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The purpose-built school, set in the heart of the Abbey precincts, offers a complete preparatory school boarding education but is tailored precisely to the needs of choristers. The Choir School is all but unique in that it is entirely dedicated to looking after the thirty or so boys who sing in Westminster Abbey as choristers. We offer a highly subsidized, first-class, all-around education within what is a secure, happy, and supportive environment. We aim to provide the best possible experience specifically for choristers, which prepares them for the next stage of their schooling, and indeed for adult life, whatever path they later choose to follow. These website pages can only offer an impression of the school and its activities. If you know of a boy aged between about 7 and 10 who would enjoy singing in this world-famous choir, would be delighted to meet you and to show you the school and something of the life of a Westminster Abbey Chorister. It could be a life-changing experience, as it has been for so many boys in the past. Do please contact us at any time. The school surely has one of the most generous staff to pupil ratios anywhere. With just 30 boys in the school, year groups are very small with normally between only five to seven boys in each. These small groups are taught by subject specialist staff, with excellent facilities, in dedicated curriculum areas. While the teachers are passionate about their subjects, they appreciate entirely the demands made on choristers and we can tailor the school day around the needs of the individual boys. Perhaps even more important is the pastoral care that is possible within so small a community. Boys, their parents, and school staff all work together closely to ensure the happiness and welfare of the boys. The Choir School provides a complete academic education but is tailored directly towards choristers. Classes are arranged by year group – just as in other schools – though they are considerably smaller, with an average class size of six or seven. Such small classes allow an imaginative teaching style and plenty of individual attention. We teach the full range of subjects with excellent modern facilities and subject specialist classrooms. Expectations are high and pupils are routinely able to reach a very high standard at Common Entrance (or occasionally academic scholarship) in preparation for moving on to some of the most academically selective senior schools at the end of Year 8, many with valuable scholarships and bursaries. With such small classes, it is possible to offer considerable support within the normal classroom setting. Where we think that a boy would benefit from a short spell of one-to-one teaching this can usually be arranged with our learning support teacher who visits every week. He can make a general assessment and advise on strategies to adopt in the mainstream classroom. For a more detailed educational assessment, we advise parents to seek an educational psychologist’s report, the cost of which is borne by parents. View full school

The Saint Thomas Choir School was founded in 1919 at Dr. T. Tertius Noble, organist and choirmaster of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue. Dr. Noble had previously been the organist and choirmaster at York Minster in England, where all of his boy singers were students at their choir school. When the rector and vestry of Saint Thomas called Dr. Noble to New York in 1913, Dr. Noble accepted the position to understand that a Choir School would be necessary to achieve the musical standard desired for the parish. A new school opened in 1919 on 55th Street with 21 boys. The school remained at that site, with periodic renovations and additions, until 1987, when it relocated to its current location, a purpose-built fifteen-story building on 58th Street that houses the choristers and full-time faculty. In 1996, the school expanded to include third grade. It now nurtures and educates approximately 30 boys from grades three through eight. The Saint Thomas Choir School houses, nurture and educate the boy choristers of Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue. We work together to cultivate a love of learning through challenging academic study and professional musical training rooted in the Anglican choral tradition. Our unique, familial environment fosters self-reliance and personal growth, preparing students to contribute productively to their communities. The Choir School experience generally begins in the third or fourth. The curriculum for these new arrivals helps them make a smooth transition into our residential community. Saint Thomas Choir School students in class academic focus in the third and fourth-grade classrooms are on comprehension through active listening and reading, collaboration in the shared pursuit of knowledge, and the communication of that knowledge through clear and well-constructed verbal presentations and written compositions. Subject matter includes literary works such as the Narnia Series, history texts including the “Who Was …” series of biographies, experiments, and film clips to bring the science of sound and light to life. The Linguistic Skill Development part of the curriculum focuses on precision tools and grammar as a means of clear communication. In third and fourth grades, boys also have separate classes in mathematics, French, theology, and art. Their music curriculum is extensive and includes music theory, individual voice and instrument lessons, and choir. The third-grade mathematics curriculum is all about using curiosity and pattern discovery to solve problems. We use the Beast Academy series of illustrated textbooks to reintroduce math as skilled play. We make mathematics an adventure that requires a willingness to make mistakes to discover new principles and methods. Developing skills, mastering facts, and understanding operations are promoted in the excitement of solving engaging problems. View full school