Thomas' Clapham and Parkgate House School Clapham London

[mickb]

I've seen a couple of older threads with views on Thomas' but wonder if anyone can give me a bit more detail on either of these schools pls? Eg Is Thomas' pushy or v academic? Does it manage somehow to be nurturing despite its large size? Is there a real advantage of the school going on till 13?How successful is Parkgate at obtaining places for their leavers and does it retain its boys in the upper years? Any experiences/ views would be much appreciated :)

Where do you want your child to ultimately go ? If its to a traditional single sex boarding school such as Eton or Harrow, Thomas' best , if you want Westminster also Thomas' as Westminster only take boys at 11 from State schools or independent schools that finish at 11. Parkgate is not as sporty as Thomas's so that may be an issue and I know it is trying to keep boys post 7/8 but not sure how successful it has been . If you are keen on child playing rugby then the choice again is Thomas. I think Parkgate is ideal for a quieter child who wants to be nurtured but if your child is a boy you may find yourself looking for another school at 7/8. Have you considered Eaton House ? Caters for both the quieter and confident child and goes up to 13 for boys and 11 for girls but of course sexes segregated. Academically I have heard mixed reports recently about Parkgate with some children recently failing to get into the more academic London day schools (and I'm not talking about super academic here) and some parents resorting to tutoring. However, I have also heard that Thomas's is very keen on the boarding option and tends to discourage its children leaving before 13.

Thanks very much timmytoes. I don't want my little boy to go to boarding school and I'm not overly interested in pushing him towards the most academic London day schools like Westminster but would like to find a school that will leave him at the right level to gain entry to one of the more local day schools such as Alleyns or Dulwich. I'd prefer co- ed at least at primary level. My little boy isn't the type to need too much nurturing - he's a pretty confident happy type. It's too early to say whether he has any sporting ability(unlikely with our genes!) but I'd like him to have the opportunity to try as many things, both sporting and musical as possible, and to have a wide circle of friends. Parkgate seems a lovely school but I worry that the no. of boys in later yrs might limit his friendships.

There is a new head starting at Thomas's in September 2012 so some things such as a perceived focus on boarding schools might change. If you want your son to try as many sporting and musical things as possible my vote would be for Thomas's for breadth of opportunities.