Above & Beyond

Northwood Schools extends its educational ethos to 16

The opening of NorthWood Senior in September 2020 will fulfil a long-held ambition to extend the bespoke, child-centered education of Broomwood Hall and Northcote Lodge from preparatory to secondary level.

After years of discussion and increasing demand from existing parents who wanted the option to continue their children’s education beyond the age of 13 within the Northwood Schools family, the group will open a co-educational senior school, initially for pupils aged 11-16 (Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11), at what is currently one of Broomwood Hall’s pre-prep departments on Tooting Bec Common.

Northwood Schools’ Founding Principal Katharine Colquhoun said: “This is a landmark moment for us. It represents the fulfilment of the founding educational vision of Broomwood Hall 35 years ago, which was to create a local school that offered the highest standards whilst preparing children for life beyond education. That ethos and philosophy on which the school was built still holds true today: a belief in the value of hard work; the importance of self-discipline and responsibility; in tolerance and a sense of duty; in firmness, fairness and empathy with others; in behaviour and good manners; and above all, in a child’s right to be a child.”

The requirement for a stand-alone local site, with access to excellent facilities coupled with planning restrictions, have made it hard to find a location. As a result, after having searched for some time, the decision was taken to establish the school at Garrad’s Road, SW16, one of Broomwood Hall’s two Lower School sites which already has an educational licence, and to consolidate the Lower School into the Wandsworth site.

NorthWood Senior will bring to life the group’s vision of what a modern senior school should be, and should meet the demand for a local day school that addresses the chronic shortage of secondary places in south London – rapidly turning into a crisis – whilst staying true to the group’s ethos and principles. The strong focus on pastoral care, of which Broomwood Hall and Northcote Lodge are so proud, will continue, and there will be an equally strong focus on life-skills as preparation for the changing demands of the 21st century workplace and the challenges of modern life.

While Broomwood and Northcote will continue to prepare children for the school that is right for them, the addition of NorthWood Senior will expand that choice.

NorthWood Senior will be small with around 45 places per year group. Whilst there will be priority entrance for children from Broomwood Hall and Northcote Lodge, the intention is that the school should be open to any child in the local area who could benefit from the new school’s approach. Entrance will be by a combination of school report, baseline testing, group activity and a meeting with the newly appointed Head Designate, Susan Brooks, currently Deputy Head, Academic of Broomwood Hall.