Ages 
Perceptions of the school are changing. Breadth of curriculum, ‘almost overwhelming opportunity’, importance of wellbeing and acceptance of the individual mean that Putney has become a very popular choice all the way through to the sixth form. Girls are given the confidence to be who they want to be. As one parent said, ‘If your daughter is a bright spark and thriving, the possibilities are limitless.’
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Overview & data
- Pupil numbers
- 745 ·
- Sixth form numbers
- 195 ·
- Religion
- None
- Fees
- £29,007 pa
- Local authority
- London Borough of Wandsworth
- Linked schools
Headteacher
Head
Ms Jo Sharrock
Since September 2023, Jo Sharrock, previously head of Shrewsbury High School since 2018 and previously deputy head pastoral at Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital School in Bristol. Raised in southeast London, history degree from Leeds. Tried her hand in the
Entrance
Applications for 11 online by early November in the year prior to entry. Bespoke online maths and English exams are followed, if successful, by Athena assessment which includes group discussion and one-to-one interview. Almost all junior school
- Open days
- See website for Open Days, School Day Open Mornings and School Day Tours
Exit
Retention is around 80 per cent post GCSE. School has worked hard at this, and says girls stay because ‘they are happy and can use the school as a springboard to wherever they want to go.’ Popular destinations include UCL, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham,
Latest results
In 2025, 92 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 79 per cent A*/A at A level (94 per cent A*-B).
A level - 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
The Athena Centre is the neo-classical (think grandeur, tall columns), cross-curricular home for science and the arts - music, drama and debating. The goddess Athena is associated with wisdom and warfare, the latter not necessarily put to best use in
- Qualifications taken in 2024
- A level
- EPQ
- GCSE
Learning support & SEN
Around 10 per cent have some sort of SEN or disability (all girls screened for learning difficulties in year 7), including dyslexia and dyspraxia, most of whom receive additional support. Good to hear first-hand from a visually impaired student who
Arts & extracurricular
The dulcet tones of a school string quartet floated up the four-storey atrium of the Athena Centre on the opening night – a building worthy of a top orchestra let alone a London day school. Instruments, harp to piccolo, are stored in smart
Sport
‘Fifth-best school in the country for sport’ – a remarkable achievement for a London day school where some sports pitches are up to a 15-minute drive away. Undeterred, the list of wins is impressive: U19 national lacrosse champions, U13 national
Ethos & heritage
Founded in 1893, Putney is one of the later schools to be part of the venerable GDST group. Some parents choose the school specifically for the GDST umbrella: ‘the network and sharing of information provides a wonderful set of potential
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
The pastoral team tells us that wellbeing is ‘absolutely’ at the top of the agenda. ‘We work very hard at it. We’re on the front foot, recognising girls’ needs from the get-go.’ Year 7 girls are given time to settle in – no homework in the first two
Mobile phone policy
A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.
Mobile phone policy
Provided by the school and not part of our review To limit access to and engagement with smartphones, we ask that year 7 pupils do not bring smartphones into school and that they do not do so until they are in Year 9 at the earliest. If parents wish them to have a phone for safety and logistics, they should purchase a basic, non-smartphone model without internet capabilities, a ‘brick’ or ‘dumb’ phone. Once in school, all phones must be switched off and stored in a Yondr pouch from arrival until the end of lessons at 3.50pm.
Pupils & parents
A ‘down-to-earth feel’ and a more diverse intake than this affluent southwest London suburb might suggest, partly thanks to GDST bursaries and intake from state schools, particularly in sixth form; 25 per cent of girls have English as an additional
Money matters
Academic, music and sport scholarships offered at 11+. Art, drama and DT scholarships also available in sixth form, and modern foreign languages and science scholarships to girls who have been at the school since year 7.
- Fee information
- £29,007 pa
The last word
Perceptions of the school are changing. Breadth of curriculum, ‘almost overwhelming opportunity’, importance of wellbeing and acceptance of the individual mean that Putney has become a very popular choice all the way through to the sixth form. Girls
