Our History
THOMAS’S CLAPHAM ‘S HISTORY
Our History
Thomas’s Clapham is part of a remarkable story that began with a simple idea: to create a school where children could receive an excellent education in an environment rooted in kindness.
In 1971, Joanna Thomas established a small kindergarten in a church hall in Pimlico, balancing her family life with a belief that young children deserved something better from their education. What began as a practical solution quickly grew into something more ambitious. Together with her husband, David Thomas, they founded the Thomas’s London Day Schools group, which grew to include Thomas’s Clapham in 1993. From these early beginnings, Thomas’s has developed a distinctive educational philosophy, with high academic standards, a strong commitment to the arts, and a belief in the importance of sport, all underpinned by a culture of kindness.
Our school is an impressive Grade II listed building which was one of the last of its design to be erected by the London County Council and opened as a purpose-built school in 1909. It is on the site of the former Clapham County Girls’ School, and later Walsingham School, on Broomwood Road between Wandsworth and Clapham Commons. We are proud to be the custodians of such a magnificent building and delighted to use it for the purpose it was intended.
Thomas’s Clapham opened its doors in 1993 with 77 pupils aged 4 to 8 on roll. Purposeful growth over time enabled Thomas’s Clapham to not only fill our wonderful building but to have time to develop culturally into the much-loved school and caring community it is now. Our school roll now stands at approximately 650 pupils aged 4 to 13 and our commitment to academic excellence, a breadth of opportunity and a steadfast focus on the joy of childhood, with kindness at its core, alongside our modern values, remains as steadfast as it was at our opening in 1993.
We have a very strong community, which is made up of past, current and future pupils, parents and staff. We are always delighted to see our alumni at our Thomas’s Alumni events and many of our past pupils return to us as gap students
