Thames Christian College

[EduCativ]

An old African proverb says: “It takes a village to raise a child.” At the Thames, we believe that success in life is about more than academic achievement. Success is also about making good choices, building positive relationships, and developing the resilience to overcome challenges. By fostering a strong connection between staff and students, our pupils develop the wisdom, confidence, and resilience to become authentic leaders, able to rise above challenges. They learn to make good choices and understand that every choice has consequences.
We go out of our way to recruit excellent teachers who are passionate about their subjects and whose warmth fosters enthusiasm in the pupils. High-quality teaching and small classes enable the teachers to build a rapport with each individual, nurture their talents and inspire them to achieve.
Many of our teachers are professionals in their field, bringing a unique edge to their teaching. This enhances the array of co-curricular opportunities in academic, sporting, and creative subjects. Our size enables pupils to have much greater participation than in a larger environment.
As a result, pupils excel in a wide range of subjects from the traditionally academic to the creative arts and technology. Over the past three years, 44% of grades have been A*/A and 88% A*/C. In 2017 87% of our leavers attained at least one A*/A grade, 53% at least two, and 40% at least 3 A*/A grades. The academic success reflects their personal growth and means that pupils have no difficulty gaining places at their first choice of the sixth form, often at top independent and grammar schools.
Our aim is that each pupil understands they have innate value as an individual and a sense of purpose as a member of the school community.
Parents choose the Thames for many reasons: small classes, academic results, strong pastoral care, personal attention, co-curricular opportunities, and excellent teaching.
Many pupils are academically gifted and go on to achieve 9 or more A/A* grades taking up places at top independent or grammar sixth forms. Some may find academic work a challenge but maybe talented artistically, creatively, or in sport. Others have potential yet to be realized.
Whichever is the case, the inclusive ethos of Thames, the personal attention and partnership with you as parents, enables each pupil to thrive and achieve more than they or you may have thought possible.
Choosing a school is a big decision and so the admissions process involves getting to know both you and your child. We seek to understand your child’s aspirations and how we can enable them to fulfill their potential. A Christian background is not a prerequisite for entry but every pupil and family must feel they can fully support our ethos and values.
The main entry points for admission are at 11+ (Year 7) and 13+ (Year 9). Applications in other years will be considered throughout the year, space permitting. We will consider applications from pupils about to start their GCSEs.
Once you have submitted your application, your child will sit an entrance assessment. This is followed by an interview during which we will discuss your child’s abilities and how he or she could thrive at the Thames.
The Thames is a mainstream independent school with recognized provision for a small number of pupils with mild to moderate specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, or Asperger Syndrome. We recognize that these pupils can be extremely gifted. If your child has Special Educational Needs you may make an appointment for an informal discussion with the SENDCO.
The school does not have the facilities to meet the needs of pupils with behavioral difficulties and therefore is usually unable to accept pupils with a poor behavior record in a previous school. Parents are asked to note this before applying.
If you think that the Thames might be the school for your child, we encourage you to request a prospectus and then visit us on one of our open mornings to meet and speak with our staff and pupils. Individual appointments to view the school may be made if you wish to apply for immediate entry.
The key to our success is the way staff build a rapport with every pupil. High-quality teaching and small classes enable teachers to get to know each individual, nurture their talents and inspire them to achieve. Teachers are passionate about their subject areas and their enthusiasm is infectious, fostering our pupils' curiosity. Many enrich their teaching with professional experience from outside education.
Although a small school, the curriculum is exceptionally broad. Equal value is placed on the sciences, arts, humanities, technology, and languages. We believe that the workplace of the future will require a broad range of skills so options are blocked to allow as much flexibility as possible and it's not unusual for most academic pupils to balance three sciences with two arts subjects, maybe a language and humanity.
The most academically able pupils will take 10 or more GCSEs. Pupils who find academic work more challenging but have other outstanding gifts, often in the creative arts or sport, may choose to take fewer. Each individual is encouraged to study the subjects that will develop their talents and result in appropriate qualifications to pursue a career of their choice.
Although the Thames is a mainstream school, personalized and inclusive teaching benefits all types of pupils. Those with mild to moderate Specific Learning Difficulties, who are often gifted and talented, benefit from excellent learning support recognized by CReSTeD, the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils.
The Thames is one of a small number of schools nationally to be selected as a Google Reference Site. The use of cloud technology enables collaborative learning at school and home. In addition, Apple Macs equipped with industry-standard creative software for art and music ensure pupils have the necessary skills for the digital world.

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