The UK is widely known for its rich tradition of independent boys-only education – a history which, by some counts, stretches back to the foundation of the King’s School, Canterbury in the sixth century.

London certainly has its share of outstanding boys’ schools, and families looking for a single-sex education for their son have long been drawn to the capital. (If you are undecided on whether co-educational or single-sex education is right for your child, our article on the subject may be useful.)

At their best, London boys’ schools achieve the much sought-after blend of a rigorous British education with a dynamic, forward-thinking outlook. On the academic front, it is common now for leading schools to teach robotics and AI; while huge advances have been made pastorally, with wellbeing a major focus.

But when confronted with dazzling brochures, glossy websites and persuasive registrars, it can be hard for prospective parents to identify the very best from among the roughly 60 boys’ schools in London. That’s before taking into account other vital considerations – like the school’s ethos, location and extra-curricular offering – which may be personal to each family.

All this means is that there could be a different list of the best boys’ schools in London for every student. The schools in our list, however, are reliably excellent and the perfect place to start when planning for your son’s education.

One final note – if you are also looking for a girls’ school, or a prep school in London, you may find our guides to those useful.

SLT’s team of school consultants are delighted to present our list of the top 10 boys’ schools in London.

The Best Boys’ Senior Schools in London

The school aims for excellence in academic results, combined with pastoral care that promotes empathy and teaches each boy to be ‘kind, aware, and ready’, so that alumni are sensitive to the needs of the world in the future and fully conscious of their role in shaping it. Their exam results reflect this with 75% of A level grades being A*-A in 2025 and 96% of GCSE results being grades 9-7.

City of London School consistently sends about one fifth of their leavers to Oxbridge each year, with an increasing number of students looking to attend other top 10 global universities such as Stanford and Harvard. In 2025, 31 of their leavers had confirmed places at Cambridge and Oxford and 16 were admitted to top US and overseas universities.

Academically strong, Dulwich’s approach is founded on the principle of ‘free learning’ – the idea that a truly enriching academic education is limited neither to the classroom nor the exam board.  The school aims for the boys to be capable, self-motivated, diligent and collaborative learners.

Pupils are encouraged to pursue their interests in independent study, advanced electives, debates, and by pushing their teachers to go beyond the syllabus. As such, Dulwich leavers are typically clever, confident, and excellent independent learners – great candidates for the world’s leading universities. In 2025, the majority of leavers went on to leading UK universities; Oxford, UCL, Imperial, Durham and Bristol. 31 leavers went on to renowned universities outside of the UK, including McGill, Harvard, IE and Amsterdam University College.

The school is set across 324 acres in north-west London, and the site includes a working farm, an observatory, and a registered park. Among Harrow’s sports facilities are numerous winter-sports pitches, tennis courts, cricket pitches, all-weather synthetic pitches, a nine-hole golf course, a fishing lake, a swimming pool, a sports centre and more. The performing arts are also a notable feature of the school; the Ryan Theatre seats approximately 300 people and is equipped to industry standards.

The school is academically strong: In 2025, 83 boys gained three or more A*-A grades in A levels, with 29 boys achieving nine or more 9s in their GCSEs. The school’s stellar academic results have enabled Harrovians to go on to leading UK universities and Ivy League schools in the US. In 2026, 13 boys have been offered places at Oxford or Cambridge, with 34 offers at prominent US universities. With such high-calibre sporting facilities, students have gone on to compete at leading universities, including a recent athletics scholarship to Princeton.

Merchant Taylors’ School

Boys, ages 11-18
Moor Park, Hertfordshire

A senior boys’ school, Merchant Taylors’ is perhaps a slight cheat in our list of the top boys’ schools in London because it has at least one foot in the Hertfordshire countryside. The school describes itself as a London school in the country, and this epitomises its appeal for generations of parents. A diverse community of pupils from London and the Home Counties, with a dynamic city ethos, but the space (280 acres of grounds) of a country public school.

Founded in 1561, the school has a long pedigree and is still considered a leading boys’ school today. It is academically solid but by no means a hothouse. It is a day-only school but has a nonetheless impressive range of extracurriculars on offer. One of the many benefits of its location and grounds are the sprawling sports pitches, and boys at Merchant Taylors’ are encouraged to get stuck into the 21 different sports that are on offer. Merchant Taylors’ aims to produce bright, well-rounded, courageous boys.

In 2025, 89.5% of their GCSE students received grades 7-9, with the same number receiving A*-B in their A levels. Their leavers went on to a broad array of top UK universities, including two who went on to Georgetown University (Qatar) and the University of Illinois.

The school will be welcoming a new headmaster in September 2026, Sam Baldock. He will become the 33^rd Head in the school’s prominent history.

Whitgift

Boys, ages 10-18
Croydon, London

Whitgift School is an independent day and boarding school, for boys aged 10-18. The school is located in Croydon, within attractive grounds. One noteworthy point is the peacocks wandering around the school grounds; there is also a menagerie with other birds including flamingos. This aligns closely with Sir David Attenborough’s claim, “you have an astonishing school.”

Weekly and full boarding is offered for boys aged 13-18. There are over 100 boarders who all board in a single modern boarding house in the centre of the school campus, known as ‘Founder’s House’

Whitgift is a fantastic sports school with many national trophies, and alumni going on to play professional and international sport, across football, hockey, and cricket. The school was named the number one boys’ school for sport 2025 in School Sport Magazine in January 2026.  Their sports facilities are excellent, including a gym, swimming pool and indoor sports centre, as well as outdoor ‘hybrid’ pitches. Indeed, the facilities in general are well equipped – the classrooms, labs, and library are all in excellent good condition.

Whitgift achieves excellent academic results with 65 pupils achieving all A*/A grades in their A levels in 2025, alongside an average of 39 points in the IB. 98% of all Higher Grades were a 5-7, which was a new Whitgift record. Their GCSE results in 2025 were also strong with 87% of all grades awarded being 7,8 or 9. 46 GCSE students even completed the challenging Additional Mathematics qualification, with 35 receiving the top grade.

Hampton School 

Boys, ages 11-18
Hampton

Situated on a 28-acre green field site, Hampton School is a day school for boys aged 11-18. Their ethos is based around the aspiration to enable their boys to ‘not only make sense of the world but also to want to go out and improve it.’ To achieve this, the school strives to maintain a broad and balanced curriculum, offer an excellent and broad selection of co-curricular opportunities, and establish a strong system of pastoral care.

With high-class facilities, including a recently opened Sixth Form Study and Careers centre, boys are fortunate to have over 130 clubs and activities on offer.

Notable alumnae involve Olympic rowers Greg and Jonny Searle, alongside the prominent Theoretical physicist John Hubbard. The school shares the Millennium Boat House with their neighbouring girls’ school, Lady Eleaner Holles, a prime location for Hampton’s renowned Boat Club.

In 2025, 23 boys received offers from Oxford and Cambridge. 98 pupils achieved all A*s and As in their A levels, with 34 achieving 3 or more A*s – 12 of whom secured four of the very top grades. Their GCSE results were equally fantastic with 66 boys achieving nine or more grade 9s – 24 Hamptonians were rewarded with 11 or more of the very top 9 grades.

St Paul’s is mainly a day school, but it has boarding facilities at School House for Year 9 and upwards. These boys can be full boarders or weekly boarders and even flexi-boarders. The flexi system allows day boys to board on a short, irregular basis which can be a great help to parents. School House has a Housemaster, Matron and a team of House tutors to look after the boys who board. These are additional to the normal academic tutors. Boarders have their own leisure facilities, and they can use the main school resources such as the gym and the music department. Cultural and sporting trips are arranged for them at weekends.

Their exam results are stellar, with 90.4% of GCSE grades being 8 or 9. Their A level results were equally great, with 92.5% of grades being A* or A. Leavers go on to top UK Russell group universities, and St Paul’s also has strong support offerings for US university applicants.

Westminster is highly academically competitive and pupils receive some of the strongest results in the country. However, the school’s teaching focuses on the benefits of academic enquiry and debate to produce learners who can think beyond the confines of a curriculum or exam board. In 2025, 79 out of 122 received all 9 or 8 grades in their GCSEs. 94 out of 196 students were awarded at least 3 A*s in their A levels, 46 of which received 4 A*s and 3 achieved 5.

Located right in the centre of London, Westminster has long had a reputation for being more liberal and progressive than more traditional (perhaps even stuffier) public schools in the country. It is unusual among central London schools in having boarding facilities –around 180 students board.

There is a pre-prep and junior school for boys, while the senior school is boys-only up until sixth form, when there is a girl’s intake. In keeping with its progressive ethos, there is no uniform for sixth formers and a relaxed dress code.

UCS has a diverse student body that reflects the diversity of London. The school promotes the value of equity through its cultural awareness societies, faith-based societies and a gender politics society. There is also an Inclusion and Representation Committee composed of students and teachers, with an agenda informed and directed by the pupils themselves.

Music is especially strong at University College School, with more than 30 ensembles and choirs on offer for their pupils to join.

How SLT can help find the right school for your child

• At SLT, our school placement service is comprehensive and personal. We meet with you and your child, find out what makes them tick and what you’re looking for, and use our in-depth knowledge of prep and senior schools in London and the wider UK to match them to the perfect school for them.
• No ‘best-of’ list or school search tool, no matter how comprehensive, can get to know you and your child. If you would like personal advice on which school is right for your child, please contact our expert team of school admissions consultants.
• If you are applying for London prep schools, we work with entrance exam specialist tutors who know schools’ requirements inside-out and can make all the difference to a successful application. Make an enquiry if you would like to book in a session with an entrance exam tutor.

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