There is a genuine enthusiasm for education and children’s wellbeing from staff.

What has impressed us most is the school's holistic approach to education. The strong emphasis on wellbeing, confidence and emotional resilience alongside academic learning creates a very balanced environment for children to grow.

My earliest Thomas’s memory was playing the title giraffe in 'The Giraffe Who Couldn’t Dance' in our Reception ballet performance at Lower School Arts Day. While I still can’t dance (some things never change!), the experience sparked a lifelong love of storytelling. Encouraged by teachers, including John Haythornthwaite, then Head of Music, and Arabella Finch, then Head of English, I went on to study English at Oxford (via Eton!) and now work in the musical theatre department at leading UK talent agency, Curtis Brown. I may never have become a Matthew Bourne principal dancer, but Thomas’s gave me all the tools I needed to build a career in the world I first glimpsed on that stage – giraffe costume and all.

The quality of teaching is truly excellent and our son has been inspired on the academic front.

The range of co-curricular options has been truly amazing: excellent sport, music and drama programs. My child has been thriving thanks to this buzzing school which enables him to fully express himself.

Children are assisted in developing competent early skills in literacy, numeracy, and communication and language. They become increasingly curious about the world around them.

Although it has been over 20 years since I left Thomas’s Battersea, I still look back on my time there with such fondness. I was fortunate to be taught by inspiring, dedicated and caring teachers who helped build my confidence from a young age and shape who I have become today. I remain grateful for the education, friendships and experiences that provided a strong foundation for my future and career in wealth management. Thomas’s will forever hold a special place in my heart.

For me, what made Thomas's special will always be the people. I look back at the fun and laughter shared with my peers during my time there with such fondness. Today, whether it's through the lifelong friends I have from Thomas’s or simply when you bump into a fellow 1CN classmate in the pub, I am constantly reminded of how friendly and kind each and every ex-pupil is. Returning as a gappy was one of the best things that I have done and it fills me with so much joy to see how Thomas's continues to produce such wonderful people.

Thomas’s was special to me because it gave me the freedom and confidence to do whatever I wanted to. I played sports at Thomas’s, so I’ve never felt self-conscious about being a part of a team. Getting up on a stage to give a speech now is no less scary than getting up in full costume for a pantomime. I can just about pass myself at karaoke because I had a weekly music lesson. With my friends, it’s a running joke that when I meet someone I always shake their hand. I think this is in part because every morning I had to shake a teacher’s hand and ask how they were. When people ask me what values matter most to me, I say 'Be Kind'. I’m sure I don’t know the extent of the footprints in my personality that Thomas’s has left on me, but I know my time there gave me an appreciation of wisdom and joy.