Newton News roundup Summer 2025 by Newton Prep School

SUMMER 2025

Welcome to Newton News Roundup

When we started the school year back in September, my last as the Head of Newton Prep, I challenged the children to make it our Best Year Ever. As this school year draws to a close, we can look back at so many wonderful events and moments. This school is full of life and energy and enthusiasm, and this term has been no different. There have been some fantastic performances: the Year 6 production of Beauty and the Beast, the Lower School showcases and the Young Musician of the Year. Our Year 8 pupils have embarked on an ambitious and varied Leavers’ Programme culminating in a 30km Thames Trek, raising money for Glassdoor, a charity that helps homeless people in southwest London. We have enjoyed sports days and cricket fixtures, numerous day trips and residentials and our incredibly special End of Year Celebration at the Emmanuel Centre.

To our leavers, both staff and children, the Class of 2025: thank you for all that you have contributed to the life of this school. You are the school’s beating heart, and you are the reason that this school is such a fabulous place. As I write this introduction to Newton News Roundup for the last time, I am enormously proud of all that we have achieved, together. Academic success, for sure, but the success of the school is about more than that; it is about the sense of community, the sense of shared purpose, and the love and care that lie at its heart. I will treasure the many, many memories and feel so proud to have led this school for 12 glorious years!

I wish you all a wonderful summer.

“This term has been a joyful whirlwind of learning, laughter and lasting memories.”

YEAR 5

Art & Design at the Young V&A

Year 5 went to the Young V&A for their Art trip. Whilst there they explored, observed, discussed and sketched the different spaces in the museum - Play, Design, Imagine and the current exhibition, ‘Making Egypt’. They fully appreciated how art and design meet to help create the world around us.

NURSERY

Chicks and Ducks

Nursery were thrilled to welcome two fluffy chicks and five delightful ducklings into the classroom. They were absolutely enchanted by the new arrivals, and there was much excitement as they watched the ducks swimming happily.

It was a joy to see everyone in Nursery so engaged—stroking the animals gently and asking thoughtful questions about their new feathered friends.

RECEPTION

Three Little Pigs

Reception had a fantastic time exploring The Three Little Pigs. In the role-play area they became little builders, constructing houses from straw, sticks and bricks to discover which materials could withstand the Big Bad Wolf’s huffing and puffing. During their literacy session, they designed “WOLF WANTED” posters, writing sentences about the terrible wolf.

YEAR 3

Year 3 Residential

Year 3 students embarked on their much-anticipated residential trip, and what an unforgettable experience it was! From the moment they arrived, they threw themselves into every activity with enthusiasm and determination. Throughout the trip, students took part in a range of exciting outdoor activities, including archery, climbing, shelter building, and a campfire evening. We were incredibly proud of Year 3 for their positive attitudes, perseverance and the way they represented our school. It was a fantastic trip that will be remembered for years to come!

UPPER SCHOOL

Newton’s Got Talent

Newton’s Got Talent House Competition was a dazzling showcase of creativity and courage, as pupils from Years 3 to 8 took to the stage to perform. The competition featured a wide variety of acts, including magic tricks, gymnastics routines, musical performances, monologues, dance numbers and comedy sketches. The Auditorium buzzed with excitement as each performer brought their unique talent to the stage. Pupils were treated to ‘The Masked Teacher’, where Mr Hall, Ms Stone, Ms Keane and Mr Willis performed in disguise, leaving the audience guessing which teacher was behind each impressive act.

YEARS 3, 4 & 5

Eco Warriors

The Eco-Warriors from Years 3, 4 and 5 were lucky enough to attend the premiere of the new David Attenborough film, Ocean. They walked the blue carpet and got the chance to share their thoughts on David Attenborough and how we could be more sustainable during an interview. The film explores the wonder of life under the seas and exposes the realities and challenges facing our oceans.

Year 5 began working on their Picasso-inspired portrait project. They carefully drew their own self-portrait and then explored how Cubist portraits show the profile and the full face at the same time. Building on their observations, they created their own colourful compositions.

YEAR 1

Studying Plants

Year 1 pupils enjoyed getting hands-on with nature as part of their Science topic: Plants. To kick off their learning, they walked around the school grounds, keeping their eyes peeled for different types of plants, trees, and flowers. Armed with clipboards and sketching pencils, they carefully observed and recorded what they could see. We were so impressed with their curiosity and careful observation skills!

YEAR 5 Picasso

YEAR 5

Film Night

Year 5 stepped into the spotlight for the much-anticipated ‘N-oscars 2025’. The event was a glittering celebration of their incredible filmmaking achievements, complete with red carpet glamour, unexpected moments and a full house of proud supporters. Awards were presented for outstanding creativity and technical skill, and we were treated to some brilliantly witty acceptance speeches from our young directors. It truly was an unforgettable evening.

YEARS 5 & 6

Harry Potter Day

To celebrate International Harry Potter Day, Year 5 and 6 pupils enjoyed a magical after-school event filled with all things Hogwarts. They rolled through Platform 9¾, zoomed down corridors on broomsticks, tested their wizarding knowledge and left with Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. The enchantment continued for Year 6 with a spellbinding trip to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter. No Floo Powder was needed as they stepped into the Great Hall, explored Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest, visited 4 Privet Drive, sampled Butterbeer and marvelled at the breathtaking Hogwarts Castle model — a truly wand-erful experience!

YEARS 6 - 8

Junior Maths

Competition 2025

Congratulations to all of the Year 6 to 8 pupils who took part in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge. They competed in problem-solving challenges against other students up to the age of 13 all across the world!

NURSERY

Minibeasts

Nursery explored the wonderful world of minibeasts! The pupils were very excited to go on a minibeast hunt around the school grounds. They kept their eyes peeled and spotted spiders, ants and ladybirds! Back in the classroom, they learned some fascinating facts about the tiny creatures. Well done to everyone for your curiosity and brilliant minibeast facts!

YEAR 5

Imperial War Museum

Year 5 enjoyed a trip to the Imperial War Museum. The main objective was to visit the First World War Galleries, but the pupils explored other parts of the museum, too. Edward (Year 5) said: ‘We learnt about the importance of VE Day and the soldiers that died to bring peace.

World War 1 and World War

2 were truly terrifying times.

Did you know that Anderson Shelters were built in WW2 and sometimes covered in leaves to camouflage them. How cool!’

YEAR 4

Fort Purbrook Residential

Year 4 had a great time in sunny Portsmouth! Stopping at Butser Farm, on the way, they were transported back to the Iron Age where pupils created their own Celtic jewellery, clay pots and Roman mosaics. They also took part in lots of adventurous activities, such as laser tag, bouldering, orienteering and assault courses. They visited Manor Farm to explore what life is like in a working countryside farm and learnt how to support the environment. There were lots of opportunities to meet and feed the furry residents of the farm. A fantastic time was had by all!

YEARS 7 & 8

Speaker Series

As part of the PSHE careers focus in Years 7 and 8, we run the Speaker Series. These talks broaden the pupils’ horizons, introducing them to a diverse and possibly unknown range of careers and industries. We started the series with the brilliant Isaac and Danny from Digno Films who, at just 17, have built a film production company. Isaac and Danny thoroughly engaged and inspired the pupils to start making movies themselves, so watch this space for Oscar nominations!

YEAR 2

Recipe Writing

Year 2 have explored the art of recipe writing. They had great fun identifying the key features of this genre. Using a colour-coded key, they highlighted numbered instructions, imperative (or ‘bossy’) verbs, subheadings, and more! To bring their learning to life, they followed a recipe to make their very own rainbow fruit kebabs on skewers. Yummy!

YEAR 4

Art: Indian Puppets

The Year 4 Indian Puppets came off the production line!Having constructed the puppet’s body with newspaper and plaster bandage, Year 4s dressed their puppets in brightly coloured tissue paper, ribbons and jewels. There has been lots of learning throughout the project: cutting accurately, folding neatly, tying secure knots, plaiting wool, etc. They are delighted with their finished puppets - and rightly so!

LOWER SCHOOL

Showcases

What a joyful way to capture the spirit and energy of this year in Lower School. The showcases offered a moment for Mrs Smith and Mrs Fleming to say some of their farewells to Lower School. It was a fitting tribute to an incredible year and all the work Mrs Smith has done during her time here at Newton Prep.

Newton News Round Up | Spring Term 2022-23

YEAR 5

Cumulus Outdoors

Centre Residential

Year 5s enjoyed a fabulously sunny week near Swanage for their residential. Staying in a tented village they were fully immersed in the beautiful countryside. The week started with a hike to Old Harry Rocks, learning about the geography of the area and the WW2 military training that happened in the area. Fuelled by food prepared outside by a team of chefs, Year 5s got stuck into a range of activities such as kayaking, paddleboarding, high ropes and mackerel fishing. The true highlight of the week was the pupils themselves. Apart from a slightly earlier wake up on the first morning, they all behaved perfectly and supported each other as good friends do.

YEAR 6

Osmington Bay

PGL Residential

Year 6 pupils embarked on an unforgettable 5 day adventure to Osmington Bay for their PGL residential trip. Each day was filled with a variety of outdoor activities that pushed pupils out of their comfort zones and encouraged them to develop confidence, independence and resilience. Highlights included abseiling, dragon boating, zip wires, archery tag, giant swings, and keelboat sailing. They all showed fantastic teamwork and support for one another, and it was wonderful to see friendships strengthen and new ones blossom.

YEARS 3 & 4

Sports Day

Year 3 and 4 pupils took to the track and field for an unforgettable Junior Sports Day. The excitement was palpable as every child gave their all across a range of events: the 60m sprint, 200m, 600m, long jump, Vortex throw. The Sports Day wasn’t just about winning – it was about contributing to a bigger team effort. Every finishing position earned valuable points for their house, and the competition was fierce but friendly throughout the afternoon. Well done to everyone who took part, we are proud of you all!

YEAR 3

Trip to the London Zoo

Year 3 had a roaring good time visiting the lions, waddling over to the penguins, and venturing into the rainforest. The highlight? Meeting a baby sloth that had been born just the day before. Along the way, the they also discovered a sticky fact: spider webs are so strong that, if you made a web the size of a pencil, it could catch a small airplane! After a sunny day of animal adventures, everyone came back exhausted, slightly sun-kissed and buzzing with stories. A successful trip all round!

YEAR 7

Trip to Brighton

The Year 7s headed to Brighton for their end of year trip. They walked through The Lanes, sampling the quirky shops and cafés on route to the Pier. The pupils spent the afternoon on the rides and amusements and enjoyed a Fish and Chip lunch (apart from when the seagulls swooped in!).

YEAR 1

Newton Airlines

In Year 1, the pupils thoroughly enjoyed learning about Kenya and they even took a pretend trip, flying on Newton Airlines from London to Nairobi! They had to take items suitable for a trip to places they might visit in Kenya, such as binoculars for when on safari, sunglasses for at the beach and a camera for taking lots of photos. They had a fabulous time away!

Sports Day

The programme was packed with sprints, long-distance races, throws, jumps, relays and the ever-popular tug of war; which brought out fierce competition and roaring support from fellow house members and staff! Sports Day is not just about winning, but about participating, pushing our limits, and celebrating one another’s efforts — because in the end, every point counts.

YEAR 6

Beauty and the Beast

Year 6 have been entertaining us with their simply fantastic production of Beauty and the Beast. What a talented bunch they are! There were some knockout solo performances but also an incredibly talented ensemble. It was also fabulous to see past pupils coming back to watch the play! The evenings were made even more special because we all had the opportunity to view and admire the wonderful artwork in the Year 6 Art Exhibition!

LOWER SCHOOL

Sports Day

Despite a grey and drizzly start, Nursery were undeterred— brightening up the morning with their cheerful enthusiasm and energetic races. The day was packed with fun-filled activities, ranging from sack races to the ever-popular fishing relay. There was fierce determination on display in the sprint races, while the obstacle course brought plenty of laughter and light-hearted moments. The day ended on a high—with bright sunshine to match the vibrant energy of the event. A truly enjoyable day for all!

Newton News Round Up | Spring Term 2022-23

YEAR 8

Crime Scene to Courtroom

Year 8 took part in a reconstruction of a criminal investigation, led by former police officer Simon Smith. He presented pupils with a real-world scenario and they proceeded in the same manner as the professionals and specialists involved in police investigations would do in real life. This included a visit to the crime scene reconstruction as well as a courtroom for the jury to hear evidence for and against the accused from multiple “learned friends”.

YEAR 2

Battersea Park Zoo

Reception had a wonderful time on their trips to Battersea Park Zoo! They began the day with an engaging workshop where they learned how to identify animals as herbivores, omnivores or carnivores. After that, they explored the zoo and enjoyed spotting a variety of animals up close. To finish off a brilliant day, everyone cooled down with some well-earned ice creams in the sunshine!

Barnes Wetland Centre

Year 2 visited Barnes Wetland Centre! They had so much fun exploring the wetlands, seeing lots of different animals, watching the otters being fed and trying to keep their balance along the Wild Walk! They took part in a minibeast workshop where they found lots of creepy crawlies and talked about how to classify them. A highlight was the adventure playground - so much fun!

YEAR 8

Bay of Biscay Residential

Year 8s embarked on an exciting new residential trip; a memorable adventure along the stunning Bay of Biscay. After flying into Bilbao, the group journeyed along the breath-taking coastline, experiencing the unique charm of the Basque region in both Spain and France. The week was packed with a dynamic blend of activities, bringing together language skills, physical challenges, and the rich cultural and culinary experiences on offer.

Emmanuel Centre

The Prize Giving at the Emmanuel Centre was a wonderful occasion as pupils accepted subject prizes and prestigious awards, and shared their own perspectives on their time at Newton Prep. It was super to be able to share a celebratory drink with our Year 6 and Year 8 parents as we said our goodbyes.