Private London secondary schools tips and admissions

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Admission criteria to private London secondary schools (Sixth Form).

In this page, you will find all the information you need about the admission criteria for private secondary schools in London. Most importantly, this page focuses on private independent senior schools and their Admission criteria, for your child or for yourself.

Firstly, below you will find specific information on admission criteria to Private Secondary Schools and their subsequent Admission pages.

Independent/private schools are spread out over London. These schools are fee-paying. Private schools are run by governors and independent of many regulations that apply to state schools. Subsequently, the biggest of these regulations that they are independent of is the National Curriculum.

Independent Secondary Schools (across London)

London is not only the capital of the United Kingdom but also probably seen as an educational hub for UK students and students from all over the world. Many aspire to get into some of the best universities in the world from here and find that private school education is the best way to prepare for their academic future.

Private secondary schools subsequently cater for children between 11 / 13 to 16 and often has a Sixth Form within the school for children 16-18. Many of these private schools are members of the Independent Schools Council (ISC). This is a non-profit organisation representing about 80% independent schools in the UK (in 2011).

Independent schools that belong to the ISC are also inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) according to a framework agreed upon between the various assessment bodies including the DfE and Ofsted.

Private London secondary schools

The best way to search for school options is to have a look at the schools in the area and work from there. You can then find the Website and Admissions pages for these schools on this page and the link below.

Private Secondary School Websites (London)

As each private school manages its own admission procedures, these vary greatly. Most private schools are however academically selective and even those that aren’t, require an interview to see whether your child would fit into their particular school environment.

For academically selective schools various forms of assessment can be used either at 11+ or 13+. These may include Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-verbal Reasoning and exams on various other subjects.

Deciding on the right private secondary school for your child is a very important decision. Choosing the best school for your child is not only important for their happiness, but also for their further education.

Private Secondary Schools by London Borough

There are 32 boroughs in the 33 local authority districts in Greater London. The 33rd is the City of London, not technically a borough. These 32 boroughs are as follow:

City of London (not a London borough, but local authority district)
City of Westminster
Kensington and Chelsea
Hammersmith and Fulham
Wandsworth
Lambeth
Southwark
Tower Hamlets
Hackney
Islington
Camden
Brent
Ealing
Hounslow
Richmond upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Merton
Sutton
Croydon
Bromley
Lewisham
Greenwich
Bexley
Havering
Barking and Dagenham
Redbridge
Newham
Waltham Forest
Haringey
Enfield
Barnet
Harrow
Hillingdon

Clicking on the name of the school will take you directly to the Admission page of the relevant school. This will, therefore, allow you to review the relevant Admissions procedures for each school. See what entrance tests they use and through this, we are confident that you will be able to choose the best independent secondary school in London for you or your child.

Because every school is different it will be very beneficial to visit each private secondary school of interest to you or your child. Therefore, keep an eye out for schools’ open days and have a look at our blog School Open Days for guidelines on what to expect.

Private London Secondary Schools

Independent Secondary Schools (across London)

Private London secondary schools

Private Secondary Schools by London Borough

A – E of Private London Secondary Schools

F – K of Private London Secondary Schools

L – R of Private London Secondary Schools

S – Z of Private London Secondary Schools

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