News

Headmaster's Welcome

Headmaster's Welcome

Thank you for reading our Autumn Admissions Update which is designed to give you the latest information on the admissions process, as well as news and developments at Crackley Hall and Little Crackers. We also hope that the newsletter will convey a feel for the family atmosphere at Crackley and a taste of the many achievements of the children in our community, from academic to sporting and the arts.

Since our last edition we have continued to thrive in our 'outstanding in all areas' rating by the Independent School Inspectorate following their inspection in October 2017. The report was a real vote of confidence for everything we do at Crackley Hall and a recognition of the positive impact a Crackley education has on our pupils' lives. I would encourage you to read more about this in the News section or visit the ISI website for the full report.

As a result Crackley continues to be very popular, we have limited places available in certain year groups from current Reception to Junior 6. In September 2018 we opened a second Junior 4 class and are therefore now welcoming applications from current Junior 4 children. This allows us to maintain our small class sizes and the level of attention needed for each child at this critical time in their development.

Crackley retains the small-school feel that makes it so special, but with a wealth of opportunities, often delivered by larger schools, that stretch and challenge all. It's a place where the children are individuals who are known to every member of staff. Our children are very happy and this matters so much to us.

We look forward to welcoming you to Crackley Hall and Little Crackers Nursery soon.

Robert Duigan

 

Crackley Shortlisted For Prestigious Award

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.

Prize Giving Is Culmination Of Another Exceptional Crackley Hall Year

Prize Giving at Crackley Hall is the culmination of the academic year, it is a chance to reflect, a chance to celebrate and a chance to give thanks. Last year’s Prize Giving took place on Friday 29 June with the Lower School receiving their awards in the afternoon and Junior 5 and 6 in the evening.

Crackley was delighted to welcome a number of special guests to the celebrations including Father Kevin Hooper, Chair of Trustees, Mrs Liz Griffin, Trustees Mrs Mary O’Farrell and Bernard Warner and Senior Foundation Headmaster, Ed Hester.

Headmaster, Mr Duigan gave a thought provoking speech, he gave thanks to the many who give so much to the school in so many ways – PTA, teachers, support staff, parents and most of all the pupils who make Crackley Hall so much more than just a school. He challenged every boy and every girl to wake up every day and ask themselves what they can do differently and to then at the end of the day reflect and give thanks. He encouraged all the children to strive to do their best, to laugh loudly and a lot, to never settle for second best, to believe and have faith and to never let anyone shatter your dreams or break your spirit.

Crackley Hall’s outgoing Head Boy, Fynn Walker, and Head Girl, Dari Kotlarsky, also spoke movingly about their special Crackley journey, and the memories and friends they will take with them as they move on to secondary school.

And then there was the awards, book awards for progress, effort, achievement and school spirit and kindness. Followed by cups and shields and trophies galore, all recognising the diligence, effort and excellence that abounds at Crackley Hall.

It was difficult to pick winners for the Special Awards as there were many worthy potential recipients and it was with great pride that Mr Duigan awarded the following:

St Joseph’s School Spirit Award – Alice Minshull
Scholarship Award – Kaena Wasley
Sister Mary Patrick Trophy for Caring – Pippa Cowdry
PTA Crackley Hall Shield – Hattie Underill

As the ceremonies concluded, all Crackley pupils were encouraged to reflect on their achievements this year, as prize winner or not, all should be rightfully proud.

At the evening ceremony Mr Cottrill announced the new Head Boy, Joe McCullough, and Head Girl, Francesca Kelly, who proudly took to the stage to receive their badges of office from Mr Duigan.

Finally, both ceremonies closed with a stirring rendition of the Foundation Hymn, Here I Am Lord.

Crackley Hall’s Speed Stingers Take Part In Jaguar Challenge National Finals

The National Finals of the Jaguar Primary Schools Challenge took place at the British Motor Museum on Wednesday 20 June. Over the last year thousands of primary school children from across the UK have taken part in the STEM challenge and Crackley Hall’s team ‘Speed Stingers’ had made it all the way through to the final.

The team, Junior 4’s Jimmy Loftus, Soren Wasley, Zach Rose and Cadie Hardwick, had been fiendishly busy preparing for the big day.

The challenge requires teams to research, design, manufacture, test, promote and race the fastest car possible using standard chassis and engine housing nets with a car body made only from card. It is a technical brief but one that has proven to really engage potential future engineers.

The final followed a similar format to the regional rounds and the children had a challenging but fantastic day. They had to race their car, talk about the engineering, discuss and explain their ‘Pit’ display and portfolio and give a verbal presentation to four judges.

The cars were raced down a special 20-metre-long track propelled using compressed air gas canisters and they travelled the distance in a matter of seconds. Crackley’s car finished seventh when including reaction times, but was third overall out of the 36 teams competing at the event – a super result.

In addition, the children had to complete an additional challenge to create a racing car powered by an electric motor, and this took up most of their spare time.

Team Manager, Mrs Cat Hardwick commented, “Although Crackley’s Speed Stingers didn’t win any of the awards on the day, they represented our school superbly, with dignity and grace, and showed everyone that they were confident, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We are immensely proud of them all and have thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow and develop over the past few months. I really hope we have one or two engineers in the making, taking their first steps along the road to becoming a real Engineer!”

Our thanks go to Mrs Hardwick and Mrs Spillane who have worked with the team over the last few months.

Crackley Summer Production Is A Musical Wonder

Crackley's spectacular summer production took place on Thursday 4 July at Leamington’s Spa Centre. It was another whistle-stop tour through three magical, much loved, musical classics; The Wizard Of Oz, The Little Mermaid and My Fair Lady. The children took to the stage like professionals and performed their numbers with passion and pizzazz.

The show opened with the story of The Wizard of Oz; when a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked away to a magical land, there they meet the munchkins and en-route to the Emerald City a Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion. Full of plenty of familiar singalong songs, such as Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead and Follow The Yellow Brick Road, bright costumes and snappy dance routines, Reception, Junior 4 and our principals from Junior 6 delivered an opening act that was a real crowd pleaser.

The Little Mermaid came next, the story of Ariel and her fascination with life on land. Ariel makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch Ursula to become human for three days but when plans go awry the king makes the ultimate sacrifice for his daughter. Full of fabulous characters such as Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle and Ursula in yet more stunning, brightly coloured costumes, the leads from Junior 6 together with Junior 1, 2 and 3 delighted the audience with feel-good favourites such as Under The Sea, Part Of Your World and Kiss The Girl.

The finale My Fair Lady delighted the audience, a real roller coaster with all our favourites brought to life with Higgins, Pickering and of course Eliza sweeping across the stage to rapturous applause. The story told of the phonetics professor Henry Higgins that takes it upon himself to transform a Cockney working-class girl into someone who can pass for a cultured member of high society. Junior 5 and 6 delivered their toe-tapping, heart-warming songs with style and the audience really enjoyed Wouldn’t It Be Lovely, A Little Bit Of Luck and of course I’m Getting Married In The Morning. It was a fabulous finish.

All through the show the audience greeted each performance with applause and when the final number was complete the appreciative audience went wild, cheering and whistling. Mr Duigan looked on proudly, Mrs Wildey, Mrs Olden, Ms Kefalas and Mrs Goode with satisfied smiles for after all the endless, tireless rehearsing the show was a triumphant success.

Of course no show like this could happen without the help of many, many people. Our thanks go to all of the staff involved in whatever way, all the parents for providing costumes and props and most of all to the children for working so hard at their numbers.

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Wasps’ U19s Coach Puts Crackley Hall’s Netballers Through Superleague Drills

31 Junior 5 and Junior 6 girls enjoyed a specialist netball coaching session in June with Wasps’ U19 Netball Coach, Lesley Blair.

Back in March the Crackley girls visited the Ricoh Arena to watch Wasps defeat Northumbria in a Superleague Match. They provided the guard of honour and were also lucky enough to go court-side to meet the players. PE Teachers, Mrs Kat Vaughan and Miss Lottie Jones organised this follow up training session to capitalise on the girls’ fascination with the professional Superleague game.

Lesley began the intensive coaching session with a series of netball drills that tested the girls’ physical skills as well as their ability to think tactically. The girls enjoyed playing games such as netball ‘noughts and crosses’ and netball ‘end zone’ that demanded quick thinking and quick feet. She encouraged the girls to keep moving, look after their team mates, stay focused and look for quick clear shots.

Lesley has been involved in netball for over 20 years and has played at county, regional and national league level. She has worked on the performance side of netball for 10 plus years and has coached girls up through the programme and on into the Super League – the highest level of the game.

After the training session the girls had the chance to ask questions. They were particularly fascinated to find out that the senior Super League players use all the same training drills.

Crackley Hall School Moves To Two Year 4 Classes For September 2018

Crackley Hall School in Kenilworth has introduced a second Year 4 class from September 2018. Two classes of initially between 12 and 14 pupils will move up through the school over the next three years.

The school’s recent ‘Excellent’ rating, in every area, in its inspection in October 2017 has ensured that interest in the school is at an all-time high so the independent school for boys and girls, aged four to eleven, decided to introduce the second Year 4 class, from September, to cater for demand.

Comments Headmaster, Rob Duigan, “Crackley Hall has always been a popular choice for parents. This extra capacity in Year 4 will afford more children the opportunity to benefit from a Crackley Hall education. A key factor for parents to consider is the school’s proven success in enabling children to transfer to their first choice secondary school, whether independent or local grammars. The move is good news for both prospective and current pupils, who will enjoy the smaller class sizes in what is a key school year, as the children start to prepare for 11+ and entrance examinations.”

Parents who are interested in availability in Year 4 and in other years should contact Jenny Vaughan, Admissions Secretary on 01926 514410 or by email jennyvaughan@crackleyhall.co.uk. 

Warwickshire Council Awards Little Crackers Nursery WIncKS Kite-Mark

Little Crackers Nursery in Kenilworth is one of only 40 pre-schools in Warwickshire to be awarded a WIncKS Kite-Mark. The Warwickshire Inclusion Kite-Marking Scheme celebrates Little Crackers’ excellent pre-school provision and also recognises the high standard of inclusive care provided by the nursery.

Through the Kite-Mark Scheme the County Council recognises pre-schools that deliver excellent and effective inclusion for children in their early years. The Kite-Mark scheme celebrates good practice and aims to raise the profile of pre-schools that can offer high-quality support.

Little Crackers Nursery, part of Crackley Hall School, was the only pre-school in Kenilworth to receive the Kite-Mark. Early Years Foundation Stage Teacher, Lisa O’Carroll Bailey, attended an award ceremony on Friday 18 February at The Shire Hall in Warwick where she was presented with a beautifully framed WIncKS certificate.

Lisa commented, “We are all thrilled to be the first setting in Kenilworth to earn this award. It recognises how inclusive our ethos here at Little Crackers is and our team’s daily commitment to the highest levels of care.”

Pupils Take Centre Stage At Leamington Festival

On Saturday 16 June, Mrs Wildey, Miss Rod, children and parents gathered nervously at Dale Street Methodist Church in Leamington Spa to take part in the Leamington Spa Competitive Festival of Speech and Drama.

It was an absolutely cracking day and every pupil performed superbly and achieved excellent results.

Cadie Hardwick came 1st in the Under 9s Verse and Prose section and Megan Shipton came 2nd in the Under 11s. In the Humorous Poetry section Francesca Kelly, Jorja Parris and Martha Summers were placed in the much coveted 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions out of a huge field of 20 candidates! Jorja also came 3rd out of 14 candidates in the Under 9s Verse section and Alice Minshull rounded the day off with her winning prose piece ‘Miss Trunchball' from Matilda.

Well done Crackley, you certainly took centre stage!

Anglo-Saxon Day Helps Junior 4 Discover The Dark Ages

On Thursday 8 March Junior 4 left modern day Britain behind to discover all about the Dark Ages. The children and staff came to school in Anglo-Saxon costumes, adopted Anglo-Saxon names and participated in everyday tasks in a ninth century Anglo-Saxon village.

Their day began gathered around the fire listening to their Chief. He told them of worrying news, that the Vikings under King Guthrum had invaded England, that the Saxon King, King Alfred, wanted his kingdom back and that rumours abounded of a forthcoming battle. He tasked them with completing their daily tasks, but also preparing for war.

In the village the children enjoyed exploring Dark Ages crafts that included carving runes for fortune telling, weaving cloth, candle making, pottery making, crafting amulets from metal for good luck, preparing ink for writing, practising the skill of illumination and working with the wise woman to make medicines and potions to heal themselves.

The children also prepared for battle. They trained to be warriors, learning the skills they would need to protect themselves from the invading Vikings. They listened to wonderful battle tales of King Alfred and then learnt about discipline and the organisation needed for battle. Then they had the chance to get hands-on practising Anglo-Saxon fighting drills and handling weapons and wearing armour.

When the Vikings were sighted, in this case Deputy Head, Charles Lamprecht, they lined up in formation and charged. After some vicious fighting the Anglo-Saxons successfully won the day only to discover that their King had made peace with the invaders.

Our Anglo Saxon day was led by History Off The Page a specialist company who help bring history to life in the classroom. It was an action packed hands on day full of fun and fantastic hands-on learning.

Egg-citing Times For Crackley's Junior 1

Last spring was a very egg-citing time for Junior 1. The egg incubator (kindly provided by Crackley’s PTA) was in full warming mode, the eggs provided by, Caretaker, Mr Rawlinson had been tended carefully and twenty-one days after their arrival the chicks began to hatch. Great excitement rippled across the school and many children found a reason to visit the Junior 1 classroom to see the new arrivals.

This year amongst the 21 eggs there were a number of different rare breeds including a cuckoo hen.

Hatching chicks has become a regular part of Junior 1’s curriculum. It is a lovely cross curricular topic that can be linked into many different parts of the curriculum - Science, English and even Geography and RE!

The younger children always really enjoy the topic. Junior 1 teacher, Mrs George, commented, “There’s always a great sense of anticipation and excitement attached to this learning project and the children produce fabulous work,” and added, “We are very grateful to Mr Steve for bringing us the eggs into school and the PTA who donated the incubator several years back.”

Once hatched the chicks were placed in a brooder and then after several further days in school they were returned to a carefree life on Farmer Steve’s property. 

Crackley's Creative Talents Amaze At Inaugural Art Exhibition

On Wednesday 16 May Crackley Hall opened its doors for its very first Art Exhibition. Pupils from across the school, from Nursery up to Junior 6 revealed their amazing creative talents to stunned parents, friends and teachers.

Back in February pupils explored other faiths in the school’s fascinating ‘One World Week’. The topic proved so inspirational that Crackley’s Art Co-ordinator, Mrs Van Zyl chose it as the central theme for the schools inaugural Art Exhibition.

The children’s work on display featured 268 different paintings inspired by art styles and techniques from around the world. They included artwork inspired by the Maasai of Eastern Africa, designs based on the reverse-applique handwork of the Kuna of South America, paintings inspired by British botanical artists, experimental vibrant Amate bark paintings, stylised animal Tinga-Tinga pieces, paintings that reflected traditional Indian culture, designs inspired by Aboriginal art and art that explored the Far East.

Working on their pieces for the exhibition has given the children the opportunity to study different artists, to appreciate their work, inspirations and colour palettes. It has linked into topics from across the curriculum including Science and Geography.

Many parents and children attended the exhibition to view the framed art work mounted on display boards in the school hall. All were amazed at the talent on show with many remarking the pictures would grace any wall.

Head of Art, Paul Hubball, and Art Teacher, Susan Harris, from the Foundation’s senior school Princethorpe College were invited over to view the exhibition and awarded Certificates of Merit to the paintings that particularly impressed them.

Mrs Harris commented, “The standard of work on show is outstanding, a huge variety of approaches and styles that has given every child a chance to shine. The use of colour is exceptional and effective it has been a real pleasure to view them.”

Our thanks to Mrs Van Zyl for organising the exhibition, the standard was incredible and it was a joy to view. Well done to everyone!

Grandparents And Parishioners Enjoy Crackley Cream Tea

Despite somewhat miserable weather outside the School Hall reverberated with friendly chatter and the clink of china tea cups as local parishioners and grandparents enjoyed an afternoon of entertainment and a very special Crackley Hall cream tea. Organised by Crackley Hall’s Minnie Vinnies, the junior arm of the St Vincent de Paul Society, plates piled high with scones, strawberries, jam and cream were served to a hall full of guests.

The special tea took place on the afternoon of Tuesday 24 April and along with their refreshments parishioners and grandparents had a full programme of entertainment to enjoy. Pupils from across the school took turns to perform. This year the entertainment included the talented Choral Speaking Group as well as the Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Choral Group, they all performed their pieces with confidence and panache much to the delight of the gathered guests. Then there were a number of individual solo performances with Chenchen Pan playing a simply stunning piano solo. The afternoon’s entertainment culminated with 90 children on stage and a stirring rendition of ‘The Rhythm of Life’.

After the entertainment came the cream tea and our Mini Vinnies carefully carried out laden trays, cake stands and pots of tea for the guests to enjoy. They approached the tables a little shyly at first, but were soon chatting happily with their guests.

Mr Rob Duigan, the Headmaster, popped in to welcome everyone to the school and to thank Mrs Dolores Simmonds for helping the Mini Vinnies organise the community event.

Mrs Simmonds, Mini Vinnies Co-ordinator, said, “The underlying purpose of the St Vincent de Paul ethos is to make a difference to people’s lives. Crackley Hall and our Mini Vinnies have laid on a wonderful afternoon for our local community which was clearly thoroughly enjoyed.”

Junior 2 Leave No Stone Unturned At Kenilworth Castle

Junior 2 left no stone unturned as they explored our local medieval fortress, Kenilworth Castle, at the end of May to round off their topic in History. The children had been busy studying castles in the classroom and had even built and fired their own catapult.

Their trip included a guided tour of the castle buildings including the Keep and the Great Hall, they got the chance to climb the towers and visit Leicester’s Gatehouse. The children clambered up the battlements, explored the ruins and re-enacted a pageant before settling down to enjoy a picnic in the beautiful castle grounds.

They learnt all about life in a castle and about the visit of Queen Elizabeth I.

Mrs Hardwick, Junior 2H teacher, said, “We have so enjoyed studying castles and this was such an incredible way to bring it all to life.”

The Pinnacle and The Minnacle

Issue 24 of The Pinnacle, our school magazine that celebrates exceptional work from across the Foundation, has just been published. Full to bursting with fabulous examples of pupils who are determined to go that extra mile in their everyday school life.

Editor and da Vinci Programme Co-ordinator, Helen Pascoe-Williams says, “There are pages and pages of excellent work in this issue from across our expanding Foundation. It’s always a pleasure and a privilege to bring everything together in one place.”

The Pinnacle includes a double-sized Minnacle showcasing the impressive work produced by pupils at the Foundation Junior Schools’ Crackley Hall and Crescent.

You can view the latest edition here The Pinnacle and The Minnacle.