The Courier

As part of our key aim to prepare our pupils as much as possible for the next stage in their educational journey, children in Years 4 and 5 receive weekly Thinking Skills lessons as part of their learning provision. This is delivered in a pressure-free, stress-free manner, with a real emphasis on fun puzzle solving and detective work, rather than keeping scores and meeting boundaries. We feel that this gives them the greatest possible chance to achieve their very best in transitioning to Secondary school, whether this be through the 11+, independent school entrance exams, or just in developing life-long transferrable skills.

Please see below for the key points:

• All pupils in Year 4 and Year 5 receive 30 mins Verbal Reason and 30 mins Non-Verbal Reasoning per week, hitting two out of the 3 key areas of most assessments (Maths covered by curriculum lessons, with an extra focus in NVR lessons on problem solving and application) 

• Small class sizes of 12 pupils for enhanced feedback and guidance

• Explicit and differentiated teaching tailored directly to the current Warwickshire 11+ GL exam, regularly updated with feedback from pupils who have recently sat the exams

• Key preparation for Warwickshire 11+ and Independent school entrance exams such as Princethorpe College

• Focus on key areas not covered in National Curriculum – such as pattern spotting, problem solving etc.

• Builds familiarity with expected question types from test

• Explicit teaching of exam technique such as time management, pace, double checking answers etc.

• Delivered by Mr Adkins and Ms Clark, two fully qualified teachers with experience in private 11+ tuition

• Pressure free with emphasis on fun puzzle solving and detective work

• Fully transferrable skills – problem solving, time management, checking answers, process of elimination, trial and error, exam technique etc.

• Includes full mock exam experience in hall at start of Year 6 prior to 11+ and Independent school entrance exams

Dear Year 5 and 6 Parents 

With only a week to go until your child's LAMDA exam, please make sure they are practising their pieces. The examiner will be looking for volume appropriate to space, clarity of diction, accurate recall, expression and understanding of their pieces.

For Entry Level and Grade One, the children will have a short conversation about the mood and content of each piece and will then be asked the meaning of four words taken from their poems - the examiner's choice. The children must explain the word, then use it in a sentence e.g. doleful means sorrowful, mournful, melancholy - extremely sad. For example; The doleful lady mourned her husband. 

For Grade 3, the children will have a conversation about two characters from their book, the mood and content of each piece and will need to explain the fundamental differences between verse and prose. This is all in their booklets and they can learn their answers in advance. 

Thank you for your continued support and 'break a leg' to all the pupils taking their exams. 

Kind regards

As we continue to celebrate the diversity of our school we are planning to arrange a World Culture Day plus workshops during the week of Monday 5 to Friday 9 February 2024. 

This is an open invite to all our families who may like to share their rich heritage from another nationality, religion or culture. Please respond via the attached form to show an interest in being part of this week.  

So, if you would like to come in and share a traditional story, deliver a cultural workshop on food, music, or art for example, or to share information on celebrations that your families take part in, please contact me:

samstapleton@crescentschool.co.uk

Thank you 

I know it seems a long way off, but just so that the date can be put on your calendars and in your diaries, the school's annual Open Morning is going to be held on Saturday 16 March between 10.00am and 12.00pm.

This will be a slightly different format to how we have done it in previous years, but some children will be required to attend to give prospective parents an insight into some of the great aspects of our school. 

Further details and information will be sent out nearer the time.