Twickenham’s high street has just received a serious dose of rock ’n’ roll. The UK’s first ever School of Rock has finally opened its doors, transforming the old Barclays bank site into a buzzing hub of music, creativity for young people and real career opportunities for local talent.
The SoR London isn’t just about teaching kids to play the guitar or belt out anthems. It’s about giving local people (children and adults) a stage to shine, instructors to earn a living, and inspire the next generation of rockstars from an area deep-rooted in music history.
Matias Puga-Hamilton, an entrepreneur and drummer enthusiastic who’s already successfully launched 24 School of Rock franchises across Latin America, is leading the charge. His plan? To create 20–30 jobs in Twickenham in the first year alone, from guitar pros and drum dynamos to behind-the-scenes heroes. And it doesn’t stop there. The SoR UK has ambitious plans to expand to more schools in 2026, with a long-term vision of opening 50 schools nationwide.
Matias Puga, the UK School of Rock Franchisor, says:
“Music is an international language that has the power to change lives positively, no matter where you’re from. The powerful transformation School of Rock inspired in my daughters when they were enrolled as students is what drove me to bring this concept to my home country of Chile in the first place, and I’ve since had the honour of witnessing that impact on an increasingly global scale,” said Puga-Hamilton. “I’m eager to continue making a difference, and what better place to do so next than in the birthplace of so much of the music that we celebrate and use to educate our students around the world to this day”
And it’s not just about jobs, it’s about building a local creative community. Instructors will mentor students learning music through performing. Stage crews and lighting techs will get paid gigs through partnerships with different local venues. Councillor James Chard has already called it a win for “employment and positive cultural activity for the area.”
Twickenham has always had a musical soul, from The Who smashing it at Eel Pie Island to today’s buzzing local gigs. Now, School of Rock London is turning up the volume, giving local youngsters the chance to live their passion while helping the community thrive.
