Loading...School Entrance Tests’ top London secondary schools and top London Prep schools include the relevant practice tests for 2023 entry. The Sunday Times‘s private school league tables make a fascinating read for anyone looking for the top independent schools in the UK.
ISC listed Independent schools in Greater London
Looking for the best London prep schools for your child? Wondering whether any top prep schools are near where you live in London?
Here’s our popular Passed Papers You Tube channel.
First thing you need to know is your local London catchment area? And then establish which prep schools are within that catchment area.
Here are the independent London schools listed by London Borough. Please note this independent London school search focuses on the Independent School COuncil’s registered independent schools.
- City of London
- Westminster
- Barking and Dagenham
- Barnet
- Bexley
- Brent
- Bromley
- Camden
- Croydon
- Ealing
- Enfield
- Greenwich
- Hackney
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Haringey
- Harrow
- Havering
- Hillingdon
- Hounslow
- Islington
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Kingston upon Thames
- Lambeth
- Lewisham
- Merton
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Richmond upon Thames
- Southwark
- Sutton
- Tower Hamlets
- Waltham Forest
- Wandsworth
Plus, other ISEB, CEM pre-tests can be searched above.
Our Private Secondary Schools Intro
These schools 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).
As each private school manages their own admission procedures, these vary greatly. Most private schools are however academically selective and even those that don’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. The best would be to check the Admissions page of your preferred schools.
11+ English Sample Paper A (Highgate School)
English Sample Paper B (Highgate School)
11+ Maths (Highgate School 2013)
Maths Sample Paper A (Highgate School)
11+ Maths Sample Paper B (Highgate School)
How do I interpret 2022 prep school league tables for London?
The London prep school league table rankings are based on the latest exam results.
Where are the top 2022 London prep schools?
The Guardian, The Times and The Telegraph websites allow you to add filters to their published league tables. You can pull out those schools for which you are in the catchment area. Then compare your chosen school group on those criteria which are most important to you.
Private London Schools
Prep schools emerged in the early 19th century as boarding schools to prepare boys for leading Public Schools. In its modern form prep schools can be for boys, girls, co-education, boarding, day schools or any combination of those.
Generally, prep schools fall into these categories:
- Firstly, completely independent prep schools, both charitable and ownership
- Secondly, junior schools connected to senior schools
- Thirdly, choir schools, which educate child singers of cathedrals and some other large religious institutions; they all accept non-chorister pupils with the exception of Westminster Abbey Choir School;
- Schools offering special educational provision or facilities
- Schools with particular religious affiliations
As each private school also manages their own admission procedures, these vary greatly. Most private schools are however academically selective and administer some kind of assessment. The ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) inspects most of these prep schools. Ofsted subsequently oversees this.
Consequently for children, up to 7, a prep school would usually ‘assess’ prospective students through an interview and a taster day at the school. There are however schools the make use of 7+ formal assessments.
Check latest 2022 London Ofsted Reports for your top choice prep schools
What are Ofsted reports?
- Well firstly these are something that you must check for each indepdnet school of interest.
- Each Ofsted report is an analysis of that school’s teachers’ professional competence
- Plus, how well performance standards have been met across the independent school. There are three possible outcomes: under-achieving; achieving; or outstanding.
Recommended 13+ practice papers for the common entrance exam.
A – G London Prep Schools
Abercorn School
Aberdour School
Abingdon House School
ACS Cobham International School
ACSEgham International School
ACS Hillingdon International School
Aldro School
Alleyn’s Junior School
Alpha Prep School
Arnold House School
Avenue House School
Avon House School
Bancroft’s School
Barrow Hills School
Beehive Preparatory School
Bishopsgate School
Blackheath High School GDST
Blackheath Preparatory School
Broomfield House School
Broomwood Hall School
Buckingham Preparatory School
Bute House Preparatory School for Girls
Buxlow Preparatory School
Cameron House School
Caterham Preparatory School
Channing School
Chinthurst School
City of London Freemen’s School
Cty of London School For Girls
Claremont Fan Court School
Coworth Flexlands School
Cranmore School
Croydon High School GDST
Cumnor House School
Danes Hill School
Devonshire House Preparatory School
Dolphin School (inc Noahs Ark Nursery Schools)
Donhead School
Dulwich Prep London School
Durston House School
Eaton House The Manor School and Eaton Square School
Elmhurst School For Boys
Essendene Lodge School
Ewell Castle School
Fairley House School
Finton House School
Francis Holland School, Sloane Square
Frensham Heights School
Gidea Park College
Glendower Prep School
Grange Park Preparatory School
Greenfield School
Guildford High School for Girls
London Prep Schools H – R
Hall Grove School and Hall School
Halstead Preparatory School for Girls
Hampton Court House School and Hampton Pre-Prep & Prep School
Harvington Prep School
Hawkesdown House
HawleyHurst School
Heath House Preparatory School
Hereward House School
Highgate School
Hoe Bridge School
Holy Cross Preparatory School
Homefield Preparatory School
Hornsby House School
Hurlingham School
Hyde Park School (busy transitioning to Eaton Square)
Ibstock Place School
Immanuel School
James Allen’s Girls’ School
Keble School
Kensington Prep School GDST
Kew College
King’s College Junior School and King’s House School
Kingswood House
Knightsbridge School
Laleham Lea School
Lanesborough School
Latymer Prep School
Lingfield School
London Christian School
Longacre School
Lyndhurst House School
Merton Court Preparatory School
Moon Hall School,Dorking and Moon Hall School, Reigate
More House School Farnham
Newland House School
Newton Prep School
Northcote Lodge
Northwood College GDST
Notre Dame Prep School
Notting Hill and Ealing High School GDST and Notting Hill Preparatory School
Old Palace of John Whitgift School and Old Vicarage School
Oliver House School
Orchard House School
Palmers Green High School
Park Hill School and Park School for Girls
Parkside School
Pembridge Hall School
Portland Place School
Prospect House School
Putney High School
Quainton Hall School
Queen’s College London
Queen’s Gate School
Raphael Independent School
Ravenscourt Park Preparatory School
Reigate St Mary’s Preparatory and Choir School
Ripley Court School
Riverston School
Rokeby School
Rosemary Works School
Rowan Preparatory School
Royal Russell School
Prep Schools (S)
Sarum Hall School
Seaton House School
Shrewsbury House School
Sinclair House School
Snaresbrook Preparatory School
South Hampstead High School GDST
St Andrews (Woking) School Trust
Saint Anthony’s School for boys
St Aubyn’s School
St Benedict’s School
Saint Catherine’s School, Twickenham
St Christopher’s School – Hampstead
Saint Christopher’s School – Wembley
Saint Dunstan’s College and Saint Edmund’s School
St George’s Junior School
St Helen’s School
St Ives School
Saint James Junior School
Saint Joseph’s Convent Independent Primary School
St Margaret’s School, Hampstead
Saint Martin’s School
St Nicholas School
Saint Olave’s Preparatory School
St Paul’s Cathedral School
Saint Paul’s School
St Teresa’s Prep School Effingham
Streatham & Clapham High School GDST
Surbiton High School
Sutton High School GDST
T London Prep Schools
TASIS England
The Falcons School for Girls
King Alfred School
The Lady Eleanor Holles School
Lyceum School
The Mall School
Pointer School
The Royal School, Haslemere
Swaminarayan School
Tormead School
Tower House School
Trevor-Roberts School
U – Z London Prep Schools
University College School Junior Branch
Ursuline Preparatory School
Vita et Pax Preparatory School
Wandsworth Preparatory School
Westminster Abbey Choir School and Westminster Cathedral Choir School
Westward School
Wetherby Preparatory School
White House Preparatory School
Wimbledon Common Preparatory School and Wimbledon High School GDST
Woodford Green Prep School
Prep school league tables – Best prep schools in UK – top prep schools in uk
Prep school league tables – Best prep schools in UK – top prep schools in uk
Top of the London Schools Tables 2021
St Paul’s Girls’ School has topped the Sunday Times independent school rankings for nine years straight.
Similarly, Barnet’s highly selective boys’ grammar Queen Elizabeth’s topped the state secondary school rankings. It has been at the top for 5/7 years, with an average 98.8% A-level pass rate of at grades A*-B.
Such single-sex schools provide parents with an alternative – given that most UK schools are co-educational. This year the Sunday TImes also awarded:
- Boys’ grammar Wilson’s School, based in Wallington (South London) the award of London State Secondary School of the Decade.
- The Sunday Times’ London Independent School of the Decade award went to the co-educational, north London Highgate School.
Over the last three years, London’s Academy of Excellence Tottenham (Sunday Times’ Sixth Form College of the Year) has gone from strength to strength.
top London secondary schools 2022 and top London Prep Schools 2022
London Independent Secondary School of the Decade 2021
…is Highgate School:
- Highgate raises money for hardship funds and laptops for schools that can’t afford them.
- Few independent schools can match Highgate’s efforts by staff and former students to promote social mobility through education.
- Eighty of Highgate’s teachers contribute to its Chrysalis programme, introduced in 2008. Last year alone, they gave timetabled classes and ran events in 51 participating schools for more than 3,500 children.
Top state secondary schools in London
- Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet
- Wilson’s School, Wallington
- The Henrietta Barnett School, Hampstead
- The Tiffin Girls’ School, Kingston upon Thames
- St Olave’s Grammar School, Orpington
- Tiffin School
- Sutton Grammar School
- Nonsuch High School for Girls, Cheam
- The Latymer School, Edmonton
- St Michael’s RC Grammar School, Finchley
- Newstead Wood School, Orpington
- Wallington County Grammar School
- Wallington High School for Girls
- Woodford County High School
- Camden School for Girls
Top London secondary schools 2022 and top London Prep Schools 2022
16. JCoSS (Jewish Community Secondary School)
17. Townley Grammar School, Bexleyheath
18. JFS, Harrow
19. Twyford C of E High School, Acton
20. Hasmonean High School for Boys, Hendon
21. Ilford County High School
22. The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School
23. Waldegrave School, Twickenham
24. Hasmonean High School for Girls, Mill Hill
25. Bexley Grammar School, Welling
26. The Charter School, Herne Hill
27. The St Marylebone C of E School
28. The London Oratory School, Fulham
29.Fortismere School, Muswell Hill
30. Alexandra Park School, Haringey
Prep school league tables – Best prep schools in UK – top prep schools in uk
Top independent secondary schools in London
- St Paul’s Girls’ School, Hammersmith
- The Godolphin and Latymer School, Hammersmith
- King’s College School, Wimbledon
- St Paul’s School, Barnes
- Westminster School
- City of London School
- North London Collegiate, Edgware
- Hampton School
- University College School, Hampstead
- City of London School For Girls, Barbican
- Highgate School
- South Hampstead High School GDST
- Latymer Upper School, Hammersmith
- James Allen’s Girls’ School, Dulwich
- Eltham College, Mottingham
- Lady Eleanor Holles School, Hampton
- Wimbledon High School GDST
- Whitgift School, South Croydon
Top London secondary schools 2022 and top London Prep Schools 2022
19. Channing School, Highgate
20. Putney High School GDST
21. Alleyn’s School, Dulwich
22. Trinity School, Croydon
23. Notting Hill and Ealing High School GDST
24. Dulwich College
25. Bancroft’s School, Woodford Green
26. Kingston Grammar School
27. Sydenham High School GDST
28. Ibstock Place School, Roehampton
29. Surbiton High School, Kingston upon Thames
30. Hampton Court House, East Molesey
Here, the education system is primarily based on providing education to one group of single-gender at one time. Boys schools and girls schools are quite evident here and if your child is a boy, then there is a 99% chance that he will be going to an all-boys school only.
Below is a list of some of the best primary schools (private) in London:
North London Collegiate school:
First, we have the North London Collegiate school which was established in 1850 and is still one of the best performing schools in England. Some of the greatest minds in the country attended this school. Being located in Harrow, UK, it gets students from all around the country and is considered as an education-focused institution, which commits to building students from the ground to successful human beings. This is a girl school and most girls in harrow have either some connection with this school or studied there.
London’s King’s College School:
The second one on our list is King’s College School which is world-renowned and is located in Wimbledon. Post its foundation in the year 1829, it declared itself as an independent school that will not be involved with any foreign governance. The school offers a brilliant faculty with a peaceful environment that is ideal for educating children and building a strong foundation. The school has been there teaching students for a considerable period of time, so if someone is planning to admit their child to one of the finest schools in England, then this might just get the job done.
top London secondary schools and top London Prep Schools
City of London school for girls:
By the name, one will be able to understand that this school has been built for taking in guys primarily. The school is one of the finest independent schools in the UK and has been there for more than 50 years. It was founded in 1894 by William Ward and is being funded by the City’s cash. The school was primarily a part of Freeman’s School in London but later established itself as a separate entity. With free registration, the school offers the contemporary version of the syllabus that will equip children with the highest amount of knowledge and offers behavioral programs well to make the students disciplined.
South Hamstead high school:
In the North-Western part of England lies the South Hamstead school, which is one of the best independent bodies out there for acquiring top-class education. The school is developed by the Girl’s Day School Trust and is operating under the leadership of Victoria Bingham. It houses more than 900 students and has the facility for focusing on all the individual needs of the children. The staff of this school understand the importance of education and tries to keep a learning atmosphere all around the campus.
top London secondary schools and top London Prep Schools 2022
Other top private school exams 2022 entry
- Firstly, our Private School Scholarship Exams 11+ and 13+.
- Secondly, School Entrance Tests‘ guide to the Most Prestigious Private Schools.
- Then next, St Mary’s scholarship exams and Westminster Scholarship exam practice.
- And our features on How much is prep school? and How to arrange an independent school bursary.
- Plus also Eton exam practice and How much are Eton College fees?
- And then finally, our getting an Eton College scholarship.