At first Neau called the Negroes together after their daily toil was over and taught them at his house.

By 1708 he was instructing thus as many as two hundred.
Neau's school owes its importance to the fact that not long after its beginning certain Negroes who organized themselves to kill off their masters were accredited as students of this institution.

For this reason it was immediately closed.[2] When upon investigating the causes of the insurrection, however, it was discovered that only one person connected with the institution had taken part in the struggle, the officials of the colony permitted Neau to continue his work and extended him their protection.

After having been of invaluable service to the Negroes of New York this school was closed in 1722 by the death of its founder.

The work of Neau, however, was taken up by Mr.
Huddlestone.