The Latymer School

The Latymer School is a selective, mixed grammar school in Edmonton, London, England.

Examination procedures

Approximately 186 pupils are admitted to Year 7 (aged 11 or 12) annually. Places are awarded on the basis of competitive examination, though 20 are reserved for pupils with exceptional musical talent. The examinations taken by prospective pupils cover non-verbal reasoning, verbal reasoning and numeracy. Pupils who are looked after and score within the top 350 are given priority. Candidates must live within one hour of the school by public transport. Around 60-70 pupils join the sixth form in Year 12 (aged 16 or 17) per year, mixing with Latymer pupils who have made the transition from Year 11. External applicants to the sixth form sit entrance examinations and generally require 6 A grades at GCSE (or equivalent) level.

History and traditions

Latymer was established in 1624 on Church Street, Edmonton by bequest of Edward Latymer, a London City merchant in Hammersmith. Although most of his wealth passed to the people of Hammersmith and the Parish of St Dunstan's (now Latymer Upper School), he named certain properties and estates to fund the education and livelihoods of "eight poore boies of Edmonton" with a doublet, a pair of breeches, a shirt, a pair of woolen stockings and shoes distributed biannually on Ascension Day and All Saints' Day. Pupils were educated in "God's true religion" and reading English to the age of thirteen at existing petty schools. The boys had to wear the red Latymer cross on their sleeves and were under a duty to carry out the provisions of his will "unto the end of the world".