149 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BX
Profile: Newton Prep is a large prep school for boys and girls aged 3-13 located in Battersea. With over 600 pupils, it is known for its wide offering of extracurricular activities, which include yoga, drama, speech and gymnastics. The characteristic feature of the school are its modern and spacious facilities that include a new sports hall, a music hall with recording studio, an adventure playground and three dance studios – something you rarely (if ever!) find among Central London prep schools. If facilities, space and sports are important to you, you will likely be impressed by Newton Prep more so than by any other prep school around.
The school appointed a new headmistress, Mrs Alison Fleming, previously head of Dulwich College Junior School, in September 2013. Newton Prep is a selective school and aimed at children who are at least at or above the national average. It used to have a reputation as a school geared towards “gifted” children, but although the school certainly likes gifted children, it is a large school with a wide range of children, so your child does not have to be a genius to get in, as long as they are performing at or above expectations. Through its Newton Scholarship Fund, the school offers merit-based academic scholarships as well as bursaries for families who require financial assistance.
The school was rated “Excellent” in its ISI inspection in 2022, perhaps not to surprising given that the Headmistress is herself an experienced ISI inspector!
Admissions: The school is selective for entry at all levels (except for the Nursery class). 48 children are admitted into their Nursery class by lottery, with an additional 30 places available at Reception following an assessment. The school describes the 4+ assessment as a “gentle process conducted by senior staff who will be looking to engage with the children to see how they relate to adults, their peers and the world around them. Senior staff will be looking for early indications of ability and potential in short meetings with individual children lasting about 15 minutes each“. Children joining higher up in the school will usually spend a trial day at the school, where they take part in a wide range of class activities and lessons and are also tested in English, Maths and Reasoning. Scholarships and bursaries are available at 7+ and 11+.
Exit Results: Popular destination schools for girls include Alleyn’s, JAGS, Bedales, Wycombe Abbey and St. Paul’s Girls’ School. Among boys, many go on to top the London Day Schools Dulwich College, King’s College Wimbledon and Westminster, as well as the boarding school Sevenoaks. Emanuel School in Clapham is also becoming a popular destination school in recent years. The school provides a full breakdown with exact numbers and scholarships won per year, click here for the 2023 11+ and 13+ results.
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