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Compare every school across all 33 London boroughs — Ofsted grades, exam results, catchment areas, admissions criteria and fees. Free, drawn from official published sources, and updated monthly.
London has more independent schools than any other UK city — prep schools (typically to age 11 or 13), senior schools, and a large share of the country's boarding and day-boarding places. Entry is usually by assessment at 4+, 7+, 11+ or 13+ rather than by distance.
Private schools by borough
London admissions are more complex than the rest of England, and being the closest family isn't always what gets you a place. Three things make the capital different:
Many London secondaries — including most of the large academy chains — admit by fair banding: applicants sit a short test and the school takes a balanced mix of higher, middle and lower attainers from across a wide area. Distance is only a tie-breaker within a band, so two families on the same street can get very different outcomes, and a family several miles away can still win a place.
London has an unusually high share of faith schools (Church of England, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and others) that prioritise worship attendance and church/mosque/synagogue references ahead of distance. Their catchments can be effectively borough-wide for practising families.
All 33 boroughs run a single coordinated scheme: you list up to six preferences on one form through your home borough, even for schools in neighbouring boroughs, and receive one offer on National Offer Day (1 March for secondary, 16 April for primary).
On each school's profile you can see its exact oversubscription criteria, last-offered distance where the school admits by distance, and how competitive it has been in recent years.
See every school within walking distance of these well-known family areas.