Private School / Kindergarten in London

Thomas´s London Day Schools:
Thomas's London Day Schools are a group of family run, co-educational schools for children from the ages of two and a half to thirteen. We offer first class Kindergarten, Lower, Middle and Upper School education in our preparatory schools throughout London. Thomas's educates over 1,850 children in Battersea, Clapham, Fulham and Kensington, with two Kindergartens, in Battersea and Pimlico. Children are taught from the age of two and a half up to senior school entry at the age of eleven or thirteen. After kindergarten, children join their preparatory schools. Pupils from Thomas's, Kensington and Thomas's, Fulham may transfer to Thomas's, Battersea or Thomas's, Clapham at the age of eleven. In these exploratory years, we offer a broad curriculum covering a wide range of subjects and skills so that by the time they leave us our pupils will have begun to identify individual areas of talent. Our broad curriculum gives the pupils the opportunity to explore a wide range of subjects and skills.

Kindergarten Program:
The aim of the co-educational kindergartens is to nurture the children's desire to learn, experiment, play and to gain independence. The curriculum is designed to foster the emotional, physical, social, intellectual and creative development of each child. During their first year children attend three mornings a week, in their second year, five mornings and they are welcome to join afternoon club activities...

The structure of the curriculum enables the children to learn freely and to choose their own pursuits within clearly defined limits. They are encouraged to use all the materials available: pencils, crayon, paint, dough, clay, sand and water; story and poetry books from the Library Corner; toys in the Home Corner and other toys which encourage motor co-ordination and concentration skills. Montessori equipment is used to develop muscular control and language and number skills. Group times occur regularly throughout the Kindergarten day, giving children the opportunity to listen to others and to express their own ideas. Children are allocated to a key teacher and divided by age into groups of approximately eight. During their first year at the Kindergarten children attend three mornings a week. In their second year this is increased to five mornings and they are welcome to join afternoon club activities.

Lower School:
Our broad curriculum gives the pupils, during their formative years, the opportunity to explore a wide range of subjects and skills. Classes are of mixed ability. In common with our other preparatory schools early learning is in form groups and there is no setting or streaming.

The children are given the best guidance and finest materials in order to foster within them a love of learning and an appreciation of the subjects studied. We prepare children for Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations for entry to their senior schools.

We recognise the education benefits of giving children access to teachers who have a true passion for their subject. French, Music, Drama, Art, Pottery, Ballet and PE are therefore taught by specialist teachers from the children's first day in Reception.

In the Lower School, where children need a focal point, the form teacher takes most academic subjects. In the Preparatory School, however, the children are taught by academic subject specialists at the earliest opportunity.

In sport, every child is given the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of physical activities and to discover the pleasure of winning, the disappointment of defeat and value of participating.

Team games - both inter-school and inter-house - are introduced at an early age to provide a healthy spirit of competition as well as a sense of what it means to be part of a group. Individual skills are fostered in gymnastics, athletics and swimming.

We have always accepted that the most rewarding education for children is achieved through an active partnership between home and school. Great emphasis is placed on the involvement of parents.

Middle School:
At Thomas's, Battersea children join Year 3 in their form groups but they are set for Mathematics. In Year 4 the classes are rearranged to provide new social groupings and in Years 4 and 5 the classes are set for Mathematics.

We aim to ensure that through an active PTA and regular communication between school and home, the needs of the children, the aspirations of their parents and the aims of the Schools are understood and shared.

A system of stars, certificates and showing 'good work' in assembly rewards academic achievement on a regular basis. In addition, open days, speech days, sports days, arts days, drama productions, poetry recitals, Christmas nativities, choral evensongs, declamations, music recitals, ballet performances and gymnastics displays give the children ample opportunity to grow in confidence by displaying their skills and talents to a wider audience.

Upper School:
Year 6 is divided into mixed groups, taught as separate sets, depending on whether children are taking the 11 + or 13 + examination route. Pupils in the Upper School are set, according to ability, in all academic subjects. Scholarship classes are arranged in Year 8. The 13+ Common Entrance Examination taken in Year 8 is for entry into the traditional public schools for boys, for co-educational schools and for a growing number of girls' schools. Traditionally girls proceeding to London day schools take the 11+ entrance examination.

The Common Entrance subjects taught are:
* English
* Mathematics
* Biology
* Chemistry
* Physics
* Classics (Latin & Greek)
* French
* History
* Geography
* Religious Education

In addition we teach the following:

* Art
* Ballet
* Pottery
* Design Technology
* Drama
* Music
* P E
* Pottery
* P.S.H.E.
* ICT

Physical Education:
Sports taught within the curriculum include:

* Athletics
* Cricket
* Cross-Country
* Football
* Gymnastics
* Hockey
* Netball
* Rugby
* Rounders
* Swimming