Newton News Roundup Spring 25 by Newton Prep School

SPRING 2025

Welcome to Newton News Roundup

I very much hope you enjoy reading this edition of Newton News Roundup. The whole purpose is to acknowledge the wide range of opportunities the children enjoy here, both inside the classroom and beyond. In a term in which we were inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, it is a good moment to pause and to reflect on all that we have achieved together. As you know so well, we want children to learn the values that will set them up for their future lives – to give their best; to be kind and respectful to other members of the school; to get involved in the many activities and clubs on offer and, ultimately, to learn how to be good ‘citizens’, making a positive contribution to the lives of those around them.

Newton Prep continues to be a wonderfully positive environment, a school in which pupils and staff absolutely love learning; I hope the following pages demonstrate something of that.

“ I am so very proud of all that your children have achieved this term”

Newton News Round Up | Spring Term 2022-23

Zoom In YEAR 6

Coral Reef Project: A message on Climate Change

Year 6 created clay models of coral reefs, depicting bleached coral. They used a variety of building and joining techniques to form their sculptures. The aim was to convey the urgent environmental message that climate change is threatening these vital ecosystems. Each artist painted their coral with brightly coloured inks to capture the vibrancy of living coral, showcasing its beauty while highlighting the stark contrast with bleached coral.

RECEPTION

To kick off the exciting Space topic, Reception children thought about where they live. They started by reading the book ‘Zoom In’, which inspired the children to create their own wonderful ‘zoom in’ artwork! They began by drawing Earth, then they zoomed into London, then closer to home, sketching their streets, complete with their houses and surroundings. Finally, they took a close look at their bedrooms, drawing the special details that make their spaces uniquely theirs.

YEAR 1

Winnie the Witch

Year 1 enjoyed learning about their new class story Winnie the Witch. The children created their own Winnie and Wilbur puppets to sequence and retell the main events in the story. It was lots of fun! They also created sentences using a range of conjunctions and discussing which conjunctions would be more appropriate to use.

YEAR 3

The Polka Theatre

Year 3 had the opportunity to watch The Nutcracker at the Polka Theatre Wimbledon. The children were treated to a splendid performance of great acting and singing, which served as inspiration for their fabulous play later in the Spring Term.

YEAR 7

Battersea Power Station Art

Having learnt about one-point and two-point perspective, the Year 7 pupils created drawings of Battersea Power Station. They selected reference images from photographs from before and after the redevelopment of the iconic building. It is exciting to see some of our older pupils working more independently, choosing their media and interpreting a subject in a range of interesting ways.

YEAR 5

Les Poemes des Annees 5

In French lessons, Year 5 worked hard on understanding the difference between definite articles (“un / une / des”) and indefinite articles (“le / la / l’ / les”). They have also learnt to use bilingual dictionaries independently. Combining the two skills, they then let their imagination go wild and created wonderful poems en Français. Bravo!

UPPER SCHOOL

Chess Tournament

The annual Year 5 - 8 chess tournament went ahead with more than 70 children taking part! The standard of chess was excellent and many children were playing with a timer for the first time. Sporting spirit was also commendable, with children giving each other tips and shaking hands after games.

YEAR 2

Return to School

Year 2 enjoyed returning to school and seeing their teachers and friends after the Christmas break. They have had fun getting back into the swing of lessons, including many specialist subjects, as well as visiting the library.

The children started a new maths topic on multiplication and division, using resources to create and explain equal and unequal groups. What an enjoyable start to 2025!

YEAR 7 Time Management Workshop

Elevate Education delivered a workshop to Year 7s about time management. The pupils looked at time management of homework tasks, how to organise time for revision and managing time in an exam.

The presenter, Evie, compared different pupils’ approaches to applying feedback to different game consoles, which certainly got them thinking!

WHOLE SCHOOL

A Term of Music

It has been a wonderfully busy and joy-filled time in the Music Department, with nearly 100 pupils from Year 1 to Year 8 performing in four recitals and close to 300 pupils showcasing their talents across nine musical events. From drums and singing to strings and piano, there were fantastic performances across all year groups, reflecting the incredible progress pupils have made this term. These recitals are not only a celebration of music but also a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through dedication and practice. A huge well done to everyone who took part!

View more photos on our Flickr page

WHOLE SCHOOL

Lunar New year

Newton Prep celebrated Lunar New Year by dressing in beautiful red and gold outfits, enjoying a festive feast and learning about traditional customs. The children also explored a special library display and were fascinated to learn about the meaning and significance of the Year of the Snake in Chinese culture.

Newton News Round Up | Spring Term 2022-23

Wonder Dome

YEAR 3 Natural History RECEPTION

Reception kick-started their new topic of Space with an interactive show based in an inflatable dome! The children learned about the different planets whilst watching them being projected around them. There were some excellent questions posed to the space expert too, including, ‘How does gravity work?’ and ‘Where can you find supermassive black holes?’

Year 3 had a fantastic trip to the Natural History Museum. They enjoyed exploring areas about rocks, earthquakes, dinosaurs and many other galleries. They also took part in a workshop called Ocean Life and Habitat Show.

Here are some things they learned:

“I loved learning about how crystals are formed”- Miranda

“I learnt that giant squids have the second biggest eye in the ocean”Mikail

“I loved learning about how the Earth was made”- Eva

YEAR 1

Rhyming Poems

Year 1 learnt about rhyming words and synonyms. The children created their own rhyming poems casting magic spells and had so much fun! They then performed their poems to their class, learning their poems off by heart, changing their voices and adding actions. Using a green screen, their poetry performances were then transformed into a magical video which they enjoyed watching back.

YEAR 5

Musical Museum

Year 5 had a successful trip to the Musical Museum, Kew Bridge. They learnt about the history of automated instruments arriving at modern synthesisers, including the vocoder that Cher used to record her hit song ‘Believe’ and the instrument used to synthesise Star Wars’ C3PO’s voice. They were then treated to a performance from Newton Prep’s very own Mr Hills on the mighty Wurlitzer organ accompanying a silent Laurel and Hardy film. We hope this inspired them in their editing phase of their own silent film projects!

YEARS 1 & 2

Reading Together

Year 1 and 2 classes paired up to share their hard work in English. The Year 1 children proudly read their Winnie the Witch stories aloud, and in return, the Year 2 children shared their wolf character descriptions, along with some fun facts! The Year 2 children were very familiar with this activity, having made similar books themselves last year! The Year 1 children were inspired by the work of the older children, it was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to learn and share together.

NURSERY

Squares

Nursery children had a fantastic time exploring the properties of squares. The children enjoyed finding squares around the classroom. They also delved into the world of art, creating beautiful silhouettes and bringing the desert to life by cutting out and sticking pictures of animals that live in that unique environment.

YEAR 8

Maths Challenge

Selected Year 8s took part in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge, competing against children up to the age of 16 Nationally. Well done to all competitors for showing resilience in what was a tough problemsolving challenge.

YEAR 6

Art Trip to the V&A

Year 6 enjoyed a fantastic trip to the Victoria & Albert Museum. They spent the day sketching, observing and exploring a variety of cultures, wondrous artefacts and stunning pieces of design. The highlight being the Japanese art on display, which proved invaluable inspiration for their current painting project on the theme of Japanese portraits, fish and birds.

Five Senses

Year 1 had a great time learning about the five senses. The children performed simple tests to find out more about the five senses. Including tasting different foods and smelling pleasant and unpleasant smells like ginger, mint, lemon, rosemary, garlic and some very smelly cheese. They explored a range of different textures using their sense of touch. The most challenging test was to build a tower with Lego without using their sense of sight.

As part of year 6’s Archaeology lessons, they took part in an exciting fieldwork simulation. Using trowels and brushes, they carefully excavated artefacts from sand trays. Then inspected the items further with a magnifying glass and recorded their findings. Among their incredible discoveries were a World War II trench whistle, a Roman spoon and an ancient Egyptian scarab beetle.

Nursery enjoyed a fascinating exploration of sea creatures. They learned fun facts about how jellyfish have no bones and how whales breathe through a blowhole. The tuff spot became an exciting underwater world, where the children eagerly created scenarios with various sea creatures. It was a week filled with curiosity, discovery and creativity!

WHOLE SCHOOL

From Sketches to Masterpieces

The Art Department shared a snapshot of what Newton Prep artists have been up to since September. This included painting and weaving in Year 3, and developing and practising drawing skills in Year 4. Every artist in Year 5 has their koru painting on display around the school has created studies for their project, ‘The Beauty of Birds’. While Year 6 has used inks, watercolours and clay, and Years 7 and 8 have been working on their Newton Prep Diploma in Art. We can’t wait to see what these artists do next!

YEAR 2

Picasso’s Prodigies

Year 2 explored Pablo Picasso’s Cubism period, focusing on his unique approach to shape, perspective and abstraction. The children explored his surreal portraits, discussing how he distorted facial features to create expressive and thoughtprovoking artwork. Inspired by his style, the children then created their own surreal collage portraits, carefully layering and rearranging facial elements to produce bold and imaginative pieces. Well done, Year 2!

RECEPTION

ChatterPix

Reception used the ChatterPix app to bring their alien creations to life! They took pictures of their unique aliens and added their own voices, using adjectives to describe their speaking and listening skills. The children also practised their writing by thinking about what they might take on a journey to space, using their phonics knowledge to spell words independently. It was wonderful to see their creativity and enthusiasm shine through!

YEAR 5

Debate

Year 5 developed their debating skills during English. They started off by defining what a debate was, agreeing to guidelines to promote respectful debate and practised the skills of a ‘friendly discussion’ with topics such as ‘Should we get a school pet?’ and ‘School uniform is not necessary’.

WHOLE SCHOOL

Kindness Week

During Mental Health and Kindness Week, children across the school embraced the spirit of compassion through a variety of thoughtful activities. Year 3 practiced daily acts of kindness, smiling at friends, helping at home and using polite manners. They also wrote heartfelt notes to friends, teachers and family members, saying things like “You are a great friend because you make me laugh.”

Nursery children proudly made and wore kindness crowns, which they then showcased during a parade around the Apple Courtyard. They enjoyed sharing kind words with each other, showing just how powerful small acts of kindness can be.

RECEPTION

Rocket Launch

On space day, Reception children celebrated by dressing up as astronauts, stars, planets and even aliens! Newton Preps’ Science Teachers, Year 8 Science Captain and Humanities Captains came to show the children how to launch a rocket - it was amazing. Well done space rangers – space learning mission complete.

YEAR 6

Courtroom Drama

Year 6 put people on trial who claimed to have seen Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. It was great to see pupils mixing their RS skills with Drama. Pupils attempted to persuade teachers (the jury) on whether the witnesses were innocent or guilty. Learning the topic in this way helped pupils understand the different perspectives in more detail.

YEAR 3

Visit to St Paul’s

Year 3 visited St Paul’s Cathedral and were amazed by its stunning architecture and rich history. They climbed to the Whispering Gallery, where even the quietest whispers could be heard across the dome. The breathtaking views from the top of the cathedral made the long climb well worth it. The experience gave the pupils an appreciation of London’s heritage and a close up of the features of a Christian place of Worship.

Make Believe

Nursery explored the exciting theme of ‘Make Believe’.They focused on superhero activities, where the children had a blast dressing up as their favourite caped crusaders. They even participated in various superhero-themed activities. Being superheroes was full of creativity, laughter and exploration, an unforgettable superhero adventure for everyone!

Reception children enjoyed learning all about minibeasts! They learnt some very ‘interesting’ facts, including that dung beetles eat poo and woodlice drink using their bottoms! The Reception children also created their own minibeast riddles, writing clues and testing their friends to see if they can work out what the minibeast is! Well done Reception, you are now minibeast experts!

WHOLE SCHOOL

Food Bank

Thank you to everyone at Newton prep for your generosity in donating to the Wandsworth Foodbank. The food and essentials that you donated weighed in at 451.5kg which they have estimated provided 1075 meals. Thank you for your continued kindness and support for our neighbours.

WHOLE SCHOOL

World Book Day

World Book Day is always a fabulous day, but this year there was something special in the air...maybe it was the flying monkeys and witches? A huge thank you to all those that dressed up in their finest literary costumes. A special thanks to Emily in Year 8 who, along with Mrs Muirhead, created a Where’s Wally? competition which saw a dozen staff Wallys and hundreds of entrants. It was a wonderful day celebrating reading and books!

Next Steps for Year 6 and 8 Leavers

Every year, Year 6 and 8 pupils leave Newton Prep, excited for all of their new opportunities. But what does Newton Prep do to prepare pupils for their new schools? Tariq, a Year 8 pupil who is going to Winchester College and trying for a Music Exhibition, says that he will miss Newton’s amazing community. He says that Newton has made him confident in his own abilities and he is looking forward to boarding next year. Amelia, who is going to King’s Canterbury with a Drama Exhibition, says that Newton has allowed her to experiment with new hobbies so that she knows what she wants to do at her senior school. Arnav, who is leaving Newton to go to RGS Guildford, commented that he would, like Tariq, miss the community here. Kosti, who is moving on to St Paul’s, said that he was grateful for Newton’s teachers and his “fun education”. Out of all the Year 8s I interviewed about leaving Newton, all reflected on its kindness and strong community, as well as how it had helped them develop as people. For me, I will miss all of my friends, and I am very grateful for all of the opportunities Newton has given me. I am very excited to go to my next school, but I will miss the friendliness of Newton Prep.

WHOLE SCHOOL

The Big Write

Pupils were asked to ‘unlock their creativity’ through a key. Each child (from Nursery to Year 8) was given a metal key to inspire a story or description, and they let their imagination run wild. They imagined underwater castles, treasure chests, portals to other worlds and secret identities.

Orienteering

Year 6 put their orienteering skills to the test on their trip to Battersea Park. It was an amazing opportunity to try something new as well as using the skills that they have been practising in class, such as reading a map and using their compass. It was a fascinating day out and everyone had a great time.

Year 3 enjoyed honing their hockey skills in PE. They have been working on their ball control, accurate passing and shot technique - which they practised in the glorious sunshine! It was especially pleasing to see such great teamwork from the children.

YEAR 6

YEAR 4

Assemblies

Year 4 impressed us with two thoughtful and engaging class assemblies. 4ID took us on a journey through English, History, Geography, and Science, sharing fascinating facts and reminding everyone to find joy in learning and the small moments that brighten our day. Meanwhile, 4LG focused on the power of kindness and respect, highlighting inspiring acts of kindness throughout history and sharing their own thoughtful gestures. They introduced the idea of ‘filling someone else’s bucket’, a lovely reminder that kind words and actions lift us all.

YEAR 8

Motivational Speaker

The year 8 pupils were treated to a fantastic inspirational speech delivered by James Shone. He spoke to them about not having to be perfect and how everyone has different talents. The pupils enjoyed James’ speech and found it very reassuring.

YEAR 1

Inspiring

Women

Year 1 enjoyed participating in an Inspiring Women workshop. The workshop introduced the children to a range of inspirational women from Frida Kahlo to Rosa Parks and Amelia Earhart (to name but a few), the children had a great time moving around and learning about some of the incredible things these women have done.

YEAR 2

Andy Warhol

In Art Year 2 took inspiration from the iconic artist Andy Warhol and explored the exciting world of pop art. The children experimented with bold colours, repeated patterns, and everyday objects to create their own vibrant masterpieces. It was wonderful to see them embrace Warhol’s famous style and bring a modern twist to his techniques!

WHOLE SCHOOL

STEAM Week

Our school was filled with superhero power during STEAM week. In science the children revealed secret messages, found missing ‘kryptonite’ and debated as to the most incredible ‘superhero animal’ adaptations! Year 5-8 had the pleasure of listening to Mathematician Zoe Griffiths, who taught the children some maths magic. In lower school lessons were jam packed full of superhero activities. From creating their own comic books in English to making magical rainbows in Science. It was truly exciting to see so many engaging “super” lessons taking place.

UPPER SCHOOL

Pi Day

The Maths department celebrated Pi Day with a range of engaging activities across the school. During lessons, students participated in various challenges, Year 5 programmed Spheros and robots to draw perfect circles, while Year 2 crafted bracelets as a fun reminder of Pi. The highlight of the day was the Pi Recital Competition, where winners included Colson D from Year 5 with an impressive 255 digits (a new Newton record), Serena H from Year 6 reciting 141 digits, and Alana Y from Year 6 with 122 digits. The celebration was further sweetened by a delicious spread of Pi-shaped food from the kitchen.

NURSERY

The Gingerbread Man

Nursery enjoyed exploring the story of The Gingerbread Man. They created their own gingerbread men and brought the story to life through role-play. They then demonstrated their creativity and comprehension skills by writing speech bubbles for the various characters, capturing memorable quotes from the story. They developed their language and storytelling skills in a fun and interactive way. Well done, everyone!

YEARS 5 & 6

Lego League 2025

Year 5 and 6 children from the Lego Engineering Club represented the school in the First Lego League, which they have been practising for, for several months. They designed, built and programmed a robot that could complete challenges all to this year’s theme of ‘Submerged’, relating to underwater exploration and ecology.

YEAR 1

Surprise Visitor

Year 1 had to work out who had left large footprints all around the classrooms. They searched and read clues to find it had been a komodo dragon! They learnt facts about komodo dragons and organised these under subheadings, including appearance, habitat and diet. They enjoyed sharing their favourite facts with their friends.

YEAR 3

Revolting Rhymes

Year 3 put on a spectacular performance, bringing Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes to life with a delightfully twisted take on Cinderella and The Three Little Pigs. Their production was filled with energy, humour and impressive stage presence, leaving the audience in stitches. Every single child had their moment to shine, delivering their roles with confidence.

View more photos on our Flickr page

LOWER SCHOOL

Drop in Mornings

Pupils across Lower School warmly welcomed their parents into their classrooms for Drop In Mornings across the Spring Term. It was a joy to see them proudly sharing their learning, showcasing their work and enthusiastically talking through their projects.

Newton News Round Up | Spring Term 2022-23

Year 2 read Gorilla by Anthony Browne, so the Arty Party team helped the children build their own gorilla sculpture to take home. The children carefully used hammers to secure the structure in place and papier-mâché to create the gorilla shape. This was very messy! Then they painted them and added hats, coats and bow ties. They were proud of the finished result!

We were delighted to have author SF

Said visit years 3 and 4 to talk about his books, especially Varjak Paw, which Year 4 read in the spring term. We also welcomed Year 4 from St George’s School. SF shared how it took him 17 drafts to get Varjak Paw published. The children asked questions about the story and characters. SF also met with Year 7 in the library to chat about the publishing process, the effort involved and his key message: “keep writing.”

UPPER SCHOOL

Neurodiversity Speaker

Neurodiversity Celebration

Week is aimed at recognising and nurturing the many strengths and talents of individuals with a neurodiverse profile. Our upper school pupils received a presentation from J Grange on ‘Celebrating difference’. J, a musician and successful neurodiversity advocate, spoke to children about his own experience of living with ADHD and dyspraxia. The children enjoyed the presentation and asked many interesting questions.

YEARS 3&4

Author Visits

YEAR 2

Arty Party

Year 8 Play

Year 8 took to the stage with an outstanding performance of The Accidental Death of an Anarchist. The cast tackled the play’s sharp wit and fast-paced farce with remarkable confidence, leaving the audience both laughing and reflecting on its deeper themes. From impeccable comic timing to expressive physical humour and emotional depth, every performer brought their character to life with enthusiasm and skill. A bold, brilliant and unforgettable production. Bravo to the entire cast for their hard work and talent!

YEAR 3

English

Year 3 explored the book Journey by Aaron Becker and enjoyed discovering different literary devices to improve their descriptive writing. They focused on describing senses and went on a ‘senses journey’ around the school, recording the sights, sounds, smells and sensations they experienced to create a video journal.

YEAR 4

Geography

In Geography, the Year 7s learnt about hard and soft engineering management during their topic on flooding. In groups, they created models of their chosen engineering works from dams to planned afforestation. The models were then rigorously tested allowing the children to evaluate which strategies were most effective.

Creative Writing

In Year 4, the children unlocked their imaginations using a golden, unique and intricate key! They loved observing the keys’ details, deciding what kind of door or chest it opened and what kind of world lay beyond it. The children used an amazing range of MAPSO and other descriptive techniques to describe their key, door and imaginary world,inspiring them to write further!

YEAR 7

The sun shone for Year 1’s visit to the Tower of London. The children met the ‘daughter’ of King Edward I who taught them all about the Tower of London and trained them to be knights! Some highlights included seeing ravens, learning about the animals that used to be at the Tower, spotting different parts of the castle, such as arrow slits, and the Crown Jewels.

Reception have been learning about life on a farm and were very excited to welcome Vauxhall City Farm for a special visit. The children thoroughly enjoyed meeting the animals up close and finding out more about how they are cared for. In preparation for the visit, the children worked hard to think of interesting questions to ask the farmer, carefully using question words such as who, what, where, when, why, and how. It was wonderful to learn all about farms!

Pilgrimage

Year 6 embarked on a pilgrimage to Lower School to share short stories they had written, inspired by Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The younger children listened with excitement, captivated by the imaginative tales and enthusiastic storytelling.