Headmaster's Welcome
Dear Parents
What a wonderful day we have had today, celebrating six of our children's First Holy Communion! It is always such a lovely occasion, and seeing the whole school come together in St Francis Church is a suitably special way to mark it. Liana, Sloane, Lewis, William (J3), Isabel (J4) and Vaughan (J6) all conducted themselves with dignity and reverence, and we were proud to support them on their special day. It was wonderful to be able to welcome their families (close by and from further away). We hope that our First Holy Communicants have all had a memorable day with their families. Father Kevin's kind support of the children throughout their period of preparation has been enormously appreciated, and we thank him for it as well as for celebrating today's Mass. I would like to thank Mrs Forino, Mrs Simmonds and the whole staff team for their contributions to the day, however large or small.
Our children have had a busy week carrying out assessments which are an important gauge for staff to look at where progress has been made, and to establish where some extra support might be needed. As always, we work hard to keep these assessments as ‘worry-free’ as possible in order to ensure that the pupils perform to the best of their ability.
The Junior 4 children had an amazing morning at Princethorpe this week enjoying an Eco Explorers Day. Thank you to all who facilitated this both here at school and at Princethorpe. I wonder if you can spot who is who in the bee-keeping suits!
The Cream Tea for Grandparents and Parishioners was a resounding success as always, with our Mini Vinnies hosting our guests with their usual aplomb. The Chamber Choir sang beautifully, and poems were recited to a very high standard by some of our LAMDA pupils. Mrs Simmonds made what seemed to be hundreds of her delicious scones and Mrs Forino's coordination meant that everything went ahead without a hitch. Thank you to Mrs Olden and Mrs Wildey for their support as well.
Yesterday's ISA Midlands Athletics saw over 40 children from Junior 4 - 6 competing at Saffron Lane Athletics Stadium in Leicester. We were thrilled to see 7 of our pupils qualify for the nationals, so please do head to the article to read all about it.
Well done to all of our stars of the week: Nursery - Kabir and Suravi, Reception - August and Amelie, all of Junior 1G and Anna, Junior 2 - Royce and Sam, Junior 3 - Poppy and Harriet, Junior 4 - Remy and Archie, Junior 5 - Ain and one person deferred until after half term, and Junior 6 - Lizzie and Amy. Sienna sang beautifully and it was good to see Junior 1's progress on the recorder.
Grove du Toit, Headmaster at Princethorpe College, has asked me to pass on an invitation to Princethorpe’s Open Evening on Wednesday 5 June, this will be of interest to Year 5 and Year 4 families, though all are of course welcome. The Crackley team will also be on hand, so do come and say hello.
If you attended the recent Parents’ Information Session after the Year 5 Taster Day, you will have heard me say that it does not matter which school your child attends. The number one consideration must be their happiness. You as parents are best suited to make that decision and to know where you child will find their passions and have their love of learning nurtured. My best advice is to get to know each school you are considering. Make sure you visit and ask questions. With this in mind, you have a fantastic opportunity to put us to the test during our Open Evening. Even if you have attended before, seeing us on a glorious summer evening (fingers crossed for good weather) does show the very best we have to offer. There will be colleagues and pupils on hand to answer questions about subjects, sport, admissions, SEND, scholarships, trips, performing arts, and anything else you may be wondering about. I will address parents in the Chapel and will be happy to discuss any questions or queries you may have. Refreshments, including the famous Princethorpe cookies, will also be on offer - it really is a lovely, relaxed evening where you can wander the campus and children can take part in so many different activities.
If you would like to take me up on my invitation, please click here to book by Monday 3 June. An open invitation to meet with me is also always available - we can combine this with an individual tour by our Sixth Formers during a working day to ensure you experience our Spirit of Family first hand. With best wishes, Grove du Toit
I must close with thanking the entire school community for a really fabulous day on Saturday at our PTA Summer Fayre. The months of careful planning and coordination paid off and the sun did indeed shine on the righteous! I was pleased to have Mr du Toit (Princethorpe College Headmaster) join me at the coals to ensure that everyone was well-fed, and I very much enjoyed watching such a wonderful afternoon unfold. These events do bring everyone together in such an enjoyable way and remind us of what a fantastic family we have here. It has been heartwarming to see the bunting fluttering away in the storms outside my window this week! Well done and a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the fayre, parents and staff; and also those who came along on the day. Special thanks go to the marvellous PTA team, especially Maria Gordon (chair), Sara Higginbotham (chief organiser) and Aimee Clark (Sara’s advisor and assistant). From a personal perspective, I was grateful to Mr Adam Stokes and Mr Dan Robinson for helping out on the BBQ – these men are experts in their respective fields!
I wish you all a very happy half term break and look forward to welcoming you back to school for the last few weeks of the academic year on Monday 3 June.
God bless,
Robert Duigan
