Admissions Guide 2026-27
thomas-sfulham.co.uk A D MIS SI O NS GU ID E 2026-2027
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Welcome to Thomas’s Fulham Thomas’s Fulham is a vibrant, coeducational prep school for pupils aged 4-11. Children are encouraged to be curious, independent, and ambitious in their learning, while developing the resilience and confidence to embrace new challenges. Beyond the classroom, they enjoy a wide range of opportunities in competitive sport, the arts, and outdoor learning, enabling every pupil to explore their interests and discover new talents. We take pride in preparing our children not only for the next stage of their education but also for life beyond school, equipping them with the adaptability, empathy, and self-belief to grow into compassionate, confident, and responsible citizens of the world. If you require any further information or have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask us. We would be delighted to speak with you. Annette Dobson Head
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At-a-Glance Admissions Pathways DE TAIL S
RECEP TION 4+
O CC A SIONAL PL ACE S
Year Group on Entry
Reception
Years 1-6
Age on Entry
4-5
Varies
Places Available
66 (3 classes of 22)
Ad hoc
Registration Opens
Birth
Enquire with Admissions
Process
Play-based assessment (Discovery Session)
Individual assessment and taster morning/day
Entry Year
September
Rolling
Registration fee: £180, non-refundable
Scan to Register for Reception
Scan to Register for Year 1 to Year 6
Contact Details For more information, please contact our Head of Admissions, Jane Hind at: E: jhind@thomas-s.co.uk T: 020 7751 8220
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The Admissions Journey Step by Step
1. Enquire
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Contact the Admissions Team/ complete a ‘request a visit’ form to be updated on upcoming tours.
5. Discovery / Assessment We invite your child for the age-appropriate session (see on following page).
2. Explore
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Attend a School Tour.
3. Register Complete the online form and pay the £180 fee.
4 4. Confirmation We acknowledge receipt and confirm the next stage in the admissions process.
6. Reference and Reports
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We request confidential information from the current setting, where appropriate.
7 7. Offer Decisions are issued within two weeks of the final assessment date.
8. Acceptance Return the Acceptance Form and deposit to secure the place.
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Entry-Specific Information and Assessment • Small-group Discovery Session (10-12 children)
RECEP TION (4+)
• Focus on social readiness, curiosity, and fit with our busy, buzzy environment
• A tour is offered two weeks after the final session to support families’ decision‑making
• Places are managed through a fair and equal waiting list • Wait‑listed applicants are invited to join as soon as places become available
• Offers: Approximately 1 week following the last assessment
O CC A SIONAL PL ACE S ( YE AR S 1-6)
If you are interested in an occasional place or if you would like to enquire about your child joining with a view to moving to Thomas’s College, please call the Admissions office 0207 751 8220 or email Jane Hind jhind@thomas-s.co.uk.
A SSE SSMENT
For occasional places we invite children to school to spend a morning/day with their current year group. Lower School (Yrs 1 & 2): Morning 9.30am - 12noon Components:
• Short assessment in Maths & Literacy • Most recent school report • Reference from current school Prep School (Yrs 4-6): Full day 9.30am - 4pm Components:
• Maths Paper • Reading Comprehension • Creative Writing • Most recent school report • Reference from current school Our aim at Thomas’s Fulham is to keep families together and siblings of current pupils are given priority. We offer places, whenever possible, subject to availability. Please note, that whilst it is rare that we do not offer to siblings there may be cases that we feel that Thomas’s Fulham is not the right fit for your child.
SIBLING P OLIC Y
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Key Dates for Your Diary Parents are able to register from birth but the Reception selection process begins one year before starting.
4+ (Reception Entry)
Tours and Registration Tours are available throughout the year. Registration from birth. Summer (one year before starting) Main list applicants - Completion of Child information form. October/November (one year before starting) Discovery Sessions for both siblings and non-siblings. Results. November/December Deadline for acceptance/deposits.
June Reception Welcome Events, including Play Afternoon/ Meet the Teacher/ New Parents Drinks.
September School begins.
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Fees & Finances All tuition fees include VAT and are subject to annual review in Lent Term 2027. Updated figures will be published on our website. Our fees for the academic year 2026-2027 are below:
TUITION FEE S PER TERM
Lower School (Reception to Year 2)
£9,410
Prep School (Year 3 to Year 6)
£10,578
Lunch (compulsory)
£402
*The tuition fee includes art, computing, drama, music and sport in the curriculum, as well as dance and swimming in selected year groups. A full programme of day trips to museums, galleries and educational venues in London and beyond is included, although some charges may apply. The charge for lunch is payable in addition to the tuition fee.
REG IS TR ATION FEE AND DEP OSIT
SPECIFIED CHARG E S
OP TIONAL E XPEDITIONS AND RE SIDENTIAL TRIPS
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Registration Fee
£180
Deposit
£3,450
Examinations such as the ISEB Common Entrance examinations are charged at the cost laid down by the examination board. Additional charges apply for optional extra-curricular activities, including individual music, drama, and ballet tuition, as well as termly clubs. A current price list for these activities is available on our website.
These are charged as extra in arrears. Costs depend on the type, length and location of the trip and are published in advance.
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SIBLING DISCOUNT
Sibling discounts apply when multiple children attend Thomas’s London Day Schools concurrently:
• Second child: 1.5% • Third child: 5% • Fourth and subsequent children: 10% Discounts are adjusted if a sibling leaves and the total number of enrolled siblings changes.
TR AVEL AND TR ANSP ORT
Thomas’s Fulham overlooks South Park and is positioned in a primarily residential area of Fulham, near Parsons Green, close to the Thames between Putney Bridge and Wandsworth Bridge. Our minibus service is managed on our behalf by Vectare, a specialist school transport management company. All bookings for our school bus routes are to be made via our online booking system. Fares The termly fares for the 2026/2027 school year are £630 for the Return service, and £516 for the One Way (AM) service. The price per journey is £11.
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FAQs How would you describe Thomas’s Fulham? A kind, welcoming, happy school with a strong sense of community and high expectations. What type of child will enjoy Thomas’s Fulham? One who is willing to embrace the breadth of school life. How do you describe your curriculum? Contemporary, broad and academically successful. Do you have school rules? Be kind is our overarching school ‘rule’. We focus on a positive behaviour management approach underpinned by a strong values focus. Policies and procedures are in place for all pastoral aspects of school life. Where do pupils live? The majority of our pupils live locally to the school, around the Parsons Green area and the roads off Fulham Palace Road, most have SW6 postcodes. A number of our children live south of the river. Proximity to school adds to our sense of community although applications are very welcome regardless of address. Does it matter which nursery a child attends before Thomas’s? No, children come to us from a wide range of settings. We have good relationships with local nursery schools and this supports a smooth transition to school. What is the entry process? For Reception entry, children attend a group Discovery Session in the Autumn, a year prior to the year of entry. Older children looking for occasional places spend a day with us during which time they are based with a class and will have some short assessments in English and Maths. Please contact the Head of Admissions for more information on the full admissions process. This aspect is covered in detail at our prospective parent tours. Are siblings automatically offered a place? We are a family school and as such aim to offer to siblings unless we feel that we are not the right educational environment for them at the entry stage. This is rare and we would involve parents fully in this decision. How involved are parents? Our parent body are very supportive and engaged. We have PTA reps for each class and they help us to organise all of the charity and community outreach work that we do as a school. They also organise social events.
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What are the timings of the school day? The gates open at 8.15am. Children should be in their classrooms ready to start their day at 8.30am. Children have a 20 minute break in the morning and an hour for lunch and break. Reception finishes school at 3.20pm; Years 1 and 2 at 3.30pm; Prep School at 4pm. There is a late room facility for Lower School children who are waiting until 4pm to leave with a sibling. How many children are in each class? Between 18 and the maximum class size of 22. What is your boy/girl balance? In all year groups, the boy/girl ratio is fairly even. We are a truly co-educational school in terms of our provision - we certainly don’t feel like a girls’ school with boys, or vice versa. We strive to ensure that all our children regardless of gender achieve highly and can access the curriculum fully. What is the staff turnover? Staff enjoy working at Thomas’s Fulham and many have been here for a number of years. The turnover rate is low; some move away from London and others don’t return after having children, although many do. What is your approach to homework? Our Reception children have regular reading practice to do at home and homework activities gradually build throughout the school. We ensure that homework is appropriate for each child and that it provides opportunities for practice and reinforcement and deepens learning. As children come towards the exit point, exam preparation is a component of homework. Homework is generally designed to be completed independently. Where do children play sports? We are lucky to have a large playground and to be opposite South Park, both are used for our games lessons. We also have a Gym and Dance Studio. Curriculum swimming (at Fulham Pools) takes place for half of the year in Years 1 - 4. Children from Year 3 use a number of local sports facilities including Hurlingham Park. As part of our extensive fixture programme from Year 3, pupils travel to a number of schools and venues for matches and tournaments. How many children in school speak languages other than English? About a third of our pupils speak English as an additional language. A wide range of languages are spoken by these children. We value this diversity greatly as it adds a richness to the culture of our school. There is a member of our team who oversees EAL pupils.
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What clubs are offered to children? There are a wide range of clubs (from our curriculum sports to multi-sports, gym, tennis, swimming, judo to art, lego, chess and coding) that children can join from Year 1 (in January) onwards. Most are after school although there are some early morning clubs and some at lunchtime for the Prep School. Years 3-6 can stay at school to do their homework three afternoons a week. Do you have wraparound care? Our gates open at 8.15 and there is an early room which opens at 8am for children coming on the school bus or for children with a sibling who has an early activity. On an occasional basis and with prior agreement, other children may use this service. There is a wraparound service (with no connection to Thomas’s) based in the grounds of Hurlingham Academy around the corner, which is used by some of our families; children attending are collected from school by their staff. What is the food like? Delicious - pupils and staff all eat well. Katsu curry is everyone’s favourite! We cater for every dietary requirement and no food is brought from home. Children have a morning snack, lunch and an after school snack if staying for an activity. Our kitchen is run by Harrison Catering and our Chef Manager has been with us for many years. We have both parent and pupil food committees. What is your approach to technology use? We have a range of digital resources including a Computing Suite, shared iPads in the Lower School and a 1-1 iPad programme in Years 3-6. Use of iPads has to be intentional in teachers’ planning and balanced with more traditional methods, in many lessons they are not used. iPads go home minimally in Years 3 and 4 and such use for homework is carefully guided. The devices lock automatically at night so that they can not be accessed. We believe that technology should be used safely, productively and creatively, as opposed to consumptively, so that pupils become active not passive users of technology. We accept and embrace the benefits of technology while acknowledging risks and responsibilities. Pupils are not permitted to bring mobile phones to school. Where do your Year 6 leavers go? We prepare children for entrance to senior school (whether day or boarding) at Year 7 (11+) or Year 9 (13+). Those wanting to stay at Thomas’s to complete Years 7 & 8 and head to a senior school at 13+ transfer to our sister school, Thomas’s Clapham. There is a school bus from Fulham. Pupils continuing to Thomas’s College in Richmond will generally join Year 7. We endeavour to place the children in the schools that are right for them. Popular applications include: Putney High, Wimbledon High, Francis Holland, Godolphin & Latymer, King’s Wimbledon, Dulwich College, St Paul’s, Emanuel, Laytmer, Eton, Harrodian, Ibstock, Downe House, Benenden, St Mary’s Ascot, Wycombe Abbey, Wellington, Brighton College, Bradfield. Destinations are listed on our website. 12
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Route Map
EARL’S COURT
West Brompton
Wardo Avenue
/ Munster Avenue
Fulham Palace Rd, / Wardo Avenue
FULHAM
New Kings
Fulham Road
/ Chipstead Street
/ Radipole Road Parsons Green
Space NK New Kings Road (PM Only) HURLINGHAM
Putney Bridge
Lower Richmond Rd / Putney Bridge (Stop Q AM)/ (Stop P PM) RIVER THAMES WANDSWORTH PARK
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Fulham Bus Route - AM National Rail Line / Station London Underground
CHELSEA
London Overground
A308
BROMPTON CEMETERY
Bus stop
CREMORNE ESTATE
STAMFORD BRIDGE
Fulham Broadway BATTERSEA PARK
WALHAM GREEN
Harwood Terrace
/ Imperial Road (AM Only) Imperial Wharf
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R TB ES
IDG
D OA ER
A3205
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THOMAS’S FULHAM Hugon Road, London SW6 3ES 020 7751 8200 | fulham@thomas-s.co.uk | thomas-sfulham.co.uk thomass.fulham