Private & Independent Prep School Richmond upon Thames
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Opportunities for

Every Boy

Opportunities to

Grow in Confidence

Opportunities to

Explore

Opportunities to

Make Lifelong Friends

Opportunities to

Discover Passions

Opportunities to

Develop Skills

Tower House School

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Welcome to

Tower House School

Learning is life's greatest adventure and at Tower House School we want every boy to arrive each day with a sense of joy, excitement and wonder at what lies ahead.

School should be fun and our innovative and creative curriculum, relaxed and happy ethos and excellent teachers offer just that, in and beyond the classroom. We want our boys to find what they love and to feel inspired to explore those areas with open hearts and minds. This can happen because of our strong commitment to each individual and the school's uniquely supportive environment, in which all boys feel valued and able to contribute on a daily basis.  

What makes Tower House Special?

  • Small & Personal

    Limited class sizes and single form entry leads to a unique, nurturing and incredibly friendly environment where every boy is valued and the whole community knows and supports each other.

  • Individual Focus

    We pride ourselves on finding an Opportunity for Every Boy. No child gets left behind in or out of the classroom and we are totally committed to supporting each boy to achieve their best, nurture their character and celebrate where their passions lie.

  • Independent Spirit

    As a not-for-profit Charitable Trust, we make every decision for the benefit of the boys in the school; an increasingly rare privilege.

  • Strong Links to OVS

    We are proud that our close collaboration with the Old Vicarage School in Richmond enables our boys to work and socialise with girls as they grow up, leading to a healthy understanding of how positive and happy relationships are formed, whilst also ensuring that our boys are challenged with different perspectives and views of the world. Tower House and Old Vicarage are close friends sharing the best of both worlds for our pupils and their families.

  • Small & Personal
  • Individual Focus
  • Independent Spirit
  • Strong Links to OVS

Tower House in Numbers

  • Scholarships

  • Location

  • Facilities

  • Music

  • Transport

  • ICT

  • Sport

  • Awards

  • Scholarships background image

    25%Scholarships

    We are proud of the breadth and depth of our scholarships, with 25% of our Year 8 class receiving awards in 2024.

  • Location background image

    6 Location

    Situated 6 miles from Central London on the edge of Richmond Park, THS has access to excellent public transport links into Waterloo and Clapham Junction.

  • Facilities background image

    200Facilities

    With seating for 200, the new Evans Hall is a fantastic space for drama productions, assemblies, sport and clubs.

  • Music background image

    80%Music

    80% of pupils learn an instrument at THS, and we are proud of the range of lessons available to our students. This breadth and depth enables a range of ensembles including a full Orchestra, Swing Band, Woodwind Band and two Rock Bands!

  • Transport background image

    2Transport

    Two daily bus routes from Barnes and Putney are available each morning to help our families with transport to school.

  • ICT background image

    40ICT

    As well as a fully equipped ICT suite, THS also has 40 laptops and tablets available for use in the Junior and Senior School classrooms.

  • Sport background image

    100%Sport

    All boys from Year 3 to Year 8 are given frequent opportunities to represent THS in competitive matches against local schools.

  • Awards background image

    1Awards

    THS are the proud winners of the 2023 Talk Education Award for Innovation in Education in Creative and Performing Arts. We are also the Finalists for the 2023 Independent School of the Year Award in Performing Arts.

Tower House Stories

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    The History of Tower House

    • The Sheen School Of Music

      1931

      The Sheen School Of Music

      Prior to being founded in 1931, Tower House was known as The Sheen School of Music. The original building on Sheen Lane, still part of the school today with the recognisable 'Tower' can be seen in this photograph with its surrounding gardens.

    • Over 90 Years of History

      1932

      Over 90 Years of History

      Tower House has been an all-boys, Independent Prep School for over 90 years, with just three boys being enrolled in its first year of opening. Our first Head was George Frederick Edwards B.A. (Hons). Music continued to be taught at the school, along with the other academic subjects such as maths, English, Latin and science.

    • The Blue Striped Blazer

      1935

      The Blue Striped Blazer

      Tower House School grew quickly over the coming years. The iconic blue striped blazer still used today was introduced as part of the school uniform in the mid-1930s. Even 90 years ago the blazer included the embroidered Tower motif which remains unchanged on the blazers today.

    • Day Pupils & Boarding School

      1937

      Day Pupils & Boarding School

      By 1937, there were 53 day pupils and four boarders aged 8 – 13 who slept in a dormitory at the top of the main Tower House building. The teaching part of the school consisted of three classrooms, a large assembly room and three music rooms.

    • A History of Sport

      1950s

      A History of Sport

      Sport has always been an integral part of life at Tower House. Since the 1950s the school secured use of the Bank of England pitches as its home ground (now known as the Wimbledon Qualifying Community Sports Centre). From this time the major sports of football, rugby and cricket have been played competitively against a range of local and national schools.

    • Junior School Opened

      1958

      Junior School Opened

      In 1958 the Junior School was opened, admitting boys from the age of 5. By the end of the decade, a laboratory, library and carpenter’s shed had been added to the school, which now taught over 100 boys as day students.

    • THS Evolves

      1990s

      THS Evolves

      In the mid-1990s the Tower House logo was redesigned to include the school moto, ‘In Bono Vince’. The school also started making plans to build a new hall on the site of the old playground and bike shed. Up to this point, the boys had a small assembly room and the new hall would act as a gymnasium and a large space for whole school assemblies.

    • Further Development

      2000s

      Further Development

      The last twenty years have seen considerable change at Tower House, firstly in 2002 with the opening of the Townsend Hall, followed 10 years later by a total rebuild of the Junior School to include four classrooms, a changing room, a large art studio with space for a pottery kiln, as well as drama facilities.

    • The Evans Building

      2022

      The Evans Building

      In 2022 the school continued this process of development by doubling its footprint and adding an entirely new building which includes four new Senior classrooms and the multipurpose Evans Hall. With seating for 200, this amazing space is now used for sport, clubs, assemblies and drama productions.

    • Famous Alumni

      Famous Alumni

      Tower House alumni include the writers Louis and Marcel Theroux, the actors Tom Hardy, Robert Pattinson and Rory Kinnear, as well as the news broadcaster Adam Boulton and the comedian Jack Whitehall.

    • New Future

      2023

      New Future

      The new Tower House logo was launched in Autumn 2023 to better reflect the more modern and progressive outlook of the school.

    "I think Tower House is the most perfect school and I am beyond thrilled that we found it. I don't know how the next school will ever live up to our experience."

    Tower House Parent, 2024