11 Sep 2025

Brilliant Natalie Brown named winner of the ISA Maxwell Prize 2025

Natalie Brown, our winner for the 2025 Maxwell Prize for Year 6 pupils, prepares to move on to her next educational adventure at secondary school and we take this moment to celebrate her success at Alleyn Court Preparatory School.

Natalie has been with Alleyn Court since nursery, bringing joy to everyone she meets and encapsulating the school’s values: curiosity, courage and compassion. While academic success comes naturally to her, it's her actions beyond the classroom where she shines the brightest. As the science club and quiz team captain, Natalie has shown her curiosity in learning. If that wasn’t enough, Natalie helped guide her team to the National Science Quiz Finals in Oxford over the summer. She is also an enthusiastic member of the School’s Eco Committee where she has taken the initiative in organising litter picks, Christmas jumper swaps and dedicating assemblies to promote sustainability, as her belief is that real change starts at home. Natalie actively participates in the school council and has even visited Parliament to better understand how change happens on a national scale.

All at Alleyn Court Preparatory School can see her courage and compassion for championing inclusivity. She has never let physical or social challenges get in her way. She has participated in the Whizz Kidz project which focuses on creating an inclusive sports environment for pupils with disabilities. The school’s Panathlon Games are also very important to Natalie as they are another project for children with disabilities and special educational needs. These games help the children to access a variety of sports. She now returns as a volunteer to ensure others experience the same joy and opportunity. She has a newfound love for netball and has enjoyed volunteering with younger children to guide and aid them despite initial doubts. Compassion, often the hardest trait to teach, comes effortlessly to Natalie.

Hannah Sanders, Headteacher at Alleyn Court, reflects on Natalie’s time at the school:

Her infectious enthusiasm inspired others to participate and believe in themselves. Her courage is equally remarkable […] Natalie has left an indelible mark on our school community. Her presence uplifts others, and while we’ve had the privilege of teaching her, she has taught us just as much in return.

Natalie would like to take this opportunity to share Packed with Smiles, the charity that Natalie’s school house fundraises for. Packed with Smiles provides children in the local community with new uniform parcels and other school essentials, to ensure that they can fully participate in school. More information can be found here.

While Natalie embarks on her new life at secondary school, we wish her the best in whatever the future will hold for this remarkable young person.

The Maxwell Prize, a non-academic award named in honour of Stanley Maxwell, a lifelong contributor to the Independent Schools Association (ISA), values commitment to school and community life. It is a celebration of all who have ever been nominated. It is an honour to recognise our pupil’s outstanding achievements moulding them into well-rounded young people contributing positively to their school and the wider world around them. Each nominee can be seen on the Maxwell Prize roll of Honour, which can be viewed here.

ISA President, Lord Lexden, will welcome Natalie and her family in October alongside ISA CEO Rudolf Eliott Lockhart at the House of Lords to present her with a trophy, certificate and prize. Each nominee can be seen on the Maxwell Prize Roll of Honour, which can be viewed here.

If you have an outstanding pupil you wish to celebrate, why not nominate them for one of our pupils’ awards? We run the awards every year, these include the Maxwell Prize for Year 6 pupils, the Whitbread Prize for post Year 11 exams and the Lexden Prize for Sixth Form students. Our criteria for each award is broad to encourage anyone to put forward their outstanding pupils. We are proud to celebrate the remarkable young people within our member schools and all they represent.

These awards are not only a recognition of individual achievement but also a tribute to the educators, mentors, supporters and community who help shape and inspire them.

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