The Latymer School, like most schools that predate the rise of state-funded education, owes its origins to the foresight and generosity of individuals who believed that wealth brought with it an obligation to help those less fortunate than themselves.

The Latymer Foundation has a long history of giving since the original bequest of Edward Latymer in 1624. At that time an undertaking was given to annually provide “eight poore boies” from Edmonton with a doublet, a pair of breeches, a shirt, a pair of woollen stockings and shoes and always on the 1^st of November.  In return for being educated to the age of 13 at a "petty school", the boys had to wear the red Latymer cross on their sleeves.

In 1662 John Wild of Edmonton made a bequest including £4 per annum for the maintenance of a schoolmaster and a similar sum to maintain a poor scholar at Cambridge. This was followed in 1679 with a bequest by Thomas Style of Edmonton of £20 per annum for teaching "20 poor boys ... Grammar and Latin tongue". Over a century later, in 1811, Ann Wyatt left £500, 5% Navy Annuities, to build a new school and £100 in the same securities for its maintenance.

None of the work of the Latymer Foundation would be possible without the generosity of current and former parents, Latymer alumni and friends of the school. We are extremely grateful for any support, small or large, that you may be able to provide!

Dick Hibberd, Chair of Trustees

In 1966 the Foundation helped to purchase Cwm-Penmachno within the Snowdonia National Park (see Cwm Centre on the Lettings page). This former school has been turned into a comfortable outdoor pursuit’s centre, which is very popular within our community and with the other groups who use it.

In the late 1990s, the Foundation supported the establishment of a fundraising office to help tackle two major problems facing Latymer: general overcrowding and inadequate facilities for Music, Drama, Media Studies and Sport. Over £1 million was raised to enable the construction and opening of the performing arts centre, The Mills Building, in 2000. Our Sports and Dining Hall Complex was completed in 2006 and the Seward Studio in 2010.

Finally the Latymer Standards Fund was created to help bridge the school’s deficit by ensuring that despite the cuts we would still have the funds to maintain Latymer’s very high standards. The extra funding through the Standards Fund has enabled us to develop and improve the school and ensure it stays among the very best in the country. With your help we can continue to offer excellence to all our students - regardless of means or background.