Richmond upon Thames’s best secondary schools 2026

Trying to find the right school for your child in Richmond upon Thames? You’re in the right place.

With so many options, many parents find themselves drowning in league tables and Ofsted reports. That’s exactly why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Our expert team has analysed the latest 2024/2025 Department for Education data to bring you a list of the top-performing state secondary schools in Richmond upon Thames.

We show two ranking tables, one for Progress 8 and one for GCSE 9–7 results, and also provide a complete list of all secondary schools in Richmond upon Thames. This full list includes Progress 8 scores, GCSE 9–7 percentages, and Ofsted ratings where available. The schools in this table are ordered alphabetically rather than ranked, so you can easily see every school in one place, even if some data points are missing.

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Top secondary schools in Richmond upon Thames by GCSE % 9–7

St Paul's School in Barnes is currently ranked #1 in Richmond upon Thames based on the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7. This measure highlights how many pupils achieve the very top exam results, giving a clear picture of each school’s academic excellence.

RankSchool nameTypeGenderProgress 8GCSE 9-7%Ofsted ᐧ Quality of educationOfsted ᐧ Behaviour & attitudesOfsted ᐧ Personal developmentOfsted ᐧ Leadership & management
1St Paul's SchoolOther independent schoolBoys-95.8%----
2Hampton SchoolOther independent schoolBoys-92.4%----
3Lady Eleanor Holles SchoolOther independent schoolGirls-91.9%----
4The Harrodian SchoolOther independent schoolMixed-76.8%----
5Radnor HouseOther independent schoolMixed-64.7%----
6St Catherine's SchoolOther independent schoolGirls-60.1%----
7Hampton Court HouseOther independent schoolMixed-56%----
8The Royal Ballet SchoolOther independent schoolMixed-55.8%----
9Waldegrave SchoolAcademy converterMixed-52.8%----
10Orleans Park SchoolAcademy converterMixed-50%----
11Grey Court SchoolAcademy converterMixed-48%----
12St Richard Reynolds Catholic High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-43.7%----
13Christ's Church of England Comprehensive Secondary SchoolVoluntary aided schoolMixed-42.2%----
14Richmond Park AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-37.4%----
15Teddington SchoolAcademy converterMixed-37%GoodGoodGoodGood
16Turing House SchoolFree schoolsMixed-33.2%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
17The Richmond upon Thames SchoolFree schoolsMixed-20.9%GoodGoodOutstandingGood
18Twickenham SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-20.1%GoodGoodGoodGood
19Hampton HighAcademy sponsor ledMixed-15.7%GoodGoodGoodGood
20Capella House SchoolFree schools specialMixed-0%GoodOutstandingOutstandingGood
21Clarendon SchoolAcademy special converterMixed-0%----

Note: Rankings use 2024/2025 CSP data for state-funded schools and may not reflect recent changes, check school websites for the latest information.

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All secondary schools in Richmond upon Thames

Below is the complete list of secondary schools in Richmond upon Thames, including both state-funded and independent schools where data is available. This table provides an at-a-glance view of each school’s key performance metrics, including Progress 8 scores, the percentage of GCSE grades awarded at 9–7, and Ofsted ratings, where published.

School nameTypeGenderProgress 8GCSE 9-7%Ofsted ᐧ Quality of educationOfsted ᐧ Behaviour & attitudesOfsted ᐧ Personal developmentOfsted ᐧ Leadership & management
Capella House SchoolFree schools specialMixed-0%GoodOutstandingOutstandingGood
Christ's Church of England Comprehensive Secondary SchoolVoluntary aided schoolMixed-42.2%----
Clarendon SchoolAcademy special converterMixed-0%----
Grey Court SchoolAcademy converterMixed-48%----
Hampton Court HouseOther independent schoolMixed-56%----
Hampton HighAcademy sponsor ledMixed-15.7%GoodGoodGoodGood
Hampton SchoolOther independent schoolBoys-92.4%----
King's House SchoolOther independent schoolMixed------
Lady Eleanor Holles SchoolOther independent schoolGirls-91.9%----
Newland House SchoolOther independent schoolMixed------
Orleans Park SchoolAcademy converterMixed-50%----
Radnor HouseOther independent schoolMixed-64.7%----
Richmond Park AcademyAcademy sponsor ledMixed-37.4%----
Seva Education TwickenhamOther independent special schoolMixed------
St Catherine's SchoolOther independent schoolGirls-60.1%----
St Paul's SchoolOther independent schoolBoys-95.8%----
St Richard Reynolds Catholic High SchoolAcademy converterMixed-43.7%----
Strathmore SchoolAcademy special converterMixed------
Teddington SchoolAcademy converterMixed-37%GoodGoodGoodGood
The German SchoolOther independent schoolMixed------
The Harrodian SchoolOther independent schoolMixed-76.8%----
The Richmond upon Thames SchoolFree schoolsMixed-20.9%GoodGoodOutstandingGood
The Royal Ballet SchoolOther independent schoolMixed-55.8%----
The Swedish SchoolOther independent schoolMixed------
Tower House SchoolOther independent schoolBoys------
Turing House SchoolFree schoolsMixed-33.2%OutstandingOutstandingOutstandingOutstanding
Twickenham Preparatory SchoolOther independent schoolMixed------
Twickenham SchoolAcademy sponsor ledMixed-20.1%GoodGoodGoodGood
Waldegrave SchoolAcademy converterMixed-52.8%----

Source

Disclaimer

All data on this page is sourced from the Department for Education’s 2024/2025 Compare School Performance dataset. It includes state-funded and, where available, independent secondary schools. Please note that Progress 8 scores were not published by the DfE for the 2024/25 academic year, as this cohort did not have Key Stage 2 prior attainment data due to pandemic-related assessment cancellations.

Some schools may also be missing data for GCSE 9–7 results or Ofsted ratings due to unpublished or unavailable figures. Rankings are based only on schools with published data and may not reflect recent changes. Please check school websites for the latest information.

How we ranked the best schools in Richmond upon Thames?

Why trust our rankings? Our analysis is based on the latest 2024/2025 data from the Department for Education’s Compare School Performance (CSP) database, which publishes official performance data for all secondary schools in England, including both state-funded and independent schools where available.

We’ve created separate tables to highlight top performers in three key areas:

  • Progress 8 (pupil progress from KS2 to GCSE)
  • GCSE 9–7 grades (academic excellence)
  • Overall school listings, with available Ofsted ratings

Schools are primarily ranked by their Progress 8 score. This clever metric doesn’t just reward schools with high-attaining intakes – it highlights the ones that genuinely support student growth by measuring progress from the end of primary school to GCSEs. It adjusts for prior attainment, making it one of the fairest ways to compare schools.

Where available, we also show the percentage of GCSE grades at 9–7 to reflect high academic achievement, and Ofsted ratings for added context. All figures come directly from CSP’s official dataset.

Where Progress 8 data is not available for any schools in Richmond upon Thames, the corresponding table will not be shown. This simply means that no schools in this area had published Progress 8 scores at the time of the latest dataset, it does not reflect on the quality of the schools themselves.

How to support your child at home

Helping your child succeed at school doesn’t just happen in the classroom, the right support at home can make a big difference. Encourage a regular study routine, provide a quiet space for learning, and take an interest in what they’re covering in lessons. Even small actions, like checking in on homework or discussing what they learned that day, can build motivation and accountability.

If you’re looking for extra structure, our GCSE Revision Resources are designed to make studying easier. With expert-written notes, topic-by-topic exam questions, and mark schemes, your child can practise exactly what they need to know, when they need to know it.

Boosting confidence before exams

Confidence can make a huge difference to exam performance. Start by helping your child identify their strengths and weaknesses, then focus revision time on areas that need improvement. Practising under timed conditions can reduce exam-day nerves, while celebrating small wins along the way builds self-belief.

Our GCSE Exam Practice pages include hundreds of past-paper style questions and worked solutions, so students can walk into their exams knowing exactly what to expect. By building familiarity with the question styles and formats, they’ll feel prepared and ready to perform at their best.

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FAQs - best secondary schools in Richmond upon Thames

Based on the latest Department for Education CSP data, the highest-rated secondary school in Richmond upon Thames is St Paul's School by GCSE 9–7 results. In the case of an exact tie across these measures, the first school in alphabetical order is shown here. For full details and to compare all schools, please refer to the performance tables above.
No. This guide covers state-funded secondary schools only, including grammar, comprehensive, academy, and free schools. Independent/private schools are not included in our rankings.
Applications are usually managed by Richmond upon Thames local authority. You can find deadlines, admissions policies, and catchment area maps on the council’s official website.
Use Ofsted inspection reports, the Department for Education’s CSP performance tables, and our rankings to compare schools side by side. Visit schools during open days for first-hand impressions.
A Progress 8 score above 0 means students make better progress than the national average. Scores above +0.5 indicate well above average progress, while top-performing secondary schools typically achieve +0.7 or higher. The best schools in Richmond upon Thames consistently score above +0.8.

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