Newton Prep A GSG School

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmistress

Since 2013, Alison Fleming, BA, MA(Ed), PGCE. Tall, impressive, confident, previously head of Dulwich College Junior School. Parents admire her energy and leadership, and also her vision of an unstuffy, outward-looking school. Mrs Fleming is down to earth and she wishes her pupils to be similarly grounded, ‘without swaggering entitlement’, sharing her sense of responsibility to the local community. She is not complacent: ‘We have one chance to help lay the foundations for the rest of these children’s lives. There is no rewind button.’ When asked what it is that keeps her going in her ninth year as head, unhesitatingly she says, ‘The children bring joy every day. It is a privilege to lead this school; we have a moral responsibility to be the best we can be.’

‘It is incumbent on me to give children hope for their lives.’ Indeed, red, white and blue paper aeroplanes with messages of hope for the future were launched in Holy Trinity Church for the queen’s Platinum Jubilee. ‘I want them to feel optimistic, to show me, tell me, share with me,’ and, on the day of our visit, we watched as children responded to her positive messaging and warm presence. Parents told us how much the younger children love her reading sessions and how the older ones complain if they are picked up early from after-school prep which she runs on a Friday. Never before has prep been so much fun. ‘Parents have a right to be demanding,’ she says; the ones we spoke to certainly appreciate the way she ‘leads from the front’ and makes life as easy as possible for working parents: 8am drop-off, after-school clubs to 5.15pm; even the practical (though no less classy, plaid and corduroy) school uniform can be bought on site. ‘She’s brilliant’, ‘a constant, inspiring, calm figure’, ‘friendly and kind’. It is surprising Mrs Fleming has time for hobbies, but her new ‘happy place’, she tells us, is the piano. Her ‘very popular’ assemblies have included talks on being an adult learner, ‘education is after all a lifelong process’, and feeling nervous in piano exams. Married to a chemical engineer with two grown-up sons, one who works in the City, the other in theatre.

Entrance

Nursery is main point of entry: play-based assessment with parents present, two classes of 24, with an additional 35 taken into reception (four times over-subscribed). Four classes of 20 pupils continue up the school to year 6. Places may become available along the way, and some join in year 7, including from state schools, after the 11+ exodus.

Exit

Parents universally applaud the ‘excellent, non-directive’ guidance and support re senior school transfer. Not a feeder school: typically 40 destinations per year, day and boarding - and some top names too such as Eton, Harrow and Wycombe Abbey. Biennial senior schools fair sees 100 or so schools set up their stall, which introduces parents to registrars and admissions tutors from near and far. Around half the year group, mainly girls, leave after year 6 to a wide range of London day schools. Growing number of girls staying on for years 7 and 8, keen to benefit from curriculum stretch and positions of responsibility at the top of the school. A range of scholarships (academic, art, drama, sport, music); 14 in 2023.

Our view

‘We are not weighed down by the burden of history’, says the head of this ‘properly independent, standalone’ school, founded just over 30 years ago by Dr Farouk Walji. Indeed, whether one approaches from the towering chimneys of Battersea Power Station or via the railway intersection of Victoria and Vauxhall, the gritty urban streets are hardly an historic setting for a smart prep school. Once inside the school gate, however, one cannot help but be wowed by the generous outside space – an all-weather pitch, garden and playgrounds to be proud of. Mrs Fleming’s softening of the edges has paid off: ‘It used to look like an austere prison exercise yard,’ said one long-standing parent, ‘and is now prettier and greener with a secret garden and orchard’ – how appropriate, we think, for a school whose symbol revolves around Newton’s apple. Bright, contemporary, colour-coded corridors look out onto the outside space – not exactly green fields: trains whizz past at eye level – but nevertheless unusual for this urban setting. Three sports halls, fitness suite, climbing wall, 100-seat recital hall and auditorium add to the surprising sense of space. The dining room too is spacious with a pleasant terrace for year 8s to enjoy al fresco meals. On the day of our visit there was a wide choice, from a roast lunch to tasty ‘street food’, enjoyed at a table adorned with – yes, you guessed – an apple tablecloth!

Many of the usual trappings of a traditional prep school are absent: there is not a tie or blazer in sight, and leavers’ boards which honour all leavers, not just head boys or scholars, are refreshingly contemporary. Holy Trinity Sloane Square is the go-to church for occasions including the festival of carols, but ‘we wear our faith lightly’, and all faiths are recognised; a number of parents mentioned how much they like the diverse intake which reflects the local demographic. There is no setting as such but we are assured by parents and teachers that all children ‘get the stretch’, not just through differentiation in the classroom but also through sport, positions of responsibility and house competitions. Booster sessions are offered, before or after school, for those children who need a bit of extra help with, say, spelling or maths. A number of parents told us how impressed they are with how this is managed in a natural, low-key way. ‘It’s just part of what happens every morning.’ We talked to some older pupils who told us how much they love, and have been helped by, the peaceful learning hub, with its soft lighting and shutters to minimise distraction – not to mention wobbly stools (if sitting still does not come naturally).

The houses – Spartan, Crispin, Nonsuch and Winston (respectfully, no Granny Smiths or Pink Ladies) – encourage a competitive streak where house points are earned in imaginative ways: Bananagram challenge, highest sunflower competition, digital general knowledge quizzes. Mrs Fleming is very keen that her pupils are aware of their privilege and, by building a relationship with a nearby primary school, has established a book and toy swap encouraging children to donate and share. Enrichment days are offered in the holidays and year 8s help run sports days with children from the neighbouring school. A sleepout, in aid of a London charity for the homeless, has become an annual fundraising initiative.

Clear foundations of learning are established in nursery and appreciative parents find that ‘the five golden rules’ in the classroom help set boundaries at home too. Parental involvement is evident; the topic-based ‘curriculum journey’ from nursery to year 8 ensures progression ‘without needless repetition or gaps’ and parents can see at a glance what topics will be covered through the year and how they interrelate – reading Greek myths in English, performing them in drama and studying ancient Greece in history. iPads are used across the curriculum from year 4, even in art, where images of orchids were amplified to observe texture and colour. Parents tell us how specialist teachers from year 5 give children a ‘new thirst for learning’: we watched a lesson conducted entirely in French, with pupils confidently building their own sentences and showing their understanding with ‘c’est bon’ accompanied by a Gallic thumbs-up. The languages noticeboard on the day of our visit was bursting with colourful French phrases with which to embellish a story. Latin and classical civilisation are taught from year 6; we were told by one overjoyed parent how ‘amazing teaching’ has given their children ‘a real enthusiasm’ for classical history.

The Newton diploma is a bespoke programme in years 7 and 8 which encourages independent learning across geography, history, philosophy and art. Pupils explore cross-curricular themes; we were told, for example, how migration, slavery, multiculturalism and world art are linked across the humanities. Creative writing too can be an immersive experience: inspired by reading The Hound of the Baskervilles, year 8s proudly read us their stories while gothic images were projected on a screen and music suggestive of ancient ruins and submerged bell towers played in the background.

Expectations are high across the arts too. The director of music, a brilliant pianist, ‘inspires kids to love music’ – we could see how, as he joined in actions and sang with gusto while accompanying nearly eighty 8 and 9-year-olds during a lunch-break rehearsal. The top training choir, said to be the first choir into a cathedral after the pandemic, goes on tour and has had a residency in Cambridge. With 350 peripatetic music lessons happening every week (no honky-tonk practice pianos here, we noticed) there is a huge pool of musicians on which to draw for the many ensembles. The school’s 30th birthday celebration concert at St John’s Smith Square in 2022 was, like all other school concerts, live-streamed and recorded. Indeed, the head talks proudly of her ‘digital-age’ school from which a video a day is sent to parents between 1 and 24 December, ‘to bring the community together’. The art studios (which include a kiln) buzz with creativity: parents expressed delight at their child, ’not a naturally artistic soul’, identifying a Henry Moore after a soap sculpture project exploring form, texture and shape. A smart auditorium opened by Sir Peter Hall hosts a drama production for every year group, including year 4’s ‘play in a day’ which must surely set hearts racing before curtain up.

The director of sport talks of a ‘forward-thinking games programme’ designed to give all pupils a positive experience of sport to set them up for life, and an emphasis on ‘active minutes’. It includes co-ed netball, hockey and football (including a lioness in the elite football squad), with cricket as the fastest-growing girls’ sport. We liked watching older children ‘self-assess’ by measuring their personal performance over a range of stamina versus strength activities; and parents spoke enthusiastically of sports leadership as a subject in itself, in which the psychology of managing a team makes for good conversation at family meal times. The all-weather pitch is in constant use from 8am. Rain never stops play.

Parents talk of close relationships between children and teachers such that emotional issues are picked up before they become a problem: ‘We’ve never had a teacher we’re not happy with.’ Bespoke mental health workbooks have been created where themes of friendship, kindness and diversity are explored. We watched a moving rendition of ‘Let there be peace on earth’ sung by a Ukrainian pupil, against a blurry backdrop of poppies for Remembrance Day. Even though this is a big school, classes are mixed up every two years so children tend to know everyone in their year group, and usually across other year groups too. Parents (from Battersea, Clapham, Kennington and north of the river) are, we are told, a friendly bunch and are welcomed in to share cultural festivals, eg Chinese New Year.

Money matters

Around 15 means-tested bursaries are available, after academic assessment, for part-funded places for children entering from year 3 and above. Additional help is available to families who may find themselves struggling in the course of the school year.

The last word

Newton Prep strikes the balance between academic expectation and allowing children to just be themselves. Many parents told us how they hope to find a post-13 sequel: co-ed, informal, non-hierarchical, ambitious. ‘It’s a tremendously happy and kind school,’ said one satisfied parent, whereupon a child chipped in: ‘It’s the best school in the world.’ We say, ‘Don’t upset the apple cart.’

Special Education Needs

The aim of the Resource Unit is to enable all children in its care to reach their full potential, to build their confidence and to equip them with strategies to allow them to make the greatest possible progress in their studies at school. The Resource Unit at Newton Prep is staffed by three specialist teachers, all of whom have training in teaching children with special educational needs. It is headed by the SEN and High Ability Co-ordinator, whose role is to provide the vital communication between all those involved in meeting children’s needs: teachers, parents and specialist practitioners. Up until Year 2, children are given extra support in small groups, normally within the classroom. Many younger children will only require a term or two of support until their development catches up with their peers. From Year 2 onwards those children who are felt to need specialist input normally receive it on a one-to one-basis. Support is generally offered without charge. If a child requires intensive support, for which a charge would normally be made, parents will be consulted beforehand. The Resource Unit can call on the input of a wide range of specialist intervention such as speech and language therapy, paediatric physiotherapy and occupational therapy. This professional input will be charged directly to the parents by the practitioner but can take place in school, minimising disruption to the school day.

Leavers' destinations

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