New Beacon Science Taster Day at Tonbridge School, where boys made their own rockets.

About The New Beacon

The New Beacon

Tonbridge School and The New Beacon Preparatory School merged in 2021.

The New Beacon Prep School, is a leading independent day and boarding prep school for boys aged 4 to 13 in Sevenoaks, approximately seven miles from Tonbridge. It  has 300 pupils, including a nursery for boys and girls.

The two Governing Bodies work closely together to ensure that both schools are aligned in terms of overall strategy. Each, however, retains its own teaching and support staff, its leadership and management teams, and its uniform and site.

The merger provided a valuable opportunity for Tonbridge and The New Beacon to combine our experience and expertise to provide an educational pathway for boys, from the ages of three to 18. We have a shared ethos, and the merger has brought considerable benefits to both schools while respecting our separate identities.

James Priory Headmaster

While we welcome approximately 20 boys from The New Beacon every year, our recruitment process remains the same for The New Beacon applicants as it does for boys from every other prep school, all of whom we continue to welcome and support.

The New Beacon is part of the group of schools overseen by the Skinners’ Company, one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London and a major not-for-profit organisation which supports nine schools, including Tonbridge and The New Beacon.