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.

Thursday 27 September 2018 - 10.30am - 12.30pm

Princethorpe College, is holding an Open Morning on Thursday 27 September from 10.30am to 12.30pm. This is a normal school working day and an excellent opportunity for Year 6 children and their parents to visit the College prior to Entrance Examinations Day on Saturday 10 November.  Pupil tour guides will be available to show visitors around the school. 

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

Saturday 29 September 2018 - 2.00pm - 4.00pm

2018 is a big year for Crescent School, not only will we celebrate our 70th birthday but also the 30th anniversary since we moved to our Bawnmore Road home.

To mark our Platinum Anniversary and celebrate our rich history, Crescent School is holding a series of events over the Michaelmas Term. 

Our first public even, an Open House, will take place on Saturday 29 September, from 2.00pm to 4.00pm when we will open our doors and welcome the local community, pupils past and present and prospective families into school to celebrate our double anniversary.

The Bilton Brass band will be playing from 2.00pm - 2.45pm and Crescent's Choir will sing from 3.00pm for 30 minutes.

The classrooms and corridors will be open for everyone to see the work of our present children and displays of memories from the past.

There will be refreshments available and family games for you to enjoy on the field. Please do come along and help us celebrate.

Friday 5 October 2018 - 10.00am to 3.00pm

The Crescent School, the Foundation's junior school for 4 to 11 year olds in Bilton, Rugby, is opening its doors for an Open Day on Friday 5 October from 10.00am - 3.00pm.

This is an opportunity to look around the school on a normal working day, to meet the school's Headmaster, Joe Thackway and see the improvements that have been made to the facilities over the summer. All are welcome, no need to book.

The Crescent is also holding a Reception Open Evening on Tuesday 20 November between 7.00pm and 8.00pm, which will give parents an insight into the Early Years at Crescent and the firm foundation the school gives children for their future learning. Pathfinders, the on-site partner nursery, which has been rated ‘outstanding’ by OFSTED, will also be open on the evening should parents wish to visit.

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 and come on a day to suit you, we welcome visitors on most days.

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

Entrance Examinations for Year 7 to 10 entry to Princethorpe College in September 2019 will take place on Saturday 10 November 2018 from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

For more information on Entrance Examinations click here.

Those wishing to register for Entrance Examinations should do so as soon as possible to facilitate the gathering of references from primary schools.

Registrations forms are available in our prospectus packs or you can download a registration form here.

The Old Crescentians have two more events lined up this term linked to the Platinum Anniversary celebrations:

OCs Inaugural Pub Meet – The Merchants Inn – Friday 23 November from 6.30pm 

A pub famed for its collection of real-ale and love of rugby, The Merchants Inn is nestled on Little Church Street in the heart of Rugby town centre. A great chance to get together in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere – all are welcome including partners/friends.

and

Crescent Platinum Anniversary Carol Service – The Temple Speech Rooms, Rugby School – Monday 17 December, 6.30pm

Going back to our roots, we are delighted to be holding a special Platinum Anniversary Carol Service at Rugby School in the Temple Speech Rooms close to our original Horton Crescent home. The perfect way to round off the Michaelmas term, the wider Crescent community is welcome to join us for a mince pie or two and some wonderful performances by current Crescent pupils. 

We have created a Facebook Group, Old Crescentians, which can be found here: www.facebook.com/groups/oldcrescentians to help connect past pupils. If there are any past pupils who do not have Facebook, they can email pastpupils@crescentschool.co.uk or contact the main office on 01788 521595.

Sunday 2 December 2018 2.00pm-4.30pm

The Princethorpe College annual Christmas Fayre takes place on Sunday 2 December 2.00pm – 4.30pm.  It is a great opportunity to come and experience the magic of Princethorpe as well as stocking up on the perfect gift for that special someone.

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

All are most welcome!

We have great pleasure in unveiling the OPs' events calendar for the forthcoming academic year. By popular demand this year the programme of events has expanded to include more former parents events and the reintroduction of the Princethorpe Open at Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Club, which will be open to OPs, current and former parents, staff and friends of the College.

The popular London and Leamington meets return with a spring pub meet in Leamington at the Royal Pug on Friday 1 March and an early summer gathering in London 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. Click here to download the calendar or visit the Old Princethorpians section at www.princethorpe.co.uk for more information on Old Princethorpians.

We’re accepting registrations for places in Reception and Year 3 for 2019 now. Limited places are also available for admission in other years. 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.

Most of our pupils enter at Reception and at Year 3, 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 

Early Bird applicants

Siblings of Crescent pupils, those attending Pathfinders Nursery, and any external candidates with a strong interest in a place in Reception, are able to apply early and take advantage of a priority application process. The deadline for taking advantage of this priority arrangement is Monday 26 November 2018. 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, and subject to availability and a satisfactory visit offer letters will be sent out first class on Friday 14 December 2018 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 Monday 7 January 2019.

On-time applicants

Applicants interested in a place in Reception following similar timescales to the state application process, need to register by the deadline of Monday 4 February 2019; once we have received your completed Registration Form and accompanying fee of £50 (non-returnable) your child will be visited in their nursery setting by one of the Early Years Team. Subject to availability and a satisfactory visit, offer letters to applicants will be sent out first class on Friday 8 March 2019 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 Monday 29 April 2019.

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, or another member of the office staff. 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.

The Foundation's senior school Princethorpe College is now accepting registrations for September 2019 entry.

The Entrance Exams for 2019 will take place on Saturday 10 November 2018. please register by Friday 5 October.  There are plenty of opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the College before then, including the College's Open Morning on Thursday 27 September 2018.

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. For siblings of Crescent pupils, those attending Pathfinders Nursery, our on-site partner nursery, 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. The deadline for taking advantage of this priority arrangement is Monday 26 November 2018. Otherwise the deadline for Reception 2019 entry is Monday 4 February 2019. 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.  

For Reception applicants, early bird offer letters are sent out at the start of December, whilst for those parents applying by the later 'on time' deadline, which follows the timings of the state system, the offer date is Friday 8 March 2019.

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.

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.

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, Yoga, Games, Relax Kids, Drama, Choir, Flute, Brass, Orchestra, Science, Cookery, Programming, Lego, Magic Maths, First Aid, 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.

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.

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 more participation from the pupils.

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