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Thames Christian School is a small independent school for boys and girls in Battersea, South West London. The school is housed in a brand new building next to Clapham Junction station, making it highly accessible to pupils living in London and beyond. A Christian background is not a prerequisite for entry to the school, but pupils and their families must feel that they can fully support the school’s ethos and values.
The curriculum at Thames Christian School encourages purposefulness, confidence and resilience to life’s challenges. The school is unique in its diverse pupil intake and personalised approach to teaching, with pupils benefitting from class sizes typically of 16 or fewer. As well as traditional subjects, pupils can study in disciplines such as business studies, food and nutrition and fashion and textiles.
There is an exciting offer of co-curricular activities at Thames Christian School, including trips to the cultural highlights of London – made possible by the school’s excellent transport links. The school’s annual trip to Tanzania won an Independent Schools Association (ISA) Award for its ‘Outstanding Contribution for International Understanding’.
In 2023, a new sixth form will open at Thames Christian School, taking the age range from 11 to 18. Students will take A levels and will be enrolled in co-curricular and pastoral programmes that will help them further develop leadership skills and an understanding of the world.
Key information for Thames Christian School
Headteacher: Dr Stephen Holsgrove
Address: Thames Christian School, 12 Grant Road, London, SW11 2FR
London Borough: Wandsworth
Admissions contact: [email protected], 020 7228 3933
Age range and gender: boys and girls aged 11–16 (sixth form opening in September 2023)
Number of pupils: 169
Number of places in Year 7: Two forms of 18
Ratio of applicants to places: Undisclosed
Open day date: TBC
Overview of selection procedure for Year 7 entry: Entrance exam and interview
Registration opens: Currently open
Registration closes: 5th November 2022
Assessment date for Year 7 entry: TBC
Scholarship assessment date: TBC
Thames Christian School fees and financial assistance
The fees at Thames Christian School for the 2022–23 academic year are £6,680 per term.
A small number of partial (not full) bursaries are available each year for families who satisfy the criteria of the school’s bursaries policy. Full details of this may be obtained by contacting the school.
Thames Christian School awards up to five scholarships annually for pupils joining Year 7. These are all worth up to 20% of the school fees:
Academic Scholarships
Art Scholarships
Music Scholarships
Performing Arts Scholarships
Sports Scholarships
Thames Christian School term dates
The term dates for Thames Christian School in 2022–23 are:
Autumn term: 2nd September – 16th December 2022
Half term: 17th – 28th October 2022
Spring term: 9th January – 24th March 2023
Half term: 13th – 17th February 2023
Summer term: 17th April – 7th July 2023
Half term: 29th May – 2nd June 2023
Admissions process for Thames Christian School
If you would like to register your child for a place in Year 7 at Thames Christian School in 2023, you will need to send in a completed application form (contact the school to access this), along with a registration fee of £120, your child’s most recent school report, a passport sized photo of your child and a copy of their birth certificate. Thames Christian School will seek references from your child’s current school.
All candidates will be invited to an entrance exam at the school and both parents and the child will be invited to an enrolment interview.
If you would like to apply for a scholarship for your child, additional processes will take place. All candidates should be able to demonstrate appropriate character, intelligence and community-mindedness.
Academic Scholarships: Eligible candidates are those who are academically gifted in one or more of English, maths and science. Candidates should provide references from current teachers in support of their application. Applicants will then be invited to an assessment testing their English and maths, as well as an interview, in January 2023.
Art Scholarships: Candidates will need to provide references from relevant art teachers, giving an accurate assessment of their artistic ability and potential. They will then be invited to attend an assessment session (which consists of a practical test and interview), to which they should bring a personal portfolio.
Music Scholarships: Eligible candidates are those who are working at a minimum of Grade 4. Candidates should provide references from relevant instrumental/school teachers, after which they will attend an assessment session. This will include performing a piece of music, aural tests and sight-reading, a short theory test and a short interview with the head of music.
Performing Arts Scholarships: These scholarships are assessed on the child’s acting and/or dance ability. Candidates should provide references from relevant school/performing arts teachers, after which they will be invited to an assessment session. This will include a group workshop, a performance of a drama or dance piece and a short interview.
Sports Scholarships: Priority candidates are those who play one or more of football, athletics, cross country, racket sports, rugby (boys) or netball (girls). Candidates should provide references from relevant coaches and/or PE teachers giving an accurate assessment of their sporting performance and potential. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to a scholarship assessment, where they will be tested on their sport-specific skills, athletic ability and fitness levels. There will also be an interview with the head of sport.
Thames Christian School entrance exam format
Thames Christian School provides very little detail about the entrance assessment for Year 7 entry. More importance is placed on the enrolment interview, to which both the child and parents are asked to attend.
However, if you are registering your child for entry to Thames Christian School, you may find the following resources helpful to aid your child with their preparation for the 11 plus exam:
How to help your child prepare for the selection process at Thames Christian School
Build foundational knowledge
The entrance assessment will be relevant to the Key Stage 2 national curriculum. Atom Nucleus takes your child through personalised learning journeys across the entire Key Stage 2 core curriculum, with over 90,000 teacher-created questions.
Preparation is key
Familiarisation with exam-style questions is particularly helpful when preparing for an entrance exam. Atom gives your child access to unlimited mock tests in English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning that mirror the content, format and structure of typical school entrance exams:
Access to immediate support
When working through challenging topics, your child will need immediate clarity with any misconceptions so that they feel truly secure in every topic. Atom gives your child access to video tutorials, help sheets and examples for each question to help build confidence and competence across all areas of the Key Stage 2 core national curriculum.
Engage with their progress
Celebrate your child’s improvement in areas of challenge together. An accurate and ongoing assessment of their areas of strength and development is helpful. Atom’s Parent Portal offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress to help you prepare effectively, including targets achieved, a detailed breakdown of progress by subtopic and the ability to set custom practices to target your child’s most challenging subtopics.
Atom Learning can help
It’s our mission to help your child feel prepared and confident on exam day. Begin your free 5-day free trial of Nucleus today to unlock success in the classroom, entrance exams and more.
We know how crucial this time is, so our team is on hand to support you and your family every step of the way. You can book a call with one of our Education Experts to ask any questions you might have about Year 7 entry to Thames Christian School:
If you’re looking for exclusive tips and resources to help your child master key subjects, excel in exams and build academic confidence, join Atom’s email list:
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