Newland House is an independent, co-educational, Preparatory day school for boys from 4 to 13 years and for girls from 4 to 11 years. The school is based in Twickenham and borders Teddington. Children join the school in Reception in the September following their fourth birthday or in Year 3*, where we admit a further class of children. Reception entry is non-selective and entry to Year 3 is based upon a 7+ Assessment.
Children move across from the Pre-Prep into the Preparatory School in Year Three. Two-thirds of the pupils in the year come directly from our Pre-Prep and the remaining children have secured places as following sitting our 7+ assessment earlier in the year. From 2016 we offer places to children across three classes in Reception and as a consequence are phasing out the 7+ entry point after the last assessment in 2018.
In Year Three, careful consideration is given to placing children in one of three mixed-ability classes. At this stage, the children are based very much in their classroom with their class teacher but they are taught certain subjects like DT, music, art, ICT, and games by a specialist teacher. As they move up through the school, they are taught more by subject specialists.
Children will remain in these class groups until the end of Year Six when the girls sit their examinations and move on to senior school. In the final two years of the school, the remaining boys are placed in one of three classes. Two of these will work towards taking the Common Entrance Examination in June of their final year. The third class is comprised of boys who will sit for a scholarship to the senior school of their choice. We are proud of our excellent scholarship record. However, we gain enormous pleasure helping children of all academic abilities gain places at schools of their choice. We prepare them well, not just academically but socially too so that when they leave us they are pleasant, well-balanced children who look forward with confidence to the next challenges that lie ahead in their lives.
The Pre-Prep forms the foundation of pupils' primary education and we provide an innovative, welcoming, and secure environment where children can develop their style of learning and explore the breadth of the curriculum offered to them. We admit children on a first come first served basis, so parents wishing to register their children are advised to do so as soon as possible. There are no entrance requirements and the school caters to a range of abilities. Confidence is a key factor in a child's learning environment and we work with parents and children to create an individualized teaching environment bespoke to each child's needs. We have a well-qualified and enthusiastic teaching staff, a specialist PE teacher, a specialist music teacher, a learning support teacher, and seven teaching assistants, all of whom are in regular contact with parents. Everyone in the school is encouraged to show mutual respect’s beliefs and individuality through courteous and considerate behavior. This helps to create a supportive and understanding learning environment and atmosphere, which is one of the real hallmarks of our Pre-Prep.
We are currently moving towards three classes across all year groups but at present have three classes in Reception, two in Year 1 and two in Year 2. The move will be completed following the Reception intake in September 2018 when we will be three form entries across the entire school. Each class contains around twenty pupils.
Every child should be happy, secure, valued, and confident. Our philosophy is to value every child as a unique individual, who enjoys learning and thinking for him or herself. We provide a supportive and secure environment in which every child can flourish and learn at their own pace and in their way. Our role is to stimulate and encourage their development and enjoyment of learning through a variety of different activities in secure indoor and outdoor situations, through play, and structured and creative activities. We encourage the growth of social skills and empathy amongst the children. The relationships which the children develop with each other and with our staff are central to their happiness and lay the best possible foundation for their future.
The Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) is a school association with around 650 of the world’s leading prep schools in membership. Schools must reach a very high standard to be eligible for membership, with strict criteria on teaching a broad curriculum, maintaining excellent standards of pastoral care, and keeping staff members’ professional development training up to date.
Whilst schools in the association are independent and have their ethos, they are all committed to delivering an excellent, well-rounded education to the pupils in their care. IAPS believes that schools should be unfettered by government interference and with fewer financial and other resourcing constraints than state schools, to ensure that their educational provision is tailored to the needs of the individual children.
