The Courier

Dear Parents,

I now know that a number of you do read my piece each week as quite a few people have come up to ask me about my son and his first week in university that I mentioned in our last newsletter. Well, the news is good, he seems to have been going out with his new flatmates and he has even ventured into town (Nottingham). At some point I am hoping he finds some time for studying as well, although that will come I am sure. As for us, it seems strange in the house with an empty bedroom and an extra place at the dinner table but we are already planning our first visit up to see him, assuming James can fit us into his now busy social schedule of course.

Earlier this week I ran an assembly on the theme of teamwork and it has formed a discussion point around the school over the following few days. We had two excellent flautists play for us in assembly and we heard about the good work of the different music groups in the school. The corridors have been resonating with the sound of our practising orchestra and choir as we prepare for next week's Harvest Service. Most of our sports teams are now underway with lots of fixtures and events still to look forward to. I also sat on my first Trustees meeting on Monday evening and talked to the wider Crescent/Princethorpe team about the start of term here and some ideas for the future. I know one thing that has been frustrating has been communication and the hand over to iSAMs, which will be the medium through which all future communications to you as parents will go. This is the new school management system and has a proven track record for excellence in a number of similar schools up and down the country. I apologise for any early issues this handover has caused but I am entirely confident that we will get this right soon. It is without doubt a priority for me.

In a busy and sometimes hectic work schedule we all need to make time for our families and pursuits. My youngest son had his twelfth birthday this week and with a bit of careful planning I was able to get back earlier from school that day and we went out together for a family meal. These occasions only come around once of course so I hope you will all be able to find some extra time to spend with your children this weekend. They have been working hard; they deserve it.

Kind regards

Joe Thackway