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 Day on Friday 5 October to meet me, the staff and the children. We look forward to welcoming you to our wonderful school.

Joe Thackway

On Tuesday 24 April, in front of an audience of parents and invited guests, members of Crescent School’s School Council relaunched the School Promise.  Headteacher, Joe Thackway, led pupils in explaining how the Promise had been reviewed and developed and presented the new code of commitments to pupils and parents in an information meeting in the school hall.

The Crescent School has had a School Promise for many years. The first promise was introduced by former Headteacher, Mr Huw Marshall, back in 2005 and its commitments have been at the core of the Crescent’s ethos ever since.

This year the School Council reviewed the original School Promise in collaboration with pupils and staff. Every child wrote a promise and the School Council then worked with Mr Thackway, Mrs Stapleton and Mrs Monteith to use the children’s ideas to refresh and revitalise the Promise Statement.

As a school community Crescent School shares certain core values and beliefs. It seeks to foster and develop the qualities of kindness, tolerance and mutual respect in a safe and caring environment where staff and families work together to deliver an inspiring, challenging and varied curriculum.

Comments Joe Thackway, “Our new School Promise builds on the legacy of the original commitment. It expresses the school community’s shared values and challenges all our pupils to be Good Friends, Good Learners and Good Citizens. This simple set of guidelines, shared by all pupils and staff, will stand us all in good stead for the future both in school and out.”

All pupils have been presented with a specially designed School Promise card to remind them of the new commitments.

Nine pupils from the Crescent School have been recognised in this year’s Rupert Brooke Literary Award. Established in 1987 to commemorate the birth of poet Rupert Brooke, the award is an annual creative writing competition organised by Rugby School and open to school pupils local to the Rugby area.

Competing in the Primary Section, Crescent pupils Ella Knight and Olivia Sarkies were awarded First Prize for their stories ‘The Lost Waterfall’ and ‘Water’ respectively. Alex Reynolds and Vignesh Sadasivan’s entries received Second Prize and Maya Patel, Rebecca Monteith, Lily Emery, Fin Calder and Henry Kilner all received a Highly Commended.

Ms Sarah Lowe, Senior Teacher, commented, “Back in November Classes V and VI enjoyed crafting creative stories for the Rupert Brooke Literary Award. They put a lot of time and effort in, to showcase their best English skills, and it is lovely to see that their hard work has been recognised.”

Ms Alix Scott-Martin from Rugby School said, “We were particularly impressed by the Crescent School's entries this year and it was a very tricky job to select the winners." 

Crescent School congratulated them all, we were delighted with their literary success.

Crescent School's Summer Concert took place on Thursday 5 July. 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 two pieces confidently. The audience very much enjoyed ‘Cotton Mill Blues’ and ‘Fidgety Feet’ both by Terry Kenny. Then came the first many instrumental solos with Sophie Causer’s rendition of ‘Easy Tiger’ by Pamela Wedgwood played beautifully on trumpet.

Brass Group were up next with two lively toe-tapping pieces 'The Muppet Show' and 'Five Hundred Miles', both arranged by peripatetic teacher, Di Fisher and hot on their heels were Mini Brass who this time captivated us all with ‘Twinkle Twinkle March’ also arranged by Di Fisher. Next in the programme came Clara Woolf on cornet with a fabulous hum-a-long performance of the 'Theme from the Pink Panther’ by Henry Mancini and Samuel Lau on violin who skilfully played ‘Romantic Piece’ by Dvorak.

The concert continued with the Flute Group who delightedly played two pieces by M Orriss ‘A Muster of Peacocks’ and ‘A Parliament of Owls’ and Olivia Sarkies who stayed on stage to perform a flute solo of ‘Birk’s Works’ by Dizzy Gillespie. Everyone then enjoyed Recorder Group’s haunting performance of the traditional ‘Skye Boat Song’ and Gabriel White’s skilful playing of ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus.

The audience were impressed by Classes III and IV who next took to the stage to give a super space inspired performance of three pieces by Mary Green and Julie Stanley, ‘The Planets’, ‘Poor Little Pluto' and ‘Gravity’. Christopher Gibson was next with a recorder solo of ‘Fish and Chips’ by Alan Bullard and then we had the wonderful Wacky Music with their amazing and colourful instruments, especially the boomwhackers, who noisily played 'Wacky Saints', much to the enjoyment of the audience.

The concert continued with Oliver Bell skilfully playing his trumpet solo, 'Prelude' by Charpentier. Class VI beautifully and appropriately sang ‘Gonna Fly Now’ by Alfred. They were followed by Robyn Shaw and Ella Knight whose super performance of Anderson and Ulvaeus’ moving ‘Slipping through my Fingers’ had us all on the brink of tears.

The concert concluded with a rousing performance by the Choir. Pupils sang four pieces all by Mark and Helen Johnson, ‘Taking my Time’, ‘The Losing Things Song’, ‘Hip Hip Hooray’ and ‘Leavers’ Song’.

It was another outstanding afternoon of music and song. Our enormous 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’s U9 Girls travelled to Stafford Preparatory School on Thursday 26 April to play in the rearranged Independent Schools Association (ISA) Regional Midlands Netball Final. The snow had stopped play on the original date of 15 March.

Playing in the tournament were teams from some of the top schools across the region including Old Vicarage School, Stafford Preparatory School A and B, Mylnhurst Preparatory School and Salterford House School.

The girls played superbly, they were focused and accurate in putting the skills learnt in training into practice. As a result they won all of their matches and scored the highest number of goals in the tournament, finishing in first place and worthy winners of the ISA Regional Midlands Champions title.

The Crescent match scores were: 4-0 Mylnhurst (Tournament winners on numerous occasions), 7-0 Stafford Prep B, 7-2 Salterford, 4-0 Stafford Prep A and 2-1 Old Vicarage.

Head of Girls’ Games, Rachel McCollin, had high hopes for the team and she was not disappointed, “What a great way to end the netball season. This victory was truly deserved, the girls have shown fantastic commitment and dedication to netball, attending every training session throughout the year whether at lunch-time or after school.”

Well done girls we are incredibly proud of you.

Crescent School won the Warwickshire Lord’s Taverners U11 Hardball County Cup and went on to represent the County in the Midlands regional finals.

The County competition was played as an 8-a-side pairs format and was hosted by Bablake School on Wednesday 6 June. Participating were teams from Bablake School, Solihull School, The Blue Coat School and the Crescent School.

Crescent dispatched the hosts Bablake in the semi-final taking 6 wickets easily for 36, they then went into bat and notched up 83 for 3 for a good win. In the final they faced Solihull School, both teams played well and the match swung first one way and then the other but Crescent’s accurate bowling and fielding in the end won the day. Chris Gibson was excellent with the bat and scored many runs, Matthew Browne was precise with the ball and Daniel Pinks captained and kept wicket expertly. Daniel also claimed a breath-taking diving catch.

Head of PE, Matt Phillips, said, “The children have worked extremely hard at their cricket - a sport that has been growing in the school over the last few years - and they deserve the success they are achieving now. They always support each other and have made great progress with their cricketing skills.”

Pupils at the Crescent School have wholeheartedly embraced the Junior da Vinci programme this year.  Based on the Foundation's senior school's, Princethorpe College, da Vinci initiative it rewards pupils progress in learning. Over the school year the children have worked hard to achieve creativity, practice and mastery in their different school subjects. When they have received all three awards in an individual subject they are named as a Junior da Vinci student and a postcard is sent home to celebrate their achievement. The school also enjoys celebrating their success in assembly and in the school newsletter.

When the children achieve their first Junior da Vinci student award they are presented with a badge of honour. With its distinctive, three ring design the badge it is a fitting permanent record which can be worn proudly on their blazer lapels.  

Senior Teacher, Ms Lowe, commented, "The school is delighted with the success of the da Vinci programme. The children have enjoyed the challenges it presents and our new badges of honour are a deserving extra recognition of their achievement. I know there will be plenty awarded over the school year.”

The fiendish story of the Demon Headmaster was brought marvellously to life by Class VI in their final end of school production. Gillian Cross’ classic bewitched and intrigued the audience as the title character used his power of hypnosis to try and take over the world.

The children had worked incredibly hard with Drama teacher, Miss Kim Thompson to prepare this special one off monster performance and the talented cast rose admirably to the challenge. Performed for the first time 'in the round', with the audience on all sides, the children worked seamlessly together to manage the many scene and costume changes.

Head Boy Christopher Gibson was both stern and sinister in the role of the eponymous Headmaster, his piercing eyes hidden behind his dark glasses – removing them only to hypnotise his victims! Robyn Shaw played super sleuth Dinah, who senses something is wrong at school and together with Alex and Harvey (Alex Reynolds and Gabriel White) and their secret society SPLAT (the Society for the Protection of our Lives Against Them) set about solving the mystery.

The prefects, the voice of the Headmaster, delivered their lines in a disciplined and forbidding tone and the ensemble of school children controlled and co-ordinated every movement to give a very real effect of being hypnotised.

Isobelle Clements deserves a very special sporting mention for getting splatted twice after Miss Thomspon cast her in two roles that both fell foul of Barry and Larry’s custard pies.

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."

Thanks go to all the staff and parents who helped assist with the production.

On Thursday 21 June the Crescent School’s Reception Class had a very special visitor. Mrs Kathryn Wright, a Veterinary Nurse from Medivet The Vets in Kenilworth, and Mum to Crescent pupils Oliver and James, visited the children to talk about her job caring for animals.

During the Trinity term the children learnt all about ‘growing and changing’ and in the ‘role play’ area they created their own veterinary surgery. Mrs Wright had kindly provided some veterinary supplies and the children had very much enjoyed nursing their sick animals.

She began by talking to the children, she explained what a veterinary nurse is and told them all about the sorts of animals she looks after. She asked the children what different sorts of pets they had and then explained how vets help sick animals get better. The children were fascinated, they sat still, engaged and full of questions.

It was then time for a practical session. The children delightedly reached for their poorly 'toy' animals, old favourites missing an ear here and eye there that they had brought in from home and in turn each child had the chance to bandage their toy, to listen to their heartbeats through the stethoscope and to take their temperatures.

Reception Teacher, Claire Pullen, commented, "We are incredibly grateful to Mrs Wright for coming into school, visitors from the community are so valuable, they help put learning into context for the children and really enhance the curriculum. The children were so excited."

With just seven weeks to go the countdown to the College's Entrance Exams for admission in September 2019 has begun. This year the exams for Year 7 to 10 entry will take place on Saturday 10 November from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

The College's friendly Admissions Team has been kept busy over the summer accepting registrations from prospective parents. The deadline for registrations is ideally Friday 5 October, to enable the seeking of references from junior schools.

There are plenty of opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the College before the Entrance Exams, including the College's Open Morning on Thursday 27 September from 10.30am to 12.30pm, when pupil tour guides will be available to show visitors around the school.

Comments Melanie Butler, Assistant Head, Marketing, Admissions and Communications, "Parents and pupils still have plenty of time to prepare and opportunities to visit the College in the run up to the exams. The results will be out at the end of November, making for an exam-free Christmas holiday, which has got to be good news."

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

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.