The Chronicle

Dear Parents

I trust that this week's Chronicle finds you well and looking forward to the weekend ahead.

Our main event this week was our Open Day which took place on Tuesday.  I was incredibly proud to be able to open the doors to Crackley Hall and invite guests to look around our school, observe lessons, meet our pupils and ask questions about opportunities available to all pupils.  It was a busy and very successful day, made even more enjoyable by the positive comments received about the warm feeling they felt in school and how wonderful your children are.  Our Junior 5 tour guides were exemplary and took great care to include many details into each tour – they were a credit to home and school.  My thanks to all our staff but, in particular, Mrs Jenny Vaughan, Mr Sansum, Mr Hardwick and the Marketing team for their support for this event.

To add to the success of our Open Day, I am thrilled to be able to let you know that Crackley Hall School has been shortlisted for ‘Prep School of the Year’ in the Independent School of the Year Awards; but more about this exciting news later.

J3 enjoyed their visit to Compton Verney on Wednesday and luckily the weather was kind to them.  The group immersed themselves in the outdoor activities and learned so much about local history too.  My thanks to Mrs van Zyl for co-ordinating this visit and the Junior 3 team of Ms Holmes, Mrs Duigan, Mrs Bhogal and Mrs Carne for accompanying the classes.

The School Photography Company were busy all day yesterday ensuring that all children looked as happy and smart as possible for their class and individual photographs.  We will let you know as soon as these are available to view online.  There may be an opportunity for an additional date for ‘mop up’ photographs later this term so that the few children who were absent can have their individual and sibling photographs taken.

The time is almost upon us for parent consultation evenings and these will take place on 16 and 18 October.  Please see the link sent to you via ISAMs which will take you directly to the booking system.  The objective of this round of parent evenings, for most year groups, is for parents to discuss how their child is settling into their new class.  However, as our J6 students are preparing for their entrance examinations, their meetings will be focussed upon their mathematics and English work.  Therefore, I would ask that parents of J6 children make appointments with the staff that teach English and Maths to their child.  Should you wish to discuss matters of a specific pastoral nature with a J6 form teacher, please arrange this directly with your child’s form teacher on a suitable date.

During assembly this morning we enjoyed performances by our fantastic orchestra and the Lavender Group singers, who had performed at the Spa Centre in Leamington on Sunday evening.  Both performances were absolutely brilliant and showcased the huge array of talent at Crackley Hall.  I was a very proud Headmaster on Sunday evening when I was fortunate enough to see so many pupils performing on stage – they were all brilliant!  Well done to them and their teacher, Mrs Goode.  I am also grateful to Mrs Olden for the super work she does with, inter alia, our wonderful school orchestra.

Congratulations to our Stars of the week and all other recipients of awards at this morning’s celebration assembly.  I appreciate all the hard work invested by all our children each day and it is a privilege to celebrate and acknowledge this whenever possible.

I was delighted with our fantastic sporting results this week.  All teams gave of their best and are improving game on game.  It was wonderful to see our U8 A and B rugby teams beating both Warwick A and B and Bablake A and B – keep it up!

Lastly, I would like to say a special ‘thank you’ to Lucy Lamb and her super PTA committee, all parents, children and staff for supporting the Macmillan Coffee Morning (£1159 raised) and the Barn Dance at Wethere Manor.  I also appreciate Mr Cottrill deputising for me at the Barn Dance.  However, I did not expect him to have a go on the ‘rodeo bull’.  That was his choice alone.

I wish you all a very happy and relaxing weekend.

God bless,

Robert Duigan

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

Michaelmas Term 2018 - Lunches letter

Michaelmas Term 2018 Week 1 Menu

Michaelmas Term 2018 Week 2 Menu

Michaelmas Term 2018 Week 3 Menu

J2 MAD Museum - 18.10.18

J3/4  Nutcracker Ballet - 11.12.18

Junior 4 Visit to Kingswood Activity Centre 08.10.18

J6 Victorian History Day

Forest School - Reception Class

Forest School - J1

Forest School - J2

Monday 22 October - Friday 2 November 2018

The Crackley Hall Holiday Club will this year take place during both weeks of the October half term holiday. It will commence on Monday 22 October and run until Friday 2 November. There will be exciting crafts, games and activities taking place on weekdays at school between the hours of 8.00am and 6.00pm.

Please be aware that places are limited.

Follow the link to book a place https://princethorpecollege.parentseveningsystem.co.uk/

Our Stars of the Week this week are:

Crackley Hall School is thrilled to have been shortlisted for the Independent School of the Year Awards in the much coveted Independent Prep School of the Year category. Crackley was selected ahead of hundreds of independent Prep schools from across the country who had entered the awards.

The Awards Scheme is in its inaugural year and has been introduced to celebrate the independent education sector, showcase excellence in student experience and recognise the varied and imaginative way in which independent schools prepare young people for their future lives.

Headmaster, Rob Duigan, comments, “I am delighted that the Awards committee have recognised our exceptional school. Our dedicated staff are committed to providing the very best experience for our pupils, supporting them as they grow into confident, resilient young people who are able to contribute to contemporary society. This is a testament to their hard work each and every day and we are very proud to have been shortlisted.”

The awards are being judged by a panel of distinguished educationalists, that include Headmasters and Headmistresses from some of the top schools in the country, so to have been shortlisted is recognition indeed. The decision on the final winner will be announced towards the end of the Year.

This week Crackley Hall School opened its doors to showcase it's talents to prospective parents, carers and their children. Days such as these afford our student and staff body the opportunity to welcome interested families during a regular school day, giving them the opportunity to see for themselves, by virtue of guided tours hosted by Junior 5 students, the excellent work that goes on.

Happily, our enviable reputation, which is underpinned by the Foundation's marketing activity, always ensures a healthy turn out. And so it was that every space was needed in the school car park, as forty visitors from nearly twenty families came to sample for themselves how and why Crackley Hall is one of the leading preparatory schools in the Midlands. 

Following on from their recent historical studies relating to the Saxon diet, J3 ventured to the delightful setting of Compton Verney near Kineton to develop their understanding of the Stone Age and to further explore this period of British history.

Whilst the grounds of Compton Verney are just forty minutes away, the skills of the J3 team most ably led by Ms. Holmes ensured our J3 historians were transported back five thousand years in time. This clearly was not your usual taster session; but really more of a full immersion as our history detectives learnt to construct their own Stone Age dwellings and in so doing brought the subject to life. 

Days such as these are a real treat. They aid children's understanding of the subject in a 'hands-on' way, whilst fostering their independence, resilience and conversely their ability to work together. 

The PTA's Barn Dance was enjoyed by all.  On offer was dancing, hog roast and a bar.  It was lovely to spend an afternoon catching up with friends old and new at Wethele Manor in the glorious autumn sunshine.

The bucking bronco proved a great success with both young and not so young! Our huge thank you go to Simon and Becca Moreton and the whole Wethele Manor team for giving us the use of their beautiful venue and for providing such delicious food. It was very much appreciated.

Thank you also to everyone who helped in any way and to those who came and supported the event. 

Thank you so much again to everyone who helped support the Macmillan Coffee morning last week.

We now have a final figure through and are pleased to confirm that the event raised £1159.73.  This includes a very kind donation from Tania Goode who donated £116.37 from the programme sales from her Step Up To The Mic show on Sunday.

Thank you to everyone for your very kind donations. This is a great amount to send to such a worthy cause. 

Princethorpe College's Entrance Examinations, for admission in September 2019, take place on Saturday 10 November from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

The deadline for registration for the examinations is today, Friday 5 October 2018.  If they haven't already done so any Junior 6 parents still wishing their children to sit the entrance exams need to complete a registration form and submit it with the accompanying registration fee as soon as possible.

For more information on the admissions process click here or to read the Admissions Update newsletter click here.  A copy of the Registration Form is avaiable here.

If you have any queries relating to admissions please feel free to email the Registrars at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or to call them on 01926 634201.

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

Monday 8 October - 9.50am

We are delighted to invite you to Junior 2's Harvest Assembly on Monday 8 October at 9.50am.

The children will be performing a poem they have been learning in Drama during the assembly, as well as singing and telling us all about Harvest.

We look forward to seeing you. 

Tuesday 9 October - 9.00am

The next Mass will be led by Junior 3 on Tuesday 9 October at 9.00am in the school hall.

The theme will be the Harvest and how we can provide for others.

All are welcome to join us.

For the fourth year running pupils at Crackley Hall are donating food to the Kenilworth and Leamington  Food Bank.

It is super that we can help to support the St Vincent de Paul Society, who make weekly collections from St Francis Church in Kenilworth. Please can children begin to bring tins, packets and jars in the week beginning the Monday 8 October.

Thank you.

Mrs Jackson-Mayne

Kenilworth Tennis, Squash & Croquet Club are offering a Half Term Tennis Camp.

Please follow the link below for details.

Half Term Tennis Camp

On Monday 24 September the Crackley Hall U10 footballers travelled to Dixie Grammar School in Market Bosworth to take part in the ISA Midlands U10 5 a-side Football Tournament. The event was well attended with ten teams taking part in glorious autumn sunshine out on the playing fields.

Playing for Crackley Hall U10A team were: Archie Robinson, Fintan McGrory, Henry Fox, Jimmy Loftus, Conor Horan, Zac Rose, Aryan Mehta, Oliver Camargo-Jones and Avar Khatkar.

U10B team - taking a B team gave another eight boys the chance to show off their skills and prove that they should be considered for the A team.

The B team took this opportunity with great enthusiasm, playing with an exemplary attitude throughout the tournament despite coming up against A teams from various schools around the Midlands region. After playing three matches in the initial group phases, Crackley Hall B finished 3rd out of 5, scoring 4 goals in the process.

This really was a brilliant achievement as it meant that they would finish in the top nine of a 15 team tournament. The second round of group matches saw the boys take on other schools who finished 3rd in their group. The B team continued to improve and had to raise their game against accomplished opponents.

Each and every one of the team should be proud of their performance, determination and superb attitude.

We are pleased to announce that Jared Warrener-Gray and Tom Whalley have been awarded Gymnasts of the Week.

This week we have loved watching the leaves do what leaves do best in Autumn… fall from the tree! 

We are lucky enough to be able to spend time in our outdoor learning area every day so we are able to witness the change in the seasons at first hand, whether is it discussing the late strawberries or watching the leaves fall like rain, this week the good weather and the colourful trees has led to a great deal of discussion. 

Having our RE lesson beneath the trees, as the leaves fell, was quite a beautiful experience, and many of our little ones had lots to say as we listened to Miss Gail talk about the wonderful things God has made.  Luckily we also collected a few to bring back inside, where we had a great time painting and printing with them! 

Have a lovely weekend.

Newsletter

Saturday 1 December - 1.00pm - 4.00pm

It is now time to turn our attention over to the Christmas Fayre. This is always an event that takes a lot of planning and support from a lot of people so if you have any ideas or are keen to get involved then please let a PTA member know. We are always happy for as much help as possible!

Thank you once again - PTA team 

If you have any children's DVDs that you no longer need then please do donate them to After Care.  We always like to have a good selection for the children to choose from.

Please leave them with the school office.

Many thanks. 

Lost

Harry Turvey (J4JM) has lost his named PE jacket and winter coat (age 9-10)

Tom Wilding (J5R) has lost his named sports socks

Amelia Fry (J6V) has lost her named shin pads

Harrison Pope (reception) has lost his named jumper

Lawson Collins (J2CH) has lost his winter coat (name in the pocket)

Edward Hunter (J6KV) has lost one of his size 9 Puma black and gold football boots 

Freddie Knott (J6H) has lost a named black cake tin 

We seek to appoint an Assistant Head (Academic) as a member of the Senior Management Team to take a major role in determining, implementing and evaluating the agreed aims of the school and all school policies.

The post requires you to promote the smooth running of the School, maintaining the ethos of a caring Christian school family with a Catholic school base.

The successful candidate will work closely with, report to and advise the Headmaster in all areas of school life, with specific responsibility for Academic matters. The Headmaster is assisted by a Deputy Head and three Assistant Heads who, collectively, take full responsibility for the welfare and development of the school and, in his absence, deputise accordingly.

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 Crackley Hall 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 10 October 2018, at 12 noon and interviews are likely to be held on Monday 15 October (with the possibility of including Tuesday 16 October as an additional day if necessary).

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

The Foundation is known for its innovative and strategic approach to Marketing and Communications and we seek to appoint, ideally from November 2018, a full-time, year round Foundation Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator to help take this forward.

Key responsibilities will include managing the Foundation’s annual marketing cycle, particularly in support of admissions and pupil recruitment, including a wide range of events, promotional and digital marketing activity.  Part of a busy, friendly and ambitious Marketing, Admissions and Communications Team, this varied role will suit a dynamic individual with relevant experience, excellent written and verbal communications skills, strong organisational and interpersonal skills, creativity and initiative.

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.

Salary:  £25,000 - £32,000 FTE, depending on qualifications and relevant experience.

Members of staff working in the Foundation enjoy a considerable discount on school fees for their own children at Princethorpe College and Crackley Hall School, five weeks’ holiday plus bank holidays, pension contributions, 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.

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

Closing date: Monday 8 October 2018 at 9.00am with interviews likely to be held on Thursday 11 October, at Princethorpe College.