Writing on London admissions and raising London children.

The lady tatiana mountbatten birth announcement, like every high-profile aristocratic arrival, briefly floods parenting forums with speculation about which schools the child will eventually attend. Parents treat these moments as social proof, reading into them some signal about where the "right" families send their children. It is a completely understandable instinct, and almost entirely useless as admissions strategy.

London's most selective independent schools do not operate waiting lists that reward lineage. They operate assessment processes that reward preparation. The families who do best are the ones who register early, understand what each school is actually selecting for, and choose the right fit rather than the most impressive postcode.

For the schools most likely to come up in any conversation about where titled or prominent families send their children — think the London day schools and the major boarding preps — registration typically opens at birth or shortly after, and some close their lists within months of opening. The London Girls' Schools Trust senior schools, for instance, hold 11+ assessments in the January of Year 6, meaning a family that delays registration until their daughter is seven or eight is already behind the cohort in terms of securing a place on the list.