Our School
Gentle and welcoming, younger pupils know Year 6 well and vice versa. Pupils are made to feel special. In this environment, positive, authentic relationships develop, which in turn support and nurture the well-being of each individual. The Nursery and Reception are our most important cohorts, simply because this is where everything begins. Attending all assemblies and attired immaculately in the same garb as their older peers, they contribute much and are celebrated at every opportunity. Early Years practice is exceptional.
The school’s aggregate attendance is 97%. The 2023 End of Key Stage 2 SATs results are amongst the top 2% of schools nationally, with an astonishing 70% of pupils achieving at greater depth in mathematics. We appear in the latest edition of the Good School’s Guide in glowing terms. Thomas Jones was inspected by Ofsted in October 2023. It was awarded ‘Outstanding’ in all categories. This is the third consecutive time this has happened (2006, 2009 and 2023). Re-accredited as a ‘World Class School’ last year, one of only five primary settings in the country accorded this award, we have been presented with a Royal Borough Excellence Plaque and an Evening Standard London School of the Year trophy. Until recently, the Head was a National Leader of Education, and in 2016 was awarded an OBE for Services to Education. For a tenth consecutive year, we have been identified by The Sunday Times as one of the UK’s ‘Top Schools’. For six years as a Department for Education designated Teaching School, we were frequently visited by educational leaders from around the country and abroad. Significantly oversubscribed (200+ applications for 30 Reception places in January 2024), there are long waiting lists for every class. The school has achieved ‘Healthy Living Gold’ status.
The curriculum is richly varied and affords opportunities for each and every pupil to shine. Our ethos is firmly focused on intellectual challenge and innovation. Rigour and a desire to continually improve are integral. Attention to detail in regard to uniform, demeanour and the use of Standard English are strengths. Aspiration and a climate that ensures pupils are consistently kind and friendly are absolute.
Thomas Jones’ pupils are robust, assertive and articulate. We instil in them an uncompromising set of values. Empathy is a key element. Encouraged to be tenacious, emphasis is placed on beautiful cursive handwriting and the quality of writing per se is second to none by the time pupils depart at the end of Year 6. Our choir, string ensemble and pianists are impressive. Last season the mixed hockey and girls’ football teams were crowned borough champions. The previous year, we won the basketball, and handball championships and Royal Borough swimming gala. Concerts and school plays are of an exacting standard. We have staged Treasure Island, Romeo and Juliet, Under Milk Wood, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and, in July 2023, Peter Pan.
Selected as an exemplar, we appear in a number of publications. These include ‘Reading by Six, How the Best Schools Do It’ (Ofsted), ‘Building an Outstanding Reading School’ (Oxford University Press), ‘Narrowing the Gap’ (also Oxford University Press) and ‘Closing the Gap’ (Pathways Education). The school featured in the Ofsted promotional film ‘Moving English Forward’, and in 2018, phonics lessons were filmed for professional development purposes. The leadership team have afforded advice to the Department for Education about the development of the National Curriculum. Our views pertaining to deprivation, the Pupil Premium, Early Years Education and last year, the retention and recruitment of staff have also been sought.
In the right hand column are our most recent school evaluation documents.
November 2024