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{{Use British English|date=November 2011}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2016}}
'''Thomas's London Day Schools''' (also known as '''Thomas's Preparatory Schools'''
'''Thomas’s Senior School'''
==History==
Thomas's was founded in 1971 when Joanna Thomas, an actress and mother of three young children, started the Ranelagh Kindergarten in a Pimlico church hall (now Thomas's Kindergarten, [[Pimlico]]). Six years later, the success of the Kindergarten and the strong demand for London day schools of quality encouraged David Thomas, a former [[Brigade of Gurkhas|Gurkha Regiment]] officer, to join his wife in founding a school for older children. Following the acquisition of a building in [[Cadogan Gardens]] in 1977, the "Kensington Court Lower School" came into being with two teachers and 11 pupils. In less than four years the school, now named "Thomas's", had over 200 children. Demand for places continued to increase and, in response, Thomas's expanded in 1981 into two buildings in Cottesmore Gardens, just south of Kensington Gardens, to create Thomas's, Kensington. The buildings are of the Victorian era.
By the end of 1989 the Preparatory School at Cadogan Gardens needed more space and in August 1990 the freehold was acquired of the former [[Sir Walter St John's School]] in Battersea. The school, which became Thomas's, Battersea, moved to its extensive new premises in October 1990 and the leasehold buildings in Cadogan Gardens were sold. In September 1992 Thomas's Kindergarten, Battersea was started in the crypt of St Mary's Church. At the end of 1992, with an increasing demand for places, the freehold was secured of the former Walsingham School, previously Clapham County Girls' School, in Broomwood Road and the new Thomas's, Clapham opened in September 1993.
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In September 1995, David and Joanna Thomas's two sons, Tobyn and Ben, were appointed Principals, having worked in the schools for a number of years. In June 1998, a charitable foundation was formed. The aims of the charity, Thomas's Schools Foundation, are to assist certain parents financially with the education of their children and to run local community projects. In 1999, David and Joanna Thomas retired from active management of the schools, which are now run by Tobyn and Ben. Ben is also Headmaster of Thomas's, Battersea. In 2000 and 2001, a £4m construction programme was carried out to enhance the facilities at Thomas's, Clapham and Thomas's, Battersea. In 2002, an opportunity arose to improve Thomas's, Kensington through the acquisition of a nearby school, Lady Eden's. Lady Eden's was closed in Summer 2002 and its buildings converted to become the Lower School of Thomas's, Kensington. The existing buildings in Cottesmore Gardens were extensively refurbished and now house the Preparatory School. The premises of Thomas's, Kensington are freehold.
In 2004, Thomas's acquired a long lease on the buildings formerly owned by the London Institute for the Chelsea College of Art and Design in Hugon Road, Fulham. The school, which overlooks [[South Park, Fulham]], was built from 1892 and could educate 1,200 children. The buildings have {{convert|35000|sqft|m2}} and are set on a {{convert|1|acre|m2|adj=on}} site. A £1.3m refurbishment programme by the landlords commenced in January 2005 and Thomas's, Fulham opened in September 2005 as a co-educational preparatory school for children from 4 to 11 years old.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thomas-s.co.uk/history.html |title=
In 2019 Thomas’s acquired a school site in [[Putney Vale]] from [[Hall School Wimbledon]] to provide further teaching space for all four Thomas’s preparatory schools
In 2020 Thomas's Battersea was recognized by [[The Schools Index]] as one of the world's 100 leading schools and one of top 10 prep schools in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gulliver |first=Beth |date=2022-10-03 |title=Prince George and Princess Charlotte's schools named in list of world's best |url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/uk-world-news/royal-family-prince-george-princess-25165736 |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=My London |language=en}}</ref>
In April 2023, the group appointed Oakley Capital as an investor to finance developments across its sites.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Cahill |first=Helen |title=Prince George's old school gets financial backing from private equity house Oakley |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/prince-georges-old-school-gets-financial-backing-from-private-equity-house-hzfhntn3j |access-date=2023-04-19 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Oakley took a minority equity stake in the company.<ref name=":1" />
== School culture ==
The school is known for its music and arts programme. The school employs a team of chefs who prepare a diverse menu of [[Vegan school meal|vegan]], vegetarian, fish, gluten-free and dairy options.<ref>{{Cite web|last=King|first=Lorraine|date=2019-09-21|title=Inside George and Charlotte's school - with private chauffeurs and vegan menus|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/inside-george-charlottes-royal-school-20136211|access-date=2021-11-15|website=mirror|language=en}}</ref> The meals are nut-free and minimise salt and sugar. Examples of lunches include chicken and chorizo jambalaya,
They are moving the Putney Vale site to a new location in Richmond.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NappyValleyNet |first=Annabel |date=27 February 2024 |title=LOOKING FOR SOME ADVICE FOR THOMAS'S PUTNEY VALE |url=https://nappyvalleynet.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=130947&sid=d09de5f009ae696e5993331196388b9e |access-date=26 February 2024 |website=NappyValleyNet}}</ref>
== Royal connections ==
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=== Security concerns ===
A few days before Prince George began attending the school, local resident Sarah Burnett-Moore pointed out security concerns by filming herself walking into and around the school without being challenged.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Flood|first=Rebecca|date=4 September 2017|title=Security scare at Prince George's
In October 2017, [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State]] supporter Husnain Rashid posted a photograph of Prince George along with his school's address, a silhouette of a jihad fighter and the message: "Even the royal family will not be left alone" in a [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] chat group.<ref>{{Cite news|date=23 May 2018|title=Islamic State supporter called for Prince George terror attack, court told|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-44222753|access-date=18 January 2021}}</ref> Rashid was later given a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years for his actions in July 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|date=13 July 2018|title=Man who urged Prince George attack given life sentence|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-44825047|access-date=18 January 2021}}</ref>
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== Notable students ==
Current:
* [[Princess Charlotte of Cambridge]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kirsty.Oram|date=22 February 2016|title=Princess Charlotte|url=https://www.royal.uk/princess-charlotte|access-date=18 January 2021|website=The Royal Family|language=en}}</ref> ▼
* [[Prince George of Cambridge]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kirsty.Oram|date=22 February 2016|title=Prince George|url=https://www.royal.uk/prince-george|access-date=18 January 2021|website=The Royal Family|language=en}}</ref>▼
* Miss Maud Windsor, daughter of [[Lord Frederick Windsor]]<ref name=":0" />
Former:
▲* [[Princess Charlotte of Cambridge]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kirsty.Oram|date=22 February 2016|title=Princess Charlotte|url=https://www.royal.uk/princess-charlotte|access-date=18 January 2021|website=The Royal Family|language=en}}</ref>
▲* [[Prince George of Cambridge]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kirsty.Oram|date=22 February 2016|title=Prince George|url=https://www.royal.uk/prince-george|access-date=18 January 2021|website=The Royal Family|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Cara Delevingne]]<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Hans|first=Gursimran|date=6 January 2020|title=Cambridge Schooling: Shock Friday change George and Charlotte made revealed|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1224119/Prince-George-news-Princess-Charlotte-royal-school-vegetarian-Veganuary-food|access-date=18 January 2021|website=Express.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Florence Welch]]<ref name=":2" />
==References==
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[[Category:Preparatory schools in London]]
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