EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH THE HEAD
Mrs. Alison Fleming FROM NEWTON PREP SCHOOL, LONDON In this episode of Education Corner Podcast, we spoke with Mrs. Alison Fleming, Head of Newton Prep School in Battersea, London. Newton Prep School is a coeducational prep school for children aged 3-13, known for its excellent academic results and broad range of co-curricular opportunities. Alison discussed the benefits of co-education, the unique curriculum offered at the school and the challenging impact of the VAT on independent school fees.
Reflecting on her path to becoming a headteacher, Mrs. Alison Fleming described her journey as pragmatic, influenced by personal and family considerations. She shared: “I wasn’t educated privately myself. A state primary school and state grammar school was my background.” She initially had no intention of joining the independent sector but found herself considering the option when her eldest son started a state primary school that had “some teaching methods that I found curious.” A teaching opportunity at a local prep school led Alison into the independent sector. She candidly admitted: “After quite a lot of lively conversations with my husband, who was not at all keen on the independent sector decision, I accepted the role, which brought with it some fee remission for having my children there.” This initial move marked the beginning of her journey, which eventually took her from Hampshire to London. 1 4 | EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | W I N T E R 2 024
Alison commented: “I felt I did want to become a Head, but I suspected it wasn’t going to be a Head in Hampshire or Wiltshire. Instead, it was going to be a London Head.” The more traditional Shire counties model did not attract Alison as much as the diversity and dynamism offered in London. After a deputy headship at Highgate Junior School and a headship at Dulwich College Junior School, Alison joined Newton Prep, which she has led for over a decade. Newton Prep School’s coeducational setting reflects Alison’s belief in preparing children for real life. “Coeducation is normal life and I think schools should reflect the reality of children’s existence,” she asserted, adding: “It’s vitally important that boys and girls learn what it is to be alongside each other.” Alison emphasised the importance of fostering respect and understanding between genders: “Our job as educators is to journey with the children and help them to sort out any differences that might come along.” Newton Prep’s ethos is shaped by values of ambition, effort and self-discipline, drawing upon Isaac Newton’s thoughts: “My powers are ordinary. Only my application brings me success.” Alison connects this deeply to her own upbringing, sharing: “My father, born in a coal mining village in South Wales, always told me: ‘Education is your passport. That is what’s going to take you to new places.’ I was driven by that message throughout my
