our view
Once you’ve got past the predictable congestion on the narrow road at drop-off and pick-up, the school – though ‘big and busy,’ as one staff member puts it – feels ordered and friendly. Housed in a former purpose-built Edwardian board school, visitors (having handed in their mobiles to be stowed in lockers) are welcomed into a large, bright entrance combining the sturdy solidity of its origins with gleaming new additions. Lime clearly a favourite Thomas colour, with an emphasis on aesthetics throughout. Outdoor fulcrum of school is the courtyard haven. Constantly in use, it has an unexpectedly calming effect - a far cry from the enormous bustling AstroTurf playground, peering onto inner-cit…