Vibrant, inclusive, spirited; our core values are at the heart of who we are and what we do:  

We are intellectually curious, inquisitive and love learning  

We are innovative and genuinely open to new ideas  

We are intrepid, persevering, resilient and adventurous 

We are inclusive, collaborative, and down to earth 

We strongly believe that a girls-only education leads to higher academic achievement, greater diversity of subject choice, stronger self-confidence and resilience, and enhanced career progression. At Putney, girls thrive in a nurturing environment designed just for them. Our dedicated pastoral care ensures every girl feels safe, supported, and known – while our classrooms encourage bold subject choices, leadership, and a love of learning. It’s a place where girls grow with courage, joy, and a strong sense of self.

There are approximately 320 pupils in the Junior School (4-11 years old) and 740 in the Senior School (11-18 years old). 

Each year group has two classes, with about 22 pupils per class in Reception to Year 2 and about 24 pupils per class in Years 3 to 6.

All pupils joining Reception are invited to a couple of induction sessions before the summer, where they meet their teachers, other pupils and explore and play in the classrooms and outdoor play areas. For Reception, there is a staggered start to the autumn term so that your daughter can settle in gently.

For pupils joining Year 1 and above, inductions take place in the summer term. They will meet their class buddy, other pupils in their year and their class teacher. This is a fun opportunity for pupils to get to know one another and their new classroom. Your daughter’s buddy will help to show her the ropes and there are regular check-in sessions with the Deputy Head (Pastoral).

We work closely with parents to support pupils emotionally as well as academically. We believe that a happy child will be more open to and able to learn. The school has a warm family feel and there are regular opportunities for parents to share in and celebrate their daughter’s school journey.

Through our Opening Minds curriculum and initiatives such as It Starts with Me, girls build resilience, empathy, and critical thinking.  Our whole-school BREATHE programme promotes wellbeing, kindness, and global awareness, while leadership roles – from Eco Ambassadors to Year 6 Prefects – encourage responsibility and active citizenship

We offer a myriad of clubs before, during and after school, from pottery, judo and coding to chess, touch typing and street dance. There is also a full range of sports and music activities. For those families who require greater flexibility, a breakfast and after-school club is available during term time.

Pupils arrive between 8.10 and 8.30am. The school day finishes at

• 3pm for Reception
• 3.10pm for Years 1 and 2
• 3.20pm for Years 3 and 4
• 3.30pm for Years 5 and 6

We offer a full and varied range of educational outings, as well as a programme of on-site visits by speakers, workshops leaders, and authors. Residential trips are offered to Years 4, 5, and 6

Pupils are not set for any subject. Teachers support all pupils to ensure they are reaching their potential and making the most of the many opportunities for extra stretch and challenge including small group work.

Developing a love of reading is at the heart of our curriculum and all pupils are encouraged to read at home daily.  In addition,

• Reception pupils may be given activities to promote writing or mathematical games to play
• Years 1 & 2 pupils may be given words linked to their phonics progression or some form of practical mathematics task
• Years 3 & 4 – around 20 minutes of homework per day
• Years 5 & 6 – around 40 minutes of homework per day

Not all homework will be expected the following morning.  We do not set holiday homework as we believe it is important for your daughters to recharge their batteries and to explore the world around them.

There are four houses: Marie Curie (green), Ada Lovelace (red), Rosa Parks (blue) and Wilma Rudolph (yellow). Each is led by Year 6 pupils who organise house days to raise money for charities and local causes.

A school bus service for Junior and Senior pupils operates to and from school. We currently have four routes in operation: Wimbledon and Richmond routes for Reception and above, Sloane Square and Hammersmith routes for Years 3 and above. We are also well served by public transport

The Modern Foreign Languages department encourages a lifelong appetite for language learning as well as developing awareness of
different cultures, countries, people and points of view.

French is taught from Reception to Year 6. From Year 3, pupils also learn Spanish. Pupils are taught by specialist language teachers and are encouraged to engage in a variety of extracurricular events such as Mandarin clubs, Senior School Taster lessons, our Mother Tongue Festival, French/Spanish World Book Day.

From Year 2 onwards, pupils embark on a journey of scientific discovery through hands-on experiments led by our specialist science teacher. These engaging investigations ignite curiosity, deepen scientific understanding, and nurture the critical thinking skills essential for future learning.

Music is integral to life at Putney. Every class has two music lessons each week with our Junior School Director of Music. All pupils are given opportunities to perform at a range of events from the Reception nativity production to our Valentine Music Concert held in the Performing Arts Centre.

Pupils in Year 2 are given taster lessons in a variety of instruments and individual music lessons are available from Year 3. Over 200 instrumental lessons from Bassoon to Violin are taught in the school each week by visiting specialist staff. Our many ensembles are hugely popular and our older pupils are able to participate with the senior school orchestra.

Sport at Putney is inclusive and accessible to all. Each year group has two PE sessions per week. There are in house competitions, competitive matches and fixtures against other schools at all levels. We also enjoy an annual Sports Day at Wimbledon Park Athletics Track. Camaraderie and team spirit are at the heart of our sporting ethos.

We have an astro pitch, tennis and netball courts, as well as indoor sports facilities on site. Pupils in Reception to Year 2 develop coordination, balance and agility through multi-skill activities, ball skills practice, mini tennis, team games, gymnastics, and dance. Years 3 to 6 play cricket, touch rugby, netball, hockey/pop lacrosse, tennis, and rounders. They move on to develop skills in athletics, football, gymnastics, sports acrobatics, and dance. Swimming lessons take place weekly in Years 2 to 4 at Putney Leisure Centre.

Our Forest School sessions sit at the heart of our outdoor learning philosophy. Our accredited staff encourage pupils to explore, experiment, and problem-solve in ways that extend beyond traditional classroom learning. Whether building dens, identifying flora and fauna, lighting fires or learning to handle tools safely, pupils develop curiosity, resilience and confidence.

Computing is integral to the curriculum with an emphasis on computer science, information technology and digital literacy. All classes have a weekly computing lesson with our Head of Computing and Modern Scholarship.

Interactive whiteboards are used in classrooms to enhance learning. Pupils in Year 3 and above are given individual iPads for use in school and younger years access to shared banks of them when appropriate. The iPads are monitored and only education apps are allowed to be downloaded onto them.

We are very proud of our ‘one school’ ethos and the vast majority of our Junior School pupils seamlessly step up to the Senior School. To make this transition as smooth as possible, we organise events during the final Junior School years and, while our Juniors still sit the 11+ Athena Assessment in Year 6, their place has already been secured.

We welcome parents’ involvement and are extremely fortunate to have a supportive and collaborative parent body. The Friends
of Putney High School is a charity run by parent volunteers who elect a parent rep for each class and help organise social events and fundraising activities in the school. Parents can also accompany classes on school trips.

We encourage you to visit the school in the first instance to get a true sense of the Putney spirit. An online application form
should then be submitted in the autumn of the year preceding entry. Your daughter will be invited to attend an assessment
(6+ and above in November, 4+ in January and 5+ in February).

Each year we have approximately 44 Reception places available and about 4 places in Year 3 as our class sizes increase slightly at this point. For all other year groups, an ‘occasional vacancy’ may arise – for example if one of our families were to relocate.

We are strongly family orientated and have many siblings throughout both our Junior and Senior Schools. However, siblings are not automatically admitted into the school; all girls are asked to sit the relevant assessment before an offer of a place can be made. If two candidates are equal in all other ways, preference will typically be given to the sister of a girl already in the school

We do not offer financial assistance in the Junior School but there are scholarships and bursaries available in the Senior School.

Our assessments are as informal, relaxed and enjoyable as possible. During the friendly hour’s session, your daughter will join a small group of similarly aged girls to take part in creative activities, engage in ‘free play’ and carry out a few tasks linked to early maths, language, and literacy. There is no need for your daughter to prepare for her session, it is best that she views it as a fun day out

We aim to have a balanced range of birth dates within each year group to foster a dynamic classroom environment. Our assessment sessions are organised taking age into account to ensure fairness

Our friendly, informal assessments cover English, maths and creative writing and include a short group activity. For 7+ (Year 3) and above, reasoning is also assessed. The age-appropriate assessments follow the National Curriculum and therefore will cover what has already been learnt at your daughter’s current school. As such, no preparation should be required

Pupils looking for a place in Year 2 or above and who are unable to sit the assessments at Putney High School may be able to take them overseas.

Given the age of the applicants and the nature of the assessments, we cannot offer overseas assessments for 4+ or 5+ entry. Please contact junioradmissions@put.gdst.net for further information.

We are not always able to offer a place to all of the girls who we feel have the potential to thrive at Putney. In this instance, we may add a small number of pupils onto a waiting list for any places that may become available later in the academic year.