School Name
Thomas’s Battersea
Category
UK Prep Schools
Types
Prep school
Pupil type
Co-ed
Boarding-Day
Day
Curriculums
UK Curriculum
Pupil age range
4-13
Location
London
Thomas’s Battersea
Focus
Kindness, encouragement
Day fees 2024/25
$34,500–$39,000 (incl. VAT)
Pupils
600
Ages
4–13
Spear’s Review
Thomas’s Battersea, part of the excellent Thomas’s day schools group of schools in south and southwest London, was the school to which Prince George and Princess Charlotte were sent and remains the choice of many affluent West London families.
The most important rule at all their schools, the group says, is ‘be kind’, and the approach to teaching and learning emphasises thinking and questioning – something the school calls the ‘enquiry mindset’. This strategy equips children to adapt to and negotiate the future; develop resilience, curiosity and leadership; learn scholastic and societal skills; and discover how to apply their knowledge.
Alongside academics, music, drama and sport (the school has a rooftop playground to make the most of the typically small London footprint) are all taken up enthusiastically.
Senior school destinations
Leavers go on to schools including Eton, Charterhouse, St Paul’s and Thomas’s own senior school nearby.
Head teacher
Rupert Hawkins took on the headship of Thomas’s Battersea ahead of the 2024/25 school year. Prior to his current role he was senior deputy head and deputy head – future schools at Thomas’s Battersea. Schooled at Harrow, Hawkins received an MA in theology from the University of Edinburgh, his PGCE from Goldsmiths in London and a Master of Education in educational leadership from the University of Buckingham.
Admissions
Thomas's Battersea is a selective school; main entry points are at reception and Year 7. The school also welcomes applications for occasional places in Years 1 to 6 and Year 8.
Accessibility
Heathrow Airport: 1 hour
Location
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Rank: Top 100

Top 100 2025, UK Prep Schools