A common point made in the many, many Heads’ speeches that Sabine and I have witnessed over the years is that we, as adults, have no idea what jobs today’s teenagers will be doing in the future. Such is the pace of change in the 21st century’s rapidly evolving careers market. With this sobering thought in mind, parents are increasingly looking for an education for their children that has both academic breadth and encourages critical thinking and the acquisition of leadership skills. The IB is touted, by many, as a much better option for achieving these aims than the traditional A Level and we are seeing more interest from clients in an IB education than every before.
If you live in, or are moving to the capital, there is choice, but it is not overwhelming. To help those interested, we have put together a list of the best options below.
The Cream of the Crop
The King’s School Wimbledon, North London Collegiate and Godolphin & Latymer are three of the highest performing schools in the country and regularly average IB scores in the 40s, as well as having stellar A Level results. Entrance is extremely competitive, and children need to be able to thrive in a pressurised environment.
The King’s School Wimbledon (Boys until sixth form)
IB Score 2024 (41)
Entrance points: 7+, 8+, 11+, 16+
North London Collegiate (Girls)
IB Score 2024 (41)
Entrance points: 4+, 7+, 8+, 11+, 16+
Godolphin & Latymer (Girls)
IB Score 2024 (39)
Entrance points: 11+, 16+
The Next Best Option
Whitgift may not be quite in the super league of the schools above, but it still offers a very strong academic and extracurricular programme, on a site with excellent facilities. Whitgift also offers A Levels.
Whitgift (Boys)
IB Score 2024 (37)
Entrance points: 11+, 16+
The French Schools
Ecole Jeannine Manuel, in Bloomsbury, is a relatively new bilingual school and takes children from 3-18 years. The school is the sister school to its namesake, a Parisian institution which is the top ranked secondary school in France, the L’ecole Jeannine Manuel in Paris. L’ecole Jeannine Manuel opened in September 2017 and offers a choice of the international French Baccalaureate and the IB. It is different from other French and international schools as they use the French curriculum in French and Maths and then the best of all systems for the remaining subjects.
Ecole Jeannine Manuel (Co-ed)
IB Score 2024 (38)
Entrance points: Children are enrolled throughout the year, in any year group. Runs from 2-18.
The International Offerings
Marymount and Southbank International are the top international schools offering the IB programme. The all-girls, Marymount is nestled in a quiet residential area in Kingston, while the co-educational Southbank thrives in the urban streets of central London. Results tend to sit in the late 30s, and it is much easier to gain a place than in the schools mentioned above. Southbank, for example, offers rolling admissions throughout the year, due to the more transient nature of its parent body. The downside is that it is significantly more expensive than the English schools and some clients have questioned quite why this is so.
Southbank International (Co-ed)
IB Score 2024 (36)
Entrance points: Children are enrolled throughout the year, in any year group. Runs from 2-18.
Marymount (Girls)
IB Score 2024 (36)
Entrance points: 11+, 16+
The State Option
With the recent scrapping of the VAT exemption on public schools, excellent state schools are projected to be inundated with applications. Bexley Grammar School is the only state option in the Southeast that offers an IB programme. This year its IB average equalled that of Marymount and Southbank. Expect knives out!
Bexley Grammar School (Co-ed)
IB Score 2024 (36)
Entrance points: Year 7
The Commuter Choice
If you live near Waterloo and your child is an early bird, who can cope with a commute and Saturday school, then you may consider Sevenoaks. It boasts of an extraordinary campus and sky-high exam results. If you it would be hard to turn down a place here. IB results are always strong, hitting 39.4 this year.
Sevenoaks School (Co-ed)
IB Score 2024 (39.6)
Entrance points: 11+, 16+