Thomas's London Day Schools: Difference between revisions

'''Thomas's London Day Schools''' (also known as '''Thomas's Preparatory Schools''' or simplyand '''Thomas's''') are four [[co-educational]] independent[[Private schools in the United Kingdom|private]] [[Preparatory school (United Kingdom)|preparatory schools]] in London, UK. They are located in [[Kensington]], [[Battersea]], [[Clapham]] and [[Fulham]], as well as a [[kindergarten]] in Battersea.<ref>School Locations {{cite web |url=http://www.thomas-s.co.uk/today.html |title=ArchivedThomas's London Day copySchools |accessdate=18 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207000827/http://www.thomas-s.co.uk/today.html |archivedate=7 December 2008}}</ref> They are a family-run establishment, and have come to be seen as a feeder for major [[Independent School (UK)|British public schools]] such as [[Eton College|Eton]], [[Harrow School|Harrow]], [[Brighton College]], [[Marlborough College|Marlborough]], [[Westminster School|Westminster]], [[Alleyn's School]], [[City of London School|City of London]], [[Dulwich College|Dulwich]], [[Radley College|Radley]], and [[King's College School]].<ref>The Independent – Join the Queue http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20020406/ai_n12621083/pg_2</ref>

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 (armed forces)|Officer]]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 eleven11 pupils. In less than four years the school, now named "Thomas's", had over two hundred200 children. Demand for places continued to increase and, in response to this, 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|Sir Walter St John's Grammar 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 magnificent former Walsingham School, previously Clapham County Girls' School, in Broomwood Road and the new Thomas's, Clapham opened in September 1993.

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, SW6Fulham. The school, which overlooks [[South Park, Fulham]], was built from 1892 and was opened on 29 October 1894 in order tocould 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=ArchivedAbout copyThomas's |accessdate=18 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010310110554/http://www.thomas-s.co.uk/history.html |archivedate=10 March 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Thomas's Battersea|url=http://www.thomas-s.co.uk/Battersea-Home|publisher=2017 © Copyright Thomas's London Day Schools|accessdate=16 September 2017|archive-date=24 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424043007/http://www.thomas-s.co.uk/Battersea-Home|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A few days before Prince George began attending the school, local resident Dr 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 Thomas’sThomas's Battersea school – 'I could have had a bomb'|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/849699/Prince-George-new-school-bomb-security-threat-Thomas-Battersa|access-date=18 January 2021|website=Express.co.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Ward|first=Victoria|date=3 September 2017|title=Prince George's new school in security breach days before term starts|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/03/prince-georges-new-school-security-breach-days-term-starts/|access-date=18 January 2021|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

[[Category:IndependentPrivate co-educational schools in London]]

[[Category:IndependentPrivate schools in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea]]

[[Category:IndependentPrivate schools in the London Borough of Wandsworth]]

[[Category:IndependentPrivate schools in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]]