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Original poster

Thoughts on Thomas's College Richmond - those with offers and those at the primaries!

131 replies

Nottoolongtogo · 15/02/2025 18:25

Interested to hear from anyone who is currently at Thomas's for primary and if they have any info on the College in Richmond and how many are seriously considering it for Year 7?

Also interested in thoughts of those with offers and whether you are seriously considering it. Has anyone's child been awarded a Founders Scholarship and if so, are you seriously considering it?

Thank you!

OP posts:
MoiraT · 02/03/2025 23:38

Do you mean 300 to start with while they fill the empty year groups? They won’t have a year 8 or 9, is that right? Just year 10 upwards from their Putney Vale site?

MoiraT · 02/03/2025 23:41

I think they have a very exciting opportunity and the school will be successful, I’m sure. We have an offer but I just can’t get a handle on what the sxhool will really be like. Yesterday was the first time we saw some actual students, three girls anyway. I just can’t see what they’re offering. It will take parents with more imagination than me to grab the opportunity and have faith!

SailingCulprit · 03/03/2025 01:08

There is definitely a Y9, with a capacity of about 60 but who knows how many will actually be there. That’s our concern too, though we are inclined to accept the offer. Y8 will be tiny, I think they said about 20 pupils but will be there as they will have vertical tutor groups of Y7/8.

AllforSal · 03/03/2025 08:16

My daughter has an offer for Year 8. It will be a very small class of 20 children, but they will be joined with more children next year. So I am guessing 300 is the initial number.
Anyone else here has an offer for Year 8?

Cyd4 · 03/03/2025 08:53

Quite often in small schools they frequently mix the year groups, so yr 7 & 8 might be grouped together for clubs/ sports/ various activities.

So, even if a year group appears small, I think so long as there are opportunities to get to know kids in the year above/ year below, I don’t think it is a problem. Otherwise a year group of 20 for KS3/4 might feel claustrophobic, I agree

ACV3 · 03/03/2025 11:47

Are there only 300 students to start? Does anyone know how many come across from Putney Vale?

Original poster
Nottoolongtogo · 03/03/2025 12:23

ACV3 · 03/03/2025 11:47

Are there only 300 students to start? Does anyone know how many come across from Putney Vale?

I’m guessing 100-150 will come from Putney Vale.

As for the year 9 group, there will be some children coming over from Thomas’s Clapham and Thomas’s Battersea.

OP posts:
ACV3 · 03/03/2025 13:05

Ah thanks, I'd forgotten about the other campuses. That probably doesn't leave many other families outside of the 100 Founders Scholarships then, to fill 300 places.

That would suggest most families will either have existing experience of the school, OR a scholarship – so very few would be needing to take a $$ risk. Smart!

But if that is the case, it makes me feel a bit wobbly about accepting a fee-paying offer as a new family. Can't quite put my finger on why! Ultimately I think it's going to be an excellent and unique school.

Abrid · 03/03/2025 13:40

ACV3 · 03/03/2025 13:05

Ah thanks, I'd forgotten about the other campuses. That probably doesn't leave many other families outside of the 100 Founders Scholarships then, to fill 300 places.

That would suggest most families will either have existing experience of the school, OR a scholarship – so very few would be needing to take a $$ risk. Smart!

But if that is the case, it makes me feel a bit wobbly about accepting a fee-paying offer as a new family. Can't quite put my finger on why! Ultimately I think it's going to be an excellent and unique school.

I don't think they have given out 100 full scholarships. Someone mentioned this in the open day and the headmaster was quick to say 'we said we would offer UP to 100'. We are fee paying and have 3 others from our school also fee paying that are going. I'm sure there will be teething issues but I don't believe it is as risky as some make out. They have a strong team in place with a strong brand to uphold and I think it's clear everyone is driven to make it a success.

ACV3 · 03/03/2025 14:06

Abrid · 03/03/2025 13:40

I don't think they have given out 100 full scholarships. Someone mentioned this in the open day and the headmaster was quick to say 'we said we would offer UP to 100'. We are fee paying and have 3 others from our school also fee paying that are going. I'm sure there will be teething issues but I don't believe it is as risky as some make out. They have a strong team in place with a strong brand to uphold and I think it's clear everyone is driven to make it a success.

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That makes me feel better, thanks!

Original poster
Nottoolongtogo · 03/03/2025 17:32

Abrid · 03/03/2025 13:40

I don't think they have given out 100 full scholarships. Someone mentioned this in the open day and the headmaster was quick to say 'we said we would offer UP to 100'. We are fee paying and have 3 others from our school also fee paying that are going. I'm sure there will be teething issues but I don't believe it is as risky as some make out. They have a strong team in place with a strong brand to uphold and I think it's clear everyone is driven to make it a success.

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Agreed, when I spoke to admissions, they emphasised this and said they gave out much fewer than this, carefully looked at the applications and only gave them to those they thought were worthy of it. And they said if people rejected them, they wouldn't go on to offer others - the list is the list and that is it...

OP posts:
violetiris · 04/03/2025 10:42

Abrid · 03/03/2025 13:40

I don't think they have given out 100 full scholarships. Someone mentioned this in the open day and the headmaster was quick to say 'we said we would offer UP to 100'. We are fee paying and have 3 others from our school also fee paying that are going. I'm sure there will be teething issues but I don't believe it is as risky as some make out. They have a strong team in place with a strong brand to uphold and I think it's clear everyone is driven to make it a success.

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I asked the Head about this directly at the offer holder day and he said they're expecting the actual number of founder's scholars to be around 40-50.

Original poster
Nottoolongtogo · 04/03/2025 11:07

violetiris · 04/03/2025 10:42

I asked the Head about this directly at the offer holder day and he said they're expecting the actual number of founder's scholars to be around 40-50.

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Thank you, is this the number that he expects to turn up or an indication of the number they offered?

OP posts:
SailingCulprit · 04/03/2025 11:46

I think there are just a handful of founding scholarships. As my daughter was shortlisted but didn’t get it, the email said ‘we were only able to offer a limited amount of founding scholarships’. It will have gone to kids who they would know would have had offers from top schools - a few mums are on this thread - and that’s a smart move to poach them and get high academic standard from the outset!

SailingCulprit · 04/03/2025 20:49

ACV3 · 03/03/2025 11:47

Are there only 300 students to start? Does anyone know how many come across from Putney Vale?

So the FAQ email today said it was just a third coming from Putney Vale. That makes it about 30-35 pupils as Putney Vale only has 102 on its register. Maybe others will leave to bigger 6th Form, not sure how two thirds will get lost. Majority from Battersea and Clapham will head to boarding schools. So it will be a totally new mix!

MoiraT · 04/03/2025 21:26

Surely Thomas’s prep pupils go to boarding schools for Year 9 - which is when Putney Vale starts. So the ones currently at Putney Vale aren’t heading to boarding school (because they’d be there by now) but to other non-Thomas’s schools. It’s quite odd.

MoiraT · 04/03/2025 21:29

I only know one child who got a founding scholarship and she is going to St Paul’s Girls. I wonder how many of the few who were offered them will actually attend. Seems like very few and so it was a pretty futile marketing strategy, especially as the offer came with heavy suggestions that you should pay the entirely of the saving into the school’s bursary fund if you are able.

Busy77 · 04/03/2025 21:35

I understood the "third" coming from
Putney vale made up a third of the new college so all 100. I clearly misunderstood. We've accepted a place for 2027.

HeavensToBetsy1 · 04/03/2025 21:36

SailingCulprit · 04/03/2025 20:49

So the FAQ email today said it was just a third coming from Putney Vale. That makes it about 30-35 pupils as Putney Vale only has 102 on its register. Maybe others will leave to bigger 6th Form, not sure how two thirds will get lost. Majority from Battersea and Clapham will head to boarding schools. So it will be a totally new mix!

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I read this as a third of the entire cohort would be from the Putney Vale school- so if the entire cohort is the 300+ they are saying then it would be 100 from the Putney school- which is most of them? Seems more likellly than all those children finding a new school, some just joined into Y9 knowing they'd be going to the Richmond school.

TwoInARow2020 · 04/03/2025 21:57

So far I have only heard of girls being offered the founding scholarships, and I also know two who have turned it down. I still think it was a good idea but I suppose if you have an offer from a very academic, established school then it is hard to take that leap?

SamPoodle123 · 04/03/2025 22:15

TwoInARow2020 · 04/03/2025 21:57

So far I have only heard of girls being offered the founding scholarships, and I also know two who have turned it down. I still think it was a good idea but I suppose if you have an offer from a very academic, established school then it is hard to take that leap?

I know a boy who has a founding scholarship, and he is taking it.

TwoInARow2020 · 04/03/2025 22:17

SamPoodle123 · 04/03/2025 22:15

I know a boy who has a founding scholarship, and he is taking it.

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Good! I was worried there wasn’t going to be enough balance (I have a daughter)

SailingCulprit · 05/03/2025 09:12

HeavensToBetsy1 · 04/03/2025 21:36

I read this as a third of the entire cohort would be from the Putney Vale school- so if the entire cohort is the 300+ they are saying then it would be 100 from the Putney school- which is most of them? Seems more likellly than all those children finding a new school, some just joined into Y9 knowing they'd be going to the Richmond school.

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You are totally right, apologies! Read on the run and sometimes speed reading is not as efficient as one thinks! Just re-read the email properly!

SailingCulprit · 05/03/2025 09:13

Busy77 · 04/03/2025 21:35

I understood the "third" coming from
Putney vale made up a third of the new college so all 100. I clearly misunderstood. We've accepted a place for 2027.

It was my mistake, speed reading! You are right!

violetiris · 05/03/2025 12:40

MoiraT · 04/03/2025 21:29

I only know one child who got a founding scholarship and she is going to St Paul’s Girls. I wonder how many of the few who were offered them will actually attend. Seems like very few and so it was a pretty futile marketing strategy, especially as the offer came with heavy suggestions that you should pay the entirely of the saving into the school’s bursary fund if you are able.

Our daughter will be going on a scholarship place. We're in that crunchy financial spot where there is no way we could afford full fees for an independent school but don't qualify for bursaries, so this was a totally unique opportunity for her. I imagine there may well be others in a similar position.