Ages 
This is a London school par excellence – epitomising metropolitan, cosmopolitan London in all its creativity and diversity. We came away buzzing from our conversations about music, drama, partnerships and learning. There’s a real warmth to this powerhouse these days: it’s high-performance with humility and heart. As one parent said, ‘If you’ve made it to City, you’ve got every opportunity to do whatever you want.’ For girls who relish intellectual fizz and seizing life with both hands, this is surely one of the most exciting schools in London.
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Overview & data
- Pupil numbers
- 764 ·
- Sixth form numbers
- 196 ·
- Religion
- None
- Fees
- £30,247 pa
- Local authority
- City of London
- Linked schools
- School ownership
- City of London Corporation
Headteacher
Headmistress
Jenny Brown
Since 2019, the ‘wonderfully charismatic’ Jenny Brown, previously head of St Albans High School for Girls. Educated at North London Collegiate before reading English at Oxford. Teaching runs in the family: both her parents taught English, her
Entrance
Majority of the junior school girls move here and need not sit an exam (anyone who might struggle gets the heads up in year 5). Five-form entry at year 7 and competition ferocious for remaining places, around 10 applicants per place. About 27 per
Exit
Up to 20 per cent leave after GCSEs. Diverse array of top-class universities with Oxbridge (20 in 2025), Imperial, Edinburgh and UCL recently top of the pops. Impressive numbers of scientists, engineers, mathematicians and medics (10 of the latter in
Latest results
In 2025, 95 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 80 per cent A*/A at A level (95 per cent A*-B). In 2024, 95 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 79 per cent A*/A at A level (96 per cent A*-B).
A levels or equivalent - Average points score (2024)
What is this?
These figures tell you the average grade and average points that pupils achieved in their academic qualifications. A maximum of 60 points are available for a grade A* at A level.
Teaching & learning
Aspiration is everywhere: posters on classroom doors featuring ‘The woman who invented…’ carry the follow-up question ‘What will you invent?’ A spirit of innovation pervades the school: from PE to physics, staff are constantly thinking of ways to
- Qualifications taken in 2024
- A level
- EPQ
- GCSE
Learning support & SEN
SEN well integrated with pastoral systems, with full-time SENDCo, two full-time learning support teachers, a part-time teacher/assessor plus an ELSA-trained wellbeing adviser. No EHCPs in place when we visited. Seventy girls with confirmed diagnosis
Arts & extracurricular
Zingy drama and music departments, bursting with opportunities. Director of drama is a working actor who is well connected with London casting directors. She’s introduced a theatre company in residence, which was leading a clowning workshop with year
Sport
Surprisingly extensive on-site sports provision – from huge Astro to subterranean pool, climbing wall and sports hall – as well as cricket on Coram’s Fields and sports day in Battersea Park. ‘Super-enthusiastic teachers’ and a genuine sport-for-all
Ethos & heritage
City celebrated its 130th birthday in 2024. Founded in the late 1800s under a bequest from the forward-thinking William Ward, it moved to the Barbican in the late 1960s. Since then it has turned out myriad dynamic women in fields from academia to
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
A ‘very caring school’ we heard, with its values of respect, responsibility and resourcefulness much in evidence. ‘Pastoral care is really exceptional,’ parents say, with ‘a strong culture about the importance of how people should treat one another’.
Pupils & parents
Girls are refreshingly grounded, savvy and independent, ‘not shy about coming forward with ideas’ but without a hint of stuffiness or arrogance. No longer just a place for confident extroverts – there is a real mix of personalities. Girls agree: ‘You
Money matters
Bursary provision is at the heart of the school’s ethos (15 per cent on full bursaries). Girls can also apply for funding for eg trips, sports kit, music lessons from a ‘fuel your passion pot’ and for important ‘extras’ such as university open day
- Fee information
- £30,247 pa
The last word
This is a London school par excellence – epitomising metropolitan, cosmopolitan London in all its creativity and diversity. We came away buzzing from our conversations about music, drama, partnerships and learning. There’s a real warmth to this
