Newton News Roundup Spring 2024

SPRING 2024

Welcome to Newton News Roundup

As I reflect on this term, I continue to be inspired by all that goes on in this very special school. You will see and enjoy, I hope, a sense of this over the next forty pages. Of course, learning is at the very heart of what we do. However, it is the children’s confidence to share their thoughts, ideas and learning through their performances which enrich the experience for us all as a whole school community.

This term, it is the number of performances that stand out to me. In just the last eleven weeks, we’ve seen Year 8 perform The Real Inspector Hound, Year 3 share a sung performance of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, over a hundred children perform in a Music Recital, Year 6 dramatise a courtroom scene, and of course, the all-important class assemblies which have covered a broad range of topics from a recreated Victorian Classroom in Year 2, to a rap about the Water Cycle in Year 4! I am so very proud of all that your children have achieved this term. I am sure you will be too – there is much to celebrate.

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

YEAR 4

Learning to ‘Scumble’ RECEPTION

YEARS 7 & 8

Explorer Dome

Reception kick-started their new topic of Space with an interactive show based in an inflatable dome!

The children learnt about the different planets whilst watching them being projected all around them. They also learnt about the different star constellations. The workshop guides were very impressed with the pupil’s fantastic listening and with their thoughtful questions, including, ‘why is the moon different shapes?’.

Year 4 were taught a new painting technique called ‘scumbling’, which is a method of blending paint on the paper.

Artists frequently use the technique to paint clouds. The children created ‘nebula’ (cosmic clouds) using bold colours for the backgrounds which would then host their astronaut pictures.

A visit from James Billet

Years 7 & 8 welcomed visiting speaker James Billet. They heard all about his experience in the music industry and the inspiring journey to becoming a commercial airline pilot. His insightful anecdotes taught the pupils the importance of perseverance, resilience and looking after our mental health.

Rainforest Adventure

Year 1 embraced their wild side with a visit from ZooLab who taught them all about the wonders of the rainforest. The children learnt about its vibrant ecosystem and were introduced to some of the curious critters who make it their home! Bella the tarantula and Scout the corn snake were a big hit with our brave Year 1 adventurers!

UPPER SCHOOL

Performance Poet

Adisa the Verbaliser visited Upper School pupils. He worked with Year 6 and Year 8 in a workshop environment to create poems of their own, saying that drafting poetry is like ‘tilling the soil’. Adisa was hugely impressed with all the pupils’ thoughtful and creative approaches to reading and writing poetry. He also stopped by the Library to read some of his poetry and give writing advice to other Upper School pupils.

YEAR 5

Miniature Galleries

Year 5 have been looking at different art movements in order to assemble their miniature galleries. Adding their own artwork to mini-studies of famous 2D and 3D compositions resulting in amazing structures where art meets architecture! It really got them thinking about why art is important. “Art is special to me because it’s a time to relax and let my creativity flow out like a stream of colours, shapes and strokes all on the one piece of paper.” Max, 5FW

YEAR 3

Natural History Museum

Year 3 had a fabulous trip to the Natural History Museum. The children attended a show about aquatic biomes, linking with their learning in Geography, before exploring the galleries - learning about earthquakes, extinct animals and creepy crawlies!

Music Recitals

The Music Department held several music recitals during the Spring Term for both Upper and Lower School pupils. A total of 114 pupils performed over the term to parents and friends, with pieces varying from Mozart to Jimi Hendrix. Well done to all those who took part!

YEARS 3 & 4 Chess Tournament

Years 3 and 4 took part in a chess tournament where they learnt about the benefits of chess, and how to develop problem-solving skills and resilience. The children then played several matches against different opponents in a mini tournament. Every game was a lesson in patience, perseverance and sportsmanship!

YEARS 6, 7 & 8

The World of Ancient Rome

Years 6, 7 & 8 were transported back into the world of Ancient Rome with best-selling author, Caroline Lawrence. Year 6 unpicked the mysteries of Pompeii and Rome, exploring the eruption of Mt Vesuvius, and Years 7 & 8 looked at the connections between myth, movies and storytelling. A few budding writers stayed on after the sessions to get some additional tips on how to become a successful, published author.

NURSERY Sharing the love

The Nursery children really enjoyed celebrating Kindness Week. They decorated hearts with pink tissue paper and gave them to important people in their lives who they love. The children also enjoyed chatting about acts of kindness they have experienced, and what they have done for others. It has been lovely to see so much compassion and love from our youngest pupils!

YEAR 5

Leaving No Stone Unturned

As part of Kindness Week and during their Art lessons, Year 5 designed, painted and decorated kindness stones to place in their local community. Their stones share a simple message of positivity that they then left for someone else to find. We hope these surprises brightened someone’s day!

The children in Winston House were treated to a Silent Disco for winning the Autumn Term House Competition. They danced the afternoon away, singing along to big hits by Taylor Swift, ABBA and many more! Congratulations, Winston!

“It was such a great experience and brought Winston even closer together!” Octavia, 6PG

YEAR 4

Making a Furry Friend

Year 4 had a special morning assembly where they were introduced to Eliza the school dog. They learnt all about her role and what adventures she gets up to, including climbing high treks on school residentials and sneaking off to snooze in book corners! Her calming presence brought comfort as the pupils read to her and they played together during breaktime and lunchtime. What a fun treat, enjoyed by all!

YEARS 6, 7 & 8

Hockey Fixtures

Years 6, 7 & 8 competed against Thomas’s Battersea in hockey fixtures at Newton Prep. The matches were well contested with some outstanding individual performances and team effort seen throughout the morning. Newton Prep players showed their ability to move the ball quickly into a space, and reaction times have significantly improved, allowing players to get in behind Thomas’s defence on several occasions. It was an excellent morning and thank you to all those who came to support!

YEAR 8 Maths Challenge

Selected Year 8s took part in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge, competing against children up to the age of 16 across the country. Well done to the Year 8 competitors for showing resilience in what is a tough problem solving challenge. Congratulations to Alec, Kenny and James who received Gold awards and qualified for the next round!

Big Litter Pick

As part of our Kindness Week celebrations, Year 3 went to Battersea Park to show kindness to the local community. The children worked safely in pairs, to pick up and dispose of any rubbish they could find. They also thought carefully about how important it is to dispose of our rubbish correctly to avoid affecting the environment to ensure that the park is a happy, clean place to be!

YEAR 7

The Effect of Filters UPPER SCHOOL Le Château RECEPTION

Rocket Launch

On Space Day, after a very busy half-term of learning about Space, Reception children celebrated by dressing up as astronauts, stars, planets and even aliens! The children were also very lucky as Newton Prep’s Science Department teachers, came to show the children how to launch a rocket –it was amazing! Well done space rangers – Space Learning Mission complete!

Upper School pupils embarked on a linguistic adventure with a visit from Onatti. The bilingual theatre company performed a dynamic and interactive play for pupils called ‘Le Château’ in a mixture of français et anglais. The pupils were absolument captivated by the funny dialogue and uproarious antics, and laughter echoed throughout l’école as entertainment and education blended on stage to inspire a love of the French language! Merci Onatti!

Year 7 have been studying light and its transformative powers. In their first lesson on this topic they observed how changing the colour of a filter placed in front of white light affects the colour of the light that is transmitted. They unlocked the secrets of the spectrum and uncovered magical hues hidden within the filters.

These young scientists are shining brightly!

WHOLE SCHOOL

STEAM Week

Our school was filled with magic across all subjects during a Harry Potter themed STEAM Week! Year 3 created spellbinding potion bottles, while Year 4 constructed unique and sturdy J. K. Rowling writing chairs from sheets of paper. Year 5 used their drawing superpowers to create textural portraits of Hedwig and Year 7 designed and created wands that Mr Ollivander would be proud of! The Lower School had an exciting visit to the Science Laboratories. It was truly exciting to see so many engaging ‘magical’ lessons. Slime moved across the table in Chemistry sessions and money disappeared in Physics. Children also made snitch catapults and there was even a Quidditch tournament on the AWP!

Poetry Recital

Year 7 have been exploring the evolution of poetry from the 16th century to the modern day. They took to the stage to perform their own verses with true passion and professionalism! While some pupils were inspired by modern poets such as Amanda Gorman, others paid homage to Edgar Allan Poe. The dedication and maturity shown by the pupils whilst performing was inspirational.

YEAR 4

4TR Class Assembly

NURSERY

Trapping the Big Bad Wolf!

YEAR 2

Painting like L. S. Lowry

4TR put on a captivating class assembly sharing their learning on the battle between the Celts and the Romans. They led the audience through the rise and fall of Boudicca and performed with confidence, sang with enthusiasm and really brought their characters to life. The Auditorium was full of smiling faces, laughter and cheers! Well done, 4TR!

Nursery have been enjoying the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood. One of the challenges for the children was to construct a trap for the Big Bad Wolf. Using ingenuity and a bit of teamwork, they designed and built their own traps. They used junk modelling, construction blocks and even magnetic blocks to complete their traps!

Year 2 have been looking at some of L. S. Lowry’s paintings in Art. The children created their own background, thinking carefully about perspective. It was a challenge to only use the five colours Lowry used himself: red, yellow, blue, white and black! The children then added buildings to their backgrounds and layered them to show how some objects appear in a landscape.

Pi Day

The Maths department had a great time celebrating Pi Day with the children. In Year 5 they programmed spheros and robots to draw a circle. During the lunch break, there was a variety of activities and competitions running. Thanks to the kitchen staff, too, who put on a spread of delicious circular shaped food.

YEAR 1

Inspiring Women

Year 1 enjoyed participating in an Inspiring Women workshop led by Hera, the Greek Goddess of Women. The workshop introduced the children to a range of inspirational women from various spheres: adventurous and pioneering women, women in the arts, women in politics and women in science. The children loved getting to use their imagination and were fully engaged in these incredible stories!

YEAR 4

4LG Class Assembly

4LG put on a fantastic performance in their class assembly, demonstrating the power that books have to take us on incredible adventures, use our imagination and learn fun and important facts. The children loved sharing some of the adventures that they have experienced through books. They finished the assembly dancing and singing a Dr Seuss song with such energy and enthusiasm!

YEAR 6

Courtroom Drama

Year 6 put the witnesses of Jesus’s resurrection on trial as part of a mock Courtroom Drama. The quality of the performances was excellent, a truly thrilling watch. Well done to all of Year 6!

“I loved performing in the courtroom drama, it was a great way to mix our drama skills and knowledge learnt in Religious Studies.”

Thomas, 6NG

World Book Day

Newton Prep was filled with wonderfully creative costumes as staff and pupils celebrated their favourite book characters in style for this year’s World Book Day. Years 7 & 8 started their day with a visit to the Lower School classrooms to read aloud to the younger children. What a great way to celebrate a love for books and reading!

View more photos on our Flickr page

YEAR 7

Roman Baths

Year 7 retraced the footsteps of the Romans with a visit to Bath’s Roman Baths. They journeyed through the apodyterium, tepidarium, caldarium and frigidarium and stood among the statues of great Romans such as Julius Caesar, Emperor Claudius and Emperor Hadrian. During their session in the baths learning centre, they even got to handle some of the artefacts that were found when the baths were being excavated.

UPPER SCHOOL

Pins and Needles Club

Pupils in the Pins and Needles Club have learnt how to follow patterns, explored beautiful materials and even designed and created their own bespoke projects. Every member of the club is learning something new and it was very rewarding to take their projects home when they were finished! New members are always welcome!

RECEPTION

Minibeasts

Reception learnt about different types of minibeasts and their habitats and even went on a minibeast hunt! They practised drawing them on whiteboards, then sketched different kinds of minibeasts, before choosing their favourite and drawing it with oil pastels. Reception have also been making up their own minibeast riddles and writing clues in their Literacy books for their friends to guess.

YEAR 8

British Library Trip

Year 8 pupils explored the rich world of fantasy at the British Library’s latest exhibition Fantasy: Realms of Imagination. While exploring gems such as a 10th century copy of Beowulf and C. S. Lewis’ original proposal for the Narnia series, they developed their own fantasy world, hero and monster. At the end of the trip, one pupil could be overheard saying that the British Library is now their ‘favourite place’. What more could an English teacher ask for?

Inspiring Imagination

Year 6 visited The National Gallery as part of their studies in Art on the theme of Faces & Distortion. A wonderful day was spent exploring and carefully sketching the stunning portraits on display. An inspiring guided talk on a selection of the world famous paintings in the gallery’s collection was the highlight of the day.

YEAR 2 Recipe Writing NURSERY

The Gruffalo Nursery enjoyed taking part in all sorts of activities relating to The Gruffalo story. They created their very own Gruffalos and even made some Gruffalo Crumble! The children really enjoyed getting stuck in and their crumble was delicious!

In English, Year 2 looked at recipe writing. The children enjoyed identifying the key features of this genre. For example, they used a colour key to highlight the numbered instructions, numerous imperative ‘bossy’ verbs, subheadings and more! To bring their learning to life, Year 2 made their very own rainbow fruit kebabs by following a recipe for themselves. Yummy!

YEARS 5 & 6

Harry Potter Night

All things Harry Potter took place in our library for our Year 5 and 6 children. From making mandrakes, to adorning themselves with Harry Potter tattoos and challenging themselves to some Harry Potter origami. There was a tricky quiz - and everyone got some Bertie Bott Beans to take home.

Revolting Rhymes

Year 3 impressed everyone with their acting and singing when they performed their versions of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. They showed great confidence on stage and had clearly worked hard to learn their lines and cues. Well done Year 3, and thank you to all the friends and family who came to watch and support!

Red Nose Day

Our pupils went all out for Red Nose Day! They gathered together on the All Weather Pitch to create a giant red nose to show their support for Comic Relief. From Nursery to Year 8, pupils and staff were adorned in red, laughing along to jokes told by Year 6 pupils. Thanks to the very generous donations, we have raised a total of £4,263!

YEAR 4

4ID Class Assembly RECEPTION

UPPER SCHOOL

Pet Detectives

The children have been learning about different pets. They discussed which animals are good pets, which are not and why. The children had the opportunity to bring in some soft toy ‘pets’ from home and use them in a Vet Surgery role play. The children completed a writing task where they explained how to look after a pet.

4ID turned into intrepid news reporters! They gave a detailed report of The United Kingdom and shared a trick for remembering English cities, and the Science segment taught the audience all about the 3 states of matter. The assembly ended with a rendition of The Water Cycle Song, led by two leading scientists, Dr Brainfreeze and Professor Melt-a-lot. It was fantastic to see all of the amazing learning that has taken place in 4ID.

Neurodiversity Speaker

During Neurodiversity Celebration Week pupils enjoyed a talk from a visiting speaker. Thirteen year old Daniyal shared his enlightening personal journey of living with Autism. He spoke about how he has embraced his uniqueness, persevered through social hurdles and discovered his passions. His main message to pupils was to, “Never let anything hold you back. You define your journey!”

Spring Showcase

The Year 2 Choir opened the show magnificently, singing with great enjoyment, calmness and confidence. Each class then took to the stage to share some of their History learning on The Victorians and followed this with a fantastic rendition of Food, Glorious Food. We also heard some wonderful French being spoken and saw some excellent L. S. Lowry paintings (See page 17).

YEAR 7

Self Portraits

Mark-making, collage and drawing have been the focus for Year 7 who have created wonderful lifelike portraits. Inspired by the style of Lucian Freud, flesh tones were explored using a limited four-colour palette of Prussian blue, yellow ochre, crimson and white.

YEAR 2 Trip to Tower Bridge

Year 2 had an amazing trip visiting Tower Bridge. The children enjoyed a tour where they sketched the landmarks that they could see from the windows up high. They then walked along the glass walkway and spotted the boats, cars and people below. They also heard the story of the ‘jumping’ bus and then created their own animations of the scene. They asked fantastic questions and were very eager to learn all about Tower Bridge!

UPPER SCHOOL

U13 Rugby

Our U13 rugby players took part in their annual fixture against Westminster Cathedral Choir School (WCCS). The team showcased everything they had learnt over the past 9 weeks with strong ball running and impressive handling skills seeing Newton Prep cross the line multiple times. Ed led from the front and the battle continued with dominant tackles and ruck work. Unfortunately, WCCS won but our players should be very proud of their efforts and the progress shown over the season.

NURSERY Superhero Day

Nursery have enjoyed their topic of Superheroes! They’ve been reading lots of Superhero stories and had a very special Superhero Day! The children came in dressed as their favourite superheroes and were given a set of missions in order to free their class mascot from the Evil Pea! The children worked together to complete their tasks, and participated with lots of enthusiasm and support for one another.

YEAR 4

Visit to Ufton Court UPPER SCHOOL

YEAR 5

World Speech Day

Years 7 & 8 prepared presentations about topics they felt passionate about. The topics ranged from Ronaldo to cosmic pulsars, and the power of advertising to Australia. They then presented their written words to the younger children who loved listening to their speeches. Year 6 also took part by taking a ‘pilgrimage’ to the Lower School inspired by their work in English lessons on The Canterbury Tales. They ‘rode’ down to the Lower School dressed as pilgrims to tell their tales.

Year 4 set off into the countryside to visit Ufton Court. The day took them back in time to the battle of the Celts against the Romans. They learnt all about the Roman invasion, studied artefacts and role played how crime and punishment was dealt with back in the Roman period. The day ended with a reenactment of the final battle between the Celts and the Romans. It was a hugely fun and inspiring day out!

Clock Competition

Year 5 have enjoyed learning to answer the questions Quelle heure est-il? and À quelle heure? They had the opportunity to enter the horloge competition, making beautiful clocks to explain how to tell the time in French. Bravo, les années 5!

The Real Inspector Hound

Some of our Year 8 pupils treated us all to a performance of Tom Stoppard’s absurdist murder mystery, The Real Inspector Hound. They rehearsed throughout the Spring Term and all of their hard work really paid off. It was great to see the pupils working collaboratively, supporting each other in the wings and delivering some exceptional performances. Thanks to all of the staff for your help and support.

Well done to the fabulous cast of actors! Your performance was an absolute triumph and you were an absolute pleasure to direct. Thank you for your dedication to the Drama Department!

YEARS 7 & 8

Ski Trip

26 of our pupils in Years 7 & 8 travelled to Wagrain, Austria for 6 days of skiing, sun and activities. With great snow conditions early in the week, the children made excellent progress as they whizzed down challenging runs across the twelve peaks in the region. Evenings were spent using the amazing hotel facilities, including the sports hall, climbing wall and table tennis, as well as a trip to the swimming pool and a traditional Tyrolean evening.

View more photos on our Flickr page

UPPER SCHOOL

Interhouse Hockey

Upper School pupils took part in the annual Interhouse Hockey Tournament. Each year group showed outstanding sportsmanship and impressed spectators with their skills acquired this term. The junior year groups played over 40 minutes of game time per pupil, and the seniors organised themselves into 2 full pitch, 7-a-side tournaments showcasing their ability and house spirit. Winston came in as the overall winners. Well done to everybody who contributed to another fantastic tournament!

YEAR 4

4HW Class Assembly

4HW performed a joyous kindness assembly. The audience was transported to the distant world of ‘Einstein Prep’ where two rival classes, Team Red and Team Blue, have been in constant disagreement. With the help of a few historical figures, a new classmate and a couple of beautifully performed songs, the rival classes managed to put aside their differences and learnt the dangers of prejudice. Everyone was thrilled with the wonderfully creative and confident performances!

RECEPTION

Making Easter Nests

With Easter in sight, the Reception classes headed up to the Dining Hall to make chocolate nests. There were audible gasps as huge bowls of delicious looking melted chocolate were brought out! The pupils worked together to mix the shredded wheat and chocolate before scooping them into nests.

Lots of fun was had as they took care with decorating their nests with sprinkles and baby chicks! Happy Easter everyone!

KEY DATES 2024

22 nd April

6 th May

27 th - 31 st May

19 th June

20 th June

21 st June

2 nd July

4 th July

Start of Summer Term

Bank Holiday

Half Term

Junior Sports Day (Years 3 and 4)

Senior Sports Day (Years 5-8)

Lower School Sports Day

End of Year Prize Giving (Years 3-8)

End of Term