The 5 Best Private Schools in London That Every Parent Should Check out
Finding the best private school in London is less about grand buildings and more about matching the culture to your child.
I walked out of my third school tour this year with a stack of glossy brochures and a mild headache. Every prospectus promises the earth.
That’s why I put this list together. I checked academic results and pastoral care across the capital so you can skip the endless open days.
Use the shortlist below to see which school feels right for your family.
How much does a private school cost in London?
A private school in London costs £15,000 to £42,000 a year for day pupils. Boarding places run £45,000 to £65,000+ a year.
| Option | Typical price |
| Prep and primary (ages 4 to 11) day fees | £15,000 – £25,000 per year |
| Senior school (ages 11 to 16) day fees | £22,000 – £38,000 per year |
| Sixth form (ages 16 to 18) day fees | £25,000 – £42,000 per year |
| Boarding options (where available) | £45,000 – £65,000+ per year |
1. Queen’s Gate School
Website: https://www.queensgate.org.uk/
Address: 131–133 Queen’s Gate, SW7 5LE (Senior School) | 125–126 Queen’s Gate, SW7 5LJ (Junior School)
Contact: 020 7589 3587 (Senior School) | 020 7761 0303 (Junior School)
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Queen’s Gate School sits in South Kensington, and the location surrounds pupils with the capital’s cultural heartland. This makes learning feel relevant rather than abstract.
They offer a day education for girls aged four to eighteen.
Their approach to technical subjects stands out. Many of their girls go on to study mechanical engineering or computer science at leading universities.
A parent whose daughter attends praised the focused teaching that helped secure straight 8s and 9s at the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).
That success shows in the numbers too, since the school ranks in the top 1.5% nationally for value added. This reflects how well they lift a student’s starting ability.
However, the commute can be frustrating if you live far out in West London.
2. Eaton House The Manor School
Website: https://www.eatonhouseschools.com/
Address: 58 Clapham Common North Side, SW4 9RU
Contact: 020 7924 6000 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Eaton House The Manor School gives young children a single campus across a 1.5-acre site in Clapham.
A co-educational nursery feeds into separate boys’ and girls’ schools up to age thirteen. Finding excellent preschools in London is hard enough, so a nursery that feeds straight into primary here is a big relief.
Classes then stay small for boys, with around 18 to 20 pupils per form teacher.
On top of this, subject specialists take over the core curriculum by Year 6.
I appreciate that the girls’ programme gives STEM subjects and active sports as much weight as the boys’ side does.
The catch is that children follow separate single-sex structures, so siblings won’t share classrooms. It’s also quite a trek for families living in North London.
3. Westminster School
Website: https://www.westminster.org.uk/
Address: 17 Dean’s Yard, SW1P 3PF
Contact: 020 7963 1000 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday–Friday, approximately 7:30 AM–9:00 PM | Saturday, approximately 7:30 AM–1:50 PM
Westminster School offers pupils aged thirteen to eighteen a mature, collegiate atmosphere right next to the Houses of Parliament. That puts them at the centre of the city’s political and cultural life.
The academic week looks different from a standard state school. The timetable sets aside two full afternoons for dedicated sport alongside intensive academic periods. The school calls this time Station.
Students attend services in Westminster Abbey three mornings a week, and Saturday schooling is part of the normal timetable.
However, those regular Saturday lessons cut heavily into free weekend time. The demanding schedule can also make daily travel exhausting from the outer edges of the city, so boarding might be necessary for some.
4. City of London School
Website: https://www.cityoflondonschool.org.uk/
Address: 107 Queen Victoria Street, EC4V 3AL
Contact: 020 3680 6300 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
City of London School’s riverside campus gives pupils an energetic base in the middle of the capital.
They balance intense academics with a big competitive sports programme for boys aged ten to eighteen. They run over 500 fixtures a year across football and water polo.
Plus, elite athletes get access to sports physiotherapists and performance analysis technology.
A colleague’s son plays on their tennis team, and the coaching he gets rivals professional youth clubs.
With such a packed schedule, it can help to add tutoring services in London to keep core academics on track.
That said, the main campus may lack some sports amenities. Some sports require travel to external facilities as a result.
5. Dulwich College
Website: https://www.dulwich.org.uk/senior-school
Address: Dulwich Common, SE21 7LD
Contact: 020 8693 3601
Hours: Reception: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:30 PM
Dulwich College offers day and boarding education that puts personal development alongside academics. Across the Senior School, every pupil receives around 100 hours of emotional literacy and career planning.
The curriculum is broad too, covering everything from computer science to classics.
A compassionate pastoral care framework backs it up and supports students’ mental health, which fits the school’s focus on emotional literacy.
That said, only the early years Dulwich College Kindergarten and Infants School (DUCKS) programme accepts both genders. The junior and senior levels are for boys only, which won’t suit families who want a co-educational environment.
And reception is closed at weekends, which can frustrate parents trying to reach staff.