The Chronicle

Dear Parents,

Today could not have started in a better way! We had Great Britain athletes Tully Kearney and Rey Banigo with us for the day and they led a whole school assembly just after the celebration assembly this morning. Tully is a paralympic gold and silver medal-holder in swimming, whilst Rey is the national long jump champion. We are particularly grateful to both athletes for giving of their time.  Both athletes were enormously informative and inspirational as they told the story of their journey to success.  I know that all the pupils (and staff) have gained so much from today’s visit and training program. Thank you to Mr Stedeford for arranging the day. 
 
Father Kevin was with us yesterday to celebrate Mass to celebrate Ascension Day with a Mass for Key Stage 2. I would like to thank Father Kevin for his ongoing support and commitment to the spiritual life of the school, as well as Mrs Forino who works hard to put all our events together. Thank you to J4A, Mr Ashley, Mrs Horan, Mrs Carroll, Mrs Olden and Mrs Simmonds for their contributions and also to the RE and Ethos captain and steward, Elsie and Josie-Jean. I also appreciated Fr Kevin leading an informative assembly on Our Lady earlier this week. 
 
Our Open Evening yesterday evening was a success with a good number of new families coming to see everything that Crackley Hall can offer. Our Junior 5 and 6 children were a credit to themselves and to all of us, and it is always wonderful to see them talking about their school with such pride. I would like to thank Mrs Jenny Vaughan for all her preparatory work, and to the Princethorpe team who were with us yesterday to help with making sure the evening ran smoothly. I was especially grateful to all staff and pupils who stayed behind to help on the day. 
 
The PTA have been delighted with the sense of competition between the classes for the sale of Summer Fair tickets - we are all hoping that the weather remains as it is now! 
 
Our Key Stage 1 Athletics festival took place this afternoon in some wonderful weather. Thank you to Mr Stedeford and all the other staff who have helped on the day. 
 
Congratulations to this weeks Stars of the Week who are: Nursery – Lyla and Finley; Reception – Emma and James; J1 – Faryal and Alice; J2 – Delilah and Orla; J3 – Harry and Ashleigh; J4 – Savannah and Hugo; J5 – Eleanor and Zara; J6 – Darcey and Ellie. Well done to Maria Paula who received her bronze award this week. The assembly was treated to an excellent singing performance by Issy (J6V) who sung beautifully and with such passion and emotion. 
 
It has been lovely to welcome Mrs Townsend back into the school office to support us after we said farewell to Mrs Devine. I expect to have the news of our new office appointment very soon. 
 
I hope that the lovely weather hold for the weekend and that you are able to spend a happy and restful weekend with families and loved ones. 
 
God bless, 

Robert Duigan

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” 
– Martin Luther King Jr. 
 

Please see detailed below events for week begininng Monday 13 May 2024. 

Please see our SPORT section for fixture information.

Crackley Hall was thrilled to welcome two very special guests to school on Friday 10 May. Paralympic Swimmer, Tully Kearney and British Long Jump Champion, Reynold Banigo, visited the school to meet and work with pupils and staff.

The athletes began by leading an inspirational assembly for the whole school where they shared their journey to success. They talked about the challenges they have faced, and the dedication and hard work required to succeed. They shared motivational clips, and their message was clear that with determination you can follow your dreams.

Then across the day, pupils were treated to an exciting PE lesson with either Tully or Rey, who enjoyed putting the pupils through their paces. They took part in warm ups, races and competitive games. Each class also had the chance to handle the athletes’ rare and impressive medals and to ask lots and lots of questions.

The pair’s visit to the school was organised through Athletes in Schools, which aims to inspire the next generation of champions.

Tully and Rey finished their day with a visit to Crackley Hall’s Key Stage 1 Athletics Festival out on the Sports Field where they met with children from participating schools, Priors Field, Crescent School and Stratford Prep. 

Head of Games, Rich Stedeford, said, “Meeting Tully and Rey was an amazing opportunity for the children. They were excited to hear their stories and to work with them. We can’t thank them enough for coming today and we wish them both the very best of luck with their Olympic selection.”

Crackley Hall welcomed Key Stage 1 children from Crescent School, Priors Field Primary School and Stratford Prep School to the Sports Field on Friday 10 May for an afternoon of athletics fun.

Led by Crackley Hall staff and Junior 6 sports leaders, and alongside Crackley's youngsters, the children worked in groups taking part in four activities, a sprint, the high jump, long jump and a throw. They rotated round each of the activities in turn very much enjoying all the events. It was fantastic to see everyone taking part, working together, trying their best, taking turns and generally having a super time. 

The event finished with an extra special sporting treat when Olympic hopefuls, Paralympic Freestyle Swimmer, Tully Kearney and British Long Jump Champion, Rey Banigo, came out to the field to say hello.

It was lovely to see so many parents out on the field cheering their youngsters on. Many thanks to all who organised the activities and a huge well done to everyone who took part.

On Thursday, KS2 celebrated the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord - when Jesus ascended into Heaven to return to His Father. Father Kevin said the Mass intention for the good of the school and for pupils taking exams at Princethorpe College, and other secondary schools, that they would be blessed with the work they undertake. Junior 4A led the mass. 

During the Homily, Fr Kevin remarked on how beautiful a starry night can look and how remarkable a day can be especially when the sun is shining. The beauty of this encourages us to look skywards like the disciples did when Jesus was taken up into heaven, and it is telling us that one day, it is our hope to be with God forever. We are also drawn into the the love which unites the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and, as we wait for this time of being with God eternally, Jesus wants us to try our best on this earth to make this world a happier place. 

Monday 13 May - 7.00pm to 7.45pm

Parents at all our Foundation schools (excluding Little Crackers) and those with children joining us in September 2024, are invited to an Online Parents’ Forum on Monday 13 May.

We have had a number of queries from parents 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.

This event 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.

To access this event on Monday 13 May, please click on this link.

During the live online forum there will be the opportunity to raise questions, but if you would like to submit any queries in advance, please do so by using this short form.

Tuesday 21 May - 1:45pm to 3:00pm

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

Wednesday 5 June - 6.30pm to 8.30pm

Princethorpe College invites prospective families to the College's annual Summer Open Evening which will take place on Wednesday 5 June from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. This is a perfect opportunity for families looking for a secondary school place in September 2025 and beyond to visit the school, for children to take part in departmental activities and for parents to meet and chat to members of staff and pupils.

The Headmaster, Grove du Toit, will also address visitors during the evening. Light refreshments will be available.

Please click here to book your place. 

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!

This week, Junior 6 are continuing their cross curricular focus on World War 2 - focusing primarily on the stories of the children who were evacuated during The Blitz to the countryside. In English, the children continued their investigation into the story of Lenny from The Lion and The Unicorn. We read about Lenny’s experiences with his new family and wrote our own continuations of the story, imagining what he might have seen using sophisticated descriptive sentences with complex groupings. In History, the children studied a series of real radio broadcasts from the time that informed citizens of the evacuation effort and put together a fact file about what life would have been like for families during this terrifying time. Well done Junior 6; we were so impressed with your hard work this week as you continue to approach this topic with maturity and enthusiasm.

In Computing, Junior 5 have begun to explore and experiment with Kodu, which is a coding program. The children enjoyed exploring pre-made worlds and discovering what they can create with this software. This week, the children have been programing their Kodu to react in a certain way once they see a particular object such as a tree or castle. Their end goal is to design an interactive game for their peers to play.

This week in Junior 4, we have been creating our own tea. The children have picked various leaves from their gardens to create a mixture of smells. We then researched various advertising techniques designed to persuade the customer to buy their product, including the use of catchy slogans and superlatives. To finish off, we will later be designing an eye-catching box to put our product in, which will be smothered in persuasive writing devices! Great work, Junior 4. 

This week, Junior 3 completed the final steps in making their lighthouse lamps and they were delighted with the bright, shiny results. The classroom was filled with flashing lighthouses and smiles as we reviewed and evaluated our learning during this topic.

In Mathematics we have been dazzling our teachers with our knowledge of fractions and how confidently we can use a bar model to quickly find fractions of numbers. 

We are looking forward to our new challenge for next week...writing newspaper articles about Icarus' escaping the tower of the tyrannical King Minos! 

Junior 2 have thoroughly enjoyed the KS1 athletes festival, a vibrant celebration of young talent and sportsmanship. Together with other primary school students from across the region, they have showcased their athletic abilities. It was a day filled with excitement, cheers, and friendly competition as children participated in various track and field events tailored to their age group. From sprinting and relay races, to long jumps and throwing events, every participant had the opportunity to shine and feel the thrill of representing their school. The festival not only promotes physical activity but also instils values of teamwork, perseverance, and fair play, fostering a positive environment for all involved.

To compliment this, we have been fortunate enough to have Reynold Banigo and Tully Kearney visit us, both successful Olympians. It certainly has been a fantastic day.

Would you like to know anything about minibeasts? If so, ask Junior 1 as they are experts in the matter! The children have all learnt the different parts of an insect and we now know lots of interesting facts about numerous minibeasts. Did you know a spider spins a new web every day, or a beetle can be disguised as a wasp to deter predators? Just two of the things which have caught our imagination this week. In Maths, we have extended our thinking about halves by finding and making quarters. This was a tricky concept as we explored not only how to quarter shapes, but also amounts and numbers. This week certainly ended on a huge high with our visit from the Olympic and Paralympic athletes, followed by our successful KS1 sports event. We really enjoyed the different activities as well as meeting children from other local schools.

This week, Reception have been embracing the spring sunshine and warmer weather! We have spent lots of time learning and playing outdoors, working and collaborating together. We have also been showing off our phonics and writing skills each day with independent writing about a journey in a submarine under the sea. The children have made such amazing progress over the year and we are so proud of what brilliant writers they have become!

This week, Fr Kevin came into the school to talk about how important Mary is to our faith. May is the month of Mary when we celebrate the important role she played in saying Yes to God. Junior 3 pupils celebrated the life of Our Lady with Mrs Simmonds by each having a turn at crowning the statue of Mary as they joined in the Hail Mary together. It was lovely to hear the children join in the decade of the rosary outside in the garden, as we prayed for our special intentions.

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

Weekly Mission

Please find information below:

Children's Liturgy

Seventh Sunday of Easter (Year B)
Jesus prayed for His disciples - asking God to protect them and to help them follow His word. What does this mean for us today?

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.

In Lego Club this week we decided that May the Force was certainly with us, albeit a little later this year, but battles still began as we let actions soar with clone troopers and battle droids roaring through the atmosphere. We invented hidden wheels for creating a hover effect on our tanks, with elevating spring-loaded shooters and a lookout for a very hungry clone commander, who kept eating ice cream!!  Did you know that Lego have been recreating iconic starships, vehicles, locations and characters with Star Wars being THE most successful Lego theme ever? So inventing new battles in Lego Club makes Star Wars even more exciting. Perhaps the most famous quote from the Star Wars saga, spoken by many characters throughout the films, will always remain with Lego fans - May the Force be with You!

Badgers and Hedgehogs have been learning more about our native Woodland this week.

Outside, the children have joined in the ancient custom of ‘tree dressing’, to give thanks for these vitally important bastions of Nature. They attached ribbons to a criss-cross of wool, so as not to damage the tree bark, learning that trees can get infections just as we can if our skin is damaged. We sang songs of hope that all of us will try our best to protect our trees; and tree hugged; and began to learn the names and shapes of the native species which we are fortunate enough to play underneath and around in school: Oak, Beech, Lime and Holly.

Inside with Mrs Allen, pupils have been chatting about imaginary tree houses, and after sharing their ideas, have been inspired to include lots of terrific features and details in their pencil drawings.

For example: Matilda knew that she would definitely choose a golden leafed tree to live in; Jude planned to build his tree house in a tree so tall that it always has a covering of snow on the top; Annie added a spy window and a swing; Layla’s detailed sketch had a ladder to reach the first branches and everything including the kitchen sink; Reeyan’s design included 5 chimneys and a slide; and Leonardo’s treehouse included a playpen for his dinosaur.

Mrs Allen has been working towards practically perfect pencil grips, as the Badgers begin to prepare for a transition to Reception. Do keep an eye out at home for a terrific tripod grip – thumb and first two fingers only!

A special thanks to parents of Stephanie and Monty who have already responded to our request for spare plants and seedlings to help enhance our learning areas. With the beautiful, late Spring sunshine prompting lots of home gardening, or trips to garden centres, it might be that more parents are able to send in a spare plant. Any shape, any size, any colour, any quantity, would be most welcome! We would like to turn our flower bed into a riot of colour and texture now that our Spring bulbs have finished flowering.

Louise has been in the craft area helping the children to make a head start on the artwork for their Father’s Day cards. A reminder for your diaries, that our Father’s Day celebration in Nursery is scheduled for the Thursday 20 June. Please note that any male relative can attend if daddies are unable to be released from their work obligations. As we did with Mother’s Day, daddies who can’t make it in person can send in a photo and we will print these off and stick them on our wall so that daddies can be there in spirit if not in person.

Dormice

As well as starting our new topic all about the Farm, the Dormice children have enjoyed getting outside in the sunshine and practicing their independent throwing skills in PE.

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

Saturday 18 May - 12:00 to 3:00pm

The PTA have been overwhelmed by the support for this year's summer fair. It promises to be a great event, thank you to those of you who have bought tickets and pre ordered food. This really helps us to plan better and reduce our food waste. 

Class Party Competition

It was a closely fought contest and it changed hourly, the final standings are as follows:

1st- Junior 1H (with a massive 65 tickets or 3.6 tickets per child)

2nd- Reception O 

3rd - Junior 1H

Well done to all who got behind the competition, we can’t wait to party with Junior 1H, on Friday 24 May (further details to follow).

Important Information

Tickets can still be ordered online, or bought on the day of the fair (£2.50 entry).

Please return raffle tickets and money to the school office, in a named envelope.  

If you have unused raffle tickets, please return these to the school office to be resold.

The last day to pre-order BBQ food is Saturday 11 May - please do this to make sure there is enough, as there is only limited availability on the day of the fair 

Non uniform day Friday 17 May

Reception to Junior 2 - please bring chocolate 

Junior 3 to 6 - please bring a bottle

PLEASE CHECK sell-by dates! 

Donations

Donations of nearly new teddies and toys are still needed, please leave in the foyer.

Any keen bakers, we need your help! Cakes and cookies are needed for the cake stall. Please bring in to school on Friday morning (please remember we are a nut free school). 

Pre-Loved Uniform Sale

Pre-loved uniform will be on sale throughout the summer fair - don't forget to pop by if you need any uniform! 

On the day

Please park on the school field. Disabled parking and drop off are available at the turning circle.

This year, alongside card machines and a change station, we will be trialing a voucher system, you can  buy a £10 voucher card (with card or cash)  and you can use this as you would money in values of 50p, instead of physical cash. We are hoping this helps speed up transactions. Please look out for signs of where to buy these on the day of the fair. Many thanks to Emmerson Press for designing and printing these free of charge. 

Also new for this year there will be a number of house competitions, where participation gives the children the chance to earn house points as well as win other prizes, adults very welcome to compete too! The information for these is as follows: 

Lego Competition

Obstacle Course

It looks set to be fabulous day. We can’t wait to welcome you to our summer fair, we ask you to pray for sunshine over the coming week! 

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

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.

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 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

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. 

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

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Crackley Hall School Office
01926 514 444
Email: post@crackleyhall.co.uk
Postal address: St Joseph's Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2FT
SATNAV: Use CV8 2FT

Office Manager/Headmaster’s Personal Assistant – Anna Bond
01926 514 444
Email: receptionist@crackleyhall.co.uk

Little Crackers Nursery; Nursery Manager - Emma Birch
01926 514 456 - Email: post@littlecrackers.co.uk

After Care - David Johnson, Aftercare Manager
Collection contact no; 07543 164 779
Email: aftercare@crackleyhall.co.uk

Bills, Fees and Online Payment
01926 634 273
Email: georginamalin@princethorpe.co.uk

Registrar - Jenny Vaughan
01926 514 410
Email: admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk 
 
Princethorpe College General Office
01926 634 200
Email: post@princethorpe.co.uk
 
website: www.crackleyhall.co.uk
X: @CrackleyHallSch  
facebook: @crackleyhallandlittlecrackersofficial
instagram:@crackleyhall_littlecrackers

For children who require any medication periodically or on a permanent basis, the Office will require a completed Administration of Medication Form. A copy is attached for your convenience. 

Administration of Medication Form

Please ensure that any medication brought into school is in date and labelled with your child's name and form.

Please hand medication into the School Office, please do not give to your child to hand in. 

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.

When dropping off in the morning, if you are using carline, please move round the roundabout before dropping off and do not leave your car unattended. Carline can cause traffic issues on the Kenilworth Road, so please be mindful.

If you are dropping off and wish to walk your child up to the school or are coming into school please use the Lower Playground or the Sports Field. Please remember to park considerately as parking is at a premium.

We would ask that if you use the Lower Playground at morning drop off, that you leave the school site promptly, as parking is at a premium, and it has been causing traffic congestion.

Please do not park on the Grasscrete Parking area or on the left hand side when you enter the school main carline, as these are both staff parking areas.

Where possible, please avoid parking on the local residential roads, and if you do, please park considerately and legally. 

When collecting in the evening, please adhere to the collection times, as if you arrive too early, this causes traffic congestion. If you are early, we would suggest parking on the Sports Field and walking up to school.

If you are unsure or wish to clarify any points, please call the School Office.

Please see below the carline locations and collections for the Michaelmas Term:

Please see below collection locations for after games lessons (but not clubs):

We regularly recruit for a variety of roles, please do share news of the vacancies with interested friends and family. Current vacancies include:

The Princethorpe Foundation

• Head of Business Services
• Events Co-ordinator

Princethorpe College

• Assistant Registrar
• Science Technician
• Minibus Driver

Further information and application forms on all roles are available on the Foundation's website - www.princethorpe.co.uk/join-us