AUTUMN 2022
Welcome to Newton News Roundup
I am delighted to be writing to launch this new, termly publication, the Newton News Roundup. It gathers together the highlights of the Spring term, collated in one place for you to enjoy. Being in a school with such bright, engaged and enthusiastic children is a wonderful privilege. The many opportunities that children are given at Newton Prep is hugely important in creating the very best possible experience of school life. The children have visited all sorts of places of interest, they have participated in a wide range of sporting events, they have acted, sung, played instruments, led assemblies, created artwork and served their community. This is, in my view, what education is really all about; it is, of course, about academic progress and success but it also about the children having the chance to be excited about their learning, both within and outside the classroom. I very much hope you enjoy this new format.
“This is, in my view, what education is really all about”
LOWER SCHOOL
New Playground
The Lower School children were very excited to play on the new playground equipment! In consultation with Pupil Parliament last year, the school had a new trim trail installed, new seating and a grassy area for quieter playtimes.
New Routines
There were lots of ‘firsts’ for our Nursery children at the start of the Autumn Term. Our first library session, first PE lesson, first Music lesson and of course lots of games to help them get to know one another better. All the children settled in beautifully!
YEAR 5
Trip to Kew Gardens
Year 5 enjoyed a wonderful visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. From the Palm House and the Waterlily House, to the Temperate House and the Princess of Wales Conservatory, pupils looked in detail at the beauty and shapes found in nature. It was a fulfilling day of exploring and sketching, including an art session using oil pastels, observational skills and a variety of experimental drawing techniques.
Drop-in Morning
Year 3 were delighted to celebrate all of their hard work this term by showing off their books at the Year 3 Drop-in Morning. Thank you so much to those who were able to attend! A superb start to Year 3 as they begin their time in Upper School.
UPPER SCHOOL
Newton Grows
Pupils began work in an area of the garden, preparing the soil, planting seeds and setting up projects. Through the school year they will investigate ways to help the environment with use of hydroponics, solar power, meadows to attract insects, and growth of food for use in the kitchen.
YEAR 4
Ancient Greece
Year 4 delved into what life would be like for a child in Ancient Greece with brilliant enthusiasm! They enjoyed a visit from ‘The Rainbow Theatre’, who performed Greek plays with the children. They acted out a range of characters and events such as the Olympic Games.
WHOLE SCHOOL
Harvest Festival
Staff at Wandsworth Foodbank were incredibly grateful for the generous Harvest Festival donations, weighing in at a staggering 1292.6kg! They estimated that they would provide 3,078 meals for struggling families.
Macbeth Performance
Shakespeare Club performed the chilling tragedy with confidence, energy and determination. It was a wonderful showcase of all their hard work. Special thanks also go to our talented Computing Captains who mastered the tech and delivered some fantastic lighting and sound. A great team effort all round!
YEAR 6
Eastbourne College Sports Masterclass
Twelve Year 6 pupils travelled down to Eastbourne College for a Sports Masterclass day including hockey, netball, cricket, swimming and MindGym. The day was a fantastic experience for all involved.
LOWER SCHOOL
Positions of Responsibility
We had a celebratory morning tea with the children who had roles of responsibility in Lower SchoolHouse Captains and Pupil Parliament members. They shared what they enjoyed about their roles (counting house points, making posters, talking about things that could change) and what they achieved as a collective group. Well done and thank you to you all!
RECEPTION
Treasure Hunt
Reception learnt about all things Autumn! The children went on treasure hunts to see if they could find any signs of the season changing. They enjoyed exploring the different coloured leaves and discovering what conkers, acorns and conker husks feel like. The children got their creative hats on and used all of the different natural objects they found to make selfportraits.
Sleep Out
The Year 7 Sleep Out raised over £8,500 for Glass Door. On the night, they met a representative from the charity who told them about the work they do and how our donations make a huge difference to the lives of homeless people in our local community. Thank you to all for helping to raise the money – we are extremely grateful.
NURSERY Ballet Watching UPPER SCHOOL
Charterhouse Wind Day
Nursery children treated audiences to a performance featuring all the skills they have been working on together. There were lots of pointed toes, graceful pliés and soldier marches. What a performance. Bravo, everyone!
Wind and brass performers took part in a Wind Band Day at Charterhouse, led by our woodwind teacher Mr Corkin. The students had coaching before performing Strike Up the Band, Rock Around the Clock and Valerie to parents.
YEAR 1
Geography Walk
As part of their Geography topic ‘Our Local Area’, Year 1 children had a wonderful time visiting different parts of Battersea, such as Battersea Park Station, the beautiful Battersea Park, and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. The children then posted a special letter and made predications on how long it would take to arrive back at school. Guesses ranged from 1 hour all the way to 99 days!
Play in a Day
After only one day of preparation and rehearsal time, Year 4s performed an amazing rendition of Medusa! The costumes captured the range of roles and the set provided an impressive backdrop. The performances were strong and everyone was confident in their roles. The use of props was great and these really helped to tell the story and add to the characters. The make up gave the actors a real sense of their character. The show was a great success with tricky raps and dances that really brought the play together. It also made us all laugh. Well done Year 4 – a triumph!
Residential to Hilltop
The Year 5s enjoyed an adventurous time at Hilltop Outdoor Centre in Norfolk. They were blessed with good weather and an exciting range of activities. The main highlight was no doubt the seal trip. Staff were so impressed by all those children who pushed themselves further than they thought they could during the various challenges. Well done!
YEAR 2
Year 2 were treated to a very special Winter show in a dome. After they excitedly crawled in, they watched a show about different festivals of light, such as Diwali, Hanukkah, and Christmas. The visiting staff said that the children amazed them with their knowledge of these festivals, as well as their understanding of stars and constellations. What a treat. Well done Year 2 for impressing the visitors!
YEAR 8
Trip to Battersea Power Station
Year 8 enjoyed a thoroughly interesting day at Battersea Power Station. It started with a guided tour focusing on the building’s history, redevelopment, architecture and sustainability. Pupils then applied their geographical learning by conducting fieldwork assessing if the redevelopment had been carried out in a sustainable manner. This included pupil questionnaires, environmental quality surveys, and growth and decline surveys.
RECEPTION
People Who Help Us
Reception children learned about people who help them. There are lots of staff who do very important jobs around the school and children reflected on how grateful they are to have their help here at Newton Prep. Nurse Helen spoke to them about how she became a nurse and all of the hard work she had to do to learn how to look after people. Later on, the children wrote thank you letters to Nurse Helen and created maps to show the way to the medical room!
Explorer Dome VisitA Wonderful Day in Ancient Egypt!
Year 3 children had a fantastic time experiencing what life would have been like in Ancient Egypt. They took on the role of tradespeople and had the opportunity to make their own traditional goods including perfume, ink, bread and shabti dolls. They also took part in a traditional festival: acting out stories, performing dances to the pharaoh and tasting traditional foods.
Children in Years 1 & 2 really enjoyed taking part in a Road Safety Workshop. Many characters, such as ‘Mrs Plumpton’ came along to give the children some useful tips for crossing the road. They also learnt the all-important strategy of ‘STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, THINK’. There is no doubt: the children are all expert road-crossers!
Two teams of keen readers from Years 6 & 7 headed off to Emanuel School to compete in the annual Children’s Lit Quiz, or ‘CWIZZ’. They were competing against other teams from dozens of schools in SW London, so the pressure was on! Although they didn’t win, they fared well in the very close competition.
Year 6 visited the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Pupils took part in a workshop about the Sun, Earth and Moon, including an activity to see the vast scale of the Sun in relation to Earth. They also got to visit the planetarium to watch a show about our solar system.
YEARS 1 & 2
Road Safety Workshop UPPER SCHOOL
Newton Prep go to CWIZZ
YEAR 6
Royal Observatory Trip
Nativity
It was definitely ‘Not Such a Silent Night’! After rehearsing diligently in the weeks leading up to the play, the children blew their captive audience away with their loud and clear voices, both when singing fabulously catchy songs and when saying their lines. The teachers and parents were all so proud of the children!
YEARS 5 & 6
The Primary Maths Challenge
A huge congratulations to all of the Years 5 & 6 that competed in the Primary Maths Challenge 2022. The PMC is a problem solving challenge against other schools worldwide. They all did exceptionally well and came away with very tired brains!
Silent Films WHOLE SCHOOL Book Swap
A massive thank you to everyone who participated in the Book Swap. We raised £464 in cash, and much more online, towards the Sleep Out total. We also donated hundreds of books to St George’s Primary School Well done to Year 7 for organising such a great day!
YEAR 5
It was really exciting to see the hard work from all of Year 5 in preparing for the recording of their silent films. Everyone had great fun getting into costume and performing in front of the green screen. Whether filming, directing or acting, the children demonstrated admirable teamwork, style and creativity. We’re all now looking forward to Film Night itself, which takes place in the Summer term. Look out for the photos in the Summer NNR!
24 Days of Music
To celebrate our pupils’ love of music (and Christmas), the school embarked on a magical production that resulted in 24 very special music performances. The videos spread joy to friends and families all over the world, many of whom were particularly thrilled by the appearance of guest star Charlie the Donkey!
Christmas Play
Year 2 wowed their audience with their Christmas performance on ‘Children of the World’. They took their audience around the world to learn of the different customs and traditions that take place at Christmas time. They knocked our socks off with their dazzling songs and dances. As they say in Spain, Feliz Navidad!
View more photos on our Flickr page
NURSERY
Christmas Concert
After many weeks of practice, the nursery children offered a spectacular Christmas performance that left the audience in awe! They sang with such enthusiasm that it was hard not smile along with them. The children had clearly put in a lot of effort to spread holiday cheer!
YEARS 7 & 8 Vocal Group Trip
The Years 7 & 8 Vocal Group visited Meadbank Care Home where they sang a range of Christmas Carols and songs, much to the delight of the residents. It was a lovely morning of singing with many residents joining in and clapping along. A big thank you to the Vocal Group for such a joyous community event.
WHOLE SCHOOL
Christmas Jumper Day
Staff and pupils really got into the holiday spirit on the last day of term. They showed off their most festive and cheerful jumpers which added a splash of colour to the dining hall whilst everyone enjoyed their Christmas lunch!
