Data profile

City of London School

Independent boys senior school in City of London for ages 10–18. Selective entry.

  • Rank #8
  • ISI met
  • Fees £28.4k/yr
  • boys
  • City of London

01 · Module

Outcomes

Where leavers go after sixth form.

Cohort
167

Class of 2025

Oxbridge
31
Russell Group
140
US Ivy
2
Medicine
12

Top destinations

  • UCL18
  • University of Oxford17
  • University of Cambridge14
  • Imperial College London14
  • King's College London12
  • London School of Economics8
  • University of Bristol8
  • Durham University7

02 · Module

Exam results

A-level top grades and GCSE 9–7, post-2026 methodology recalibration.

A-level A*–A
75%

Recalibrated

GCSE 9–7
96%
Oxbridge rate
19%

03 · Module

Entry points & fees

Ages, deadlines and annual fees per route.

EntryYearPlacesAssessmentDay fee (max)
10+Year 6school_own_exam, interview, verbal_reasoning, non_verbal_reasoning£28.4k
11+Year 7school_own_exam, interview£28.4k
13+Y9iseb_pre_test, school_own_exam, interview£28.4k
16+Year 12school_own_exam, interview, cat4£28.4k
3+£28.4k
7+£28.4k

04 · Module

Houseroom Index

Composite score blending owned data with external consensus.

Index score

86

/ 100

National rank #8

Academic88
Destinations92
Future-ready70
Pastoral82
Value-add80
Access & breadth90
Parent70
External consensus95

05 · Module

Inspections

Latest inspection rating and report.

ISI

met

Inspected 2025-10-14

Read full report →

06 · Module

Key people

Head, senior leadership and governance.

  • Head

    Alan Bird

    Head at CLS since January 2018. MA in Economics from Cambridge, MSc in Economics from LSE. Previously Deputy Head at Brighton College.

  • Senior Deputy Head

    Mark Wardrop

    Responsible for day-to-day running of the School. Teaches Chemistry.

  • Deputy Head (Pastoral) And Designated Safeguarding Lead

    Alice Martineau

    DSL, responsible for all safeguarding matters and pupil welfare. Teaches Religion and Philosophy.

  • Deputy Head (Co-Curricular)

    Andrew McBroom

    Coordinates all co-curricular activities and educational visits. Teaches History.

  • Deputy Head (Academic)

    Glenn Bezalel

    Responsible for curriculum, pedagogical approach and educational innovation. Teaches Religion & Philosophy.

  • Director Of Studies And Senior Mistress

    Noeleen Murphy

    Involved in alumni events and academic matters. Organises trips and quiz competitions. Teaches History.

07 · Module

Editorial verdict

Houseroom's view of the school.

pastoral

— how’s the pastoral side of the school? @LondonLulu Might you or someone else be able to comment on pastoral care and how competitive/pressurised the culture is at CLS? @LondonLulu Might you or someone else be able to comment on pastoral care and how competitive/pressurised the culture is at CLS?

pupils

Advanced search Saved [Active](https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/active) [Unanswered threads](https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/active?tab=unanswered) Connect with other parents whose children are [starting secondary school](https://www.mumsnet.com/articles/starting-secondary-school) on this forum. My child got an offer from CLS for 13+. It’s his favourite school but I have some doubts. Does anyone have a child there? My questions are (and I don’t want to ask my child what he thinks about them as I want him to develop his own opinion rather than be influenced by my own) — the school felt very claustrophobic, probably due to location. Perhaps children don’t feel that? — do all children need to do

money matters

— the school felt very claustrophobic, probably due to location. Perhaps children don’t feel that? Congrats to your DS! I agree with it feeling claustrophobic (we visited many, many years ago) but my guess is the boys don’t feel that way once they get used to it. my son is currently there, in 2nd form, so same year as your son. He’s never complained about feeling claustrophobic in school, he loves the location/views. Mumsnet carries some affiliate marketing links, so if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale [(more details here)](/i/terms-of-use)

08 · Module

Compare with peers

The schools a family applying here would also be considering — chosen by sex, boarding, entry phase, geography, fees, tier and outcomes, with an admissions-adviser AI re-rank.

  • Fees £32.9kA*-A 72%Oxbridge 12%Rank #54

    University College School is a boys' day school in London with overlapping entry phases (7+, 11+, 13+), a similar fee bracket (£32.9k), and a non-denominational ethos focused on A-levels and strong Oxbridge destinations.

  • Fees £30.1kA*-A 75%Oxbridge 11%Rank #27

    Bancroft's School is a boys' day school with selective entry at 7+ and 11+, located within commuting distance (15km), with fees (£30.1k) and a Church of England ethos similar to City of London School.

  • 3Hampton SchoolLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames
    Fees £29.9kA*-A 72%Oxbridge 12%Rank #20

    Hampton School is a boys' day school with selective entry at 11+, located within 21km, with fees (£29.9k) and a strong academic record including Oxbridge destinations, matching the selectivity tier.

  • 4St Paul's SchoolRichmond upon Thames
    Fees £35.8kA*-A 93%Oxbridge 18%Rank #17

    St Paul's School is a boys' school offering both day and boarding with entry at 7+ and 11+, located 10km away, with higher fees (£35.8k) but similar ethos (C of E) and top-tier academic results including Oxbridge.

  • Fees £34.2kA*-A 95%Oxbridge 25%Rank #61

    King's College School, Wimbledon is a boys' day school with overlapping entry phases (7+, 11+, 13+), located in London within reasonable commute, with a higher fee bracket (£38.6k) but similar highly selective ethos and strong academic destinations.

Peers refreshed annually plus on-write. Filters: sex, boarding, entry phase, geography, fee band, tier. Scoring: 0.45 outcome similarity + 0.25 structured + 0.10 embedding + 0.20 AI re-rank.

09 · Module

Top feeder prep schools

Preps that have sent the most pupils here over the last few years.

Looking for open days, prospectus, bursaries or to apply? Visit the City of London School school profile →