17-19 Cottesmore Gardens, Kensington, London W8 5PR
10 reasons to choose Thomas's Kensington
Top line
Thomas’s Kensington has a Schoolsmith Score® of 82. It is one of the best independent prep schools in and around Kensington and one of the 4 best primary schools for 0.5 miles.
School fundamentals
Thomas’s Kensington is an independent prep day school for boys and girls (50%/50%) between the ages of 4 and 11 years. It is a Christian school, open to all faiths and none. The school has an academically selective admissions policy. It is a standalone prep school, not tied to any one senior school. Thomas’s Kensington fees range from £10,883 (Rec) to £11,545 per term (2025/26). Fees include VAT and lunches.
Average class size
Thomas’s Kensington has three classes per year to Year 2, two classes from Year 3, and an average class size of 21 pupils.
Leavers' destinations
Destinations for Thomas’s Kensington leavers are Thomas’s Battersea (40%) or one of 20 other independent day schools. Thomas’s College (11-18) in Richmond opens in September 2025 replacing Thomas’s Putney Vale (11-16).
The Thomas's Kensington curriculum
School curriculum is based on the National Curriculum with some additions and variations. It also includes PSHE, reasoning, French, Latin. School seeks to blend traditional knowledge acquisition with developing pupil enquiry skills, self-awareness of learning habits, as well as character education. The ‘Enquiry Mindset’ curriculum features cross-curricular learning, particularly for humanities subjects (history, geography, religion, philosophy), and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, maths). It is an Apple Distinguished School to reflect the high degree of integration of digital learning in the curriculum. The school offers each pupil between 5 and 10 different extra-curricular academic activities or hobby clubs.
More on the curriculum
There are regular educational trips for all year groups, visiting speakers and residential trips from Year 4. Thomas’s Outdoor programme (Woodland Adventure/Young Explorers) for all pupils.
Specialist teaching
Specialist teachers for sport, music, art, dance, drama, computing and languages throughout, and for all subjects in Year 6.
Sport at Thomas's Kensington
School offers between 10 and 15 different sports over the course of the year. Competitive teams in major sports from Year 3.
The Arts at Thomas's Kensington
Art, music and drama are taught as discrete curricular subjects to all pupils. Dance to Year 2. All pupils learn an instrument in class and two-thirds take extra-curricular instrument lessons from Year 3. Three choirs, orchestra and one or two instrument ensembles. The school offers each pupil over 5 different extra-curricular creative and performing arts clubs.
Wraparound care
School hours are from 9.00am to 3.20/4.00pm according to pupil age. Clubs can extend the school day to 5.00pm.
Find another school near Thomas's Kensington
St Philip’s School (0.7 miles); Glendower Preparatory School (0.8 miles); Queen’s Gate Junior School (0.8 miles).
Ashbourne College (0.4 miles); Kensington Park School (0.7 miles); Mander Portman Woodward School, London (0.8 miles); Thomas’s College (7.4 miles).
Holland Park School (0.9 miles); The London Oratory School (1.5 miles); Kensington and Chelsea College (1.5 miles).