Newton Prep or Thomas's Post Reply

[LP73]

We are looking at school options and would very much appreciate some feedback.

Whilst we know that it is very much about going to visit the schools it is always good to have some other opinions.

We are looking for a co-ed school up to the age of 13, this does rule out some of the schools we had in mind.

Do any parents from Wandsworh Common/Balham favour NP? I love the school but it is further away. Is this difficult for play dates? Friends in the same area?

What are the pros and cons of both schools?

Thanks so much in advance

[Batterseamummy]

My son has just started at NP and both he and we absolutely love it. Such a caring, academic yet fun atmosphere with facilities that are second to none obviously. Not sure which Thomas's you are thinking about but I went to look at the Battersea one and liked it but couldn't even remotely compare it to NP. I just didn't get the same feeling from it. Also Alison Fleming is without a doubt the most inspiring head teacher I've ever met.

People come from all over South London to NP, which is something that we liked about it, so playdates will often be in further away areas I guess but I have to say that didn't concern me considering how much we love the school. Good luck with your search!

[LP73]

Thank you Battersea mum. We would be looking at Thomas's in Clapham.
I have heard good things about the new head at NP. I was a huge fan of Mr Allen when I met him some years ago.
We must arrange to go back and have a look around.

[nvmof3]

When we were looking around both schools with a view to keeping our boys and girl there to 13, I was very put off by the fact that NP was so heavily 11+ focused. It seemed that children heading for 13+ were not split out from the majority 11+ classes and so spent all of years 5 and 6 being heavily prepped and pushed for an exam they would never sit. My understanding is that at Thonas's, the 13+ kids are separated out in year 5 or 6 so that they can enjoy year 5 and 6 before knuckling down in years 7 &8. Also at NP there were very few girls left in years 7 & 8. Definitely not enough for an U13 or U12 team.
This was quite a few years ago now so things may have changed but it is worth exploring fully. If you are definitely doing 13+, Broomwood Hall and Northcote Lodge are properly focused on that, with no boys and only a handful of girls doing 11+.
Good luck!

[Bubs]

I would say Thomas's Clapham is better placed for 13+. The new head has really shaken things up for the better there, so past (negative) opinions on the school can be disregarded a little I feel. The facilities really impressed me when we looked round. I still worry it's a little pushy though, even though the head is doing much to dampen that.

Newton I used to really, really love (our daughter was due to go but we changed our mind), as it had that creative, arty feel which I always liked. I feel it's lost that a little over recent years, in favour of going a little more academic. It also felt a little *too* big to me, almost like a senior school. However, really amazing facilities, a wide catchment and the new head I hear is wonderful.

It would depend where you lived I'd say, as for younger children, local really is better in my mind. They can travel, and will inevitably, when they're a little bigger. Just my view though, you must go with your instincts.

[LP73]

Thank for you both replies, this is very useful. Sadly, Northcote Lodge would not work for us as it is not co-ed.

We will be moving to Balham hence my worry about NP being quite far away for play dates, travel every day etc.

We hope that open days will come up soon to visit both.

[Genie]

We have just started at NP and are basically happy with how things have gone so far. Thomas' did not make our shortlist as it seemed very pushy and more conservative, and NP felt more open; however, we have found it to be more pushy than it seemed at the open day. I think all the independent schools are demanding of their students in this way. All the other parents I've met absolutely love it, fwiw.
Can't comment on the 11+/13+ thing, as being a foreigner all that is far too bewildering for me.
Children come from all over SW and central London, from Wimbledon to Balham to Chiswick to W1 to Cadogan Square. We have not done playdates (c.f., being a foreigner, and not understanding those either) but in good weather half the class surges into Battersea Park and children play together there.
It's not hard to get to as there are two train stations beside the school as well as lots of bus routes. Getting the car in on a school morning might be a bit more difficult, as all those Range Rovers take up a lot of space....

[LP73]

Thanks so much StephA for all of your useful info.

[mrs_t]

Hello, both of my kids go to NP and love it. We live in Balham. Though kids do come from far and wide, the majority live close-by (I'm including Balham) and enough so that the play-date /birthday party you are invited to might be closer to where you live than to the school. Like StephA says, transport links are good anyway.

[LP73]

Thanks MrsT

[BTCparent]

I can confirm that Thomas's split from Year 6 depending on whether you are doing 11+ or 13+ and in Year 8 they split depending on whether you are doing day school entry or CE so that pupils being taught together are all working towards the same exam dates.

[LP73]

Thank you so much for the info. we had a good, long chat to some parents from NP last week and I have to say that it is sounding a lot more appealing than Thomas's.
I know that one has to find out for themselves but so far the feedback on Thomasa's has been that children are very pushy, it's not very multi cultural and a lot of the children outside of school can also be pushy.

[dudette]

The NVN world divides into people with kids at Thomas's who love the school and people whose kids don't go there and for some reason feel a need to diss it. Just beware what you read about it on here. You really need to talk to current parents to get a feel for what it's actually like. I don't know how anyone can say primary school children are "pushy". Parents maybe but not the kids.

[balhamwilbur]

My kids have all been through NP (to 11+), great school - we used to live in Balham and there were plenty of local NP families there and we also took the train, which was very easy and meant I got a sit down and 10 mins to read the paper on the way home (bliss). There will always be the odd party or playdate in Pimlico or Chelsea for the kids that live over that way, but NP parents are pretty good at lift sharing for those kinds of things. RE 13+ I think more kids will be staying now that Alison Fleming has taken over - yes fewer stay than at Thomas' but in my eldest's year, enough girls stayed to have good sports teams. The prepping for 11+ is strong but not overwhelming for the 13+ kids and as lots of the boys take both 11+ options and 13+ pre tests (for Kings, Westminster, even Eton) they need to have exam focus in Y6 anyway. Good luck with your choice, they're both terrific school and I'm sure your kids will have a happy time in either.

[LP73]

Thank you