“May we grow in strength”. This is the motto of Newstead Wood School. Let me tell you its story.
Newstead Wood School stands here in Orpington. It is a selective girls’ grammar school. Since 2012 boys have been admitted into the sixth form too.
Originally, it was named Orpington Grammar School for Girls. It opened its doors in September 1954. The reason for the opening was the rapid growth of Orpington and Petts Wood. The school was temporarily housed at Midfield Girls’ School.
In 1954, the present site was acquired. Newstead Wood School moved here on 23rd September 1957. It was then a three-form entry school.
The school changed its name in 1965. This happened when the area came under the authority of the London Borough of Bromley.
Newstead Wood School has expanded over the years. New buildings accommodate the growing number of students. There is now a Sixth Form block. A Music Block and a Technology Block were added. Also, an Engineering suite, Sports Hall, and a Tennis Centre were built.
By 2017, Newstead Wood School reached its full capacity. There were six forms of entry in each year group. That year, Phoenix House was established. Students voted for the name. The other houses are Nightingale, Wren, Swift, Falcon and Griffin.
Newstead Wood became an academy on 1 April 2011. It is now sponsored by United Learning.
The school has a large catchment area of nine miles. Pupils are selected based on tests in verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
At its last inspection in 2022, Ofsted rated Newstead Wood as ‘Outstanding’.
Several notable people attended Newstead Wood School. Dina Asher-Smith is an Olympic and World Championship medalist. Gemma Chan is an actress known for her role in Crazy Rich Asians. Emma Raducanu is a British tennis player and 2021 US Open Champion. Kim Medcalf is an actress who played Sam Mitchell in EastEnders.
Newstead Wood School prides itself on providing an exciting learning environment. The school is nationally and internationally renowned. It offers ways to provide for the needs of very able students. This is done through the formal curriculum and beyond.
The school encourages all students to build resilience. It wants them to balance their academic studies with sport, music and culture. There are trips to Japan, New York, Borneo and Malta. The elective programme features film studies and archery.
Newstead Wood School provides an excellent opportunity for all its students. The school works alongside some of the very best schools in the country. Newstead Wood School continues to ‘grow in strength’.