Specialist tutoring for independent girls' entry in Hammersmith, West London
Book a Free ConsultationGodolphin and Latymer School is one of the most sought-after independent girls' schools in Hammersmith, West London. Places are competitive and the 11+ examination — English and mathematics papers taken in January of Year 6, followed by an interview — requires thorough, structured preparation that goes well beyond standard primary school curriculum work.
Godolphin & Latymer School (G&L) is a highly selective independent girls' school in Hammersmith, West London. One of the most academically outstanding girls' schools in the country, G&L has an exceptional record of university placements including Oxford, Cambridge, and leading London universities. The school attracts applications from across London and the Home Counties, and competition for places at 11+ is intense.
The G&L entrance examination takes place in January of Year 6 for September Year 7 entry. The exam includes English (comprehension and writing) and mathematics. Candidates who perform strongly in the written exam are invited for an interview. The school is highly selective and preparation must be thorough — girls applying from competitive independent junior schools form a large part of the applicant pool.
G&L looks for girls who are academically able across all subjects and who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a love of learning. In the English paper, sophisticated vocabulary and structured argument are rewarded. The maths paper includes problem-solving questions that go beyond the standard Year 5 curriculum. At interview, girls are expected to discuss ideas with confidence and show genuine engagement with topics beyond the classroom.
Given the school's selectivity, preparation for G&L typically needs to begin in Year 4 or early Year 5. Girls will need to read widely to build vocabulary and develop the ability to discuss books and ideas at interview. Maths preparation should include challenge-level problem solving. Many successful applicants also sit exams for other highly selective schools — preparation for G&L transfers well to schools like LEH, St Paul's Girls', and South Hampstead High.
Godolphin and Latymer School uses the Godolphin & Latymer's own entrance examination for its 11+ assessments. English and mathematics papers taken in January of Year 6, followed by an interview Understanding the specific format and question types for this exam — and practising under timed conditions — is the most important thing a child can do to maximise their performance on the day.
Preparing for Godolphin and Latymer School?
Book a free consultation. We'll discuss your child's current level, the exam requirements, and build a preparation plan.
Book a Free ConsultationOur 11+ tutors have experience preparing children for Godolphin and Latymer School and similar selective schools across the area. We begin with a diagnostic assessment to identify your child's strengths and the areas where targeted work will have the greatest impact. Sessions cover all components of the entrance exam, with increasing focus on timed practice as the exam date approaches.
We tailor preparation to your child's year group and the time available. Whether you are starting 12–18 months ahead or beginning six months before the exam, we build a structured plan that builds confidence alongside academic skill. Internal links for parents considering related schools: all 11+ school guides, our 11+ tuition service.
Godolphin & Latymer uses the Quest Assessment for 11+ entry — a digital admissions test used by over 160 independent schools across the UK.
| Component | Part | Duration | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Part 1 | 30 min | Non-adaptive |
| Maths | Part 1 | 20 min | Adaptive |
| Non-verbal Reasoning | Part 1 | 10 min | Adaptive |
| Verbal Reasoning | Part 1 | 10 min | Adaptive |
| Creative Comprehension | Part 2 | 20 min | Non-adaptive |
| Creative Writing | Part 2 | 20 min | Handwritten |
The Quest platform is designed to identify the reasoning skills and creative ability that selective independent schools value most. Part 1's adaptive sections — Maths, Non-verbal Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning — adjust question difficulty in real time as candidates answer, and submitted answers cannot be revised. This rewards accuracy over speed and requires sustained focus under conditions that differ significantly from standard primary school assessments. Girls who have practised specifically for adaptive testing consistently outperform those who approach it as a standard written exam.
Part 2 builds on Part 1 by assessing analytical and creative language use directly. The Creative Comprehension section asks girls to respond to an unseen literary extract with structured analytical questions; the Creative Writing section, handwritten under timed conditions, rewards original voice, vocabulary range and structural control. Our specialist tutors work with girls on every component of the Quest assessment — building the mathematical depth, reasoning fluency and writing craft that Godolphin & Latymer expects of its Year 7 entrants. For full details on the platform, see our Quest Assessment tutoring page.
Preparing for the Godolphin & Latymer Quest Assessment?
Leading Tuition offers specialist Quest Assessment preparation covering all six components — adaptive Maths, NVR and VR, English comprehension, Creative Comprehension and Creative Writing. Our specialist tutors work with girls across London and online, building programmes matched to each child's starting point and the time available before the assessment.
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot — 95%+ offer rate across selective school entry.
Book a Free Consultation Quest Assessment preparation →Godolphin and Latymer School offers a small number of academic scholarships at 11+ entry, awarded to exceptional candidates. Scholars receive a reduction in fees and recognition within the school community. The school also operates a means-tested bursary programme for families who could not otherwise afford the fees — bursaries can cover a significant proportion of tuition costs and are awarded based on academic merit combined with financial need. Families interested in either route should contact the school's admissions office directly. Our tutors are experienced in helping girls prepare for scholarship-level assessment, which requires performance well above the standard entrance threshold.
Families applying for a scholarship or bursary place should note that the assessment criteria differ from the standard entrance examination. Scholarship applicants may face additional papers or extended interview time. We recommend beginning preparation at least 12–14 months ahead of the January assessment, with dedicated scholarship preparation starting in Year 5 summer term at the latest.
The G&L entrance examination takes place in January of Year 6 for September Year 7 entry. Registration opens in the autumn term of Year 5, and the school has a registration deadline. Families should apply early as the process is highly competitive.
Godolphin & Latymer is one of the most selective independent girls' schools in London. The school receives several applications per available place, and successful candidates typically perform exceptionally well across both the written exam and interview. Starting preparation early is strongly advised.
Girls who perform well in the written exam are invited for an interview. The interview assesses intellectual curiosity and the ability to engage with ideas, rather than rehearsed answers. Girls should be able to discuss books they have read, current affairs, and their interests with genuine enthusiasm.
Our specialist tutors have experience preparing girls for highly selective London schools including Godolphin & Latymer. We cover the full admissions process: English and maths exam preparation, challenge-level problem solving, and interview technique. Book a free consultation to discuss preparation for your daughter.
Yes. Godolphin and Latymer School uses the Quest Assessment platform for 11+ entry — the same digital system used by over 160 independent schools across the UK. The assessment has two parts. Part 1 covers English (30 minutes, non-adaptive), Maths (20 minutes, adaptive), Non-verbal Reasoning (10 minutes, adaptive) and Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes, adaptive). Part 2 covers Creative Comprehension (20 minutes, non-adaptive) and handwritten Creative Writing (20 minutes). In the adaptive sections, question difficulty adjusts in real time and submitted answers cannot be revised.
Leading Tuition provides specialist 1-to-1 tutoring for the Godolphin & Latymer Quest Assessment, covering all six components: adaptive Maths and Reasoning, English comprehension, Creative Comprehension and Creative Writing. Our specialist tutors understand the specific demands of adaptive testing — in particular the importance of accuracy over speed, since adaptive answers cannot be revised once submitted. We build personalised programmes matched to each girl's starting point and time available before the assessment. Book a free consultation to discuss a preparation plan.
The Quest Assessment at Godolphin & Latymer is among the most demanding implementations of the platform. G&L is one of only 14 schools in the London Consortium, and competition for approximately 75 Year 7 places is exceptionally intense. The adaptive Maths, NVR and VR sections in Part 1 will serve harder questions to stronger candidates, meaning the ceiling is genuinely high. The Creative Comprehension and Creative Writing sections in Part 2 are sat in-person at the school in January, and require the kind of analytical and creative writing skills built over years rather than weeks.
Registration for Godolphin & Latymer typically opens in the autumn term of Year 5, and families are strongly advised to register early. Part 1 of the Quest Assessment takes place in November of Year 6, and Part 2 (Creative Comprehension and Creative Writing) is sat in January at the school. G&L publishes its admissions timeline on its website each year — check the current cycle's deadlines directly on their admissions page, as dates can shift slightly between years.
Yes — one of the key features of the Quest Assessment is that Part 1 results are shared across all schools in the London Consortium of 14 independent girls' schools. A girl who sits Part 1 once at an approved test centre in November does not need to resit it for each school she applies to. Part 2, however, is school-specific: each school sets its own Creative Comprehension and Creative Writing papers and girls sit them in-person at that school in January. This means preparation must cover both the shared Part 1 format and each individual school's Part 2 style.
The G&L 11+ admissions process has two main stages through the Quest Assessment. Stage 1 is Part 1 of the Quest Assessment — a computer-based test at an approved centre in November covering English (30 minutes), Maths (20 minutes, adaptive), NVR (10 minutes, adaptive) and VR (10 minutes, adaptive). Stage 2 is Part 2, sat in January at G&L itself, covering Creative Comprehension and a handwritten Creative Writing piece. Girls who perform strongly in both stages are considered for offers, and the school may also use results to determine interview invitations depending on the year's cohort.
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