From a pioneering vision in 1938 to a leading preparatory school on the Colombo seafront.
S. Thomas’ Preparatory School was established on 17 May 1938 in Colpetty (Kollupitiya), Colombo. Since then, the school has grown and developed, providing quality education to generations of children in our land.
William Thomas Keble — after whom Keble House is named — was an Oxford graduate of Keble College. He arrived in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1923 to join the staff of S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, during the tenure of Warden Kenneth McPherson. A pioneer of the public-school system in Ceylon and a strong believer in the benefits of Preparatory Schools, he established two under his tutelage: the first in Colpetty in 1938 and the second in Bandarawela in 1942.
The school is guided by the Board of Governors of S. Thomas’ College, which oversees four schools: S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia; S. Thomas’ Preparatory School; S. Thomas’ College, Gurutalawa; and S. Thomas’ College, Bandarawela.
The Chairman of the Board of Governors is His Lordship, Rt. Revd. Dushantha Rodrigo, the Bishop of Colombo — himself a former Headmaster of S. Thomas’ Preparatory School.
“For our Home by the Rolling Billows…” — the school song still echoes the seafront setting that has defined STPS since 1938.
For the full story of the school, see the S.T.P.S. History Book (Student Edition).
The school has been led by its Founder and six Headmasters, each leaving his mark on the school that stands today.
1938–1942
1943–1950
1951–1966
1966–1994
1995–2014
2015–2021
2021–present
Read the current Headmaster's message on the About page.
