The Latymer School Admissions Guide
Overview of The Latymer School
The Latymer School is a prestigious grammar school located in the district of Edmonton in London dating back to 1624. This mixed state school ranks consistently amongst the top schools in the country and is consequently competitive, welcoming pupils of both sexes that have the aptitudes and competencies required to gain admission. The school’s reputation, according to an Ofsted inspection, is nothing less than outstanding.
There are six houses for each year group, each with a housemaster/housemistress. These houses compete each year for the Dormer Shield (1st place prize) and the Jones Cup (2nd place prize), perhaps in line with the school’s motto: Qui Patitur Vincit, “who endures wins.”
What You Should Know About The Latymer School
Pupils at Latymer consistently achieve excellent grades in their GCSEs and A-levels. 93% of pupils achieve A or B grades at A-levels, which is sufficient to gain entry to many universities in the Russell Group (85% on average do secure places). For example, Newcastle University generally requires ABB for most undergraduate programmes. Moreover, over three-quarters of pupils achieve A or A* grades, the latter being a requirement of Oxbridge. Around 20-25 pupils gain acceptance to Cambridge or Oxford every year.
Thus, boys and girls attending Latymer can be expected to lead a bright and successful academic career at some of the nation’s best universities as well as prestigious universities abroad. Some notable former pupils include footballer Arthur Sanders, Conservative MEP Syed Kamall, entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth, CBE, and many more in academia, politics, sport, and the arts.
How to Get into The Latymer School
The application process for parents and prospective pupils is rigorous and competitive. All parents must first submit an application form as well as a common application form (CAF) from the local authority (Enfield in the case of Latymer).
The most important criteria for successful applicants are academic performance and residence in the Inner Area. The Inner Area is loosely defined as the northeastern boroughs of London. Applicants from outside the school’s Inner Area may apply, but preference is largely skewed to applicants residing in the Inner Area.
Year 7 Secondary Transfer Application Process
All prospective applicants must complete the school’s Supplementary Information Form (SIF) on the school website between the months of June and July. Applicants will then be invited to sit a test. Test dates are in early September. The tests take place at Latymer at the beginning of the child’s Year 6 for admission to Year 7.
The tests themselves involve Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, and English. The maths and verbal reasoning test is combined and lasts an hour. The English test involves reading and writing and also lasts an hour. If the applicant ranks within the top 500 applicants for Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning, their English test is then considered in order to determine their eligibility for a place. Results of the test are made available in October.
The school aims to provide pupils with an academic formation and life experience that can benefit them personally and to empower them to positively affect societies. While it’s great to have pupils that have the right attitude, academic performance is the primary consideration for prospective applicants.
Sixth Form Entry Application Process
The Latymer School welcomes a large number of external applicants to its Sixth Form. There are 192 places for Year 11 and 230 for Years 12 and 13. Although the number of places is quite high, it’s still highly competitive with over 400 applicants each year and thus parents should endeavour to apply early and to attend an open evening, typically held in late October.
For pupils wishing to study maths or natural sciences, parents should apply early and complete their registration by mid-December. Pupils will be required to sit an examination in mid-January to demonstrate their aptitudes in their desired field of study. This test doesn’t require preparation if the pupil is already doing their GCSE.
For Sixth Form applicants, there are three stages to the application. Firstly, parents must fill out an application form. Then, a personal statement containing academic interests and extracurricular activities should be submitted. Lastly, the aforementioned test must be completed for pupils wishing to study maths or the natural sciences.
Should Any Child Apply?
Boys and girls aged 11-18 are able to apply to Latymer. Some exceptions may be made for prospective pupils outside of this range, but generally 11-18 is the desired age range.
It should be noted, however, that the most important criteria for admission is academic performance and residence in the Inner Area. Only the top 500 ranked applications are considered, and only the top 192 of these are offered places. With over 10 applications per place each year, only students that truly excel in their maths and verbal reasoning tests and demonstrate a capacity to learn will have a chance of being accepted.
There are some special criteria worth considering as well. For example, up to 20 pupils may be admitted under the Pupil Premium if they’re able to demonstrate that they’ve received free school meals at the time of registration. Furthermore, 20 more pupils showing Exceptional Musical Talent may also be admitted if they can demonstrate Grade 5 distinction or higher.
If your child needs help with preparing for The Latymer School exam, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us as we’re experts in helping children to pass the 11+.