Hampton (SW London), good state secondary options?

[greenbubbles2]

wondered if anyone with local knowledge could share their thoughts. Have x2 upper primary (would be y5 and y4 when moving next year) children and looking at Hampton as a possible area to move to. My issue is I can’t work out if we would be near enough to any strong state secondaries (comprehensives) for when that time comes? One thought was we would possibly be within the nodal catchment point for Turing House? But looks like a bit of a stretch and also wondered whether they might change it down the line (increasing Whitton proportion). We have a boy and a girl so would need mixed or both single sex options for both. Private not an option.
Budget wise we are fine for the area but I don’t want to move there and realise we don’t have particularly great state secondaries near us.

To be more specific, looking particularly at the area near Hampton station. East Molesey is lovely but from what I can see, not in the catchment for any strong state secondaries?

Am also obviously aware of selectives like Tiffin but that’s not something one can rely on!

Please let me know if I am totally missing something!

thanks!

Meant to add - fully aware there are no designated catchments, I mean that I am basing it on distance stats of last few years

If you’re in Molesey, there’s Heathside Walton on Thames. Nodal point is in Molesey.

@greenbubbles2 Hampton Station is not in the current catchment of Turing House - it used to be, when the school was new and in temporary sites, but after it got its Ofsted reports and permanent site it became more popular. It mainly serves Hampton Hill, the northern end of Teddington and West Twickenham, so if you want to be near a station on that line then Fulwell Station would be a better option for THS.

I doubt THS will ever change their admissions proportions - the reasons for having them are clearly stated on their website and haven't changed - it would badly impact Twickenham School admissions if they increased the Whitton proportion. They have already published their 2027 policy with no change to proportions.

If you stick with Hampton, then Hampton High is the local state school. You also have a chance of getting into Teddington School from there, and Twickenham School is an option too. Check out the last 3 years distances on the LA website here: https://5f2fe3253cd1dfa0d089-bf8b2cdb6a1dc2999fecbc372702016c.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/uploads/ckeditor/attachments/18403/National_Offer_Day__NOD__distance_offers_and_final_distance_offers_for_last_three_years.pdf

Numbers transferring from year 6 have passed their peak so in theory it should get easier, but the borough gets a lot of movers in and cross-border applications.

If you're a CofE churchgoer then there is Bishop Wand (which I read is also starting to prioritise children from St. Mary's Hampton because they're in the same academy trust). If you're Catholic, then there is St. Paul's in Sunbury. Also, check out Thamesmead because I believe they have some aptitude-based admissions - possibly performing arts if I recall correctly.

Tiffin (boys) now has a sports aptitude criterion which can help boost chances for sporty boys who also do well in the test.

East Molesey is in the catchment for Esher High, which has served us well. Also has the huge benefit of Esher Sixth Form College as the default which is excellent.

Esher College also gives priority admission to young people from Richmond borough secondaries which don't have their own sixth form, i.e. Hampton High, Twickenham School and the Richmond upon Thames School.

Thanks so much for the replies! Food for thought!

Teddington school is your best choice but your child will have to travel changing buses
This is assuming that your are not Catholic because if you are and you will have certificate of church attendance you may get to St Paul's Sunbury and you have a direct bus/train there or St Richard Reynolds.

Turing school and Waldergrave- all depends on the specific year. Now there is less kids

Agree with @BlueMoonIceCream, being Catholic is an advantage in the Hampton station area. The house prices in Hampton are lower than other surrounding areas due to the secondary school options and slow train to London.

Also, check out Thamesmead because I believe they have some aptitude-based admissions - possibly performing arts if I recall correctly.

@merryexmas no, not at all. It is an average state school but Hampton is outside of catchment. My son's buddy attends Thamesmead.

and looking at Hampton as a possible area to move to.

@greenbubbles2 My advice would be to move to Hampton Hill or South Twickenham, West Teddington, You will be then in catchment for Turing and Waldergrave ( if you have a girl). If you move to Twickenham then as long as you are before Twickenham Green and closer to Richmond ( looking from the perspective of Hampton) then you will be in the catchment for Orlean Park.

If you move near Teddington Lock you will be in catchment to GreyCourt, Turing and Waldergrave

In Teddington ward, Hampton, Hampton Hill you are incatchment for St Paul's. For Richard Reynolds - all parishes within Richmond but your child needs to be baptised and you need to attend catholic church

@BlueMoonIceCream Some "average" state schools have aptitude-based admissions, and Thamesmead is one of them. This is from their Sept 2026 admissions policy:

"4.Performing Arts
Thamesmead School will offer up to a maximum of 10% of admissions on aptitude in performing arts, i.e. maximum of 21 places being offered under Drama and/or Music in the September 2026 Year 7 intake. Applicants will be prioritised by a score system following aptitude testing. If you are applying for your child under Drama and/or Music you must complete a Year 7 Performing Arts Supplementary Application Form and return it to the school by 12 noon on Friday 10th October 2025 at the latest indicating which subject or subjects you are applying under. This is in addition to completing the Local Authority Application Form. The Supplementary Application Form can be found on the School’s website or obtained from the School Office. Your child will be invited into the School to take part in aptitude test/s on Tuesday 14th October 2025 (Drama) or Wednesday 15th October 2025 (Music). Parents will be notified of the result of the aptitude test/s in advance of the closing date for completing the Local Authority Application Form. NB: Children who attend aptitude tests in both subjects of Drama and Music, and who achieve high ranking scores, will be offered a place under the subject in which they achieved the highest score. Should children achieve the same high-ranking score in both of the subjects they will be offered a place under the subject they listed as the highest preference on the Supplementary Application Form""

And btw, there is no 'r' in Waldegrave. 🙂

Ah, I see — 2026 admissions. That explains it, because this wasn’t the case before. Perhaps Thamesmead school is planning to become an arts school, and that’s how it was allowed to do the aptitude test. I don’t mean “average” in any pejorative sense; I simply mean that it’s an ok school just like many other schools in the area.

But from Hampton the journey is definitely too complicated, involving two rather slow buses (the 216 and then the 555) and in the traffic it would be around 1 hour, or alternatively paying for a train journey of about 30 minutes and walk. That is providing that somebody lives just by the Hampton station. My son's buddy lives near that school and my son visits him taking that journey.

Yes, I keep making that mistake with Waldegrave - sorry. 70 percent of girls from my son's primary went there.

Thanks for all these replies, much appreciated! I think we are rethinking location

Thamesmead has had that specialism and admission priority for very long time - there are references online going back to at least 2010. I only referenced 2026 because it is the current policy.

Its only 10% though.

I mentioned it because I know some families from Hampton apply for it.

@merryexmas Interesting. The family that we know moved to Shepperton fron Hampton in year 6. They were not mentioning art/ drama focus but simply maybe because the mentioned boy is not into arts. More of a sporty type.
I guess that kid you know goes via train? My son is attending St Pauls and 216 bus is way too slow so he takes a bus from St Clares Sainsbury's and then walks.

Yep, the Hampton train line goes to Shepperton. It also goes to Hampton Wick (for Teddington School) and Kingston (for Tiffin).

:) I know, I live in Hampton Hill. There is a walk from the Sunbury train station to St Paul's so it is easier to take the 290 for for my son. And it is free unlike trains. We were not considering Tiffin as it is boys only school..