WHAT? WHERE?

A co-ed, non-selective day rep for 210 pupils aged 2-11 years, The Roche School sits in residential Wandsworth and has been family-run since its founding in 1983. It began in founder Carmen Roche’s own home with a clear aim: to offer a thorough education in a home-like setting. More than four decades later, that founding spirit still shapes the place.

Both founders remain closely involved in school life and their daughter Sophie now teaches here, having played a key role in developing The Roche School’s Spanish immersion programme (more on that shortly). In 2025, the school’s international focus was formally recognised with the British Council International School Award.

Physically, The Roche School feels more bustling townhouse than a glossy corporate Prep. Corridors are busy, artwork covers the walls, and the trophy cabinet is conspicuously full. It’s lively rather than hushed, and children are chatty and confident without feeling stage-managed. During our visit, two assured Y6 pupils led the tour – proud of their school and perfectly at ease doing so.

FACILITIES

SPORT

Netball is the headline act. The Roche School qualified for the U11 National Netball Finals, and represented the borough at the London Youth Games in 2025, returning with silver medals, and has been Wandsworth Borough Champions for 12 consecutive years – an impressive run by any standard. To add to that, the school has won the London Youth Games for netball in March 2026! This is a school that clearly takes its netball seriously.

Football has strengthened in recent years, rugby remains solid, and clubs such as dodgeball and parkour widen the sporting offer. While there’s plenty of silverware, the emphasis isn’t purely on performance. Participation is encouraged, and competition is framed as something to enjoy rather than fear – though the results suggest there’s real depth in the squads.

CREATIVE & PERFORMING ARTS

The arts are a genuine strength. Every pupil performs in an annual year-group production, and Y5 pupils can opt into the Coram Shakespeare Festival to perform on a professional stage.

With 22% of pupils taking instrumental lessons, music here is steady rather than dominant – but it’s woven thoughtfully into school life. Productions, choirs and informal performance slots mean pupils who want to perform can, while those still finding their confidence are gently encouraged along the way.

Art is where The Roche School really shines. In 2025, four pupils were selected from over 22,000 entries to exhibit at the Royal Academy Young Artists’ Summer Exhibition — no small feat — and art scholarships to senior schools are common.

SCHOOL

The school operates across three nearby sites: the main building (Nursery to Y4), Hilden House (5, plus dance studio and art room) and a dedicated Y6 hub designed to mirror the feel of secondary school. Class sizes sit between 12 and 15, capped at 20.

There’s no appetite here for expansion for expansion’s sake. Growth is about improving facilities rather than increasing numbers, and the family feel remains intact. The main site feels well-used and characterful. The library is slightly ramshackle in the best way – full of well-thumbed favourites rather than decorative shelving. Classrooms are bright and busy.

There are two computing suites, iPads are used for research and filming, and there are plans to reintroduce Bunsen burners as part of developing a dedicated science lab.

Outdoor space on site is limited – this is urban Wandsworth after all – but pupils regularly use Wandsworth Park. Enrichment is a strong counterbalance: weekly timetabled activities include Forest School on Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park, climbing, drama, cookery and gardening, each running for a full half term so pupils can properly develop skills.

LITTLIES

Nursery runs across two sites – the main campus and Keswick House Nursery just down the road, which benefits from more outdoor space.

Early Years is Montessori-inspired and child-led, with a clear focus on independence and confidence. Staff work closely with Reception to ensure a smooth transition into “big school”, with familiar routines and faces easing the move.

ACADEMICS

The Roche School is non-selective, but it is academically ambitious. In 2025, Y5 mathematicians beat 23 other schools to win the King’s Cayley Maths Challenge at King’s College, Wimbledon – a sign that academic stretch is very much part of the culture.

Preparation for 11+ is structured and consistent rather than crammed. A dedicated and experienced 11+ teacher offers targeted support and extension where needed, and transition to Senior school is treated as more than just exam prep – pupils are coached in organisation, independence and managing multiple teachers. Results are strong, with over a third of Y6 pupils securing scholarships in 2025 across a range of disciplines.

In Y6, 100% of pupils gained a place at their target senior school and 37% of Year 6 pupils earned an academic scholarship at 11+.

The most distinctive academic feature is The Roche School’s Spanish immersion pathway, which has seen its uptake reach an all-time high. It’s optional, woven into the curriculum rather than bolted on, and aims for pupils to sit a recognised DELE qualification by the end of Y6. By Y2, children are writing letters in Spanish, and assemblies are partly bilingual. The programme is supported by the Spanish Embassy and forms part of a UCL research project, with academic outcomes tracking alongside English-only pupils. It’s ambitious and unusual at this level.

SEND

Around 20% of pupils receive some form of additional support at any given time, which reflects the school’s inclusive approach.

Provision is led by SENDCo Louise Gilmartin and an Assistant SENDCo, supported by seven LSAs, three specialist teachers and eight external therapists. There is in-house dyslexia and dyscalculia expertise, alongside access to speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and counsellors.

Support ranges from structured interventions such as Toe by Toe, Nessy and Lego Therapy to practical tools including reading pens, wobble cushions and Numicon. Provision feels embedded rather than peripheral.

PASTORAL CARE

Pastoral care is visible and structured. A firm favourite with the kids is Room at The Roche – a small hut with a big heart, open daily at break and lunchtime. It’s a calm, welcoming space where children can talk through worries big or small, from friendship fallouts to exam nerves or just a wobbly day.

Pastoral care is overseen by Louise Gilmartin, who also serves as DSL, supported by two deputies and a wider safeguarding team. Peer mentoring adds another layer, with older pupils supporting younger ones. The systems in place feel thought-through rather than reactive.

THE HEAD

Charlotte Doherty became head in September 2025, after 16 years at The Roche School. With a background in psychology, she joined originally as an autism specialist teacher, before being encouraged to train formally as a teacher – an experience she credits with cementing her love of teaching.

Returning to The Roche School, she progressed through roles including Head of Maths, Y6 teacher, Head of 11+, Director of Studies and Deputy Academic. That journey gives her rare insight into children’s development, from early learning through to secondary transfer.

Charlotte’s energy for the role is obvious, but so is her clarity about academic standards. Non-selective but ambitious, she prioritises long-term preparation over exam cramming, and is particularly passionate about placing children well at secondary – focusing on fit, confidence and independence rather than prestige alone.

QUIRKS

The Headteacher’s Tea Party is a charming addition – birthday pupils are invited for cake and conversation with the head. Old-school in the nicest way, and a reminder that in a school of this size, leaders can still know children well.

WRAP AROUND CARE

The Roche School is day-only – but frazzled working parents rejoice, the after school care is excellent The school day runs from 8am-4.30pm, with wrap around care until 6.30pm. Provision is run in-house, and over 30 clubs are available, from modern dance and RAD ballet to astrophysics, chess and film-making.

ISI REPORT

The Roche School’s most recent ISI inspection (Sep 2024) recognised the “emotional wellbeing of pupils is closely monitored by staff” and that staff have “a positive relationship with pupils”. It also noted that pupils from nursery to Y6 are well prepared for learning and life beyond school.

TRANSPORT

Two dedicated minibus routes serve Wandsworth, Wimbledon and Southfields. Wandsworth Town station is a 10-minute walk, East Putney Underground around 12 minutes, and multiple bus routes connect the school to Putney, Fulham, Hammersmith, Wimbledon, Clapham and Battersea.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Smartphones and smartwatches are banned. Internet use is filtered and online safety is explicitly taught.

FEES

Fees for 2025/26 start at £6,055 per term for Nursery, rising to £7,696 for Y3 to Y6, and include VAT (where applicable), stationery and lunches. It’s a little above the average in this neck of the woods, but there’s a lot of individual attention.

WORD ON THE GROUND

The Roche School has a strong Southfields following, with families describing it as grounded and unpretentious. The phrase “private state school” crops up – shorthand for solid facilities and academic ambition without airs and graces.

Parents speak warmly of the inclusive ethos and the willingness to support different learning profiles. The size appeals: children are known individually, and friendships tend to stick. Confident girls by Y6 are mentioned more than once.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR: Families seeking a non-selective but academically ambitious Prep that’s big on languages, has strong pastoral systems and a clear secondary pathway..

NOT FOR: Those after acres of playing fields or a glossy, corporate Prep experience. This is urban, busy and characterful – and proudly so.

DARE TO DISAGREE? There are regular Open Mornings and individual tours are also offered. Find out more here.

The Roche School, 11 Frogmore, Wandsworth, London, SW18 1HW

The Roche School, Wandsworth, London

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