The Courier

Congratulations to all our Year 6 pupils who, back in March, had their secondary school places confirmed. Once again pupils will be moving on to a range of outstanding local independent and state schools. 

Nine of the 23-strong class will be moving to the Foundation’s senior school, Princethorpe College, while five children have chosen the local grammar schools. We also have pupils going to a number of other independent schools. We are especially delighted that 12 of our Year 6 pupils have been awarded scholarships this year, including all-rounder, academic, art, sports, music and drama awards.

Sarah Webb, Assistant Head and Year 6 Teacher, said, “It’s lovely to see the children enjoying such success. Our aim is always to do our best to help our pupils reach the destination secondary school of their choice and we are particularly pleased with the range of scholarship offers this group has received. It’s an excellent outcome and everyone here is thrilled for them.”

Congratulations to all the children on their achievements – Crescent School is really proud of you all.

Crescent School gave a warm welcome to the Leavers of 2023 when they returned to their old primary school to take part in the annual Past Pupil Sports Matches on Tuesday 16 April. Many have stayed within the Foundation, and now attend Princethorpe College, but a number have moved on to other schools.

It was lovely to see all their familiar faces and to welcome them and their parents back into school. It was even better to catch up with their news while enjoying tea and cakes. First on the agenda was a tour of the school and then it was off to the field and courts respectively, ready to face Crescent’s teams.

The matches were great fun to watch, full of great sporting spirit, and fast paced with plenty of shots on goal. Midway through the netball teams swapped over to ensure everyone had a chance to play. Sport is such a huge part of life here at Crescent, and it was wonderful to see the camaraderie of all the pupils.

This year the results in the Football were 4-3 to Crescent Year 6, with a super performance from everyone, including Sam and Roisin who filled in as honorary 7s. Then in the Netball the Year 7s resoundingly came out on top beating the Year 6s 11-2 with fantastic shooting from Mya and Grace from last year's National Final team. What matters most though, is that great fun was had by all.

We always like hearing from past pupils and encourage everyone within the Crescent community to stay in touch with the school. The Foundation has an active alumni community, past parents are welcome to join, as are past pupils once they have finished their secondary education. You can find out more here: https://connect.princethorpe.co.uk/

There is also the Old Crescentians facebook group (again for over 18s) https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldcrescentians/

Mr Thackway, Mrs Yates and her son, former Crescent Head Boy, Joe, along with a number of parents from the wider Crescent community, will be joining Tina and Chris Williams on Sunday 5 May when they take on the Great Birmingham Run.

They will be running in memory of Barnaby and are raising money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity’s Neuro-Oncology Research Fund. The fund supports the research imaging in which Birmingham Children’s Hospital is a world leader. This includes studies on Medulloblastoma, including developing new tests for more rapid diagnosis and subtyping that will aid the earlier diagnosis of the condition.

If you would like to support Tina, Chris and the Crescent community in their 10km challenge for Barnaby you can find out more and donate here:

ajbellgreatbirminghamrun2024.enthuse.com 

Crescent School has just received the results of the latest set of The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music examinations and is pleased to announce that pupils have achieved a 100% pass rate.

Director of Music, Julie Barnes, is delighted and said, “Congratulations to all the children who took music exams last term. They were all amazing and their success in their examinations is a testament to their hard work.”

17 children sat the exams, from Prep Test up to Grade 5, on the Piano, Trumpet, Recorder, Cornet, Violin, Guitar, Baritone and in Singing. Ten children were awarded a Merit and special mention should go to Edward M and Matthew who have both now reached Grade 5 standard on the Baritone and Descant Recorder respectively.

Mrs Barnes continued, “Thank you for all the support parents gave at home encouraging the children to keep on practising.”

A huge well done to all the children involved!

Mrs O'Connell and Mrs Beecham along with Grace and Patrick have been very busy filling and planting a new pollinator bed. Mr Knowles constructed the bed and the parents have planted a lovely array of seeds and plants to grow which should attract bees and butterflies and other insects. The Green Team on a Tuesday lunch will be watering and caring for the bed.   

Mrs Beecham has sent in some lovely photos of Grace and Patrick helping.

Did you know?

We are constantly seeking ways to make a meaningful impact - not just within the walls of our classrooms but beyond. It is with great pride that we share an often-overlooked aspect of our institution: our status as a registered charity (1087124). This designation is not just a bureaucratic label; it is a gateway to extensive philanthropic opportunities that cater to the diverse interests and passions of our community.

The Princethorpe Foundation and our schools are uniquely positioned to act as a conduit for charitable efforts across a spectrum of causes. Whether it's advancing educational opportunities, preserving cultural heritage, promoting religious understanding, or supporting environmental stewardship, the possibilities are as vast as the imagination and goodwill of our community members.

A Platform for Diverse Philanthropic Activities

Every contribution we receive can be directed towards initiatives that resonate deeply with donors’ values. This model of giving ensures that our community can support a broad array of projects, making philanthropy highly personal and immediately impactful. Here are just a few ways that donations are helping:

• Access to Education: Our bursaries are directly impacting the lives of young people and their families, who excel academically, but could otherwise not afford a Princethorpe Education.
• Cultural Preservation: Support to maintain and celebrate our historic priory buildings.
• Sports and the Arts: Activities that nurture pupils' physical and creative growth and the facilities they use.
• Agricultural Education: Initiatives that promote farming practices and enhance pupils' understanding of agriculture’s critical role in our ecosystem and economy.

These examples only scratch the surface of what we can achieve together. Our charitable framework allows us to funnel support where it is most needed or most desired, turning the generous contributions of today into the lasting benefits of tomorrow.

Engage, Contribute, and Impact

We invite every member of our community to engage with us in this journey of philanthropy. Think about what causes you are passionate about. How can your contributions, big or small, play a role in advancing these causes? We are here to facilitate this process, to make sure that your giving is as rewarding as it is effective.

If you have ideas, projects, or specific causes you would like to support, please reach out. We are eager to discuss how we can work together to harness the power of our community for the greater good. Your involvement is crucial to our success and vital in shaping the philanthropic landscape of our community.

Through your support, we can continue to expand the boundaries of what we can achieve as a collective. Let’s continue to inspire change and make a significant impact on the world around us. Together, we can build a legacy of community, care, and change that will resonate for generations to come.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our collective future. Let us harness our efforts to not only educate but to enrich our world in myriad ways.

For more information or to make a donation, please contact Steve Kowal, our Development Director at makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk

Together, we can do so much. Let's make it possible.

We are delighted to share the news that thanks to the generosity of the OurJay Foundation who kindly donated the cabinet, Crescent School now has a publicly accessible defibrillator mounted outside the front of the school. That means our school defibrillator is now available outside of school hours for the local Bilton community to use. Please do share this news with your friends and neighbours in Bilton.

We are also pleased to share that the school has chosen the Our Jay Foundation as the charity we will fundraise for in the 2024 Michaelmas Term. We are proud to support the amazing work of this local Rugby charity.

Olive Catering and Year 2 pupils are working on a joint project to plant and grow herb seeds. Olive Catering have kindly purchased a small greenhouse, seeds and soils and the pupils have been busy planting. Year 5 assisted with the construction of the greenhouse. The herbs will be used in the recipes for school lunches.