The Chronicle

Dear Parents

I hope this week's Chronicle finds you well and looking forward to the weekend ahead.  As usual, staff and children have enjoyed several events in school this week including the annual J5 residential visit to Alton Castle.  As I write this letter to you, tired J5 children (and staff) are about to board the coach to return to school.  No doubt there will be many tales to tell from their visit and I look forward to hearing them and seeing photographs of the adventures they have during their visit.  I am grateful to Mrs Roberts for organising the trip and to her and all the staff (Mr Cottrill, Mrs Geran, Miss Jones, Mr Kefalas and Mrs Vaughan) who gave their time to accompany the Junior 5s this week.

Our J6 year group visited St Augustine's Church yesterday as part of their Lenten preparations.  Mrs Lammas, Mrs Horan, Miss Kefalas, Mr Harris and myself accompanied the year group and were thankful for Father Kevin for leading the service.

My thanks to all of the children who were involved in Open Morning on Saturday 10 March and to their families for allowing this time out of their weekend to support our school.  Our pupil tour guides, class room helpers, orchestra and sports participants were all exceptional and I am very grateful for their help.  Our visitors to the school complimented the children on their enthusiasm and felt the warmth of the spirit of Crackley Hall School which is what I hoped for.  The helpers were all stars and I was very proud of every one of them.

Some of the children may have mentioned to you that there have been changes to our lunchtime arrangements.  These are merely occasional trials at this moment in time to look at alternative ways of improving the current lunchtime provision.  When we have met with staff and received feedback from all involved, including the pupils, I will let everyone know the outcome and if any permanent changes will be made. 

There have been several sporting fixtures over recent weeks that have been postponed due to the exceptional cold or wet weather.  I am hopeful that some of these will be rearranged soon and I know that the sports staff will be able to keep you updated in this regard.

Congratulations to all our Stars of the Week and other award recipients from this morning’s assembly.  I’d also like to congratulate Sebastian on his fantastic performance as well – it really helped make a lovely assembly.

We wish Ollie, Hannah, Iman and Ollie all the best for the Independent Schools’ Association National Cross Country event on Sunday.  I hope to be there, at Princethorpe, to cheer them on.  Having being asked to hand out some of the medals at the nationals, nothing would delight me more than presenting a medal to a Crackley Hall pupil.

Congratulations to Ireland on their fantastic triumph in the Six Nations!  It is all down to the St Patrick’s day clash at Twickenham to see if they can win the Grand Slam.  I am sure that 15 Englishmen will do their very best to stop them!  I hope you all have a restful weekend; my family and I will be celebrating Mrs Duigan's special birthday.

God bless,

Robert Duigan

Thursday 29 March and Tuesday 3 to Friday 6 April 2018

We are now taking electronic bookings for the Easter Holiday Club. If you would like book your child on to the club, please follow the link below which will take you through to the Princethorpe Foundation Parent's Evening Booking System. If you complete the information as requested, this will take you through to the Easter Holiday Club information.  

https://princethorpecollege.parentseveningsystem.co.uk/

We have a number of trips and events coming up over the next few weeks. Please see the relevant letters below. 

J6 First Aid Training 23.04.18 - 24.04.18

J1 Trip to Coventry Transport Museum 08.05.18

J2 Trip to Kenilworth Castle 24.05.18 

Reception Trip to Twycross Zoo 11.06.18

Our Stars of the Week this week are:

Last Saturday Crackley Hall U11 and U10 Netball teams were given the prestigious accolade of providing the guard of honour for the top to bottom of the table clash between title holders Wasps and Team Northumbria.

Alongside Towcester Netball club our twenty-two girls resplendent in Crackley team strip stood proudly waving their Wasps flags for the Guard of Honour as the players ran through the tunnel.

And so the incredible action began... Courtside, our girls were gripped by how fast the game of professional netball was and how tall all of the players were! It was an amazing experience to watch both teams, made sweeter still as most of the Wasps team also belong to the England Roses. The game became even more exciting when the Goal Keeper from Northumbria, was given a red card and sent off for the last 12 minutes of the game, leaving their team with only six players! Eventually the scoreline mirrored the table, as Wasps pressed their advantage to run out winners 74 points to 38.

After the game, our by now very excited girls were allowed on to the court to meet and greet the Wasps players and get signatures and photographs. Their behaviour did Crackley proud, as four different people approached Mrs Vaughan and Miss Jones to say how impressed they were with the girls' behaviour and manners during the game.

The girls had a most marvellous time and all are indebted to Mrs Vaughan and Miss Jones for organising such an informative and special trip.

On Tuesday 13 March Crackley Hall School visited fellow Foundation junior school, Crescent School for a day dedicated to all things orchestral.   It was a second chance for the young virtuosos to work together following a very successful Choral Workshop at Crackley Hall back in the Michaelmas Term.  The event drew 25 members of the Crackley Hall Orchestra together with 20 Crescent instrumentalists for a day designed to develop and stretch their music and performance skills. 

Pupils from both schools worked together under the guidance of Directors of Music, Julie Barnes and Susan Olden, to prepare and rehearse a mixture of pieces ready for an afternoon performance for parents.

The children enjoyed a busy morning and afternoon of rehearsals, they relished making music together especially in such a big group.  They worked hard to prepare three very different pieces, including 'Rondeau' by Purcell, the fun-packed theme from 'Scooby Doo', and a very challenging arrangement of Queen’s 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which tested the players’ technical and music-reading ability to the limit.  

The afternoon concert was superb, a sensational symphony of sound.  As well as featuring the full 45-piece orchestra playing their now nearly perfect pieces, it also included four solo performances, two from each school, on piano, trumpet, clarinet and cello. Samuel Lau played 'Cavalry Gallop' by Kabalevsky on the piano, Christopher Gibson played the slow movement of the 'Haydn Trumpet Concerto', Chenchen Pan played 'Veslemøy's Song', from Suite Mosaïque, by Johan Halvorsen on the cello and Annika Saravana played 'Kale Mazel Tov' on the clarinet.

Mrs Olden, Director of Music at Crackley Hall, commented, "I thought it was a brilliant day for all the children. They learned so much challenging music in such a short space of time, it was simply great for them to play with so many other talented musicians."

Mrs Julie Barnes, Director of Music at Crescent, agreed commenting, “Joining forces like this takes our music-making to another level. I was impressed with the children’s concentration and focus right from the word go. They played to an extremely high standard, way beyond their years, and also bonded with each other in their playtime which was a pleasure to see.”

What a successful Foundation day with the young musicians enjoying working and learning together!  We can’t wait for the next joint initiative.

On Saturday 10 March, 15 children from Crackley Hall supported a special Mass for housebound parishioners at St Francis RC Church in Kenilworth.  The Mass was organised by the local branch of the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVP), an international Christian voluntary organisation with local and regional networks dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage through the provision of practical support to anyone in need.

The Crackley children had spent the first part of their day assisting with Crackley Hall’s Open Morning before volunteering to come and help at the church.  There the Minnie Vinnies helped to serve the Mass.  After the Mass was finished the children joined the parishioners in the Parish Hall where they entertained with a selection of Crackley’s best talent showcasing a selection of music and songs, all whilst the parishioners enjoyed an afternoon tea.  During an interval in the performance, the children took time to talk to some of the parishioners, something the older generation very much welcomed.

The president of the St. Francis and St. Augustine SVP, Mrs Jane Leek, thanked the children for their help, commenting that she hoped the children realised just how much their support was appreciated.

Minnie Vinnie activities like this really do give joy to all involved.

On Monday 12 March, our Junior 6 class pupils and staff welcomed PCSO Sarah Louise in to school. Resplendent in her uniform and adorned with police insignia Miss Louise hosted a 'mock court', where the children gained a thorough understanding of the English court system by the re-enactment of the case of the allegedly stolen DVDs.

Each pupil was assigned a role and gave voice to characters from the case. Crackley's dock housed a suitably non-committal Erin King and Harriet Sharpe as the accused, with Judge Minshull and Shipton presiding. It goes without saying that the room listened as one when Alex Richards and Giorgio Kleinmann gave their witness statements.

The one thing for sure, is that the events as told were beyond reasonable doubt, as our court cast closely followed a legal script. A quick 'Q & A' to finish, then it was time for goodbyes and the promise that all would be very good. 

Thank you once again to PCSO Sarah Louise for her time.

Chess is an ancient art that is flourishing within the confines of Crackley Hall School. Testament to this is young Eden Oshri's (J3V) recent 'clean sweep' at a National Chess tournament in Manchester.

Eden, who is an established member of the Warwickshire County Team, played three and won three, helping his team amass a winning 29.5 points to take the National title. We know for a fact that several of Eden's 'chess mates' that attend the school's weekly chess club are so, so proud of him, yet the competition for top honours within our four walls as ever remains close.   

Congratulations Eden! 

Five times a year Crackley Hall throws its doors wide open to welcome prospective pupils and parents into school.  It is their chance to see what is so very special about Crackley Hall and what makes it a place that has been described as the ‘next best place to home’ by its pupils.

The latest Open Event took place last weekend on Saturday 10 March 2018 and the staff were pleased to see the rain hold off long enough to welcome lots of interested parents and would be pupils.

Rob Duigan, Headmaster commented, “We were delighted with the level of interest in admission to the school.  We know many families who already have children at the school will have recommended it to friends, but our ‘Excellent’ grades achieved across the board in the recent ISI inspection has clearly heightened parental interest." 

Current pupils gave up their Saturday morning to come into school and showcase their talents in music and sport, as well as leading tours of the school, confidently answering questions whilst they promoted the school’s fantastic facilities. Staff organised activities in their classrooms for visiting children and were available for parents to talk to.

Parents are reminded that the deadline for final registrations for entry in September 2018 is Friday 25 May 2018. Parents interested in applying for places in current Reception to Junior 5,  are advised to contact Jenny Vaughan, Admissions and Marketing Secretary on admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk or 01926 514410 to enquire about availability.

Crackley’s next Open Event takes place on Tuesday 8 May from 5.00pm to 7.30pm. 

Click on the attachment below to download the latest ‘In the News’ posters featuring some of the Foundation's recent media coverage.

In the News

In the last few months we have had stories in the local press including the Leamington Courier, Kenilworth News, Rugby Advertiser, Daventry Express, Leamington Observer, Rugby and Lutterworth Observer and the Coventry and Warwickshire Telegraph.  The Foundation has also been featured in Catholic Today and the Independent Schools’ magazine Attain.

The staff and pupils of Crackley Hall are excited to announce that plans are well underway for our first Whole School Art Exhibition on Wednesday 16 May 2018.

Featuring works of art inspired from all corners of the world, all Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery children, from the Terrific Twos up to Junior 6, will be exhibiting their masterpieces in the main school hall from 3.30pm to 6.30pm.

There will also be the opportunity to buy a framed copy and order prints of your child’s work. Invitations and further information will be sent out closer to the time.

We look forward to your support of this exciting event.

Tuesday 20 March 2018 10.30am to 12.30pm 

Princethorpe College is pleased to announce a new Open Event date for your diaries. On Tuesday 20 March, the College will be open to visitors from 10.30am to 12.30pm. A perfect opportunity to view the school on a normal working day, with pupils from Years 7 and 8 acting as tour guides (so you may see a familiar face or two!).

All are welcome and there is no need to book. For further information, please contact the Registrar, Mrs Vanessa Rooney on 01926 634201 or at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.  

The College’s next Open Event after the March Open Morning will be the Open Evening on Wednesday 6 June 2018 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm.

There is a tennis camp being held at Kenilworth Tennis Club from Tuesday 3 to Friday 6 April 2018 and Monday  9 to Friday 13 April.

Please click here for more information.

Please click on View Gallery to scroll through a few photos from this week's events. 

This week's RE Book of the Week is awarded to Matilda Hobson of J4J for her stunning work on Holy Week. This will be displayed firstly within our lovely school and then at St. Francis Church, Kenilworth for all to see.

Mr Duigan was particularly impressed with her superb presentation and the very informative content.

Well done Matilda! 

Today in our Whole School Assembly Mrs Jackson-Mayne (RE Co-ordinator and J4J Class Teacher) issued a call to action to our pupils.

Next Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 March volunteers in Junior 4 will be invited to lead a decade of the rosary in the Oratory from 8.40am to 9.00am. This will also happen the following week on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 March.

Please note pupils from Junior 3 upwards are invited to attend and that rosary beads will be provided.

To help our Junior 6 pupils understand the Stations of the Cross a little more, the class visited St Austin’s Church to re-enact the different stages through readings linked to each station. It was lovely to see the pupils take on the different roles with reverence and respect.

We extend our grateful thanks to Father Kevin for conducting personally our faithful in their responses at each station.

The Father Hudson’s collection boxes will be sent home today, Friday 16 March. During Lent we are asked to reflect on ways that we can actively support our neighbours, locally and globally. By filling up the collection boxes provided by the Father Hudson’s Society with loose change, we are helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Please could these be returned to school by Friday 20 April.

Father Hudson was a remarkable man and an exceptional priest who was well ahead of his time.  He respected the dignity of children and desired to give them the best start in life that was possible in their circumstances. Many people familiar with Father Hudson’s will be aware of the network of homes, especially in Coleshill, that he developed with the support of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, its parishes and schools, and the sisters of the Selly Park Convent over a period of 30 years. Every year the Society provides Family Support in 36 schools throughout the Archdiocese. Over 400 children and their families living in adversity have their outcomes improved through the Society's intensive and tailored mentoring. 

U9 'A' Netball v Kingsley 10 - 0 (win)

Player of the Match - Martha Summers

U8 Netball v Kingsley 2 - 0 (win)

Player of the Match - Emily Currie

A very exciting competition with some fine performances on display! Please see the results below:

 Well done to all!

Crackley travelled to the County Hockey Tournament at Bilton Grange on Friday 9 March prepped and ready to go! Pitched against teams from across the county, they sadly lost their first match 3-0 against fellow Foundation school, the Crescent. Next up came tournament favourites Solihull, who only just edged our brave boys out with a single goal, scoreline 1-0 in their favour.

A quick regroup and 'pep' talk by Mrs Vaughan resulted in a non-scoring draw against local rivals Warwick (0-0), where Crackley was very unlucky not to score. Lastly, we lined up against the eventual winners Bilton Grange and in the words of Mrs Vaughan, "played a blinder", crashing balls off their keeper and goal mouth. Sadly, the ball just wouldn't go in for team Crackley and unluckily the team conceded a single goal. Crackley was left proud, but still searching for a win.

Well done boys, you demonstrated the Crackley fighting spirit. On any other day, you would be sure to come out winners.

The evening J5/6 Netball Club on Wednesday 21 March is cancelled as staff will be attending fixtures.

Happy Saint Patrick’s day to anyone reading this over the weekend! We have really enjoyed this week in nursery – welcoming the first real signs of Spring. We spotted flowers growing outside, the buds beginning to appear on the trees, and even enjoyed some sunshine as we dug for worms on Tuesday afternoon! We have been looking at the daffodils, the new ones popping up in our outdoor area, and the cut ones we drew and painted pictures of in our creative area. The pictures and paintings will go up on display over this next week, and as time is moving on we will also start talking all about Easter. 

The most popular part of our provision this week was the wigwam, we borrowed it from the little ones to try it out in the big room, and we may not give it back!  Everyone has been in it at some point, making collections of natural objects, creating campfires and using it as part of the ever popular hide and seek games, maybe next week we will be able to make some real dens outside if the weather continues to be kind! If you have any den building materials at home (tarpaulin, broom handles, plastic crates etc.) and are thinking of getting rid of them, please send them our way – we love building dens! Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to send in your photos if you have an exciting adventure!

For further details of the 'fun and goings-on' with Nursery please click on the attached link.

The PTA Family Fun Day will be on Saturday 12 May 2018 from 1.00pm to 4.30pm - all are welcome!

Please save the date - details to follow shortly.  

The College seeks to appoint an outstanding teacher and inspiring leader to join a highly successful sports department from September 2018. The Head of Girls’ Games will play a leading role across the department, making significant contributions to our existing sporting and academic success.  We pride ourselves on the range and quality of the sports that we offer as much as we celebrate our delivery of A-level, GCSE and BTEC (level 2 and 3). The candidate should therefore be able to coach a major sport to the highest level throughout the academic year as well as offering outstanding academic Physical Education.

Candidates should be able to inspire pupils and colleagues alike to achieve their best and encourage even those of limited sporting ambition to actively enjoy and embrace stretching their own potential. They will show the vision and dynamism required to lead an excellent team, combined with the organisational and managerial prowess that a busy department depends upon. They should be a strong team player with proven excellent coaching and teaching ability, and show rigour, creativity and openness in their professional approach.

Single accommodation may be available. Princethorpe has its own pay scale which is above national scales.

This is an excellent opportunity to join the fast growing Foundation that values its staff and offers a rewarding benefits package including discounted places for staff, a pension scheme, child care vouchers and a cycle to work scheme.

Application: To apply for this vacancy applicants must submit a Princethorpe College application form, together with a CV and covering letter detailing your personal qualities, experience and how you meet the person specification for the role. Applicants must ensure the application form is fully completed, including a detailed career history with specific dates.

Closing date: Monday 19 March 2018 at 9.00am.  Candidates selected for interview will be informed by Tuesday 20 March with interviews taking place later that week/early the following week, at Princethorpe.

Further details and an application form are available from the College website www.princethorpe.co.uk/employment-opportunities.

We are seeking to appoint a dynamic, creative and inspiring Assistant Head (Teaching and Learning) to our Senior Leadership Team from September 2018 to support and develop pupils and teaching staff across the school.

The post holder will have had proven success as a middle leader and will be able and prepared to inspire pupils and colleagues alike both by example and through carefully researched and executed initiatives. Not only will he/she be an outstanding classroom practitioner across the age and ability range but they will also have a track record of developing and improving the teaching of others to the highest level. The post holder will work closely with other members of the Senior Leadership Team and Heads of Department as well as teaching and support colleagues more generally. The role represents an excellent stepping stone to Deputy Headship, providing the successful candidate with the opportunity to lead on a wide variety of whole school initiatives.

The Assistant Head (Teaching and Learning) will be responsible for researching, designing and implementing strategies to enable the highest possible standard of teaching and learning throughout the school. He/she will be absolutely committed to ensuring that great teaching is delivered throughout the school and that it leads to pupils’ academic achievements being the very best that they can be.

The Assistant Head (Teaching and Learning) will join the two Deputy Heads (Pastoral and Academic) and the two Assistant Heads (Co-curricular and Director of Digital Strategy) in reporting to the Headmaster and will be line-managed by the Deputy Head (Academic). He/she will be on a significantly reduced timetable, reflecting the importance of the position. We are looking for a person who will work well with the existing members of the Senior Leadership Team and so the appointment will be made without regard to academic subject specialism. This is a superb opportunity for a person with drive and ambition to make their mark in a thriving and successful independent school.

Single accommodation may be available. The Princethorpe Foundation has its own pay scale which is above national scales.

Application: To apply for this vacancy applicants must submit a Princethorpe College application form, together with a CV and covering letter detailing your personal qualities, experience and how you meet the person specification for the role. Applicants must ensure the application form is fully completed, including a detailed career history with specific dates.

Closing date: Wednesday 21 March 2018 at 9.00am.  Candidates selected for interview will be informed by Thursday 22 March with interviews taking place later that week/early the following week, at Princethorpe College.

Further details and an application form are available from the College website www.princethorpe.co.uk/employment-opportunities.

The Princethorpe Foundation seeks to appoint a Foundation Assistant Head (Director of Digital Strategy) to lead our schools’ ICT development and to act as a central driving force for ICT provision within teaching and learning.  This post provides an excellent opportunity to make a real impact by further strengthening the educational experience throughout the Foundation.

The successful candidate will lead on the development of the Foundation’s future ICT provision and the implementation and development of ICT projects. ICT is seen as fundamental to teaching and learning, as well as to the smooth running of the Foundation as a whole. The new appointee will ensure that the current systems are both flexible and effective and provide the best possible enhancement to teaching and learning. He or she will appraise and develop the use of ICT to enhance learning, within and beyond the classroom, and ensure that the Foundation is well positioned to implement new developments.

Single accommodation may be available. The Princethorpe Foundation has its own pay scale which is above national

Application: To apply for this vacancy applicants must submit a Princethorpe College application form, together with a CV and covering letter detailing your personal qualities, experience and how you meet the person specification for the role. Applicants must ensure the application form is fully completed, including a detailed career history with specific dates. 

Closing date: Monday 19 March 2018 at 9.00am.  Candidates selected for interview will be informed by Tuesday 20 March with interviews taking place later that week/early the following week, at Princethorpe College.

Further details and an application form are available from the College website www.princethorpe.co.uk/employment-opportunities

Lunch Menus for the Trinity Term have been sent home with your child this week.  Please return them by as soon as possible. 

Menu Letter

Week 1 Menu

Week 2 Menu

Week 3 Menu

Lost

Amy Carroll R has lost her named tie (lost after Karate).

Lily Carroll J4H has lost her named blazer.

Scarlett Hammond J3 has lost her school hat (lost after Choral group).

Lydia Choi J3 has lost her flute music 'Razzamajazz'.

Leo Fella J2 has lost his named school cap – possibly in after care.

William Verity J1W has lost his named wellies.

Emily Hutton J4 has lost her named sports jacket.

Benedek Kordas J6 has lost his named winter coat size 32. 

Lots of House Points being awarded this week! Please see the tallies below: 

1st - Jupiter (276 House Points)

2nd - Venus (275 House Points)

3rd - Mars (254 House Points)

4th - Saturn (184 House Points)