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 was noted in our most recent ISI 'outstanding in all areas' inspection, where the parental feedback ‘praised the school’s preparation of former pupils who had successfully and easily transitioned into their new senior school’. You can read the full report in full here.

Throughout the challenges of recent years, we have continued to offer excellent provision both academically and pastorally. Our philosophy applies inside the classroom, on the sports field and in all of our extra-curricular pursuits as well.

We look forward to welcoming you to our wonderful school in the near future.

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

Following the sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the school, children and staff came together to complete activities to reflect on Her Majesty’s life and legacy and to give thanks for her devoted service to our nation. Children in the Upper School explored the Queen’s life in their History lessons. Some created thank you cards while others completed response tasks, helping to give them an insight into her life of duty. The younger children coloured pictures of flowers and symbols and the royal family has featured in their phonics lessons.

In the corridor Mrs Symons and Mrs Stapleton have displayed the children’s work along a timeline of her life, creating a beautiful board of remembrance. Central to that board is a particularly poignant letter, that the school received at the beginning of September, from the Palace, on behalf of Her Majesty, thanking the children for their wonderful Platinum Jubilee messages.

We have all been impressed with how the children have responded to the sad news.

At the end of the Trinity Term, our marvellous Reception children were exploring the topic of ‘Growing and Changing’ and studied the lifecycle of butterflies. Everyone enjoyed the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, had fun learning a super butterfly song and created beautiful butterfly life-cycle art.

The children also visited Stratford Butterfly Farm, seeing the most amazing butterflies first-hand and learning more about the life cycle stages of the butterfly.

They also got to hold one of our class butterflies carefully in their hands before we released all our lovely butterflies into the flowers at the front of the school.

So much fun and such lovely learning. Well done Reception you are all now brilliant lepidopterists!

Last year's Year 6 pupils have now moved on to a wide range of outstanding local independent and state schools including the Foundation senior school, Princethorpe College.

Over 50% of the children who took the 11+ assessments gained the qualifying score and six pupils have chosen the local grammar schools, Lawrence Sherriff and Rugby High School, as their future destinations. 14 of the 24-strong class have moved on to Princethorpe.

We also have pupils who have transferred to a selection of other schools including; Kingsley, Bablake and King Henry's and Rugby Free. We are especially delighted that a number of the 2022 Year 6 pupils have also been awarded scholarships, including all-rounder, academic, music and sports scholarships.

Sarah Webb, Assistant Head and Year 6 Teacher, said, “Our aim is always to do our best to help our pupils reach the destination secondary school of their choice. Despite the challenges of the last two years the children have enjoyed great success. We are particularly pleased with the range of scholarships offers they received. It’s an excellent outcome and everyone here is really delighted for them.”

Congratulations to all the children for their achievements – Crescent School is really proud of them.

Crescent School's KS2 Summer Concert took place on Monday 13 June.  It was well attended with the school hall packed with parents and family members eager to enjoy the end of term celebration of fine music and song.

As always, the school orchestra opened the concert performing the theme from ‘Coronation Street’ confidently. Then came the first of many solos with Dorrit performing ‘Singing in the Rain’ beautifully followed by Charlie carefully fingering the traditional ‘Sur Le Pont d’Avignon’ on his guitar.

Brass Group were next with two lively toe-tapping pieces starting with the theme from ‘The Muppets’ and then playing 'Oom Pa Pa’, the group included many different brass instruments, quite a feat for such a small school. Evie then performed the very fast ‘Wonka’s Welcome Song’ fabulously.

Wacky Music came next with an animated, noisy arrangement of ‘Junk Junk’ performed on all manner of instruments including a dustbin! 

Zahra then skilfully played ‘Portsmouth’ from her Grade 5 exam on violin. Chloe followed on providing the audience with a moment of quiet reflection with her beautiful song ‘Fall, Leaves, Fall’.

Next in the programme was Flute Group with a super performance of ‘Bells Across The Meadows’ and they were followed by Rohan who played the catchy theme from ‘Goldfinger’.

Year 3 Recorders delighted everyone with their finger perfect rendition of ‘Smelly Cheese’.

Charlotte then completed the solos playing ‘Tenor Trombone Rag’.

The concert concluded with a rousing performance by the Choir. Pupils sang four pieces starting with ‘Scenes From A Railway Carriage’, then ‘We Are The World’, followed by ‘Viva La Vida’ and finishing with the very timely ‘Leaver’s Song’.

After all the thank yous the children then happily performed one last piece as a finale, ‘Our Queen’ the Platinum Jubilee song.

All in all it was another outstanding afternoon of music and song. Our thanks and congratulations go to all Crescent School's accomplished performers who took to the stage in front of their proud parents, and of course to all their teachers and Director of Music, Julie Barnes who have helped them achieve so much.

Crescent School delightedly claimed victory in the U9 Hallfield Prep Cricket Sixes Tournament. The event took place on Tuesday 24 May at Hallfield Prep School in Birmingham with eight teams from the Midlands region taking part. Playing for Crescent were Shiv, Alex G, Alex T, Sam B, Timi and Edward GH.

The team played three matches using a Kwik Cricket format where everyone bowls and bats.

Crescent faced the hosts in their opening match but excellent bowling and fielding restricted Hallfield’s opportunity to score and the boys won by 91 runs to 65 runs taking six wickets along the way.

Match two was incredibly exciting. Crescent faced Abberley Hall School and both teams played well. At the end of the game the teams were drawn on runs and wickets taken, so there was a bowl-off to decide winner. Shiv and Sam B both hit the stumps, so Crescent progressed to the final.

There, Crescent faced West House School. The boys were focused and there was plenty of great batting and bowling in a very tight game. Crescent was ahead by one run with one ball to go and Alex G calmly defended the ball to take the tournament win.

It was an outstanding afternoon with boundaries scored by every player and wickets taken by four of the six boys. There was standout captaincy from Shiv, managing his field, showing great leadership and manners, but all the boys are to be commended as the children worked extremely hard at their cricket and deserved the success on the day.

Crescent’s Year 6 were simply magnificent when they performed Shakespeare’s tragedy, the Scottish play, Macbeth in June. In their final end-of-school production they superbly portrayed the dark story of treachery and corruption. Their rendition which included a modern twist just wowed their parents and teachers.

On the big night pupils were nervous but excited to perform having really enjoyed their dress rehearsal in front of the school earlier in the week.

The children had worked incredibly hard with Drama teacher, Kim Thompson, and Director of Music, Julie Barnes, to prepare the special performance and the talented cast rose admirably to the challenge.

It was clear the audience really enjoyed the show, their thunderous applause a testament to yet another super example of the school’s broad provision for the arts.

Headmaster, Joe Thackway said, "Huge congratulations to all the cast for learning their lines so well and delivering them with meaning, expression and great timing, what a multi-talented group of young people they all are."

Many thanks to all the staff and parents who helped with the production and to our wonderful Year 5 Chorus who accompanied the show.

On Tuesday 17 May local Rugby resident Samantha Melia, from Bwengu Projects Malawi, visited the Crescent School to receive a cheque for £1,110.00. The cheque was presented by Year 4 pupils, Maggie and James, in assembly in front of the whole school.

The Crescent School has been supporting the work of Bwengu Projects for fifteen years now. In fact, the school was one of the charity’s first supporters back in 2007 when they donated books for use in school libraries. Each year the Year 4 children at the Crescent School study Africa and in particular Malawi and the work that Bwengu Projects does. Studying the challenges the people in Malawi face helps the children to appreciate the similarities and differences in our societies.

At the end of their topic the children organise fundraising activities that the whole school participates in. For the first time, in 2022, Bwengu Projects asked Crescent School to support a whole project, the completion of a Nursery and Orphan Feeding Centre in Mleghu in the most northern part of Malawi. The children set themselves a target of £685 which would enable the building to be completed.

The Year 4s raised money in a number of enterprising ways including, a sponsored silence, guessing games and a non-uniform day and together they managed to raise a whopping £1,110.

Bryony Forth, Deputy Head, commented,

“Supporting the Bwengu Project is always a highlight of my teaching year, something which I personally am very proud to be part of. The children enjoy studying Bwengu and comparing 'A Village Less Economically Developed than Rugby'.  Over the years, we must have raised over £12,000 and helped pay for renovating schools, building a Women's Development Centre, sewing machines, a teacher's salary and nearly 60,000 meals for orphans.

“The children worked incredibly hard this year organising lots of events. They have smashed their fundraising target, having raised a great total of £1,110.00. As well as completing the building, the money will also now provide for furniture and toys for the nursery and cooking pots, bowls and a supply of food."

Samantha Melia was overwhelmed, and commented,

“This is really wonderful. There are so many different people in need across the world and we are so grateful that every year pupils at the Crescent help unlock the opportunity of education for the children of Malawi.”

In July Bwengu Projects shared some photos of the building work taking place which we shared on facebook. At the end of August we received a further update with the wonderful news that the work has now been completed. Bwengu Projects also told us that there are already 48 under 5s registered for feeding and daily lessons in numbers and letters.

As well as completing the building, the money raised has also provided for furniture and toys for the nursery and cooking pots, bowls and a supply of food.

Many, many congratulations to Stephanie who swam in the Midlands Regional Swimming Championships at The Alan Higgs Centre in Coventry in May.

Stephanie, who trains with Rugby Swimming Club six days a week, swam in the 50m and 100m Backstroke. It will have taken Stephanie such a lot of hard work and dedicated training to achieve the qualifying times and just qualifying for the event is such a super achievement.

In the 50m Backstroke Stephanie finished in 23rd place out of 34 swimmers in a time of 38.70 seconds then in the 100m Backstroke Stephanie pulled herself up the field to finish in 13th place out of 31 swimmers in a time of 1.21.05 minutes.  

We are really proud of Stephanie - what a fantastic effort!

Tuesday 4 October 2022 - 7.00pm to 8.00pm

The Crescent School is holding a dedicated evening for prospective families wishing to join Reception or Year 3 in September 2023 and beyond on Tuesday 4 October.

The evening will have specific presentations depending on which year group you are looking to join the school in. There will also be opportunities to look around the school, visit specialist classrooms, such as the Science Lab and IT Suite, as well as speak to key members of staff. Joe Thackway, Headmaster, will also be available to answer anyquestions you may have about the school.   

To book your place please click here.

If you can't make the Open Evening but would like to visit the school, you can now book a personal tour here, or please call our Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley on 01788 521595 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk and come on a day to suit you. The school is operating waiting groups in most other year groups, speak to Mrs Morley for the latest availability.

For more information visit www.crescentschool.co.uk

Sunday 27 November 2022 - 2.00pm to 4.30pm

The Princethorpe College PTA annual Christmas Fair takes place this year on Sunday 27 November from 2.00pm – 4.30pm.  It's a great opportunity to come and experience the magic of Princethorpe as well as stock up on the perfect gift for that special someone.

Organised by the College's fantastic Parent Teacher Association the Fair offers Christmas carols, mulled wine and a dazzling array of Christmas craft stalls. Whether visiting Santa or simply stocking up on presents, the Fair has something for all of the family.

All are most welcome!

Reception and Year 3 – 2023

We are already taking registrations for places in Reception and Year 3 for those looking to join the school in September 2023. The Early Bird deadline for September 2023 entry is Friday 14 October 2022. We will be restricted to one Reception Class of 20 children again this year, though more places are available in Year 3 as we will have two classes in that year group.

Please note we have been considerably oversubscribed for Reception places over recent years and would advise you to take advantage of our early bird deadline.

Current Reception to Year 6

We are currently operating waiting groups in most other years apart from our current Year 1 and 2 classes (Year 2 and 3 for September 2023 entry) where we do have some places available as these year groups each have two classes.

Applications for places will be treated on an individual basis. Please contact Helen Morley, our Registrar, on 01788 523851 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk for further information and the latest situation regarding availability and waiting groups. 

Most of our pupils enter at Reception and at Year 3, though pupils are welcome at any age, dependent on a place being available.

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 and Year 3 Open Evening, which prospective parents and pupils are most welcome to attend.  Please note that Open Events are by appointment only.

Our Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley, will be pleased to talk you through the admissions process and current availability. Please 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. 

Early Bird Applicants

Siblings of Crescent pupils and any external candidates with a strong interest in a place in Reception or Year 3, are able to apply early and take advantage of a priority application process. The deadline for taking advantage of this priority arrangement is Friday 14 October 2022. Please return your completed Registration Form with the accompanying fee of £50 (non-returnable) by this date. Your child will be visited in their nursery setting by one of the Early Years Team, or in the case of prospective Year 3 children invited in for a Taster Day. Subject to availability and a satisfactory visit offer letters will be sent out first class on Friday 11 November 2022 with a Confirmation of Acceptance Form, which we ask you to complete and return to us together with a deposit of £300 by the acceptance deadline of Friday 25 November 2022.

On-time applicants

Applicants interested in a place in Reception or Year 3 following similar timescales to the state application process, need to register by the deadline of Monday 13 February 2023. Please return your completed Registration Form with the accompanying fee of £50 (non-returnable) by this date. Your child will be visited in their nursery setting by one of the Early Years Team, or in the case of prospective Year 3 children invited in for a Taster Day. Subject to availability and a satisfactory visit offer letters will be sent out first class on Friday 17 March 2023 with a Confirmation of Acceptance Form, which we ask you to complete and return to us together with a deposit of £300 by the acceptance deadline of Friday 5 May 2023. 

Please note we have been considerably oversubscribed for Reception places over recent years and would advise you to take advantage of our early bird deadline.

Current Reception to Year 6

We are currently operating waiting groups in most years apart from our current Year 1 and 2 classes (Year 2 and 3 for September 2023 entry) where we do have some places available as these year groups each have two classes.

Applications for places in the current Reception to Year 6 (excluding Year 3) 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 current availability.

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 both formally and informally. Children in Year 3 to 6 take a short online assessment to help us gauge their current levels of understanding. Younger children may have a reading age assessment and of course will produce written language and number work as part of their day in school.

Before the offer of a place is made, we will seek a reference from your child’s current school.  Confirmation of a place being offered would be made in writing subject to a satisfactory reference being received.

To secure your place, please 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 2022 is Friday 26 May 2023. All incoming pupils need to have completed the admissions process by Friday 9 June 2023 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 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 we normally invite the children* to join us on a taster day which can be arranged on a mutually convenient date. Children in Year 3-6 may be asked to take a short online assessment to help us gauge their current levels of understanding. Younger children may have a reading age assessment and be asked to produce written language and number work. 

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

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 no more than 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.  Our shared School Promise expresses the shared values of the school and inspires us all to be good friends, good learners and good citizens.  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. We go to great lengths to ensure 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 have any concerns. In addition to this, all children are screened for a range of learning needs at different points along their journey through the school. 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 around 50 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:  During term time 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. For siblings of Crescent pupils, and any external candidates with a strong interest in a place in Reception, parents are able to apply early and take advantage of a priority early bird application process.

For all other year groups the application process is handled individually but they need to be registered by Friday 26 May 2023 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 aim to provide feedback promptly and, once we have had time to source a reference from your child’s current school, and organise a Taster Day we will advise whether we will offer a place.  

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 near 100% success rate for entry in recent years, but there is no guaranteed entry.

Q: How successful is 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 60% of those taking the 11+ have been offered grammar school places. 

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 Years 5/6 and Years 3/4 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 Rachel McCollin, Head of Sport, and our Teacher of Boys Games, Mark Adkins, 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.

Bursaries are available for pupils wishing to join Crescent School, these are normally awarded to children from Year 3 and above. 

Whilst the main financial criteria are household income and net assets, each application is considered on its own merits. 

Applications are made through an online system and are normally reviewed by external consultants. Click here for more information on our website.

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 around 50 different clubs, there is always something for everyone. 

Examples of the clubs Crescent offers include: Football, Netball, Hockey, Rugby, Gymnastics, Fencing, Cricket, Taekwondo, Outdoor Learning, Ball Skills, Yoga, Games, Drama, Choir, Flute, Brass, Orchestra, Science, Cookery, Programming, Lego, First Aid, Movie, Construction, Board Games, Times Tables, Craft, Sewing, Art, DT, FROG Club (Fully Rely On God), Online Magazine Club, Library, Jewellery Club, Story Club 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.

For those who like to plan ahead the Foundation Term Dates are:

2022-23

Michaelmas Term 2022  
 
Monday 5 September to Tuesday 16 December 
 
Half Term

Saturday 15 October to Sunday 30 October  
 
Lent Term 2023  
 
Wednesday 4 January to Friday 24 March 
 
Half Term

Saturday 18 February to Sunday 26 February 

Trinity Term 2023 
 
Monday 17 April to Wednesday 5 July
 
Half Term

Saturday 27 May to Sunday 4 June

2023-24

Michaelmas Term 2023 
 
Monday 4 September to Wednesday 20 December 
 
Half Term

Saturday 21 October to Sunday 5 November
 
Lent Term 2024  
 
Monday 8 January to Friday 22 March 
 
Half Term

Saturday 10 February to Sunday 18 February 

Trinity Term 2024 
 
Monday 15 April to Wednesday 3 July
 
Half Term

Saturday 25 May to Sunday 2 June