The Top 10 Girls’ Senior Schools in London

St Paul’s is very academically selective, and renowned for their stellar academic results. The admissions process is rigorous and designed to identify those who will prosper; girls who can demonstrate ability to ‘reason, articulate and show quality of thought’. Many girls progress to American and Canadian Universities, as well as ever-popular UK universities including Oxbridge, UCL, KCL and LSE. In 2025, 88.7% of students received A*- A grades in A level, alongside 99.5% receiving grades 9-7 in GCSEs.

The junior and senior schools are both on the same site, which also boasts artificial sports pitches and well-equipped school buildings. Academic results are good, without being elite, though Putney High prides itself on being more down-to-earth than some of its peers. Nevertheless, the school is consistently ranked among the top performing schools in both the UK and London, with fantastic outcomes at 11+, GCSE and A Level. In 2025, 3 girls went on to Cambridge and 4 went on to Oxford, with the majority going on to Edinburgh, Durham and UCL.

South Hampstead High

Girls, ages 4-18
South Hampstead

With the desire to ‘ignite sparks’, South Hampstead High School strives for an education in which every girl finds their spark, ‘lighting the fire to fuel a lifetime’s achievement.’ It is part of the GDST group and was one of the first of those schools to open in 1876.

The senior school is located a short walk away from Swiss cottage tube, and houses impressive on-site facilities, with a four-acre sports ground nearby. Numerous netball and tennis courts are on offer, alongside a fitness suite, a dance studio and a premier league cricket pitch. Hampstead Heath is in easy reach and the girls train for cross-country there. Beyond competitive sports, girls can take part in activities such as Zumba, yoga and trampolining. Their music and drama offerings are also strong, with actress Helena Bonham Carter among its notable alumnae.

South Hampstead High boasts excellent exam results, with their 2025 leavers receiving offers from leading institutions in the UK and world. These include; Yale, McGill, IE Madrid, Durham, St Andrews, UCL and Edinburgh. 40% of their students who interviewed for Oxbridge also received offers in subjects such as Biochem, Natural Sciences, English and Classics.

Wimbledon High School

Girls, ages 4-18
Wimbledon

Another school that is part of the GDST group, Wimbledon High School, is a fantastic choice for local families seeking a great all-round education. ‘Playful Scholarship’ is at the core of the school’s academic life, encouraging the girls to be curious learners and consequently develop a love of learning that will stay with them through life.

Such an approach is reflected in their GCSE and A level results, with 15 students going to Oxford or Cambridge in 2025 and 86% of students receiving grades 9-7 in their GCSEs. Their senior school building even has a state-of-the-art STEAM Tower building, housing chemistry labs, biology labs, an art room and a textiles room. They also have a spacious senior library. Sixth form students are further equipped with their own sixth form space which includes a common room, reading room, café and gym.

Wimbledon High’s sports offerings are strong with a dedicated astro pitch, 6 tennis courts and a sports pavilion at Nursery Road Sports Ground. The girls can develop other interests beyond the classroom, with over 100 different clubs on offer, including a Model United Nations society.

After the boys’ school failed, it was re-created as a girls’ school in 1905 and has thrived ever since. A modern on-site sports centre and music facilities have been added in the last 20 years to bolster the school’s strong co-curricular offering. It is known for its embrace of diversity in the student body – both in terms of background and approaches to learning – as well as cultivating a sense of civic responsibility.

Academic results are very strong, and sixth-form students have the choice between the IB and A Levels. In 2025, a large number of girls went on to leading UK universities; Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Edinburgh and Durham.

Notting Hill and Ealing High School

Girls, ages 4-18
Ealing

Notting Hill and Ealing High School is another academic gem that is part of the GDST group and is situated a 20-minute walk away from Ealing station.

Students are offered an array of 150 interesting and adventurous clubs including a horrible histories club, an informatics Olympiad club, Taekwondo, Yoga and kickboxing. Their drama department, housed in a 360 drama studio, offers a unique opportunity known as ‘Backstage pass’, which allows the girls in all years to get involved in all technical, as well as production aspects of theatre.

Each year the school encourages their students to challenge themselves beyond the classroom by researching, designing and writing a range of magazines. These are on subjects in history, art and writing, science and psychology that explore a specific topic in depth.

Their 2025 leavers went on to prominent UK, European and American universities including; Durham, Edinburgh, UCL, Bath, Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge, Universidad Europea Madrid and NYU. 54 % of these were for STEM related courses. In regards to their 2025 GCSE results, 93 % of students received grades 9-7.

Lady Eleanor Holles School

Girls, ages 7- 18
Hampton 

Set across 24 acres, Lady Eleanor Holles School (LEH) is a leading all-girls independent school in southwest London. The school is highly selective and renowned for their excellent GCSE and A level results. Their 2025 cohort witnessed a 75% A*-A A level pass rate, alongside a 93% grade 9-7 pass rate for GCSEs.

In addition to their exceptional GCSEs and A level results, LEH offers continuity from ages 7 without the pressure of the 11+. LEH’s entry points are at year 3, year 7 and sixth form. Beyond the curriculum, the senior school offers a club for girls in year 7 to 11 called ‘The 42 Club’, which is compulsory for academic scholars and open to all those interested. The club fosters critical thinking skills, allowing the girls to discuss intellectual topics outside the classroom. ‘Building foundations’ is also central to their curriculum, with various offerings for year 8 girls throughout the year including an oracy programme, a digital detectives module and a problem solving module. Year 11 similarly adopt the mindset of ‘challenging assumptions’, a series of organised lectures that spark intellectual curiosity. Recent topics have included; Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work and Fearless Women in Sport.

Beyond their academic offerings, LEH have great all-round facilities. Their extensive green space accommodates 4 lacrosse pitches, 6 grass tennis courts, 8 outdoor netball courts, a croquet lawn, a sports hall, an activity studio, an indoor swimming pool and a strength and conditioning suite.

North London Collegiate School

Girls, ages 4-18
Edgware

Colloquially known as NLCS, North London Collegiate School has always been one of the leading names in girls’ schools for many years. Founded in 1850 by the visionary Frances Mary Buss, who subsequently founded Camden School for Girls in 1871, the school still reflects her belief that education should be ambitious, inclusive and empowering.

Girls can join in the junior school, the senior school and the sixth form. There is a short six-month window to register your daughter for the senior school, May to November the year prior to entry. Written entrance papers are sat in early December with interviews and scholarship trials in January. With roughly 70 places available each year for external candidates, entry is highly competitive.

The school is known for its academic focus; however, the girls attending do not feel this pressure, as they enjoy all the open space at Canons and the enormous array of enrichment opportunities on offer. The girls organise over 100 student-led clubs and societies each year, directing contemporary theatre pieces and writing academic journals. Innovation in STEAM alongside the school’s Ideas Hub, promotes girls into fields where women have previously been underrepresented.

The school benefits from the support of the ONLA, the alumnae group, with regular events, visiting speakers to support post-school options, networking, mentorship and professional connections worldwide.

Their 2025 leavers achieved an average score of 42.94 in their IB, placing them as the second highest performing IB school in the world and best in the country. Their A level results were also impressive, with 96.1% receiving grades A*- B.

Wellbeing is a focus, with a counselling department run by qualified counsellors with extensive experience. Hampstead Heath, Mile End Stadium, and the Barbican highwalks provide external sports grounds and running tracks for the girls, though with two on-site tennis courts, an all-weather pitch, a gymnasium, a fitness suite, a dance studio and their own pool, sports is a strong part of the school’s identity. Girls can join almost 140 different clubs such as the Japanese Pen-Pal Exchange, the Chocolate Biscuit Club, Chess and the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

The school boasts excellent results at GCSE and A Level, with leavers going on to highly-regarded Universities such as Edinburgh, Oxbridge, UCL, Warwick and Durham. In 2025, 10 students went on to Oxford and 10 went to Cambridge.

High-quality facilities include a swimming pool, 22 acres of outdoor sports pitches, a music centre, theatre and state-of-the-art teaching block. JAGS was named London Independent School of the Year in 2024 by the Sunday Times and in 2025, a fifth of students received three A*s or more in their A levels.

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