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Our view
It’s all about being comfy in your own skin at Wimbledon High. Stellar academics (and we mean stellar – Wimbledon High is up there with the best of the best) come easily in the school’s open and forward-thinking atmosphere. In this nook of well-located Wimbledon, head Fionnuala Kennedy and her team play a key role in shaping the next generation of well-rounded girls. With Wimbledon High Junior School sharing the same site, this is the perfect one-stop shop for south-west London parents.
Where?
The school sits on the corner of a residential street, its smart façade giving way to charming old and swanky new buildings. Everything neatly finds its place, with the junior school nestled among top-of-the-range senior facilities – fabulous STEAM tower included. And at just a three-minute walk from well-connected Wimbledon station, the school couldn’t be handier to reach.
Head
Ms Kennedy has been here for over a decade. She’s approachable, has a good sense of humour and as we chatted her deep care for the school was quickly apparent. An ‘unbelievable place’ is how she describes Wimbledon High, with a ‘rare mix of academic excellence, scholarship, intelligent fizz and a grounded and fun educational philosophy. I am the caretaker of this hybrid.’
The school was already in rude health when Ms Kennedy took over, with its prestigious academic results and playful atmosphere. But there was work to be done, and Ms Kennedy has spent her tenure fine-tuning the powerhouse she inherited. This dynamic head’s improving touch can be spotted in the renovated infrastructure and the tweaks she’s made to learning both inside and outside the classroom. Perhaps the most striking of all of Ms Kennedy’s changes is her expansion of the sports department: since her arrival it has quadrupled in size.
Admissions
‘Spark and curiosity’ are what Ms Kennedy is after from prospective pupils. Pupils sit the 11+, with successful applicants invited to whole-morning or -afternoon sessions in which a team of staff and sixth-formers assess which girls have that special something. It’s not about grade chasing, however – Ms Kennedy wants ‘grade outcomes to be as a result of a love of ideas and chasing mastery of a notion’.
The school’s catchment area includes Fulham, Parsons Green, Clapham, New Malden, Raynes Park and Wimbledon, and places are in demand, with a high number of applicants.
Academics and destinations
Wimbledon High has an impeccable academic record: in 2025, 75 per cent of GCSE grades were 9-8, and at A-level 80 per cent were A*-A. Around 10 per cent of upper-sixth girls head off to Oxbridge each year, with Edinburgh and the London universities also popular. This year, three of the school’s budding athletes have applied for US scholarships.
At GCSE, pupils take nine subjects, and at A-level it’s four, or three plus an EPQ. Product design, graphic design, textiles, Latin and Greek are all options on top of the usual suite of subjects. Only maths, one of the school’s big strengths, is streamed. At A-level, chemistry, economics and maths are the most popular options. Subject departments run an open-door, open-inbox policy so that pupils can drop in or send an email with any questions they might have, and further support is provided by sixth-form mentors.
All pupils have their own devices that they bring into school. STEAM subjects are taught on devices, while the humanities go down the traditional pen-and-paper route. As for AI, the school takes a head-on approach, educating pupils so that they make it work for them. The goal at Wimbledon High is to nurture ‘robust thinkers’, as Ms Kennedy tells us, who are ready for the world ahead – AI included. All pupils from Years 7 to 13 take part in the school’s Civil Discourse Programme, designed to kit girls with the skills and techniques needed to thrive in the modern workplace.
SEND provision
The attention to detail in ensuring both learning environments and adaptive teaching approaches are optimal means there are no barriers to pupils with SEND hitting the high notes academically, creatively and across all aspects of school life at Wimbledon High. Personalised support is a given, with pupil passports providing a 360-degree outline of each individual’s needs, and if more support is needed the school works with local authorities to explore additional provision, including applications for an EHCP. We love the much-anticipated annual Neurodiversity Celebration Week too, which unites the whole school in promoting a better understanding and awareness of the challenges and the superpowers of neurodivergence.
Co-curricular
They’re a sporty bunch at Wimbledon High. The netball team recently made it to the national finals, the rowers are flourishing and the ski team has just returned from the British Schoolgirls’ Races in Flaine with a top-six finish. Every year, the tennis at Wimbledon casts its spell over Year 9 and 10 girls, who can apply to be ball girls – expect to see lots of eager pupils rolling tennis balls during breaktimes, preparing for selection.
Art takes up the top floor of the big, bright and modern STEAM building, constructed just five years ago. You definitely get the sense of entering a creative space, with exhibits lining the central hallway. Textile and D&T classes are also held here.
The school has its own performing arts centre, with a large theatre and productions throughout the year. Girls can join in either on stage or as part of the tech crew. For musically minded pupils, a range of choirs is on offer, including the non-audition acapella choir for Years 10 to 13 and the through-school chamber choir, for which auditions are held. One particularly delightful musical tradition is the annual assembly on the day of Wimbledon High’s founding – the school sings happy birthday to itself, and the oldest and youngest pupil cut a birthday cake together.
There’s an 1.5-hour lunch break every day to give pupils time to attend clubs as well as to eat. Any girl in any year group can run a club; current options include sports clubs, economics society and debating club (which excels – the current squad has reached the finals in the South Hampstead High School competition). Another club is busy building a Goblin kit car, which they’ll soon be taking off to Goodwood to race.
School community
Wimbledon High has the resources in place to ensure all pupils get the care and support they need. There’s an experienced nursing team on site, and girls don’t have to leave the school gates for counselling, if it’s needed. And the nurturing approach doesn’t stop when they leave – head of futures Fiona Lucas keeps in touch with every girl for five years in order to offer any help they might need. The alumnae network looks after current Wimbledonians too, offering work experience and chats about university applications.
The pupil voice is strong and well heard at Wimbledon High. The school’s feminist foundations are not just for show, and the girls are encouraged via bodies like the school council to speak up for themselves. The theme of responsibility is embedded at all levels of school life. In addition to the school council, older students are trained to be peer mentors for the younger girls and high-achieving pupils in the local area, who come to Wimbledon High on Monday afternoons for extra tuition. Girls also write Christmas cards to prison inmates and visit local care homes.
There are four houses, and fun, often riotous inter-house events are held throughout the year. Competition is healthy and everyone gets the chance to take part. Music is the largest house competition, while the Christmas-tree-decorating competition adds festive fun. The school’s tight-knit ethos shines through in the Year 7 stepping-in and the Year 13 striding-out ceremonies held by each house.
Sixth-form students have their own two-storey building with a café, common room and study area, and are given the privilege of wearing their own clothes and heading into town at lunchtime.
And finally....
Enchanting Wimbledon High has all-girls education nailed. Open and spirited atmosphere, impeccable academics, convenient location, close community – what’s not to love?