Concordia Magazine 2025

A Decade of Merchant Taylors’ Prep

educational journey. Backed by the senior school and its governing body, MTP has flourished, growing in popularity, modernising its facilities and maintaining its essential spirit, staffing and structures while evolving with purpose and pride.

It has been a decade since Northwood Prep became Merchant Taylors’ Prep. In 2015 it was announced that Northwood Prep had joined the Merchant Taylors’ family of schools to create, for the first time in Northwood, a ‘through school’ experience for boys aged from 3 to 18. Speaking on behalf of Northwood Prep, Dr Karen McNerney, the Head of School, said, ‘We are delighted about this alliance. We believe it will offer our boys and their parents significant academic, extracurricular and pastoral benefits’. Simon Everson, Head Master of Merchant Taylors’ School, echoed this, saying, ‘This alliance is a natural evolution of the relationship we have long had with Northwood Prep. For many years we have enjoyed a shared ethos, shared history, shared community and shared ambition. Together, we combine an outstanding academic record with a commitment to helping our pupils achieve their full potential’. The announcement was met with enthusiasm by pupils and parents, and with both optimism and understandable caution by staff, some of whom feared a loss of identity or independence. In reality, the transition to Merchant Taylors’ Prep has not only strengthened our school but enriched the wider MTS community. MTP has brought with it a distinctive ethos, strong pastoral traditions and a culture of innovation, all of which have added depth and dynamism to the shared

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