A warm welcome to our latest update ahead of our opening in September!
2025 is very much our year and I am delighted to be able to report on so much progress made in recent months since our last newsletter. The building renovation is well on track and the beautiful and bright new learning spaces are starting to take shape: Matt Nicholl, our brilliant Chief Operating Officer, has more in the pages that follow.
We have completed the recruitment of all senior teams and I have been delighted with the calibre of the candidates: as we expected, this project has attracted interest from the country’s leading schools and drawn the most creative, entrepreneurial and passionate professionals. Sophie Rees, Chief People Officer, has an update and some staff stories here, and we will be sharing the biographies of everyone involved in the College in a separate update soon.
With senior teams in place, we are completing our recruitment over the rest of this term in plenty of time for the autumn.
The highlight of the last few months for me has been meeting so many brilliant, talented and enthusiastic young people who have taken part in our innovative admissions process. The quality of the ideas and insight children brought to our entrance assessment was truly heartening.
It is never easy to be at the vanguard of a new concept so I take my hat off to these young people who have so brilliantly engaged with our new approach to admissions. I cannot wait to introduce them to our brand new spaces and build the ethos of Thomas’s College with them later this year.
Will le Fleming, Founding Master
UPDATE ON RENOVATION
I’ve worked on a few projects of this scale in the last decade or so including the estates strategy, master plan and numerous developments for the Royal College of Music, as well as significant building developments for both St Paul’s Senior and Junior School; however, renovating a campus of this scale has been one of the most interesting projects I have worked on. My team and I meet the design group; incuding architects (IID), contractors (Quinn) and the project management team (Bidwells) every week in some form. With so many moving parts to the renovation project, the proactive meeting structure ensures we stay on track with the many work
streams. The building remains a hive of activity; there are trades and specialists on every floor and in almost every part of the campus.
An update on the renovation project.
The Cyril Taylor Library, which will be home to science, some general teaching, a multi-use Assembly Hall and Drama department, is progressing well and is ahead of programme. The views from the upper floors of this building across London are stunning, the space lends itself really well to light and bright science and learning spaces. The fit-out of these spaces will commence in the later part of this term.
External works including new windows, a complete refurbishment and newly-
at pace in the Red House. This building is at the heart of the campus and will be the home for the top years of Sixth Form. I can really see how this space will work for the older students, giving them their own home apart from the younger years, with multiple specialist learning spaces alongside social areas.
The main listed building is both a challenge and a joy to work on! Build practices in the 1860s were a little different to the higher standards we require for a Thomas’s school. We factored additional time into our programme to allow for the building to give us some surprises though, and whilst installing new steel work into the frame of the building has been challenging, the team have worked phenomenally hard and the
project remains on track. We are working with very experienced specialists who know and understand how complex projects of this scale can be. With the framework now complete, mezzanine levels removed to restore the dining hall and recital hall to their former glory and the beautiful wood-panelled library well underway, the team will get to grips with the more detailed interior work.
We can’t yet welcome parents on site, while all this activity continues - but I very much look forward to taking the ‘keys’ to the building back from the various teams in August, ready to welcome you all in September. Every facility will be brand-new and of the highest quality: it is going to be such an exciting and special place to live and learn.
Matt Nicholl, Chief Operating Officer
STUDENTS VISIT THOMAS’S COLLEGE
Matt Nicholl and his team hosted the T P S L team to the College to see the site and report back to their peers.
STAFFING UPDATE
I am often asked about the state of the recruitment market for academic and operational staff in London. Our people are as key to the success of the College as the students and families who will join us. Every role we recruit is different, but there is an overarching theme throughout the recruitment process. We are looking for hands-on, dynamic staff who are excited to be a part of our unique new school and who bring with them experience, insight and passion. Over the last few months the senior leadership team, as well as my team, have sifted
through hundreds of applications, from a broad range of backgrounds - renowned private schools, international schools, maintained, grammars, further and higher education as well as those who are pivoting from other sectors. We have met with dozens of candidates and chaired recruitment panels with specialists in their field. I’m sharing the stories of some of our recent appointments here. There will be more to come over the rest of the term ahead!
Sophie Rees, Chief People Officer
INTRODUCING THE TEAM
James Ralphs, Director of Boarding
James has an extensive and impressive career including Head of Sixth Form and Houseparent at Bryanston. James is passionate about boarding and will lead offer at Thomas’s College. He will move into the College with his family later this Boarding Director and family living on-site at the College in decades.
John Mühlemann, Director of Music
John is currently Director of Music and S
Brookham Schools, Hampshire, where he has led the 18 strong music department P Music at Eaton House School Belgravia and a senior piano teacher at Eton College. He has also taught at Kingswood School P S and Benenden. John was a music S P It was at university that he found his love of teaching and he has pursued this passion ever since.
Connie Bennett, Director of Fourth Form and Transitions (Years 7&8)
Connie holds a BA from Cambridge PG E E S S G P T where she holds the position of Head of Year 8 and subject leader. Connie has a passion for all things pastoral and has extensive experience of the educational journey and support systems for Years 7-8.
Rocío Morales Conejo, Head of French and Spanish
With extensive experience in language education and leadership in MFL departments, Rocío Morales Conejo is passionate about language learning and cultural exchange. She holds degrees in translation and interpreting from three universities, including two Masters, as PG E L I of Education. Fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Italian, she also speaks Mandarin and is currently G
commitment to lifelong learning. Rocío has worked as a conference interpreter at major events, including the FIFA World Cup and United Nations P2 S students and parents with a personalised approach to learning, promoting strong academic performance and a lasting passion for languages and cultures.
Peter Brazier, Head of Economics and Business Studies
Pbefore even leaving school, coaching sports from the age of 16. He graduated with a BA in Economics and began his formal teaching career in 2014 as teacher of maths, rising to head of department, PS E
Head of Social Sciences and Head of P S love of economics has blossomed as a teacher, and he is passionate about sharing his enthusiasm with his students.
THOMAS’S COLLEGE SPORTS GROUNDS
On the main campus, we will have a fully equipped gym, dance studio, and multi-use sports area that will be ideal for five-aside, basketball, and netball. There’s space for additional grass court games, a pool nearby for swimming and all the facilities of Richmond Park are a 1-minute walk away.
A short ride in a Thomas’s minibus will take students to our own sports grounds at Dukes Meadows. We have committed to a significant investment in the site as well as the access road and the development of a pavilion. This investment will complete the senior
TRAVEL MAP
school campus for Thomas’s College, giving students access to excellent and extensive sports facilities enabling year-round match play for weekend tournaments as well as team-play and PE during the week.
. 9 pitches, including two astros, suitable for hockey, rugby and football
. 4 cricket squares
. Athletics provision in summer
Talks are advanced for a range of partnership working in everything from tennis to rowing.
School Minibus
minute journey to Dukes Meadows
Thomas’s College
Dukes Meadows
Dukes
DUKES MEADOWS
KEY
FP 1-7:
Football and rugby pitches
CS 1-4: Cricket Squares
These wonderful new sports grounds will enable students to compete in weekly fixtures, support the dedicated study of sport from Years 10-13, and ensure sport and activity are a key part of all students’ wellbeing throughout their time at Thomas’s. We’re very excited at the opportunity this provision will afford and look forward to welcoming the first cohort to train and play, supported by parents and families at weekend matches and tournaments.
WATCH VIDEO
BOARDING AT THOMAS’S COLLEGE
profound importance of community. A boarding house is much more than just a collection of rooms, beds and desks - it is an environment shaped by the people within it. It is about creating a space where students feel at home, where they can be themselves, and learn just as much from each other as they do from their teachers. Beyond the structure of breakfast, school, activities, and bedtime, there are countless opportunities to who you are.
The Heart of Boarding: Kindness and Connection
If I have learned one thing in my time in boarding, it is this: kindness is everything.
The modern world is obsessed with individual success – getting ahead, standing out, achieving more; but boarding is different. It is a place where success is not about personal wins; it is about lifting each other up. Here, teachers are not the only guiding voicesboarders learn from each other, and every older pupil naturally becomes a role model, not just the prefects or heads of school.
Yes, school is synonymous with education, but a child’s journey isn’t measured by grades alone. Boarding gives students that space and support to develop resilience, independence, and social skills – the things that shape them far beyond their school years.
Communication: The Glue That Holds It All Together
For boarding to be a success, communication has to be at its core. Students need to know they are being heard, that they have someone looking out for them, and that support is always there when they need it. But here’s the thing: not every student will walk up and say, “I need help”. More often than not it’s about the small, unspoken signs. The student who suddenly stops joining in, the one whose usual spark has dimmed. The best boarding staff don’t just know
names - they know personalities, quirks and what makes each boarder tick.
You create a space where students feel comfortable to talk and when they don’t, a good boarding team notices the things that are not said. Historically, boarding schools worked under a “leave us to educate your child” mentality keeping parents at a distance. I take a different view—parents play an essential role in shaping well-rounded individuals, and their involvement should be embraced. A successful boarder is the result of teamwork between school and home.
The Magic of Shared Experiences
Ask any adult what they remember from school, and it won’t be a test score. It would be the football match that went down to the last second or the teacher who made learning fun. Friendships and experiences made in boarding are what truly last.
At Thomas’s, once boarders have completed their academic commitments, they will have a wide variety of activities to choose from. Crucially, these activities will be shaped by the boarders themselves, ensuring they are engaging and meaningful. Think movie nights, sport, dog walks, board games, and simply spending time with friends.
Yes, students groan when they hear the words “mobile phone policy.” But give it some time, and something amazing
happens. They talk more. They laugh more. They connect in a way that doesn’t happen through a screen. And soon they realise that the best memories aren’t made through Snapchat - they are made in real life.
Food: The Unsung Hero of Boarding Life
Never underestimate the power of a good meal. Boarding students don’t just need Food - they need food that fuels them, comforts them and, sometimes, just makes a bad day better. We’ve all heard that an army marches on its stomachwell, so does a boarding house. A great meal brings people together, creates a sense of home, and ensures that every student has the energy to make the most of their day. Supper will be an important time in a boarder’s day - when all come together and share a meal as a boarding community.
Creating a Boarding Experience that Feels Like Home
At the heart of it all, my goal is simple: to create a boarding house that feels like family. A place where students feel safe, supported, and excited to be. With around 60 students joining us, we have the chance to build something specialsomething personal, warm, and full of life.
Thomas’s College will offer weekly (Monday-Friday) boarding, as well as houses within the main building. We family-owned boarding school in London.
are looking forward to moving in later this cohort of Thomas’s College boarders.
Because at the end of the day, boarding isn’t just about where you sleep—it’s about the experiences you have, the lessons you learn, and the people who become your second family. And that’s something you carry with you for life.
James Ralphs, Director of Boarding
CURRICULUM UPDATE
Being responsible for the academic provision at Thomas’s College feels like an enormous privilege for which my experience is well aligned. I studied Learning and Teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and collaborated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on developing STEAM learning opportunities in schools around the world. Additionally, I am currently working towards my doctorate in education from the University of Bath. My interest in curriculum innovation has only increased as we develop the
curriculum plans for Thomas’s College. Our groundbreaking Thomas’s Qualifications are currently under development and will ensure that students can maintain a breadth of learning without becoming overloaded with the stresses and anxiety that terminal examinations can sometimes bring. The Thomas’s Qualifications will operate at three levels:
• Level 1 - End of Year 8
• Level 2 - End of Year 11
• Level 3 - End of Year 13
THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF THOMAS’S QUALIFICATIONS:
TQ: Connect
An extended piece of writing
Students will develop an argument of their own that links and connects different things they have learned. As part of this they will be taught how to research and summarise and how to use AI to support, not replace learning. The end result is a piece of extended writing. At Level 1, this is a 1,000 word piece linking a minimum of three subjects together, rising to 5,000 words at Sixth Form level, linking a subject discipline to the world.
The TQ: Connect teaches students how to find things out and share their ideas.
TQ: Create
A creative artefact in any medium and portfolio
Students will make something. It could be 2D or 3D art, a technology or a piece of music, a poem, a play, a piece of choreography. They will also produce a portfolio, showing how they researched their area of interest, how they developed their idea, what they sought to communicate and how people responded.
The TQ: Create teaches students how to make things with purpose that express meaning.
TQ: Analyse
An informative exhibit and portfolio explaining a complex subject
Students will create an exhibit explaining a topic. Their exhibit, which might be a physical poster or interactive digital page, will concisely introduce the topic, explain what is interesting about it, cover the key points of understanding, and explore questions and further study. They will also produce a portfolio explaining their research and their choices.
The TQ: Analyse teaches students how to form and communicate deep understanding.
TQ: Communicate
A public presentation and portfolio to inform and argue a case
Students will research, write and deliver a talk to their peers. They will also produce a portfolio explaining their research and their choices. They will analyse what worked well and how to improve and create a plan to help develop their oracy.
The TQ: Communicate teaches students how to present yourself and your ideas in the world.
MUSIC FOR ALL
Longfellow wrote that music is the universal language of mankind. Everyone can enjoy, understand and share in a love of music. At Thomas’s we want to embrace this belief and provide a broad comprehensive musical provision that has something for everyone. If you are an instrumentalist, there will be an ensemble for you to join; if you are a rocker, then there will be bands and concerts in which to perform; if you are a soloist, there will be concerts large and small for you to demonstrate your talents; if you are a composer, there will be opportunities to share your creative
skills with others; if you love your music tech, there is a Mac with your name on it; if you are a fledging conductor, there will be opportunities for you to carve up the air. Singing has to lie at the heart of any healthy music department and choirs allow any and all to relish the joy of singing and all genres will be catered for.
The English Choral Tradition is proud of its phenomenal repertoire and this tradition will be cherished and encouraged. Contemporary music will be featured strongly with choirs and bands rehearsing and performing regularly.
And of course there is healthy competition. There will be competitions for soloists, ensembles, bands - but nothing galvanises a community like a house music competition and pulses will be set racing as every student in each house faces off in the annual House Shout.
The Music School will have something for every palate, every persuasion, every predilection. I really hope everyone will get involved and help music touch every
In my current role I oversee a thriving music department that has a school orchestra, string group, brass group, recorder consort, woodwind ensemble, chapel choir, rock choir, parent choir, junior choir and seven rock bands, all of whom rehearse weekly to prepare for a termly concert or event.
John Mühlemann, Director of Music
CLUBS AND SOCIETIES
We are planning a world leading clubs programme for Thomas’s College that creates new interests and hobbies across age groups. We are in the midst of planning our larger clubs and looking forward to further shaping the extracurricular offer in collaboration with our founding students. If there is something your child loves at their current school and wants to continue I look forward to hearing your suggestions during the onboarding process.
In the interim, here is a flavour of the clubs currently on offer at Thomas’s Putney Vale, which I would expect to continue at the College when it opens as well as some prospective clubs we are developing for the College. This list is far from exhaustive and we offer a huge variety of more ‘traditional’ clubs alongside these examples.
Lloyd Durbin, Director of Operations and Co-curriculum
CURRENT CLUBS
Sports:
• G R
•Boys Football
•High Intensity Intervals Fitness
•Boys Basketball
• G
• G
•Boys Rugby
•Netball
Music:
• G
•Band Machine
•Jazz Ensemble
Prospective clubs include:
Craft Woodworking
Using small, precise hand-tools students will whittle and carve a variety of beautiful household items out of sustainably sourced hardwoods.
Greenpower Racing
G
students design, build and race a car, competing at regional events and L
may take time, but we will be hoping to 2026. There will be a kit car for Years 7-9 and a ‘from scratch’ car for Years 10-12.
FlowLab Game Design
Using FlowLab software from the USA, students will work either individually or in small groups to design, build and test arcade-style games. The end result will hopefully be fully designed games, with a few lunchtimes of ‘testing’ (with other students invited to come and play) and design pitches to industry professionals.
Other:
•Trinity Drama
•Cyber Explorers
•Debate
•Model United Nations
•Jewellery Making
•Robot Club
•Film Society
• W P
•Furniture Repair
•Art
• P
•Drama Club
Oil Painting
Knowing this is a very popular method that is often missed in class, all students will be invited to oil painting workshops delivered by Mrs O’Brien who has a I
visiting artists will be attending at a variety of points throughout the year to focus on particular skills and techniques.
Unicorns in the Wild G T P S
this club is all about encouraging a love of nature. Students will plant, spend time in and monitor nature on and around the school site. This club will aim to encourage a love and understanding of the natural environment and how to protect it.
Flag
Football
Now included in the 2028 Olympics, we will develop this rapidly growing sport. P
gender, non-contact sport opportunity to encourage a love of movement and friendly competition. We are yet to decide a team name, and participating students will be the founding members that get to decide!
SHAPE OF THE DAY
Much thought and research has gone into our daily schedule in order to shape a day that will best meet the needs of secondary students and London families. Students in Years 7 and 8 should be in school by 8.30am and leave at 4.30pmbut with the majority of their homework already complete. Other students are in school by 8.50am and leave at 4.30pm. Many will be in for clubs either before or after school, in addition to lunchtime activities.
Our first academic lesson is at 9.30am, reflecting the most recent guidance on how adolescent brains learn best. This allows homework before school for our younger students, freeing family time in the evenings. A long morning break gives time for reflection and 1:1 discussion. There is substantial pastoral time, rather than snatched minutes here or there. And there are six slots for clubs before, during and after school, to generate real variety and interest for all students. Around this core day, school will be open for day students between 7.45am and 5.45pm to give families flexibility.
8.30 Homework and extension activity for Years 7-8
8.50 Registration
8.55 P
9.30 P 2
11.00 Morning break
11.30 P
12.15 Lunch
1.15 P 5
2.45 Afternoon break
3.00 P
4.30 Dismissal
HISTORY CORNER
GNthe architect, Edward Maufe (1882-1974) won the commission to develop a new library for the College in 1932. The new library was designed with a vaulted ceiling, playfully taking its inspiration from the appearance of a church – with a central “nave”, bookcases in the “aisles”, centrepiece in lieu of an altar.
A contemporary article [archived at the Richmond Local Studies Library –source unknown] provided the following description:
The plan of the library forms itself into a barrel-vaulted “nave” with three barrelvaulted reading bays on each side. Advantage has been taken of the irregular shape of the site to provide a book store and catalogue room extending to the full height of the library. Each bay has a balcony overlooking
paved gardens……The bookcases themselves are of English oak with adjustable shelves. Opposite the entrance is an electric fire with a surround of Swedish green marble and a rustless steel hearth.
Left: A photograph of Maufe’s library extension (The Builder, 15th Jan 1937).
Here: A photograph of Maufe’s library extension – including the door from the north-west corridor of the original building, and the art deco fireplace (The Builder, 15th Jan 1937).
Above Left: An iid visualisation of the refurbished Library, the perfect spot to study and learn.
ADMISSIONS
We welcomed almost 700 students to Thomas’s Putney Vale in the Michaelmas term and a great many more students sat our entrance assessments in Thomas’s preps or accredited centres overseas. The logistics for parents of managing entrance assessments for their children are not to be underestimated and I want to thank every parent and candidate involved. My team and many colleagues from across Thomas’s helped us deliver assessment days with Thomas’s core
value of Be Kind at heart. I do hope that your children arrived home to you having felt they were able to do their best.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact the admissions team.
college@thomas-s.co.uk 020 7978 0902
Laura Cottrell, Director of Admissions and Marketing
TRAVEL
As the College is so well served by public transport, we do not intend to run a bus or coach service. Richmond station is less than 10 minutes from Clapham Junction or Chiswick, less than 20 minutes from Kingston, and 25 minutes from High Street Kensington. Our own electric shuttle buses will transport pupils from the station to the College in less than 10 minutes. The map opposite illustrates the transport connections.
Travel Map
Thank you for your continued interest in the College. We are excited about the pace of the development and the warm reception we have received from families and neighbours. If you have any questions, please contact us at college@thomas-s.co.uk or 020 7978 0905.
