The Chronicle

As we start the Trinity Term, I wanted to follow up on previous communications with you where we have shared the Foundation Strategic Plan and Environmental Sustainability Plan.

We have had great feedback on these plans, and I want to thank all the parents who have taken the time to write to us.

In the parent feedback we have also had a number of queries about the current political climate and potential changes which may affect the independent schools’ sector in the future, and what our plans are in the light of any changes.

To address this area, we are holding an Online Parents’ Forum which has been calendared for Monday 13 May at 7.00pm. This event is aimed at all Foundation parents across our schools and will specifically cover potential changes, some of which have been highlighted and discussed in the media, including the possible introduction of VAT on school fees.

During this live online forum there will be the opportunity to raise questions. We will send all parents an email with a link to the Online Parent Forum, but in the meantime, if there are any specific questions you would like addressing, please send them in using this short form.

On a related note, a number of parents have asked about our Fees in Advance Scheme, and for those whom this may be of interest to, we have put information on our website, which can be found here.

Many thanks in advance for all your help and support and let’s hope that the weather perks up soon!

Best wishes

E D Hester

Dear Parents

Welcome back to our Trinity, or Summer, Term! I wish I could say that the weather has arrived for the start of our 'summer' term, but it appears that the memo has been lost in transit! I hope, though, that everyone was able to enjoy a good break over the Easter period. We celebrate the joy of our Risen Lord in the Easter season, giving us hope and strength. Our thoughts were also with our Muslim families as they celebrated Eid last week after observing, through prayer and fasting, the sacred month of Ramadan. 

It has been wonderful to see our new play equipment in full use this week. I would like to thank the PTA for their generous contribution towards the cost of this. Our PTA met yesterday evening and plans for the summer fayre on Saturday 18 May are progressing well. Thank you to Mrs Gordon, Mrs Higginbotham and their willing band of helpers for their time spent on planning and organising the fayre. Please do keep your eyes peeled for details on how to purchase tickets in advance for what is always a wonderful day (it will naturally be beautifully sunny!) There will also be a party at school for the class who buys the most number of tickets (weighted according to number of pupils in classes).

Our trustees were delighted to hear from various staff in school on Tuesday at the Education Committee meeting. All aspects of school life were looked at, from the curriculum, extended- curriculum and wellbeing to our digital journey, aftercare and learning support. I would like to thank all staff concerned for such a positive, inspiring afternoon where we were pleased to share details of so many exciting developments with our trustees. 

Junior 4 have been having a fabulous time at PGL in Lillington this week, embracing so many new experiences. They will all sleep well tonight! I would like to thank Mr Cottrill, Mrs Roberts, Mr Ashley and Mrs Hill for accompanying the children on the trip, and for working hard to ensure that they have all been able to fully benefit from the many opportunities on offer. 

I was pleased to meet with Junior 5 parents on Wednesday evening to talk through the process involved in the children's transfer to secondary school. I hope that everyone found this helpful. Thank you to the staff who joined me at the presentation. As always, please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like to further discuss your child’s options.

As I write, our field is populated with children visiting from 15 other schools as they compete in an interschool cross country competition. Pulling the plans together for such a big event is an immense task, and I would like to thank all our games and administration staff for their planning on this, particularly Mr Vaughan. 

Our U11A girls football team played exceptionally well to beat Clinton School 3-1 yesterday. Well done to all the girls.

Congratulations to our Stars of the Week: Nursery – Charlotte and Matilda; Reception – Alexander and Sophie; J1 – Ted and Charlotte; J2 – Dottie and Arjan; J3 – Sloane and Josh; J5 – Ryan and Scarlet; J6 – Alexa and Blythe. We also awarded Crackley Compass stars and Da Vinci’s – well done to all the recipients. We were also treated to wonderful singing by Adreena. She has a lovely voice and gave an excellent performance! Thank you to Mrs Horan and Mrs Van Zyl for helping to lead assembly today.

I look forward to seeing some parents and family members at our St George’s Day Mass next week – you are all most welcome.  I hope that you all have a happy and relaxing weekend with your families.

God bless

Rob Duigan

"The great gift of Easter is hope." - Basil C. Hume.

Please see below the Termly Curriculum Sheets for the Trinity Term

Nursery

Reception

Junior 1

Junior 2

Junior 3

Junior 4

Junior 5

Junior 6

Assessment Information

Preparations for the Summer Show are well underway, and Mrs Wildey and her team would be delighted to hear from any parents who could help with providing the following:

Large MDF templates

Lots of large flat cardboard ie giant TV screen boxes

A very large cardboard box ie at least the size of a large picnic bench/large trestle table

Please email: nicolawildey@crackleyhall.co.uk if you think you may be able to help. 

Many thanks

We have been notified by local residents that there are ongoing building works to properties on Littleton Close until further notice. Please do not park on this road at drop off or collection and assemblies in order to allow full access for lorries etc. There may be some availability on the road much further down, but please be aware that there are other skips on driveways and large vehicles will need full access.

Please do not park in the staff car park area (left-hand side as you drive in) or on the grasscrete area on Fennyland Lane. There is a limited amount of parking in the car park (towards the right-hand side as you drive in) or you are usually able to park in the lower playground (off Fennyland Lane).  This is the best option if you are spending a few minutes speaking to a teacher or member of the office staff. The school field will be open for parking every Friday morning for Assembly.

Users posting fraudulent links on social media sites, usually via bogus accounts, is a common way for cyber attackers to attempt to gain credentials. These links are often posted as comments under legitimate posts, often pretending to be relevant to the original post. Clicking on the link would then prompt the user to enter credentials which would be stolen, or would attempt to download malware onto the device.

It has come to our attention that some phishing links such as those described above have once again been posted as comments on Crackley Hall Facebook posts, by unknown accounts. Our marketing team have been quick to hide and remove the comments and links, but it is important to be aware of this practice and avoid any suspicious links. Public facing social media such as the school’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles can be targeted in this way, as can the social media profiles of any organisation, and we will always do our best to remove suspicious posts quickly.

The links in question purported to link to live streams of school sports matches. The school does not live stream any sports matches, and would certainly not publicly post any links in the event we were to stream these. This is one example but please do beware of this practice both on school social media posts and all other forms of social media, in order to protect your accounts and data.

Due to club and activity changes, permanent Aftercare bookings are only valid for the current term. 

If you require either permanent or occasional Aftercare for the Trinity Term, please make a new booking by emailing:

aftercare@crackleyhall.co.uk or receptionist@crackleyhall.co.uk

If you need to make a same-day Aftercare booking - please ensure you contact the school office no later than 1:00 pm that day. Any requests made after 1:00 pm will only be authorised at the Headmaster's discretion.

If you have booked an Aftercare session, letting your child know would also be helpful.

Any children not collected from the carline, for example, if parents are stuck in traffic, will be taken to Aftercare at 4:15 pm, when carline finishes and charged accordingly.

Aftercare runs from 3:15 pm until 6:00 pm, with charges being £5.00 per hour or part thereof.

Childcare vouchers can be used as payment or part payment for Aftercare.

The school office closes at 5:00 pm, please call Aftercare directly on 07543 164 779 for collection. 

As we continue to support those less fortunate than us, we are asking pupils in Junior 2 to donate items for our local foodbank. Please can pupils bring in any of the items on the below list by Wednesday 1 May as the donations will be collected the following day.

Thank you in advance of your support. 

The J2 Team. 

Long life milk
Long life fruit juice
Tinned vegetables
Instant mash
Instant noodles
Pasta Sauce
Tinned fruit
Tomato sauce/brown sauce
Shower gel
Toilet rolls
Deodorant
Washing up liquid

Please see detailed below events for week begininng Monday 22 April 2024. 

Please see our SPORT section for fixture information.

The children in Junior 5 and 6 received their LAMDA examination certificates this week and are celebrating their success.

An excellent 100% pass rate was achieved with all the children being awarded the top grades of Merit or Distinction, the vast majority achieving the much coveted Distinction. The children have been preparing for their LAMDA examinations since October last year; Junior 5s working towards Grade 1 Speaking Verse and Prose and Junior 6s working towards Grade 2. This is another outstanding set of results which reflects the children’s overwhelming hard work and commitment. What a fantastic way for Junior 5 and 6 to start the new school term!

Did you know?

We are constantly seeking ways to make a meaningful impact - not just within the walls of our classrooms but beyond. It is with great pride that we share an often-overlooked aspect of our institution: our status as a registered charity (1087124). This designation is not just a bureaucratic label; it is a gateway to extensive philanthropic opportunities that cater to the diverse interests and passions of our community.

The Princethorpe Foundation and our schools are uniquely positioned to act as a conduit for charitable efforts across a spectrum of causes. Whether it's advancing educational opportunities, preserving cultural heritage, promoting religious understanding, or supporting environmental stewardship, the possibilities are as vast as the imagination and goodwill of our community members.

A Platform for Diverse Philanthropic Activities

Every contribution we receive can be directed towards initiatives that resonate deeply with donors’ values. This model of giving ensures that our community can support a broad array of projects, making philanthropy highly personal and immediately impactful. Here are just a few ways that donations are helping:

• Access to Education: Our bursaries are directly impacting the lives of young people and their families, who excel academically, but could otherwise not afford a Princethorpe Education.
• Cultural Preservation: Support to maintain and celebrate our historic priory buildings.
• Sports and the Arts: Activities that nurture pupils' physical and creative growth and the facilities they use.
• Agricultural Education: Initiatives that promote farming practices and enhance pupils' understanding of agriculture’s critical role in our ecosystem and economy.

These examples only scratch the surface of what we can achieve together. Our charitable framework allows us to funnel support where it is most needed or most desired, turning the generous contributions of today into the lasting benefits of tomorrow.

Engage, Contribute, and Impact

We invite every member of our community to engage with us in this journey of philanthropy. Think about what causes you are passionate about. How can your contributions, big or small, play a role in advancing these causes? We are here to facilitate this process, to make sure that your giving is as rewarding as it is effective.

If you have ideas, projects, or specific causes you would like to support, please reach out. We are eager to discuss how we can work together to harness the power of our community for the greater good. Your involvement is crucial to our success and vital in shaping the philanthropic landscape of our community.

Through your support, we can continue to expand the boundaries of what we can achieve as a collective. Let’s continue to inspire change and make a significant impact on the world around us. Together, we can build a legacy of community, care, and change that will resonate for generations to come.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our collective future. Let us harness our efforts to not only educate but to enrich our world in myriad ways.

For more information or to make a donation, please contact Steve Kowal, our Development Director at makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk

Together, we can do so much. Let's make it possible.

Our fabulous Registrar, Mrs Jenny Vaughan, is running the London Marathon this weekend and we wish her the very best of luck.

She told us, “I secured my place in the London Marathon 2024 through my running club ballot, with Kenilworth Runners. Having been unsuccessful in the general ballot for the past four years, I had convinced myself another year would go by without being able to run it. When my name was selected, I was shocked to say the least!

I have run marathons before, however they have been trail runs over mountainous terrain and completely different to attempting a faster pace on tarmac. Having recently come back from a tendinopathy injury, I have taken a sensible approach to training and aim to simply finish on the day.

I have chosen to fundraise for Dementia UK after seeing my Grandma decline in health with dementia and just how cruel the disease can be. The nurses at Dementia UK provide free support and advice to anyone affected by dementia.”

You can support Jenny with her fundraising here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/jenny-vaughan-1707674955145

Next Wednesday, the PTA have funded a Quidditch Day, where the children will learn to play Quidditch (Harry Potter style).

The day will begin with an assembly where pupils will be sorted into their Harry Potter Houses by the 'Sorting Hat'. From 9am onwards, there will be sessions arranged in 30 minutes slots for each year group throughout the day.

Crackley Hall School’s Mini Vinnies would like to invite Grandparents and Housebound Parishioners to their Afternoon Cream Tea on Tuesday 21 May between 1:45 and 3:00pm. 

Please contact the school office to book a place - by calling 01926 514444 or email receptionist@crackleyhall.co.uk

We love to celebrate our pupils' talents, so every week in Celebration Assembly, we hear of the childrens' successes and achievements and we watch performances by some of our pupils.  Here are some photos from this morning.

A huge well done to all!

Our Stars of the Week this week are:

Congratulations to them all!

The children have returned to school this week recharged and eager to learn. Inspired by our adventures on our residential in Normandy, we have carried on finding out more about the Second World War. In English, we started with our new core text – 'The Lion and the Unicorn' by Shirley Hughes. The book tells the story of a young boy called Lenny who is evacuated to the countryside during the War. This week we began looking at the story in more detail, thinking about how the writer uses various stylistic techniques to create a response from the reader. We thought about how she paints a picture with her words and how it allows us to imagine what might happen next. There are lots of library books that the children can choose which link to WW2 if they are eager to learn more. The children approached the work this week with maturity and enthusiasm, and we couldn’t be prouder. Well done, Junior 6!

In 1924 jazz and blues burst into the world of classical music thanks to trailblazer George Gershwin, who composed music full of energy and playfulness of New York City in the 1920’s.

In their lesson, Year 5 watched a film describing the scene created by the music and they were asked to draw a cityscape at the end of this.

Junior 4 have been enjoying sunshine and adventure this week during their exciting PGL trip and what fun they have had!  They enjoyed high energy aeroball throwing on a trampoline, which developed team tactics and improved communication skills along the way. They have stretched their talents in archery with incredible accuracy, control and a very steady hand! Reached new heights in climbing, which developed their perseverance and strength,and had them brimming with excitement! But the ultimate test of nerve and joint decision making whilst plummeting to earth were the giant swings and the zip wires. All Junior 4 have demonstrated personal courage and determination during their trip and they have all developed effective teamwork. Well done, Junior 4! 

Junior 3 started their new topic of zoo animals in French today. They enjoyed listening to and joining in with a lively song about safari animals and then playing some language learning games to learn five animal words. They discovered that nouns in French are either masculine or feminine, quickly identifying that ‘une girafe’ was a feminine word. The poison apple game was a firm favourite with the children, as the boys enthusiastically competed against the girls and everyone wanted to be able to say ‘j’ai gagné’ (I won)!

Next week the children will be having fun with some French phonic sounds before practising numbers and building sentences with ‘il y a’.

Vous êtes incroyables Junior 3!

Junior 2 have had a brilliant start to the Trinity Term. The children are very excited about our Rainforest topic, and we enjoyed sharing some projects completed over the Easter break. In English, we are using 'The Tin Forest' book, and the children have found this book quite magical. 'The Tin Forest' by Helen Ward is a beautiful and poetic fable written about an old man who lives in a Tin Forest, otherwise known as a rubbish dump of unloved things nobody wants anymore. The old man wishes for a better place to live. With his own initiative, will he make this junkyard into a wonderland?

The children have enjoyed participating in PE, practising our throwing and catching, ready for our summer sports, including rounders and cricket. We are very excited about all the learning we will be doing this term.

Junior 1 have amazed us this week with their fantastic work over the holidays creating their own family tree. There were so many bright, colourful and different ways that the family trees were set out and it was clear to see that everyone enjoyed finding out a little more about their own family. This began our history topic of Family and Toys, which links in with our DT topic of Moving Toys. This week they made a ball in a cup game (trickier than you would imagine) and a thaumatrope which gave the optical illusion of a fish in a bowl, a bird in a cage or butterflies flying over flowers. In English, we have a new book focus, 'Handa’s Surprise', where Handa loses and gains different fruits while on a journey to her friend Akeyo. This has already led to a story map, sequencing task and book review this week!

This week, Reception have settled brilliantly into the Trinity Term! They have come back to school full of gusto and ready to shine in the final term of the year. We began our ‘Going on an Adventure’ topic and have started to think about what we have in our local area. We planned for our adventure out into the woods, thinking about what we would need to stay safe and also to help us to explore and document what we could find. The children loved being in charge of the planning and were such responsible ramblers on our adventure. Well done, Reception!

Mr Duigan welcomed the whole school back after the Easter holidays on Monday and asked the pupils what is Easter about and why it is important?  After lighting the candle and going through the events of Holy Week, pupils raised their hands and said Easter was about celebrating new life, Jesus being risen and being forgiven. The candle reminded everyone that Jesus is the light of the world which gives us all hope and security for the future. 

We all said the Walk with Me prayer:-

Walk with us Jesus.  You know what it’s like to feel abandoned, lonely and afraid.

Walk with us and show us how to walk with others wherever they are from and whatever they look like or speak like.

Especially help us to walk with those who live in fear,

Who face death through hunger or war.

Show us how to pray for those we do not know and will not meet,

But who are always loved by you.

Walk with us, Jesus.

Amen

Please click on the link below for this week's Weekly Mission:

Weekly Mission

Please find information below:

Children's Liturgy

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year B)
Jesus is a good shepherd who knows and cares for all people. How can we care for others?

Activity Sheet 

Please remember to check team sheets and find further fixture information on www.crackleyhallsport.co.uk or on SOCS.

Please can we remind all parents that whilst sports fixture information, once published, usually remains the same, parents should check www.crackleyhallsport.co.uk or SOCS on the day of the fixture for the most up to date information.

Spring has sprung, and so has the new Trinity Term House 'Art' competition!

Don’t worry if you weren’t successful last time, you can try again……and again!

This term, our theme is ‘Spring has Sprung’ 

Ms Holmes would like you to think about all things 'spring-like'.  Get your creative flair going and look around you. The gardens are beginning to bloom again, lambs are leaping, insects stirring and, the days are getting longer.

Ms Holmes would like you to create a wonderful sprintime image. Work can be 2D or 3D and must be colourful and bright to reflect this wonderful time of year! Maybe try to stretch yourself by using a medium you haven't used before.

House points will be given for entering, for innovative ideas and for overall creativity.

• Entering -  5 house points
• 3rd prize - 10 house points
• 2nd prize - 20 house points
• 1st prize - 25 house points

Work should be your own and no larger than A3.

Work should be handed in to Ms Holmes in the art room by Thursday 16 May.

Professor Penguin is conscientious – a trait we should all be working towards. Creating sustainable artwork is a fabulous way to show how YOU can contribute to the planet’s future.

Please click here for further information.

Good luck everyone, can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Get CREATING!

Dormice children have started learning all about different Places to Visit, using books to encourage curiosity and language. We have so far explored and investigated different Castles; from looking at information books, building castle models and playing inside our own wooden castle.

Our Phonics Scheme has taken us to the seaside this week, which has been an amusing adventure, given the changeable weather!

In the outside learning area, the children have enjoyed manning the Little Crackers ice cream kiosk and have taken turns at being both customer and seller, which encouraged them to practise asking and answering politely. Mrs Allen also led fun beach games such as ‘jump, jump, splash!’

Inside Nursery with Mrs Whitehurst, a highlight of the week has been mixing, freezing, and tasting our own homemade vanilla ice cream. What a treat - it tasted sensational! We carried the ice cream theme through our Maths lesson, based upon favourite flavours. The children recorded their preferences on a data chart and we counted quantities in the columns as well as using comparative language to discuss the differing amounts. The Badgers and Hedgehogs have also enjoyed learning topical songs such as Oh I do like to be beside the seaside.

At Forest School this week, we have introduced the first of our woodwork tools and some children took their turn to saw a slice of birch wood from a slim branch, which was very exciting. Obviously, this sort of guided activity follows strict Forest School safety procedures and requires 1:1 assistance, and therefore, it will take a few sessions before everyone has had an opportunity to engage in this experience.

During RE, we introduced our third daily prayer, so Nursery are now chatting to God as we begin our morning, at lunchtime, and at the end of the day. Beginning a dialogue with God is a life skill and forms an important part of our spiritual journey at Crackley Hall. Sharing collective worship is further built on when the children transition into Reception.

Please click here to view the weekly timetable for Nursery specialist activties.

New Playground

We are delighted to see the new adventure playground completed and so many happy faces enjoying the new area! We made a £15,000 donation towards the playground. We thank every person who has supported us in any way for contributing towards a very tangible enhancement that we have helped to provide.  

One click to the 200 Club - an easy way to support the PTA 

Looking for an easy way to support the PTA? Sign up to our 200 Club! Only £5 per half termly draw and each entry has a chance to win £200 at the end of the year as an added bonus. Every little helps and we thank you for your support. Please click here (add link) to buy a ticket.

Link: 200 Club

Crackley’s Summer Fair

Save the date – Saturday May 18 1:00pm to 3:00 pm!  Temperatures are starting to improve and we hope they will be perfect in just a month from now when we will be serving up a tasty barbecue and reopening our gin bar plus all of our usual stalls plus a few new ones too at our annual Summer Fair!  Families catch up and children have a ball with their friends at our custom made event designed around everything our children love.

We need more volunteers for each class stall at the fair – please sign up on your year group chat or ask at Reception to put your name down. Just an hour of your time would be much appreciated and the children love to see you help!

Colour Run

We are cranking up the plans for our 3rd annual Colour Run on Friday 7 June  – put the date in your diary for another fabulous social event.

Survey

Thank you to all those who contributed to our survey.  We are analysing the feedback and hope to have a few new events in our calendar next year on the basis of your feedback.

PTA Pre-loved Uniform

Many thanks for all the donations that have been sent in this year - without these we literally could not operate! Please continue to use the containers in the foyer to drop off any donations rather than dropping into the office staff. We are especially grateful to receive good quality sports items - particularly tracksuit bottoms!

Please email us at: uniform@pta.crackleyhall.co.uk stating your child’s name and class and we will get all orders sent home for you.

Please see the attached menus for the Trinity Term. These rotate on a four weekly basis.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Please ensure that all items of school uniform, equiptment and sports kit are named.

Could you please regularly check all uniform and sports kits at home and if it does not belong to your child, please return the items to the School Office as soon as possible.