We aim to provide an outstanding education for young people aged 2 to 16 that is forward-thinking and outward-looking, with values at its heart.
We believe in kindness at the core. We are Christian schools, open to families of all faiths and none. We aim to instil a strong set of values, first by example and also through exceptional pastoral care. We believe that individual wellbeing is of primary importance, balanced by an equal commitment to service leadership and to the wider community.
We take a four-dimensional approach to education, developing knowledge, skills, character and meta-learning. We offer a curriculum that fosters an enquiry mindset, is inspiring, relevant and contemporary and ensures both breadth and depth of educational experience.
We place emphasis on developing skills of communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. We want pupils not only to remember, but also to think creatively; to analyse age-appropriate, complex issues and to be ready for life as well as work in a globalised, digital and connected world.
It is our aim that every pupil leaves Thomas’s with core values and a strong sense of social responsibility; inner strength and positive physical and mental health; academic success and a love of learning. We strive to ensure that a Thomas’s education equips all of our students with optimism about and preparedness for the future, setting them on a path to become net contributors to society and to flourish as successful, conscientious and caring citizens of the world.
Our vision is of a childhood filled with kindness, a childhood in which pupils are known and valued for who they are, in which they learn to trust themselves and each other, in which they find and express their voice, discover the difference they can make for themselves, learn to think for themselves, to question, to collaborate, to be independent, to be optimistic, realistic and positive, to own and take charge of their learning and their lives. We believe that pupils can be their best selves and secure the best possible outcomes if we are committed to an educational process which is inclusive, innovative and inspiring.
We believe that this should continue, in age appropriate ways, throughout a child’s important years at school.
We recognise the need for our pupils to develop as self-aware, independent and sensitive learners who are curious and reflective listeners. We believe it is our job to inspire them to become adaptable, lifelong learners who show initiative and courage to enquire in depth, whilst collaborating and using appropriate and new technologies to research answers to their questions, and ours. It is our job to ensure that they are willing and able to discern what is true, and what isn’t, and to reach sound, objective and balanced view-points. Our pupils are encouraged to become ambitious and courageous thinkers who aspire to leadership by questioning, challenging, collaborating and serving. We provide environments for our pupils to develop good judgement, and to demonstrate direction and initiative by being responsive, critical and responsible thinkers.
We are committed to rebalancing the pursuit of academic success, wellbeing and character, placing a keen emphasis on entrepreneurship, digital literacy, expressive arts, sport, outdoor and adventurous learning, developing life-long skills, and instilling social responsibility, service learning and citizenship.
Our vision is of young adults who are able to step out into a rapidly changing world, equipped to capitalise on opportunity and to face the extensive challenges that lie ahead in higher education and work, in life and in society. Our students will be armoured for uncertainty and change not only with academic success, but also with optimism and compassion, self-awareness, a can-do attitude and critical 21st century work and life skills.
Kindness
We expect pupils at Thomas’s to be kind; to be good friends to those around them, always on the lookout for and ready to support those in need of a word of encouragement or a listening ear.
Courtesy
We expect our pupils to be unfailingly courteous and polite; to have regard for the needs of others; to be responsible for the impact of their behaviour on those around them; to stand back, holding the door open, to allow adults through; to be particularly aware of the very young and the very old; not to ‘hog the pavement’ on school trips; to say “please” and “thank you” without prompting.
Honesty
We expect our pupils to be honest, to act with integrity at all times and to understand and uphold the rule of law.
Respect
We encourage all members of the community to respect themselves, each other, their learning environment and the wider community. We expect our pupils not just to tolerate but to celebrate difference, to respect the right of others to hold differing beliefs or views and to develop an awareness of individual liberty. As our pupils become old enough to understand the characteristics protected by law, we look to them to challenge discrimination in all its forms and to foster healthy, positive relationships grounded in mutual respect.
Perseverance
We would like our pupils to appreciate the importance of, and to show, perseverance; to acquire a ‘growth mindset’ by understanding that intelligence can be developed; to embrace challenges; to persist in the face of setbacks; to see effort as the path to mastery; to learn from criticism; to find lessons and inspiration in the success of others and, as a result, to reach ever-higher levels of achievement and a greater sense of free will.
Independence
We would like our pupils to become independent learners; to work hard; to be responsible, organised and to manage their belongings effectively. In the classroom, we would like them not only to make valid contributions, but also to be good listeners, who respect and encourage the efforts of their peers.
We hope that, as a result of their lessons at school, our pupils will begin to take responsibility for their personal learning, reading around subjects that interest them, carrying out their own research and making full use of the many excellent resources available to them.
As a result, we would like our pupils to gain a growing sense of enquiry and wonder about the world around them; about the vast body of knowledge and skills that has brought mankind to where we are today – and about how much there is still to learn.
Confidence
We expect our pupils to acquire self-knowledge by encountering both success and failure in an environment of support and encouragement, both at school and at home. Consequently, they should be ‘comfortable in their own skin’, full of self-confidence, yet always free of arrogance, and able to make sound judgements. We would like our pupils to become their best selves, not a second-hand version of someone else.
Leadership
We aim to equip our pupils to lead by example and to recognise service as a powerful form of leadership; to be prepared to stand out from the crowd; to be the first to respond to someone in need; to stand up for what they believe to be right; to challenge what they know to be wrong; to risk making an unpopular decision, if they believe it to be for the greater good; to earn the trust and respect of others. We hope that our pupils will experience at an early age the opportunities and challenges of leadership.
Humility
Notwithstanding their confidence, our pupils are expected to retain a sense of humility; to be without arrogance; to be conscious of the advantages they enjoy and to show gratitude for them by putting them to best use by helping others. We hope that all our pupils will acquire a sense of the eternal and that this will inform their perspective of their place in the world.
Givers, not takers
Above all, we would like our pupils to be givers, not takers; to show generosity of spirit; to use their skills and talents first for the benefit of others. We hope that our students will leave their school with a strong sense of social responsibility, set on a path to become net contributors to society and
to flourish as successful, conscientious and caring citizens of the world.