Putney High School

Putney High School is one of the UK's leading schools, with a reputation for providing the challenge of a rich and broad education for bright girls aged 4 – 18.
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The best schools are fun, supportive and inspirational environments for young enquiring minds. Putney High School is all of that and more...

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Junior School Curriculum

At Putney, girls are encouraged to be self-starters, to find their passions and strengths, and to work hard to develop in the areas that might not come as easily to them.

Sixth Form Curriculum

Combined with career and entrepreneurship programmes and specialist World Class Universities support, you’ll be well prepared as you decide on applications and embark on the next stage of your learning.

Senior School Curriculum

With a unique combination of academic rigour and a truly broad education, we will help your daughter to prepare for a future filled with promise. She will learn the skills to question, to work hard and to gain the emotional resilience to know her own worth.

Life at Putney

We are high-achieving and down-to-earth and offer an academic and broad curriculum with a very modern edge.

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'It is hugely exciting to be leading a school that is a byword for innovation and thoroughly modern scholarship'

Ms Jo Sharrock

Ms Jo Sharrock
Head

Newsroom

Click the link above for regular updates on what's going on at Putney High School

Athena Online Magazine – Spring 2024 Under the Microscope Issue 10

Reading matters

Read the latest news and views in posts to the Putney Blog

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Events

There’s always a lot going on at Putney. From inspirational talks and musical performances, to careers fairs, drama productions and prizegiving.

Here are those important dates for your diary.

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Putney High School

Posted: 7 March, 2019

How to succeed as a novelist – PIE at Lunchtime with Rebecca Ley

Arts, Careers, Guests, Interview, Past Events, PIE, Senior School, Sixth Form

We were delighted to welcome the winner of the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize to Putney this week, aptly on World Book Day.

Rebecca Ley, author of Sweet Fruit, Sour Land and sister of English Teacher Miss Ley, came to give our PIE at Lunchtime talk about how to succeed as a novelist.

Here are just a few of the many pieces of wisdom she shared with us:

  • You can have a full time job and be an author at the same time. Rebecca is a copywriter and is currently writing her second novel at the weekend.
  • Doing a Masters degree is good because it fine tunes your skills and will help you to stand out when you apply to an agent, but be aware that it won’t give you the motivation to write independently or prepare you for setting and keeping to deadlines.
  • Get an agent! They are the gate keepers to the industry and will mediate between you and the publisher. But make sure you choose one who will understand both you and your goals.
  • Learn to deal with rejection but don’t aim to be published at any cost e.g. to fit in with a popular style which is not really your own.

And finally, Rebecca’s key points to take away:

  • Read everything – all types of literature and different styles.
  • Write what you want to write about, not necessarily what you know, but use your own experience as material.
  • Don’t go too easy on your characters. The drama happens when your characters are in difficult situations and forced to make decisions.
  • Find a reader whose opinion you really trust
  • Surround yourself with a community who do similar things
  • Go easy on yourself.
Copyright, 2018. Charity: 306983. With love, by Alchemy Digital
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