From the Head of Stanmore K-6

Newington College is dedicated to excellence in education for boys and realising each child’s potential.

From the Head of Stanmore K-6

The Head of the Preparatory Schools Mr Benjamin Barrington-Higgs is Head of Lindfield and Wyvern Campuses. Mr Barrington-Higgs is a passionate educator who has worked in state, independent and international school contexts. Before Newington, he led Yayasan Pendidikan Jayawijaya School, in West Papua. He has previously worked at All Saints’ College, Bathurst; Cranbrook School, Sydney; Jakarta International School and as a lecturer in Primary Education at Charles Sturt University. Mr Barrington-Higgs has a wife and three children. His two sons currently attend the Stanmore campus.

Unique Learning Experiences

At Wyvern, there is a clear focus on purposeful teaching that is responsive to the learning needs of every student. Wyvern teachers focus on differentiated instruction to make the curriculum inclusive and accessible to all boys regardless of learning needs. By providing boys with purposeful and responsive teaching, and a stimulating learning environment, we aim for our boys to get the most out of their learning.

Sense of Community

Stanmore K–6, known by the Newington community as Wyvern House, has many special qualities that make it a wonderful place to learn.

The key to our students’ success is fostering the home-school partnership with clear and continuous communication. We aim to provide an energetic, positive and vibrant school environment where people want to teach and students enjoy learning. We want our students to begin their lifetime of learning with a sense of wonder and a spirit of inquiry.

Student Engagement

As educators, teachers at Wyvern appreciate their task to be the designers of learning so that each boy is engaged, inspired and challenged.

So how do we engage our students?

It is vital for teachers to build positive relationships and provide a nurturing school community to help students achieve their full potential. An unwavering commitment to each student’s intellectual potential ensures that high expectations are set and met.

Each student deserves to work at the edge of their competence, to be challenged and stretched so that they can grow in different ways.

Along with being challenged, relevance is a key factor in student engagement. The Newington learning pillars of Great Hearts, Inspired Minds and Strong Wings provide a strong a learning focus, which promotes learning programs that are relevant to individuals and our community. When students are engaged in learning that is meaningful, they can connect with the concepts they are learning about and apply what they have learned to their own lives.

In a classroom of engaged students you will see a teacher who is aware of where the students are. Providing “just in time” feedback entails a teacher who moves around the room, kneeling or sitting with students, listening in on discussions, conferring with individuals and recognising when students are in need of guidance. High expectations and challenges are balanced with the right amount of support. This support is geared towards helping students to think and make meaning of the world around them.

Creating an atmosphere in which students are engaged takes a certain attitude, as well as effective teaching. As educators, teachers at Wyvern appreciate their task to be the designers of learning so that each boy is engaged, inspired and challenged.

Building Blocks of Learning

Newington’s tradition of individuality, excellence and community is a trademark of our students; it is the cornerstone on which our school was built and the heritage for its future. Boys leaving their primary years take their place in the wider community of the College with confidence, knowing that those years provided the foundations on which to build a successful and satisfying future.

From the Head of Stanmore K-6