City of London School: Thames-side, with entry at 10+, 11+ and 16+

Subject rules matter more than the length of the list

The curriculum policy describes a Year 9 choice of Art, Design/Computing/Robotics, Music or Drama, plus two further choices. In Year 10, four options must include a modern language and at least one of history, geography, religious studies or classical civilisation.

Design, Computing and Robotics leads to a Higher Project Qualification rather than a full ordinary GCSE. This may be a positive feature for a boy who wants to build something, but parents should understand what the qualification is before counting headline subjects.

The sixth-form subject list in the policy’s appendix is older than the one on the live page. The same policy says separate sciences for all, while a later results table includes Double Award Science in the published results. Ask for the incoming cohort’s current options booklet. Confirm the available sixth-form subjects and whether separate or double-award science applies to your son’s pathway.

A central school day can run well beyond 4pm

The current attendance policy gives an 8:45am–4pm weekday. Many activities continue to 6pm; evening and occasional weekend commitments also exist. That is opportunity, but it changes the family timetable.

The supervision policy distinguishes access from supervision. General access starts at 7:30am. From 5–6pm, pupils may work only in the library under library supervision; after 6pm they need a staff-led activity.

Parents remain responsible for safe travel, and pupils normally make their own way home after activities. Try the real route to Blackfriars or another likely station at 6pm. Include rain, platform changes, a sports bag and what happens when service is disrupted.

The compact central campus does not contain every sporting facility. Games can involve Grove Park and other sites. Ask which days and teams affect your son, where dismissal happens and whether his journey home changes.

Look for an activity he can join now

All pupils have a Games afternoon, as the school’s FAQ confirms. That is a timetabled commitment, distinct from choosing a team or club.

The music programme gives every Year 7 pupil free group tuition on an orchestral instrument during academic music in the autumn and spring terms. Pupils rank preferences. Individual lessons are separate and chargeable.

Drama includes acting, technical work and house events. Clubs include academic, technical and recreational choices, many led by pupils. Sport centres on football, basketball, water polo and cricket, with more activities beyond them. A large list does not guarantee a cast, team or clash-free timetable.

Pick two real interests and ask beginner-level questions. Can he join without an audition or previous experience? When does it meet? How are teams or roles chosen? What happens if music and a fixture clash? Those answers reveal more than the total number of clubs.

Most Year 9 pupils undertake Bronze Duke of Edinburgh, while the Combined Cadet Force is a choice rather than a requirement. “Many pupils do it” and “my child must do it” are not the same thing.

Find out who notices when an able boy is struggling

The school’s pastoral page describes daily form-tutor contact, three counsellors, a nurse and wider safeguarding and wellbeing staff. Published staffing is useful; it does not tell you how long a pupil waits, how many sessions are available or whether the team can meet your son’s needs.

The learning-support page describes individual lessons and learning profiles. Classroom adaptation comes first, with more targeted intervention when progress remains insufficient.

The learning-support policy says full diagnostic assessments are not carried out by the school and may cost parents. Agree the assessor and evidence needed before commissioning one. A diagnosis alone does not guarantee public-exam arrangements, and admissions adjustments are individually considered.

For entrance arrangements, disclose known or suspected needs at registration. The policy asks for evidence and confirmation from the current school’s special educational needs coordinator that the arrangement reflects normal practice.

English-language support assumes a pupil has already passed English-medium entrance assessments. It can develop range and accuracy; it is not a beginner-English route.

Strong results do not settle the fit question

The school’s August 2026 GCSE release reports 97% of grades at 9–7, 84% at 9–8 and 59% at grade 9. Its A-level release reports 83% A*–A, 42% A* and 94% A*–B.

These percentages describe examination grades, not the share of boys earning each outcome or an applicant’s chance of admission. The releases do not say how many examinations sit behind those percentages. Older detailed tables concern 2025, even when uploaded later.

The November 2024 ISI inspection found all standards met. Inspectors described motivated learning, effective feedback and coordinated support. Their sole next step was more consistent observance of corridor-movement rules, particularly among younger pupils—not an unmet safeguarding standard.

Inspectors also found bullying incidents were few and effectively addressed. These November 2024 findings are dated evidence, not guarantees for a future pupil.

A shared sixth-form centre is planned for 2028

In a March 2026 announcement, CLS and CLSG said a shared centre at 20 Aldermanbury is planned for September 2028. It is intended to complement the current Queen Victoria Street provision, not replace it.

The two schools already collaborate through City+ courses, enrichment, music and drama. The new centre is expected to add teaching, pastoral and social space. That does not mean every A-level class will be mixed, the schools are merging, or the whole boys’ school is becoming coeducational.

If your son’s sixth-form years overlap 2028, ask practical questions: which lessons move, how often pupils travel between sites, who remains his tutor, which facilities are shared, and whether applications or subject blocks change. The announcement says further detail will follow.

The short fee page is not the whole family budget

For 2026–27, the published tuition is £9,848.40 a term including VAT. Three terms calculate to £29,545.20. Music lessons are £429.60 a term including VAT, or £1,288.80 for three terms. These are not September 2027 prices.

The short live page does not set out every likely extra. Do not use a 2024–25 PDF found through search to fill a 2027 budget.

Add the ordinary costs your son would actually incur: independent travel, late journeys, individual music, uniform and the trips or activities he is likely to choose. Then model a fee increase and the full remaining years. Affording the first term is not the same as sustaining the school.

The 2025 policy refers to an acceptance fee and different arrangements at conditional sixth-form entry, but sends families to a separate schedule for the amount. Obtain the current schedule and contract before accepting; this guide cannot decide your personal withdrawal or refund position.

Bursaries are declared at registration

Transformational bursaries are available at 11+ and 16+, potentially up to full tuition. Interest must be declared during registration. Academic selection and financial assessment are separate; meeting one does not guarantee the other.

First choose the right route

For September 2027, 10+ means joining Old Grammar in Year 6; 11+ means joining First Form in Year 7; and 16+ means joining Year 12. A child’s age is calculated at 1 September in the year of entry. Check the published birth range before registering.

Some 11+ applicants with agreed access arrangements sit on 26 November instead; Admissions advises 10+ alternatives individually. The current calendars give early February 2027 offers at 10+, and mid-February offers with early-March acceptance at 11+. Follow the dates in your own offer letter.

The live 16+ page gives 6 October in its calendar and 2 November later in its prose. These dates disagree, so confirm which applies before booking travel. Register by the published 25 September deadline and ask Admissions which assessment date controls before arranging travel.

The current admissions policy lists only these three as standard entry points. Older 13+ information remains searchable, but it does not establish a new current route. Occasional vacancies are a separate question.

The 11+ online test has six different sections

The school-linked Quest guidance identifies the current 11+ provider. Its 105 minutes comprise English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, puzzles and problem solving, and creative comprehension. A separate 30-minute story follows.

Maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning adapt to the child’s answers, so he cannot go back. The other three online sections are fixed in difficulty and allow navigation. Practise the distinction: answer carefully and move on in an adaptive section; save a little checking time where returning is allowed.

Quest provides a free CLS familiarisation test. Its job is to show the mechanics and styles, not predict the paper. The provider also gives verified Pupil Premium families a route to free Atom Home access. Check that before paying for a subscription.

There is no published safe score or offer probability. Use practice to notice whether time, unfamiliar question types or a particular skill is getting in the way. Keep schools with genuinely different routes on the list rather than treating one mock result as a verdict on the child.