SCHOOL History

St Thomas of Canterbury School was built in 1848, with its main entrance in Dawes Road. 

It began as a junior school with two schools in one building; boys on the ground floor and girls upstairs and an attendance of 86 pupils.

By 1849, there were 210 children in attendance. Staff consisted of one headmaster and one headmistress who each had a student teacher. 

Two new classrooms were added in 1853 as pupil numbers continued to increase. By 1881, a separate Infants School was established.  

The increase of population in Fulham during the 1880's eventually necessitated further extensions to all three departments of the school building. Two new classrooms were opened in April 1896, together with a cloakroom and staffroom; followed by a new class for the infants. 

With the return of evacuees after the second world war, the pupil roll in 1947 was 560. A year later, the crowed situation was greatly alleviated by the formation of St. Edmund's Secondary School, thus restricting pupils in St Thomas' schools to junior age. 

In September 1949, following the retirement of the headmistress of the Girls' school, a Junior mixed school was formed.  

Further alterations were made to the school in 1968 providing a school hall, whilst the playground was further extended in 1977 and a new entrance situated in Estcourt Road.