Admissions Update

A very warm welcome to our Admissions Update e-newsletter, designed to give you an insight into the Crescent and a feel for the richness of school life here. You will also find lots of practical information that will help you through the admissions process.

The first thing that strikes visitors to our school is the special sense of purpose that there is here, combined with a genuinely caring and nurturing atmosphere. Every child here is unique and everyone has their place in our shared community. Our wonderful teaching staff are determined to go the extra mile to help children achieve everything they are capable of. This philosophy applies inside the classroom, on the sports field and in all of our extra-curricular pursuits as well.

Please do come along to our Open Morning on Saturday 30 March to meet me, the staff and the children. We look forward to welcoming you to our wonderful school.

Joe Thackway

The Crescent School’s U11 boys’ hockey team have qualified for the IAPS (Independent Association of Preparatory Schools) U11 Boys’ National Hockey Finals for the third year running.

The boys secured their place last Wednesday 6 February at Rugby School when they faced school hockey teams from across the Midlands area.

Matt Phillips, Head of PE and Games, commented, “ The boys had one goal in mind as they set out last Wednesday, there was a quiet, steely determination in their eyes and this translated into their play. They sailed through the group stage with 100% record and without conceding a goal!”

It certainly was a flying start with a 3-0 win against Solihull that included an excellent reverse stick lob off the keeper by George, and a well-worked short corner routine that culminated with a slick finish from Fin. Crescent went on to win all of their first round matches; 2-0 Ratcliffe College, 1-0 The Elms, 1-0 Swanbourne House, 2-0 Bilton Grange Prep and 2-0 Fairfield Prep.

In the semi-final Crescent played St Andrew’s and the teams were evenly matched. Defensively, the boys looked strong but Josh was excellent in goal, particularly in the later stages when the outfielders were getting tired and gaps started to appear. The match could have gone either way and at full time the score remained 0-0. The game went to nail-biting golden goal extra time. Halfway through, a long ball by Fin found George who took it to the right of the keeper and fired in the bottom corner. That golden goal meant that Crescent were through to the final and were guaranteed a place in the Nationals.

In the final Crescent faced Foremarke Hall who had been on excellent form. They outplayed Crescent to win 4-0.

Taking second place and the silver medal means that Crescent qualifies for the national finals for the third year in a row. An amazing achievement for a small school, especially when most of the team are playing up a year.

Matt Phillips continues, “Being a small school we are always up against it when playing the much bigger schools. However this performance shows that with determination, belief and a strong work ethic you can achieve. It was great to see the boys grow in confidence as the tournament went on. For Crescent the big prize was a place in the National Finals and the boys achieved that goal. We will be training hard now and practising those crucial penalties in anticipation of another momentous day.”

The Nationals take place next month on Wednesday 20 March again at Rugby School.

Congratulations to our hockey heroes - all but one are a year young: George Bell, Fin Calder, Archie Dowling, Thomas Ferguson. Josh Gorbutt, Matthew Thomas, Noah Windley and James Wright.

The 2017/18 edition of the Crescent Circular is a wonderful celebration of the last school year.  It provides existing and prospective parents with a great insight into the wealth of activities and opportunities available at the school and makes a treasured keepsake.

The latest edition is available here, or please contact admin@crescentschool.co.uk if you would like to be sent a hard copy of the magazine.  

On Saturday 29 September 2018 Crescent School celebrated its 70th anniversary with a special community celebration. Past and present pupils, parents, staff and governors came together to mark the important milestone at the school in Bilton, Rugby.  It was a very special occasion, enjoyed by everyone, that gave many the chance to reconnect and share fond memories.

The afternoon opened with a performance from the Bilton Silver Training Band, many of whom are Old Crescentians. They played to an appreciative audience and provided a magnificent start to the sunny afternoon. In the carnival atmosphere children played with the family games set out on the field, while their parents enjoyed catching up and reminiscing outside and over refreshments in the decorated school hall.

Throughout the school the classrooms and corridors were filled with displays and memorabilia and visitors were encouraged to explore. Many were delighted to find old photos of themselves and examples of work that had been retrieved from the archives. Foundation Archivist, Janette Ratcliffe, was kept busy as many provided new information and memories for her collection. Some of their memories included anecdotal insights such as ‘watching the moon landing sitting in the hall’, ‘wearing my school beret para-trooper style and being much berated’, ‘being punished for scrumping apples’ and ‘the smell of polish whilst sitting cross legged in assembly’.

The school choir had been hard at work practising a series of specially prepared pieces and they also put on a wonderful outdoor performance. Past pupils found the words to the school song spring to their lips and eagerly joined in.

The school was honoured to welcome back two former headteachers, Mrs Christine Barrett, who led the school from 1971 to 1992, and Mr Huw Marshall, who retired only last year. Both enjoyed seeing the latest improvements to the school, catching up with old colleagues and sharing their own memories of their time at the Crescent.

Anyone who has a connection to the school who would like to share their memories and be kept up to date with news from the school should contact oldcrescentians@crescentschool.co.uk.

Year 1 have been studying place value and marking the passage of the school year on their classroom chart. Knowing your ones from your tens takes plenty of practise but the children have all worked very hard. So on Thursday 28 February, 100 days since the start of the school year, it was time to celebrate their perfected place value skills with a special 100 days party.

The morning was spent preparing, making party hats and party food and getting the classroom ready. Then in the afternoon the children got on with the serious business of having fun. There were plenty of traditional party games including pass the parcel, under and over and musical bumps. Of course Mrs Emery couldn’t resist including the odd mathematical challenge in between rounds but with their newly acquired skills the children answered the questions with ease. After all the games were finished it was time to sit down and share some party food before finally getting together for a party photo.

Year 1 teacher, Mrs Emery, said, “What a lot of fun we have all had today and what amazing mathematical skills the children are developing. Our 100 day party was the perfect way to celebrate, and reinforce, our developing place value skills.”

On Tuesday 8 January pupils at Crescent School presented £730.87 to the Air Ambulance Service.

The children have been busy fundraising for the national Children’s Air Ambulance since the beginning of the school year. They ran a ‘name the teddy’ competition, held a yellow Air Ambulance non-uniform day, a Christmas jumper day and organised collections both in school and at the school’s Carol Service.

The children were delighted to welcome Air Ambulance representative Dr Caroline Leech, one of the Air Ambulance doctors, into the school for a special assembly.

Caroline, who also works as an A&E doctor at the University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire, spoke to the children about the Air Ambulance Service and the work of the national Children’s Air Ambulance. She then showed everyone three key medical skills, how to read a radial pulse, check pupil reactivity and how to use a pulse oximeter to check a person’s heart rate and blood oxygen levels. The pupils really enjoyed meeting Caroline and hearing about the essential work the Air Ambulance Service does.

On behalf of the School Council teacher, Sam Stapleton, revealed how much money all their fundraising efforts had raised, an impressive total of £730.87, which was then presented to the Air Ambulance Service.

Thanking the children Dr Caroline Leech said, “This money will help buy specialist medical equipment and support running costs.”

Image Musical Theatre visited the Crescent School in October to stage a production of the exciting tale of Robin Hood. The children got to join in with the super story-telling session and clearly all enjoyed the show.

Image Musical Theatre is a company that performs participatory theatre to primary school audiences. They believe that bringing a story to life engages children and helps encourage them to read.

The actors, Will, Matt and Clarissa, began by selecting ten children who would take part in the show. They then worked with the audience teaching them a series of songs, hand actions and responses to accompany the tale.

After a short break to allow the players to get into their costumes the production started. It was an excellent performance full of comedy and wit and the children sat focussed and fully engaged. The theatre company cleverly brought the classic tale to life and the children really enjoyed ‘booing’ the villain, cheering for the ‘hero’ and singing all the songs. Well done to Crescent’s budding actors who delivered their lines with aplomb.

It was another great morning of lovely learning and fantastic fun.

The ‘Exhibition of Young Local Artists’, which is hosted by Warwick School, was established in 1985. Over the years the exhibition has grown and now many local primary schools take part.

The event brings together local primary schools to celebrate art and showcase young talent and the array and diversity of the pieces exhibited is phenomenal.

Crescent School was delighted that the following children's work was selected to be in the 2019 Exhibition.

Class III - Faris and Liana for their wonderful art in the style of Lowry.

Class V - Ariana and Rania for their colourful 3D Braque style musical instrument.

Class VI - Tilly for her super landscape print.

Art and DT Teacher, Jo Byrne, congratulated them all, saying, "Our children's work is always so creative and it is a real honour for them to have been selected for the exhibition.  I am really pleased that these young artists have been recognised in this way."

Princethorpe is putting Science at the forefront of its vision for the future with plans for a new state-of-the-art Science building. Planning was submitted last September for the two-storey, £8 million building, which will see Biology, Chemistry and Physics sited together in one dedicated location. It is hoped that construction will start on the project within the next three years.

This is the latest in a programme of capital investment in the infrastructure of the College, including recent projects such as the refurbishment of the Clarkson Theatre and the Roundhouse for the Performing Arts, the Limes Building for Modern Foreign Languages, English and ICT and restoration of the wooded lake area known as Switzerland for outdoor education.

At just over 1,600 sq metres, the building will provide contemporary, spacious and well-equipped accommodation for the three Sciences including ten new laboratories, preparation areas, staff bases and toilets.

Comments, Headmaster, Ed Hester, “In a demanding world, where scientific progress is essential across the spheres of discovery, development and innovation, we need to provide the very best facilities for teaching and learning to stimulate the intellect, ambition and creativity of our pupils. This tremendous new building will enable us to do just that.”

The main entrance of the new block will face the Lime Walk and the side of the building will abut the existing Limes Building at the top of the North Lawn. The two buildings will be connected on both floors creating free flow for pupils and staff between them. The area in front of the new building will be attractively landscaped with a central square feature.

The project will also enable the College to redevelop and cluster other departments, providing permanent homes for Economics, Business Studies, Geography and Classics and dedicated laboratory areas for Academic PE. Plans are also afoot to provide additional catering and seated dining facilities. This last major phase of the upgrading of the school’s accommodation will benefit all of the College’s 900 plus pupils.

The project has been designed in collaboration with Leamington-based AT Architects.

On Tuesday 12 February, 34 pupils from across the Princethorpe Foundation travelled to the National Space Centre in Leicester to take part in a simulated space mission called Rendezvous with a Comet. The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) based adventure took place in the Challenger Learning Centre, one of only two educational space mission simulators outside North America.

For the mission pupils took on the roles of navigation experts, medical officers, data officers, scientists and engineers; the Year 6 and 7 pupils worked as a team to plot a successful course to rendezvous with Comet Enke as it streaked across the solar system, and then launched a probe to collect scientific data.

The first task was to construct the space probe before then plotting the correct intercept course but what seemed at first to be a routine exploration was soon filled with exciting challenges and emergencies along the way. Giving concise instructions, documenting the research and analysing data enabled pupils to maintain the safety of their team in space and ultimately accomplish a successful mission. And how exciting it was to discover that they had chanced upon a much rarer comet than Comet Enke. The new comet was so rare that no living human being had ever before observed it, so pupils got to name it! Our cross-phase pupils voted on the name Comet CCP to ensure that Crackley, Crescent and Princethorpe were equal partners in this extra-terrestrial mission.

The teams got a heroes’ welcome home when they returned to Mission Control safely. Da Vinci Co-ordinator, Mrs Pascoe-Williams commented, “It was another excellent mission – I was impressed with how well the pupils from our three schools worked together. The atmosphere was fantastic and the enthusiasm boundless, all in all it was a great opportunity for cross-curricular learning. Well done everyone!”

On Tuesday 5 March, Crescent School welcomed musicians from fellow Foundation junior school, Crackley Hall, for an orchestral workshop. It was another opportunity for the young virtuosos to work together following a successful Choral Workshop at Crackley Hall in the Michaelmas Term. The event saw 20 members of Crackley Hall’s Orchestra join 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 two challenging pieces, including the moving 'I Dreamed A Dream' from the hit musical Les Miserables and the stirring ‘Great Movie Adventures’ by John Williams, both pieces testing 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 40-piece orchestra playing their now near perfect pieces, it also included four solo performances, two from each school. Edward Hunter played ‘I’d Do Anything’ from Oliver on Trumpet, Fin Calder played ‘Reverie’ by Tchaikovsky on Tenor Horn, Andrea Zanyi played ‘Take Five’ by Paul Desmond on Flute and Matthew Thomas played ‘Prelude’ by Charpentier on Cornet.

Mrs Barnes, Director of Music at Crescent, commented, “It was a very successful day and the pupils enjoyed working and collaborating together. They achieved a very high standard of performance, and this was due in no small part to the preparation and practising that went on in the weeks beforehand”.

Mrs Olden, Director of Music at Crackley Hall, agreed commenting, "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."

Another successful Foundation day with the young musicians leading the way enjoying learning and working together!

Work is well underway on an exciting, new Foundation website which is due to launch this spring.

The new site has been carefully designed as five websites in one to perfectly showcase the Foundation and its four schools - Princethorpe College, Crescent School, Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery.

Melanie Butler, Assistant Head – Marketing, Admissions and Communications, comments, “This has been a major project, which we hope will be well received by the Foundation community and prospective families. It will look better, work faster and be easier to use than our current sites. We can’t wait to share it with everybody!”

The Foundation Marketing Team have developed the site in partnership with website company, e4education.

Keep an eye on the Foundation social media platforms for previews of the site and news of the launch date.

Sunday 24 March 2019 - 2.00pm - 5.00pm

The Foundation's Senior School, Princethorpe College is holding a Spring Open Afternoon on Sunday 24 March from 2.00pm - 5.00pm.  

All are welcome to visit the College and for our younger visitors there will be many fun subject related activities organised by the departments.  The Headmaster will address visitors during the afternoon and refreshments will be available. 

Wednesday 5 June 2019 - 6.30pm - 8.30pm 

The College's Summer Open Evening will take place on Wednesday 5 June from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

This is an informal opportunity to look around the school and to meet members of staff and pupils. There will be activities in each department for children to participate in, and the Headmaster will also address visitors in the Chapel during the evening and light refreshments will be available.

Please do spread the word amongst friends and family, all are very welcome!  

For further information on admissions to the school please call the Registrars on 01926 634201 or 01926 634262 or email the team at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk. 

The senior school entrance examinations for Princethorpe College, for entry in September 2020, will take place this year on Saturday 9 November 2019 from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

Open Morning - Saturday 30 March 2019 - 9.30am to 12.00pm

Crescent School is holding an Open Morning on Saturday 30 March 2019 from 9.30am to 12.00pm. Visitors will be able to tour the school, see our new facilities and meet the Headmaster, Joe Thackway. 

As part of the Open Morning there will be a very special performance by Reception to Year 2 pupils, along with children from Pathfinders Nursery, of Hats Off - An All-Weather Musical.  A fun and educational musical which will take the audience on a tour through the changing seasons of the year as Apple the pony tries to find a hat suitable for the weather.

This promises to be fantastic entertainment for visitors of all ages, and will really showcase the talents, confidence and stage presence of the school's youngest pupils. The show commences at 10.00am and we would urge visitors to arrive early to get a good seat!

After the half-hour performance there will be a short presentation about the Crescent and our ambitions for the school as part of the Princethorpe Foundation, and the chance to meet  Headmaster, Joe Thackway. There will also be short Q&A sessions with Alan Webb, Assistant Head - Head of Pre-Prep and Headmaster Joe Thackway about the Crescent's offering for Reception to Year 2 and Year 3 to Year 6. 

Elsewhere on site there will be plenty to see and do, including guided tours by the older pupils, sporting displays, instrumental performances, plus the opportunity to visit classrooms and chat informally to current parents and staff from Pathfinders, the Crescent and Princethorpe College. Light refreshments will be available. There is no need to book.

Open Evening - Tuesday 7 May 2019 - 5.00pm to 7.30pm

The school will also be holding an Open Evening in May where parents will be able to tour the school and speak to the Headmaster.

All are most welcome and there is no need to book for either event.

If you can't make the open events but would like to visit the school, please call the Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley on 01788 523851 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk and come on a day to suit you, we welcome visitors on most days.

For more information visit http://www.crescentschool.co.uk/

The Old Princethorpians calendar of events is well underway for 2018-19. Our next events are the Former Parents' Afternoon Tea on Saturday 6 April and the OPs vs Kenilworth Babas Rugby Match on Easter Saturday 20 April. 

Our London meet takes place in early summer at the Bull Dog Bar, The Clarence, Whitehall on Friday 17 May.

The OPs' Summer Supper, a favourite event in the calendar, will take place on Friday 28 June 2019, this time celebrating the leavers of 1969, 1979, 1989, 1999 and 2009, although leavers of other years are also most welcome.

All OPs, past parents, staff and Friends of the College are welcome to participate in any or all of the events. Old Crescentians and Past Pupils of St Joseph's, Abbotsford and Crackely Hall would be very welcome too. Click here to download the calendar or visit the Old Princethorpians section at www.princethorpe.co.uk for more information on Old Princethorpians.

To view the latest edition of the OP e-newsletter please click here.

Friday 21 June 2019 15.30pm - 17.30pm

You are welcome to join us for our annual Friends of Crescent Summer Fete.

Organised by our parents association the summer fete has all the essential elements of a British summer fair spread out across the school grounds.  You name it - we have it - bouncy castles, fairground rides, donkey rides, face and nail painting, cake and refreshment stalls, second hand book and school clothes stall, adopt a teddy stall, tombola, candy floss, ice creams plus many of our classic games like beat the goalie, knock down cans, hook a duck plus new games like asteroid blaster plus of course our raffle. 

All the classes get involved and it is always lovely to see the children helping out. It is another great opportunity to visit the school.

Sunday 23 June - 2.00pm to 4.30pm

The Summer Art, Photography and Design Show  

A celebration of our pupils GCSE and A-level Art, Photography and Design work will take place in the College's Sixth Form Centre.  A range of design technology projects, from resistant materials to textiles, will be showcased alongside the stunning art and photography work the College is renowned for. Comments, Paul Hubball, Head of Art, "This is a great opportunity to share our students' fantastic creativity with a wider audience and to welcome more art and design lovers to Princethorpe."

The Princethorpe PTA Summer Fete 

The event is held in the Orchard with lots of entertainment for both children and adults. There will be many and varied attractions including a ‘real-ale’ tent, a Dog Show with plenty of summer fete stalls, activities and competitions.

Please keep an eye on the PTA section of the Princethorpe website for updates and for more details of what’s on offer. 

24th Annual Motoring Festival

The 24th Annual Motoring Festival is open to anyone keen to bring any sort of classic, vintage, veteran or interesting vehicle along for the afternoon. There will be rally plaques for all pre-booked vehicles and awards for self-judged competitions.

The Festival is preceded by an informal morning road run of about 30 miles through the Warwickshire countryside. Vehicles taking part in the run need to arrive at Princethorpe for 11.00am. There is no charge for classic vehicles entering the festival or taking part in the road run.

Barbecued food is available for a nominal charge on return to Princethorpe at lunchtime, or feel free to bring a picnic.

On-line registration for the 2019 event is now open, click here for more information.

Wednesday 26 June 2019

Crescent’s induction/moving up morning will take place on Wednesday 26 June.  During the morning, your child will have the opportunity to meet their new teacher and see their new classroom.  They will also get to meet the other children in their class.  

This year the induction morning will run from 8.40am to 1.00pm for children joining Reception in 2019 and from 8.40am to 1.45pm for children starting in other years.

If you have any questions about the induction morning please contact the School on 01788 521595. 

Thursday 27 June 2019 - 7.00pm to 8.30pm

Our New Parents Welcome Evening takes place on Thursday 27 June 2019 from 7.00pm - 8.30pm.  The meeting provides valuable information about the school and offers parents the opportunity to meet key staff.  

More details will be provided to parents closer to the date.

We’re still accepting registrations for places in Reception for September 2019.  The class is just about full but we offer a waiting group as occasionally places can become available. Limited places are available for admission in other years. Please contact us to find out more.

Parents who are interested are urged to contact the Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley, on 01788 523851 or by email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk.

Applications for places in the current Reception up are treated on an individual basis as places are limited. Once full we operate waiting groups.

Parents interested in places in Reception 2020 are welcome to express an interest now.

Most of our pupils enter at Reception, though pupils are welcome at any age, dependent on a place being available.

Places in other years are limited and in years where there is no place available we operate waiting groups. A meeting with Joe Thackway, the Headmaster, is a key part of the admissions process. We encourage prospective parents and pupils to visit us both formally and informally to get a true flavour of the school. We hold various Open Events throughout the year, including a specific Reception Open Evening in November, which prospective parents and pupils are most welcome to attend.

Our Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley, will be pleased to talk you through the admissions process and current availability, contact her on 01788 523851 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk.

To request a prospectus please click here.

For a copy of our Registration Form click here. To download our current Crescent Information Booklet click here. 

Reception 2019 

We have had very high levels of interest in our Reception class for September 2019 entry, and as a result the class is almost full.  Parents interested in a place in Reception this year should contact our Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley, as we will be operating a waiting group. 

Current Reception to Class VI

Applications for places in the current Reception to Class VI will be treated on an individual basis as places are limited. In years where there is no place available we operate waiting groups. Please contact Helen Morley, our Registrar, to discuss these on an individual basis.

Should the possibility of a potential place become available you will be invited in to meet with Mr Thackway, the Headmaster, then if appropriate you should complete a Registration Form and return it with the accompanying fee of £50 (non-returnable), after which time your child will be invited in for a taster day. During the taster day children will be assessed informally.

Once a taster day is arranged, we will contact you to advise that we plan to seek a reference from your child’s current school. Following the taster day, confirmation of a place being offered would be made in writing subject to a satisfactory reference being received.

To secure your place return your completed Confirmation of Acceptance Form with a deposit of £300 within 14 days of the date of the offer being made.

The final deadline for applications and completed registration forms for entry in September 2019 is Friday 24 May 2019. All incoming pupils need to have completed the admissions process by Friday 14 June 2019 to enable your child to attend our Induction Morning. (Although a place at Crescent School may become available after this date, and applications will be processed, we cannot guarantee availability of places.)

Note: Deposits are refunded after the end of the final term which the pupil spends at the school provided that the correct amount of notice has been given and the final account is settled in full.

Induction

New pupils are given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the school, staff and fellow pupils when they are invited to our Induction Morning in the Trinity Term.

We ask all prospective pupils for Crescent School to join us for a taster day which they will spend with their current year group participating in lessons and activities. 

A taster day can be arranged with Mrs Helen Morley, our Registrar. We are flexible about when we can offer taster days and will look to find a mutually convenient date.  Where possible, we will choose a day when the timetable includes a child’s favourite subjects so that they get the most out of the day and we can see them at their best.

If parents have not already met with Mr Thackway, the Headmaster, we will ask them to do this prior to arranging a taster day.  This is an important step in our admissions process as it gives us an opportunity to find out more about individual children so that we can pass on information to the form tutor should they go on to join us for a taster.

Taster days typically run from 8.40am to 3.45pm for applicants for Years 1 to 6.  For those children who will be entering Reception the following academic year, the arrangements are different, one of our Early Years Team will go out to visit them in their nursery setting.

Children in Years 3 and above will be asked to take a short paper in Maths and another in English, although we take care that this is done in a low-key manner so that they do not feel that they are sitting an exam.

In offering a place, we take the child’s performance on these papers into consideration. However we look at the results together with feedback from the class teacher regarding the child’s behaviour, involvement in class and willingness to learn. 

Children participating in a taster day should wear their current school uniform.  A school lunch will be provided for them. Children should also bring a water bottle and a snack for break time. They may also require a games kit including trainers for outside use and football boots.

We ask you to let us have a completed registration form and accompanying £50.00 registration fee before the taster day. Please include any medical and dietary information of which we should be aware and any information regarding specific learning needs. 

Mr Thackway, the Headmaster, will provide feedback as soon as possible following a taster day.  We may wait to receive references from the child’s current school or nursery setting before deciding on the offer of a place.

Our onsite partner Nursery provision is delivered by Pathfinders Day Nursery, formerly known as Nature Trails at Crescent, and judged 'outstanding' by Ofsted at their last inspection.

The Pathfinders children enjoy many shared activities with the school and the Reception class.

It is our hope that many of the children in the Nursery will follow through into our Reception class in the September after their 4th birthday. As such, the Nursery staff are conscious of the need to prepare the children for school and the children are made to feel an integral part of the school from the day they join.

For further information about Pathfinders visit their website here or call Carolyn McGrellis, Nursery Manager on 01788 813666.

The Foundation's senior school Princethorpe College is now accepting registrations for September 2020 entry.

The Entrance Exams for 2020 will take place on Saturday 9 November 2019.  There are plenty of opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the College before then, including Open Afternoon on Sunday 24 March from 2.00pm to 5.00pm, the summer Open Evening on Wednesday 5 June from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and taster days for Year 5 children in May and June.

If you have any questions about the College's admissions process please contact the Registrar, Vanessa Rooney, on 01926 634201 or email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

We understand that prospective parents may have many questions that they would like to ask ahead of applying for a place for their child at Crescent School.  We have included those most frequently asked, but should you have a query that isn’t covered here, please call Helen Morley, our Registrar, pictured here, on 01788 523851 or contact her by email at admissions@crescentschool.co.uk and she will be happy to help.

Q: Will my child need to take an entrance exam for Crescent School?

A: Whilst we do not have a formal entrance examination for Crescent School, we wish to ensure that every child will fit into school life and engage with our stimulating and varied range of activities and our ethos. We ask prospective parents to meet with Mr Thackway, the Headmaster, and for children* to join us on a taster day which can be arranged on a mutually convenient date. During the course of a taster day children will be informally assessed whilst enjoying the experience of their potential new class.

*Pre-school children do not have a taster day but are visited in their nursery setting by one of our Early Years Team, prior to an offer of a place being made. 

For more information see the section in this update about what to expect on a taster day. 

Q: Are there set joining points within the school year?

A: No. Where places exist, we take children throughout the school year according to the preference of parents.

Q: What is the average class size at Crescent School?

A: The maximum class size in Pre-Prep is 20 children, whilst in Year 3 and above the class size continues to be smaller than the national average at below 24 children. Every form throughout the school also benefits from their own teaching assistant.

Q: What makes Crescent School special?

A:  We talk a lot about the ethos of the Princethorpe Foundation and it is not just talk; it really is the basis of all that we do at Crescent School and parents often comment on the friendly atmosphere when they visit.  We encourage the children to be kind to each other and to show respect for their peers and teachers, which in turn creates an environment where they are free to try their best and to develop their talents. The school has grown in recent years, but the family feel where each child is known as an individual remains. This combines with the highest standards of teaching and tuition from specialist teachers in music, drama, languages, sports and art. 

Q: My child is a high achiever; how will Crescent School benefit him/her? 

A: Children who demonstrate a high standard academically will be supported to further develop their abilities. A structured Able, Gifted and Talented programme operates through the school, ensuring that we meet the needs of children not just academically but also in other areas such as sports and performing arts. Sometimes parents worry that because their child is quiet or falls in the middle ground, they will be overlooked.  At Crescent School this is not the case as we strive to develop the potential of all children and to develop their many talents.

Q: My child may need additional support – what can Crescent School offer?

A: Our learning support team works with children to provide extra help at whatever level they need. This ranges from 1:1 support to inclusion in small groups to hone their skills in specific areas, such as communication and language, numeracy and co-ordination.  

We are quick to recognise children who may need extra support and we try to “catch” them before they begin to struggle. This means that class teachers refer children to our Learning Support Co-ordinator as soon as they are concerned and all children are screened. In this way we try not to miss anyone and to keep all children’s self-esteem high. We welcome input from parents and are very happy to discuss any concerns they may have.

When a child needs support that is additional to, or different from that provided for other children of their age, then we follow the Special Needs Code of Practice fully. This includes the process of applying for an Education, Health and Care Plan where required, so that parents are fully involved and children get the support they need.

Support for a child may entail 1:1 teaching for which there is a termly charge. Children who require this teaching will receive a structured, cumulative, multi-sensory learning programme tailored to their individual needs.

Should your child need any additional learning support, please indicate this on the registration form.  He/she will then spend some time with our SENCo during the taster day.

Q: What extra-curricular clubs do you offer?

A: We offer over 30 different lunch-time and after school clubs that cater for all interests.  See the section on extra-curricular clubs, sport and music within this update. 

Q: I am a working parent – do you offer wrap around care and holiday provision?

A:  We offer ‘early bird’ supervision from 7.45am and after-care until 5.45pm for which we make an additional charge per session.

Q: If I have two or more children joining, will I get a discount?

A: Yes, families with more than one child at Foundation Schools receive a discount of 5% for a second or third child or 10% for a fourth or subsequent child. 

Q: Do you accept childcare vouchers?

A: Yes, we take vouchers from most of the major schemes, which may be used against before and after-school care. 

Q: Do you operate a bus service to Crescent School?

We do not currently operate a bus service, however should you accept a place we are happy, with your permission, to pass your details on to current parents in your post-code so that you can explore lift-share opportunities.

Q: When do I need to apply for a place in September?

A: The sooner, the better. The deadline for applictions for places in Reception in September 2019 has now passed and the class is almost full, however we offer a waiting group, so please contact us for more information.

For all other year groups the application process is handled individually but they need to be registered by Friday 24 May 2019 in order for their application to be progressed in time for our Induction Morning in June. Our prospectus pack includes a registration form and once you return it to us with the registration fee, we can start the admissions process.

Q: If I apply, when will I hear about a place?

A: Once you have completed and returned a registration form, we will contact you and, if you have already met with Mr Thackway, arrange a taster day.  Following a taster day, we aim to provide feedback promptly and, once we have had time to source a reference from your child’s current school, we will advise whether we will offer a place. For applications made in advance for September entry, all applicants will be held on a waiting list until a taster can be arranged in the spring or summer term in the year of entry.  

Q: Will joining Crescent School give my child priority for joining the Foundation's senior school Princethorpe College?

A:  Being part of one of the Foundation's primary schools gives children a real head start in the admissions process. Crescent's pupils are thoroughly prepared for the entrance examination and have enjoyed a 100% success rate for entry in recent years.

Q: How successful is the Crescent at getting its pupils into the local grammar schools?

A: Crescent pupils who take the 11+ examinations for entry into the local grammar schools have historically always done very well. Over the last three years at least 50% of those taking the 11+ have passed and last year it was over 60%. 

Bursaries are available for pupils wishing to join Crescent School, these are normally awarded to children from Class III and above. 

Application forms are available from the Foundation Bursar’s office and from our website. Completed applications should be forwarded to the Foundation Bursar with supporting documentary evidence. 

Applications for bursaries are normally reviewed by external consultants.

Our success in competitive sports is testament to the importance of physical education and the promotion of an active lifestyle at Crescent School.  At Crescent, we pride ourselves on giving the children a lifelong love of physical activity and a large proportion of our children partake in physical activities after school.  In fact every child in Year 3 and above has played for the school in a Sports team.

Two dedicated Games Afternoons are timetabled on a Wednesday and Thursday for Classes V/VI and Classes III/IV respectively. These allow teachers more time to develop skills and facilitate competitive fixtures across a range of sports with other local schools.

Whether children want to take part in an individual pursuit such as athletics or swimming or a team game such as netball or football, they will be encouraged by our enthusiastic and committed team of sports staff, led by Matt Phillips, Head of Sport, and our Head of Girls Games, Rachel McCollin, to find an activity in which they can develop their skills and confidence.

Our curriculum and programme of clubs take in a wide range of activities.  We are lucky to have our own playing fields and we also make use of excellent local facilities such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Track in Rugby, and the sports facilities at the Foundation’s senior school Princethorpe College.

Fixtures and competitions are arranged in boys’ football, girls’ football, netball, boys’ hockey, girls’ hockey, rugby, swimming, basketball, boys’ cricket, girls’ cricket, tennis, rounders, athletics and cross-country.  We take part in ISA and IAPS competitions to help to extend our more able children and have B and sometimes C team fixtures to allow participation from the pupils.

Our extra-curricular programme is extremely popular.  We encourage all our children to find something that they will enjoy. From sports to singing to creative arts, and with more than 30 different clubs, there is something for everyone. 

Our current clubs include Football, Netball, Hockey, Rugby, Basketball, Gymnastics, Fencing, Cricket, Yoga, Games, Drama, Choir, Flute, Brass, Orchestra, Science, Cookery, Programming, Lego, First Aid, Movie, Construction, Board Games, Times Tables, Craft and Philosophy.  Some of these clubs are run by teachers and are free of charge whilst some are delivered by external providers and incur a cost.

Uniform is compulsory for Crescent School pupils and helps to create a sense of shared identity, community spirit and a pride in oneself. 

Uniform can be purchased from the School Shop located at Princethorpe College. 

The Uniform Shop is open from 3.30pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday during term time. Additionally, during the summer holidays, the shop is open on selected dates on an appointment only basis. 

To make an appointment please call Nicola Browne on 01926 634272 or email uniform@princethorpe.co.uk. 

A uniform list is available in the Crescent Information Booklet or please click here.

For those who like to plan ahead the Foundation Term Dates for 2019-2020 are:

Michaelmas Term 2019

Monday 2 September to Wednesday 18 December

Half Term

Saturday 19 October to Sunday 3 November

Lent Term 2020 

Monday 6 January to Friday 27 March

Half Term

Saturday 15 February to Sunday 23 February

Trinity Term 2020

Monday 20 April to Wednesday 1 July 

Half Term

Saturday 23 May to Sunday 31 May