Thomas's, Clapham

The school occupies a site between Wandsworth and Clapham Commons. It is a Grade II listed building, which was built between 1904 and 1908 to house the Clapham County Girls' School.

Location
Thomas's, Clapham Additional Pictures
Thomas's Uniforms

Thomas’s Clapham Reception Inspection Report (OFSTED website)
Thomas's London Day Schools Inspection Report - (PDF version)

The facilities at Clapham include large, bright classrooms, three fully equipped Science Laboratories, a Library, Gymnasium, two dining rooms and a magnificent galleried Main Hall. Three Music rooms, six practice studios, a Drama studio, a state of the art ICT suite, girls' and boys' changing rooms (including showers and disabled facilities) and a lift were all newly built in 2001. Within the grounds there is a separate Art, Pottery and Design Technology centre.

The two-acre site affords ample parking and playground space, four netball and tennis courts, cricket nets, football practice areas, a climbing wall and a large climbing frame. There is also a garden with lawn and fruit trees. The school is a member of a consortium of schools using the eight acre sports fields in Trinity Road, Clapham. Clapham Common and the Wandle Sports Centre are also used. Swimming lessons take place in local swimming pools. Weekly church services are held at St Luke's Church.

The majority of children attending Thomas's, Clapham live locally.

The Headmistress - Mrs Carol Evelegh Dip.C.E., Dip.Sp.L.D.

Carol joined Thomas's as a young teacher in September 1979 after teaching in the state system in Scotland for two years. She was educated in Edinburgh and obtained her teaching diploma from Hamilton College of Education. She went on to train as a Special Needs teacher and gained a further qualification in 1992 from the Hornsby Centre.

In her early years at Thomas's Carol taught throughout the Lower School as a Form Teacher. She then went on to be Head of Drama for all the Thomas's Schools, making use of her LAMDA Gold Award. After returning to class teaching in the Middle School, she became Deputy Head of Thomas's, Kensington in 1984. Following the birth of her son in 1990 she became Head of Thomas's Kindergarten in Pimlico in 1991 and on the opening of a Kindergarten at Battersea, in 1992 became Director of Thomas's Kindergartens.

In May 1993 Carol was appointed Head of Thomas's, Clapham. She has two children, both of whom attended Thomas's, Clapham and now attend Tonbridge and Benenden.   A Senior Management team consisting of the Deputy Head, Head of Lower School, Director of Middle School, Director of Studies and Senior Master supports her.

Academic Structure

Lower School

Classes are of mixed ability and there is no streaming.

Middle School

At Thomas's, Clapham children are in mixed ability classes, set from Year 3 in Mathematics.

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 School Day