The school is next to the River Thames and about two-thirds of a mile (1.1 km) from both Strawberry Hill and Twickenham railway stations.

Founded in a large house near Twickenham Green, St Catherine's then moved to Orford Lodge (now demolished) and in 1919 to Pope's Villa, on the site of Alexander Pope's original villa.

They moved out and the school became a charitable trust managed by lay persons in 1992.

It is the only independent Roman Catholic girls' school in the Richmond area and is within the Archdiocese of Westminster.

[3] It remains a Roman Catholic foundation but takes students of all religious affiliations.