Latymer Upper School 16+ Entry: 2027 Sixth Form Admissions Guide

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5. Latymer Upper School 16+ Entry Guide 2027

Latymer Upper School admits around 40 new external students into its Sixth Form each September, via its own entrance exam (three papers: mathematics, writing, and problem-solving/critical thinking) sat in early November, followed by an interview for those who do well. For September 2027 entry, registration opened 1 May 2026, closes 21 September 2026 at noon, the entrance exam is on 3 November 2026, and Interview Day is 21 November 2026. This is the co-educational, day-school Sixth Form entry point in Hammersmith — a separate admissions process from Latymer Upper's 11+ entry, with different competition, different requirements and a different application timeline.

If you are researching Latymer Upper for a Year 11 child rather than a Year 6 child, this guide covers what matters at 16+: how many external places actually exist, what the entrance papers test, the GCSE grades the school expects for each A-level subject, how the interview day works, and what the school's most recent Sixth Form results and university destinations look like. Every figure below is sourced directly from Latymer Upper School's own admissions pages, dated for the 2026-27 admissions cycle (September 2027 entry).

How Many External Sixth Form Places Does Latymer Upper Offer for 2027 Entry?

Latymer Upper School's own admissions page states plainly: "Every year we welcome around 40 new students to our vibrant Sixth Form." That figure of roughly 40 external joiners is the school's own published number, and it is the one prospective families should plan around — some third-party guides quote higher figures (50-60), but these appear to blend internal Year 11-to-Sixth-Form progression with external intake, or reflect older cohorts. The school does not publish a total applicant count for 16+ entry, so an exact ratio cannot be verified, but Latymer Upper consistently describes 16+ entry as "highly competitive."

New Sixth Form joiners are drawn from a wide range of schools — some from local grammar and comprehensive schools, some from other independent schools looking to switch at 16, and a meaningful proportion supported by means-tested bursaries. Because internal Year 11 pupils are prioritised for their own Sixth Form places, the external cohort is deliberately kept modest relative to the roughly 400 applications the wider entry process can attract in a typical year across all year groups at Latymer, which is one reason places at 16+ are scarcer than the headline "around 40" figure might suggest to families comparing schools with larger external Sixth Form intakes.

What Does the Latymer Upper 16+ Entrance Exam Involve?

The Sixth Form entrance assessment is sat on a single morning (3 November 2026 for 2027 entry) and comprises three separate papers:

• Mathematics (approximately 50 minutes): covers content most candidates will have studied by the end of Year 10 — number work (fractions, decimals, percentages, standard form, ratio, surds), algebra (equations, simultaneous equations, indices), geometry (similar shapes, trigonometry, angles, areas and volumes) and probability/statistics (averages, probability, tree diagrams). A scientific calculator is required.
• Writing (approximately 30 minutes): candidates write around 300-450 words on an expressive prompt, testing "written ability, quality of ideas and arguments" — topics have included philosophical and contemporary issues.
• General Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking (approximately 60 minutes): 25 multiple-choice questions assessing reasoning and argument analysis across a range of academic disciplines, not tied to any single subject.

Latymer Upper is explicit that the school looks at "overall performance and potential," but papers most relevant to a candidate's proposed A-level subjects "carry greater weight" — so a prospective physicist's mathematics paper matters more to the outcome than their writing paper, and vice versa for a prospective English Literature student. Sample papers are published on the school's own site for each of the three components, and candidates who apply for Music, Drama, Art or Sport scholarships face additional auditions, portfolio reviews or trials in November on top of the standard three papers.

What GCSE Grades Do You Need for Latymer Upper Sixth Form Entry?

Applicants who are studying GCSEs are expected to be taking 9 subjects, including Mathematics and English. Beyond that baseline, the specific grade thresholds depend on which A-levels a candidate proposes to study:

• For A-level subjects with a direct GCSE equivalent (for example, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, French, History), Latymer Upper expects grades 8-9 at GCSE in that subject, subject to engagement and performance at interview.
• For A-level Mathematics specifically, the school requires at least grade 8 in GCSE Mathematics.
• For A-level Further Mathematics, the school requires grade 9 in GCSE Mathematics.
• For A-level subjects that are not offered at GCSE (for example, Politics, Economics, Psychology), the admissions team reviews achievement in related GCSE subjects rather than a single named grade.

The school does not publish a blanket "minimum grade average" for external Sixth Form applicants, but the pattern of expected grades — 8s and 9s in subjects directly feeding into proposed A-levels — means Latymer Upper's 16+ entry sits at the very top end of GCSE grade expectations among London day schools, comparable to the requirements at other academically selective West London Sixth Forms.

What Happens at the Latymer Upper Sixth Form Interview?

Candidates who perform well across the three entrance papers are invited to interview; for the September 2027 cycle, invitations go out on Friday 6 November 2026, roughly three days after the written papers. Interview Day itself is a single date — Saturday 21 November 2026 — with all interviews conducted in the morning and, per the school's own guidance, "no alternative day for interviews," so families should keep that date protected well in advance. As part of the process, Latymer Upper also writes directly to a candidate's current school for a reference once an interview invitation is confirmed.

Candidates applying for Music, Drama, Art or Sport scholarships undertake additional assessments on top of the standard interview: Music Scholarship auditions are scheduled for 13 November 2026, Drama Scholarship auditions for 14 November 2026, and Sports Scholarship trials across the weeks commencing 9 and 16 November 2026. These scholarship assessments run independently of academic interview scheduling, so a scholarship candidate may attend the school multiple times across November as part of the same admissions cycle.

What A-Levels and Qualifications Can You Study at Latymer Upper Sixth Form?

Latymer Upper offers 34 A-level subjects, spanning sciences and mathematics (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Design Engineering), languages (French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, Greek), humanities (History, Geography, Politics, Economics, Religion and Philosophy) and the arts (English Literature, Drama, Art and Design, Music, Photography, History of Art). Latymer Upper does not currently offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) — all Sixth Form students study A-levels.

The academic structure follows a three-pillar model. The core is a minimum of three full A-levels (with the option of a fourth), plus a Research Skills course, Games, Community Service and Life Skills units. Alongside this, students are strongly encouraged to pursue an elective — either the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or the school's own, slightly shorter Latymer Research Report — plus other Latymer-designed, non-examined courses. A co-curricular strand of activities feeds into the school's own "Latymer Diploma." Because A-level subject choice must be specified at registration and directly affects which parts of the entrance exam carry more weight, prospective 16+ applicants need to decide on their intended A-level combination before sitting the entrance papers, not after receiving an offer.

How Strong Are Latymer Upper's Sixth Form Results and University Destinations?

Latymer Upper's 2025 A-level results, published 14 August 2025, were the school's strongest on record at the time:

• Over 80% of grades were A*/A — the second consecutive year the school broke the 80% barrier.
• 95% of all grades were A*-B, a new school record.
• Almost a quarter of students achieved all A* grades across their subjects.
• 84% of university applicants (UK and international) secured their first-choice institution.
• A record 32 students secured Oxbridge places, with 22 heading to Oxford; a further 3 students secured places to read Medicine at Cambridge specifically.
• All 11 Medicine applicants secured places, including offers at Bristol, Exeter, Manchester and UCL.
• Bursary-supported students achieved 80% A*/A grades overall, with 60% achieving exclusively A*/A grades.
• EPQ candidates achieved 73% A* grades and 96% A*/A grades.
• Students also took up places at leading US and European universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, Bocconi and Leiden.

For a Year 11 student weighing up a move to Latymer Upper at 16, these figures matter because Sixth Form performance — not the 11+ intake — is what a new joiner's own two years at the school will be measured against. A candidate joining externally in September 2027 will sit their A-levels in summer 2029, competing academically within cohorts that have consistently pushed results records upward year on year.

What Are the Key Dates for Latymer Upper 16+ Entry (September 2027)?

All dates above are for entry in September 2027 and are published directly on Latymer Upper School's admissions site. Because registration closes a full six weeks before the entrance exam itself, and because the interview day has no fallback date, families should treat the 21 September 2026 registration deadline as the effective start of the serious preparation window, not the exam date in November.

What Do Fees, Bursaries and Visa Requirements Look Like for 16+ Entry?

Registration for Sixth Form entry costs £300, which is non-refundable and payable at the point of registration — this fee is waived entirely for candidates applying under the school's full-bursary route, who use a separate registration form. Latymer Upper's means-tested bursary programme covers a range from 25% up to 100% of fees, and the school notes that "many" of its roughly 40 annual Sixth Form joiners are supported by means-tested bursaries, making it one of the more bursary-active independent day schools at 16+ in London.

For eligibility, candidates for September 2027 entry must have been born between 1 September 2010 and 31 August 2011. Applicants must be British or Irish citizens, or otherwise able to demonstrate the right to live in the UK for the full duration of study — Latymer Upper is explicit that it does not sponsor Child Student visas (formerly Tier 4) for Sixth Form applicants, so an overseas family relying on a school-sponsored visa route should confirm eligibility before registering, as the school will not make an offer without evidence the child can legally live and study in the UK.

Registration itself requires the candidate's chosen A-level subjects, a passport copy and any relevant visa/residence permit documentation, and the candidate's Year 9 school report (not Year 10 or Year 11) — a detail that catches out some families who assume the most recent school report is what's required.

How Is 16+ Entry Different From Latymer Upper's 11+ Entry Point?

Latymer Upper School runs two entirely separate entry points, and prospective families should not conflate them. 11+ entry is assessed via a different exam format at age 10-11 for entry into Year 7, with its own registration cycle, papers and interview process — that admissions route is covered in full in our separate guide to Latymer Upper School 11+ entry. 16+ Sixth Form entry, covered on this page, is a distinct process for candidates currently in Year 11 applying for Year 12 entry: a different exam (mathematics, writing, and critical thinking rather than the 11+ format), a different, smaller external cohort (around 40 places rather than the larger Year 7 intake), a different GCSE-grade-based entry bar tied to specific A-level choices, and a single, non-repeatable interview day rather than the 11+ process. If your child is currently in Year 5 or Year 6, the 11+ guide is the relevant one; if your child is currently in Year 10 or Year 11 and considering a move at Sixth Form, this page covers the process that applies to them.

Our specialist tutors work with families across both admissions points, but prepare 16+ candidates specifically for the Sixth Form papers and interview format described above — GCSE-level maths reasoning, structured argumentative writing, and critical thinking under exam conditions — rather than reusing 11+ preparation materials, which test different skills entirely. For subject-specific groundwork ahead of the entrance papers, our GCSE and A-level maths tutoring and English tutoring both feed directly into the mathematics and writing components of the Latymer Upper 16+ exam, and once a place is secured, our A-level tuition supports the transition into Latymer Upper's demanding Sixth Form curriculum.

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