Admissions Guide
All Years: 2025 & 2026 and Year 9: 2027
OVERVIEW
Thomas’s College is a selective co-educational day and weekly boarding school for students from 11 to 18. Our standard entry points are at 11+, 13+ and 16+, with additional entry points as we grow to full capacity.
Our approach is radical and innovative: we offer a curriculum that combines traditional excellence and the assurance offered by GCSEs and A-Levels, alongside brand new qualifications that prepare students to be independent thinkers and makers, ready for the changing world that lies ahead of them.
We believe that we will offer more choice, more breadth of real-world experience, and a more personalised education than any other comparable UK school.
Our admissions process is innovative. While we take cognitive ability into account, we do not believe it is beneficial to require primary school children to practice reductive multiple-choice questions, rotate cubes in their heads, or rack their brains for synonyms. This latter approach emphasises preparation, can create stress and, in our view, has limited real-world application. Instead, we look for playfulness of mind, creativity, character and we believe potential for achievement. We work hard to ensure an honest and fair selection process that protects and preserves childhood.
As a selective school our cohorts are high-ability. However, our admissions process ensures that this ability is diverse and champions different types of intelligence. We believe that students who think and create in a range of ways learn best from and alongside each other. We assess holistically and we build year groups with great care to ensure we bring together a mix of students who will help spur each other on to a wide range of achievements all of their own.
Registration
Parents are welcome to register their child via the Thomas’s website.
The College registration fee is £150 and non refundable. Parents and guardians will be asked to submit a photo/scan of the child’s passport or birth certificate. Registration for entry into all years in 2025, late entry into Year 9 (13+) into 2026 and 13+ (Year 9) in 2027 will close at midday on 4 November 2024.
Families in receipt of means-tested government benefits such as universal credit or those who face financial hardship and are not able to afford the registration fee of £150 should contact the Admissions team to discuss reasonable adjustments.
Available Places - 2025
There will be the following places available in each year group:
Year 7 - 80 places
Year 8 - please enquire directly to the Admissions team
Year 9 - 44 places
Year 10 - 15 places
Available Places - 2026 - Late entry Year 9
There are 60 places in Year 9 in 2026.
Child typically born between: Registration deadline
Which year can you apply for? Application for?
1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014 4 November 2024 11+ Year 7 2025 or 13+ entry 2027
1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013
November 2024 12+ Year 8 2025
1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012 4 November 2024 (late entry) 13+ Year 9 2025
1 September 2010 and 31 August 2011
1 September 2008 and 31 August 2009
Year 10 2025
Middle SixthYear 12 2025
November 2024
November 2024
1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015 TBC - likely to be end October 2025 11+ Year 7 2026 or 13+ entry 2028
1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012 TBC - likely to be end October 2025 14+ Year 10 2026
1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010
TBC - likely to be end October 2025 16+ Middle SixthYear 12 2026
Available Places - 2027 - 13+
There are 20 places in Year 9 in 2027.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Our admissions process for entry points - 11+, 12+, 13+ and 14+ comprises three elements:
Part 1 Knowledge assessment (One of ISEB / GL’s AAT or CAT4 / CEM’s Select Assessment)
Part 2 Skills assessment (Our own written entrance exam)
Part 3 Character assessment (Questionnaire & interview)
These three elements of knowledge, skills and character, along with meta-cognition and self-understanding, sit at the heart of Thomas’s education.
11+ (Year 7) 2025 and 13+ (Year 9) 2027
Families choose whether to apply for 11+ or 13+ assessment. It is not possible to apply for both. All 11+ and 13+ candidates are assessed during their Year 6 and submit data in support of their applications gained over the end of Year 5 and start of Year 6.
Late entry 13+ (Year 9) 2025/2026
Candidates will be invited to follow the same selection criteria as above and timeline as shown on Page 11. Our assessments will be age-adjusted accordingly.
Part 1 - Knowledge assessment
Our knowledge assessment tests potential for achievement in the fairest way possible that reduces unhelpful pressure on children.
We ask those candidates who have already participated in a recognised assessment to submit those results or facilitate access to them, avoiding additional unnecessary assessment for many. Those who have not completed a recognised assessment will be invited to sit a comparable assessment with us.
No candidate is ever rejected on the basis of cognitive test scores in isolation: scores are contextualised against performance elsewhere and against school references.
Recognised Assessments
Parents are advised to contact their child’s current School to confirm whether any of the three recognised assessments are available for their child.
• ISEB Pre-Test
• GL’s AAT or CAT4. Candidate data downloaded from GL’s reporting suite to be supplied directly from the current School to the Admissions team as a pdf or similar
• CEM’s Select Assessment Candidate data downloaded from CEM’s reporting suite to besupplied directly from the current School to the Admissions team as a pdf or similar
For anyone who does not have any of the above, there are two options:
1. Sit the ISEB pre-test at their own school before 30 November 2024 - where this is possible. Or
2. Attend a ‘dual assessment’ at Thomas’s Putney Vale. A dual Assessment will include both Part 2 skills assessment, as for all candidates, and Atom testing in Non-Verbal Reasoning, Puzzles and Verbal Reasoning.
Please note that these arrangements apply for 2025 entry only.
Part 2 - Skills assessment
The skills assessment involves an examination of ideas that tests playfulness of mind. The assessment comprises a single examination lasting one hour. Candidates are asked to complete three questions, which allow them to show skill in English, Maths and scientific thought. The questions are designed to allow candidates to showcase their creativity, ideas and enjoyment of learning. A sample examination paper and mark scheme is available here 11+/13+ Sample Paper. The paper will be different every year.
No preparation is required for this assessment. The only successful ways to prepare are to be interested in ideas and to read for pleasure. Discussion over meals and the encouragement of curiosity and open-ended questions with no right answer may be helpful.
Those candidates who are successful in the knowledge and skills assessments are shortlisted and are then invited to Part 3 character assessment in early January 2025.
Part 3 - Character assessment
If selected for Part 3 Character assessment (interview), candidates will be sent a questionnaire and asked to complete this in advance of their character assessment. This questionnaire should be completed in a candidate’s own words and show their unique spirit. Questionnaires are read alongside responses to the skills assessment and we look for a match in terms of tone of voice and style to help encourage authenticity and openness in this part of the application. The questionnaire gives candidates a chance to talk about their interests and hobbies and include any volunteering they enjoy.
Character assessments will take place in small groups. Interviewers are trained and the process is carefully designed not to favour any particular approach and to avoid any bias towards extroversion. Candidates will have an opportunity to talk to their interviewer and to each other, while their interviewer gives them encouragement and prompts.
During character assessments, candidates are asked to describe their interests. They are as likely to be asked about a book they did not enjoy reading as a book they did, or about a film, or computer game, sport or music. Candidates are likely to do better if they answer spontaneously rather than with prepared material.
In addition, candidates have a chance to show how they think. They may be asked to consider a moral dilemma or suggest solutions to problems where simple answers do not apply. As with every interview, it is never about what to say, or even how to say it. It is about how candidates think and feel and what values matter to them. In common with the skills assessment, no preparation is required beyond a readiness to share ideas.
12+ (Year 8) 2025
Applications are invited for a new Year 8 in 2025. Year 8 candidates will be able to follow the same application deadlines and criteria for selection as those applying for 11+ and 13+ entry. The deadline to register is the same, 4 November 2024, as are the criteria for selection and recognised assessments outlined on Page 7.
14+ Year 10 in 2025
Applications are invited for one of the 15 available places in Year 10 in 2025. Year 10 candidates will be able to follow the same application deadlines as those applying for 11+ and 13+ entry. The deadline to register is the same, 4 November 2024, as are the criteria for selection are outlined on Page 7.
References
Following the closing date on 4 November 2024, we will write to your child’s current school to seek a Head’s reference. This is a confidential reference between your child’s current school and Thomas’s College. If your child is home-schooled, please contact the admissions team for a discussion regarding references.
Key Dates - 11+ (Year 7). 12+ (Year 8), 13+ (Year 9). 14+ (Year 10) into September 2025. 13+ (Year 9) into 2026 and 13+ (Year 9) into 2027
Key Dates
Monday 4 November Midday 2024
Monday 4 November Midday 2024
Monday 4 November Midday 2024
Saturday 23 November
Friday 29 November
Before end of Autumn term 2024
Early January 2025
Friday 14 February 2025
Thursday 6 March, Midday
Registration Deadline. Late registrations cannot be accepted
All supporting SEN/learning differences/access arrangement info to be supplied to the Admissions team
For those taking the ISEB, deadline to share the Applicant ID with the Admissions team
Part 2 - Skills assessment and dual assessment for those without existing assessment data held at Thomas’s Putney Vale
ISEB must be sat by this date and deadline for Schools to supply GL/Cem information to Admissions Team
Invitation to character assessment sent via email Masters Awards candidates invited to send supporting evidence packs - deadline for receipt - early January
Part 3 - Character Assessments
Results Emailed
Deadline to accept - All Years except; 13+ 2027 Entry - Initial acceptance of conditional place
SIXTH FORM. YEAR 12/MIDDLE SIXTH
16+ Selection Process
We recommend that candidates and their families read the separate Sixth Form at Thomas’s College brochure available on our website to learn more about our unique curriculum and attend an open event before registering.
Our assessment process at 16+ assesses knowledge, skills and character, in a manner appropriate to this stage of students’ development.
Part 1 Knowledge assessment - (Viva Voce)
Parts 2 and 3 Character & Skills Assessment - (Questionnaire & interviews)
Please note these arrangements apply for 2025 entry only.
Part 1 - Knowledge assessment (Viva Voce)
Candidates nominate the subject they are most passionate about and are most likely to take for A Level from the list below. In this subject they will face a viva voce. Viva voces are spoken examinations. Candidates are asked questions for 30 minutes by a subject specialist. They may be asked to complete brief written tasks as part of the series of questions. Content mirrors the material they will expect to be studying in their existing courses.
In addition to these assessments, references are sought from the current school, including predicted GCSE grades.
Viva Voce Subjects candidates can choose from:
Parts 2 and 3 - Skills and character assessment (questionnaires and interviews)
The skills assessment tests playfulness of mind and creativity. At 16+ for entry into 2025 this is assessed via interview. Candidates choose one of three prompts and are given ten minutes to prepare their thoughts. They then discuss their ideas in a 20-minute interview.
Prompts change regularly. We do not publish sample prompts.
Character is also assessed at a separate 20-minute interview. Candidates are asked to complete a questionnaire as part of their applications and this questionnaire forms the basis of the interview. It is important that candidates answer sincerely and in their own words and are able to expand on their answers at interview.
Conditional offers
All offers are conditional on achieving a set performance level at GCSE/iGCSE or equivalent. Depending on performance in Parts 1-3 candidates will typically be asked to secure a minimum score of between 50 and 56 points in their eight strongest GCSEs with a minimum of Grade 7 in the subjects they intend to study in Years 12 and 13, though some subject combinations may require higher specific grades to confirm suitability of study.
References 16+
Following the closing date on Friday 25 October at Midday, we will write to the applicant’s current school to ask for the Head for a reference and where available, a GCSE prediction. This is a confidential reference between your child’s current school and Thomas’s College. If your child is home-schooled, please contact the admissions team for a discussion regarding references.
Key Dates - 16+ - Entry into Middle Sixth/Year 12
Thursday 19 September
Friday 25 October Midday
Friday 25 October Midday
Friday 25 October Midday
Friday 25 October Midday
Saturday 16 November
Results Emailed
Deadline to accept
Open Evening
Registration Deadline - Late registrations cannot be accepted
All supporting SEN/learning differences/access arrangement info to be supplied to the Admissions team
Deadline to confirm Viva Voce subject preference
Deadline for submission of supporting evidence for Master’s Awards
Part 1 Knowledge assessment- (Viva Voce) and Part 2 Character assessment - (Questionnaire & interview)
End November
Thursday 12 December
SCHOLARSHIPS & FEE REMISSION
Founding Scholarships - Entry into 2025
Founding scholarships worth 100% of school fees are available in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 for entry in September 2025. Scholarships in Year 7 will last for five years; in Year 8 for four years; Year 9 for three; in Years 10 and 12 for two years. Founding Scholars in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be able to apply for Thomas’s Scholarships into Sixth Form when their Founding Scholarship concludes.
Over 100 Founding Scholarships are available for entry in 2025 for exceptionally talented candidates without any restrictions or additional assessment of families. All winners of a Founding Scholarship are required to make an annual donation to Thomas’s Foundation worth 10% of school fees, although families may apply for a means-tested exemption to ensure that Founding Scholarships are themselves needs-blind. Where circumstances allow, families are warmly invited to increase the level of donation to the Foundation up to 100% or more of the value of fees. This ensures the benefit is circular and shared by candidates in the future in keeping with Thomas’s core values.
Founding Scholarship students will join the Founding Board and will continue lifelong as a group within our alumni network to celebrate the unique contribution our Founding Scholars will make to Thomas’s College. We hope this group of pioneering students will remain in contact with each other and benefit in all sorts of ways from their entrepreneurial educational experience, as will all Thomas’s College students. This is our way of widening the Founding Team of the School to include those students who will do so much to shape the school in its first years.
Thomas’s Scholarships - Entry into 2026 and 2027
Thomas’s Scholarships are available for entry into Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12 in 2026 and 2027. Winners are eligible for means-tested support worth up to 110% of school fees.
Thomas’s Scholarships are awarded to those who excel in our selection assessments. There is no need to register a scholarship application: awards are made automatically to the highest performers in a process that encourages a diversity of excellence. The selection test itself discourages preparation and identifies exceptional ability and potential.
There is no fixed number of Thomas’s Scholarships and the award is dependent on performance year on year. They are competitive and highly sought-after awards that acknowledge the abilities and talent of students from all backgrounds.
Master’s Awards - Entry into 2025, 2026 and 2027
Alongside our Thomas’s Scholarships, Master’s Awards are made available each year to acknowledge conspicuous passion and potential in sport and the creative and performing arts.
Candidates are invited to register interest in a Master’s Award as part of their application. Those who are successful in the first-round knowledge and skills assessments are invited to submit evidence packs demonstrating their achievements and interests in time for character assessment in January. They may be asked to attend additional interviews, sports trials or auditions.
Master’s Awards attract fee remission of up to 5% to support the chosen discipline. In addition, holders of Awards are given opportunities to act as leaders and ambassadors in their disciplines and develop their passions to the highest level. Recipients are expected to represent or support the College in their chosen discipline and these awards are reviewed annually.
For further information about Founding Scholarships, Thomas’s Scholarships and Master’s Awards please refer to the separate booklet- Thomas’s College Scholarships & Fee Remission.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Candidates’ current schools
We welcome candidates from Thomas’s prep schools, maintained, primary, grammar and international schools as well as those who are home-schooled to apply for consideration for a place at Thomas’s College. Each application will be considered on its merits in line with our knowledge, skills and character assessment criteria. We do not have quotas for children currently at Thomas’s prep schools.
Siblings
Our focus is to ensure that Thomas’s College is the right School and as such we will assess each child on their merits. We do not operate a sibling policy. As a family-focussed School we are mindful of many parents’ wishes to educate their children in the same School and we will take this into consideration when making offers.
Overseas Applicants
Those candidates overseas when our entrance assessments are sat should contact the Admissions team via College@thomas-s.co.uk to discuss their assessment arrangements.
Dual Applications
Dual applications are for families seeking a place in Years 7 & 8 at either Thomas’s Battersea or Thomas’s Clapham with the certainty of continued education from Year 9 onwards at Thomas’s College.
Dual applicants are typically assessed in their Year 6 using the College’s assessment processes as outlined in this leaflet. The same criteria and timeline for selection are applied to Dual Applicants as to those applying solely for a Year 9 place at Thomas’s College as outlined on Page 7 & 11. Dual applicant candidates will have a character assessment conducted by Thomas’s College and their chosen Thomas’s Prep School. Please consult the Registrar at either Prep School before making a dual application and registering your child. Parents are invited to complete their registration with the College, paying the £150 registration fee.
Families accepting a dual offer will be asked to accept both the Prep and College parts of the offer at the same time and pay a deposit of £2950 to the Prep and a deposit of £2950 to the College. Dual applicants are welcome to apply for a Founding Scholarship, a Thomas’s Scholarship and/or a Master’s Scholarship at Thomas’s College and should indicate this on their registration. These scholarships will come into effect when the dual applicant joins Thomas’s College from Year 9 onwards.
Fees
Tuition Fee for Day School Thomas’s College. 2024-2025*.
Tuition Fees are inclusive of VAT.
Day Fees Per Term
• Year 7-8
• Year 9-11
• Year 12-13
£10,449
£10,602
£10,902
*Tuition fees are subject to annual review in Lent term 2025. Updated fees will be published on our website.
Weekly Boarding Fees for Thomas’s College. Per term.
Boarding Fees have been calculated to include the VAT increase set for 2025. Boarding fees are subject to annual review in Lent term 2025.
• Year 9-11
• Year 12-13
£4,084
£4,084
Flexi Boarding Fee £85 per night
Sibling discount
Sibling discounts are calculated for the second, third and fourth child where children attend a Thomas’s London Day School concurrently. This equates to a 1.5% discount for the second child, a 5% discount for the third and a 10% discount for the fourth and subsequent children. The discount will be removed from the qualifying pupil should a sibling leave the school and in doing so reduce the total number of siblings.
Flexi-boarding fees include supervision and activities in the boarding houses and overnight stay for one, two or three pre-arranged nights per week.
Flexi-boarding is available to students in Years 9-13 and is designed to help accommodate the busy lifestyle of modern families. Flexi-boarding is also ideal for pupils whose co-curricular activities finish late, or start early. Students are encouraged to sample flexi-boarding to see if full boarding might be suitable in future.
Fees include all meals (including breakfast and supper when required).
Public examination charges for GCSE and A level exams are not included in the fees.
Travel Map
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.
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. We have a new Instagram account @thomasscollege -please follow us for updates. If you have any questions, please contact us at College@thomas-s.co.uk or 020 7978 0905.