year which strengthen bonds with the school and create a supportive social network for parents.
Community partnerships. Community service is an important part of a Latymer education, helping students recognise their wider social responsibilities. The School partners with 250 local schools, charities and community organisations to deliver a variety of projects. These partnerships, including with local schools, help more than 4.000 young people each year.
Latymer students embody a strong community spirit, volunteering over 5,000 hours of their time annually. This includes approximately 200 Year 12 students who undertake Service in the Community, offering their time to support local initiatives in education, sports and tackling homelessness. Years 9–13 student volunteers help deliver core programmes to primary and secondary students from partner state schools, while the Prep School has partnered with a local primary on the Green Car environmental project. Latymer also works with the West London Partnership, a community of 10 secondary schools which share resources and knowledge. Students support international organisations, such as education partners in Uganda, developing experience as global citizens.
Alumni. Upon graduation, Latymerians join a successful global network of nearly 6,000 alumni. This lifelong relationship with the School provides career opportunities, mentoring, an exclusive alumni networking platform, regular news updates and a popular programme of events. The Alumni team is part of the Foundation Office based within the School.
Charitable status. The Latymer Foundation is a Registered Charity, number 312714. It exists to provide a first-class education to academically able students from all walks of life.
Governors & Staff:
Chairman of Governors: Kieran Murphy
Co-opted Governors:
Zafar Ahmadullah
David Benson
Mark Brewer
Pauline Campbell
Chantal Free
Lesley French
Jamie Grant
Robert Lewis
Hadi Moussa
Caroline Ng
G David Price
Charlie Wijeratna
Leanne Wood
Clerk to the Governors: Lucinda Evans
Head: Susan Wijeratna, BA
Senior Deputy Head: Ian Emerson, MA, Bsc
Deputy Heads:
Lucy Cole, BSc, MA Ed (Co-curricular and Operations)
Hugh Stephens, BSc, MA, MBA (Academic)
Amy Sellars, BSc (Pastoral)
Assistant Heads:
Sam Adams, BA, MA (Sixth Form)
Charles Ben-Nathan, BA, MBA (Director of Studies)
Rachel Marley, BSc (Middle School)
Yuvraj Nirwal, BSc, MA (Director of Teaching and Learning)
Katie Temple, BA (Lower School)
Prep School Principal: Andrea Rutterford, BEd Hons, Dip SpLD
Prep School Deputy Principal: Victoria Penney, BEd
Director of Studies: Charlotte Hurst, BA, MA
Heads of Year:
Year 7: Catherine Lewis, BA
Year 8: George Tidey, BA
Year 9: Debbie Kendall, BA
Year 10:Kat Burns, BA
Year 11: Megan Ronald, BSc
Lower Sixth: Marc Stewart, MSt
Upper Sixth: Andrew Copeman, BA, MSc
Heads of Departments:
Academic Mentoring: Nina Devereux, LLB Dip.Level 7 SpLD PATOSS
Art and Design: Leslie Farago, BA
Biology: Elizabeth Hansford, BSc, MSc
Chemistry: Ed Forbes, MChem
Classics: Marcel Lewis, BA
Computing: Aidan Brophy, BSC
Design: Elizabeth Green, BA
Drama: Kerry Robinson, BA
Economics & Politics: William Wearden, BA
English: Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, MA, MSt
Extended Project: Andrea Barlien, BA
Geography: Alex Shackleton, BSc
Global Education: Matthew Clark, BA, MPhil, PhD
History: Jonathan White, MA
History of Art: Ruth Taylor-Bell, BA, PGDip
Mathematics: Patrick MacMahon, MA, MSc
Modern Languages: Cameron Palmer, BA, MA
Music: Tony Henwood, MA, ARCO, FRSA
Physical Education and Games: Natalie Maclean, BSc, MA
Physics: Alex Birchmore, MSci
PSHE and Wellbeing: Charlotte Jennings, BA
Religion & Philosophy: Elizabeth Dunleavy, BA