Wetherby Senior School

If your child is a London prep-school boy who thrives on small classes and close attention, Wetherby Senior is built around exactly that. It sits in the heart of Marylebone, occupying a pair of handsome buildings just off Marylebone Lane, a few streets from Regent's Park. The school is young by London standards, opening in 2015 as the senior school in the Wetherby family, so it is still growing into its full size rather than trading on centuries of history. About a quarter of the boys come up from Wetherby Prep; the rest arrive from prep and primary schools across the city, all sitting the school's own entrance test in Year 6.

The Good Schools Guide describes Wetherby Senior as "energetic and forward-looking, with a traditional core but thoroughly modern approach to caring for boys and helping them succeed." Classes are small, around 18, with a broad and demanding curriculum. Being in Zone 1 means little outdoor space, but the Guide picks out strong indoor sports facilities and drama studios with professional lighting and sound. The families tend to mirror the central London setting, often multilingual and international, and the Guide calls the boys themselves unusually poised and articulate.

Wetherby Senior suits a city family who want a modern, academically ambitious boys' school with real pastoral attention and a certain polish. The wider Wetherby name carries some weight in London, with Prince William and Prince Harry among former pupils of the younger pre-prep. Day to day, this is a calm, attentive place that knows each boy well.