1212 Tatler Schools Guide 2020 tatler.comPHOTOGRAPH: MARTIN POYNERALLEYN’S SCHOOL
Townley Road, SE22 8SU
Website alleyns.org.uk Head
Dr Gary Savage, PhD, since 2010;
previously Under Master at
Westminster Pupils 1,036 day:
483 boys, 553 girls Faith C of E
Ages 11–18 Term Fees £6,950
Oxbridge 14% Registration By
September of year before entry;
£150 fee Admission School’s own
exam, interview, and previous
school’s report Alumni Jessie Ware,
film director Orlando von Einsiedel
PREP Head Simon Severino
Pupils 243 day: 122 boys, 121 girls
Ages 4–11 Term Fees £6,375
True to Alleyn’s ethos, the school
celebrated its 400th anniversary by
looking outwards into the com-
munity and widening access by
doubling its bursary provision.
With a 30-acre site, incorporating
the junior and senior schools, this
leafy Dulwich enclave feels like an
oasis in the surrounding metropolis.Academic rigour is a given but pu-
pils are stretched while also being
nurtured. There is a real focus on
producing rounded, unpretentious
young adults who are well prepared
to go out into the world, not just
with exceptional A-level results
(76 per cent A* or A in 2018), but
with life skills such as first aid and
how to manage their finances at
university. Head Dr Gary Savage is
extremely popular and keen to
tackle modern day teen issues head
on with a kind and accepting out-
look. Drama is a real strength,
with the Michael Croft Theatre a
veritable jewel in the school’s
crown. ‘As the children progress
through school the standard be-
comes almost professional level,’says one parent, and each year a
troop heads to the Edinburgh
Fringe. Sport is phenomenal, with
football a particular strength; the
Girl’s 1st XI are national champions
and the boys are not far behind.
The catch? Applications are cur-
rently at a ratio of six to every place
available – join the junior school
for automatic entry at 11+.CITY OF LONDON
SCHOOL
Queen Victoria Street, EC4V 3AL
Website cityoflondonschool.org.uk
Head Alan Bird, MSc, since 2016;
previously Deputy Head at the
English School in Prague Pupils
940 day boys Ages 10–18 Te r m
Fees £6,313 Oxbridge 32%Registration Autumn of year before
entry; £160 fee Admission School’s
own exam or ISEB pre-test and
interview Alumni Daniel Radcliffe,
statistician Sir Bernard Silverman
Despite the school’s library over-
looking the Millennium Bridge
and the wonderful people-watching
opportunities, City of London
boys clearly know how to remain
focused. They consistently produce
top-notch exam results: last year,
four sixth form pupils were recog-
nised with an award for gaining the
highest marks in their Cambridge
Pre-U assessments in Biology,
Geography, German and Russian,
and 68 per cent scored three or
more A*s and As at A-level. The
school’s USP is its diversity. Four
different religions are represented
with assemblies, and boys are en-
couraged to attend different ones to
learn about their peers’ beliefs.
Pupils come from an enormous
catchment area and around 25 perCITY OF LONDON
SCHOOLLondonPUBLIC10-19-Schools-Guide-PublicLondon.indd 12 13/08/2019 11:56