Mid-Year or Mid-Term Admissions
Whilst the majority of children join us in Reception, with many feeding through from our nursery, Little Crackers, we welcome pupils looking at entry to other years as space allows. The normal starting term is at the beginning of the academic year in September, though we understand that circumstances, such as relocation, may necessitate an earlier start date and Spring and Summer Term starts are both possible should an appropriate place be available for the candidate.
Applications for places in the current Reception to Junior 6 are treated on an individual basis as places are limited. In years where there is no place available, we operate waiting groups.
Please contact Jenny Vaughan, our Registrar, to discuss your child’s application and your circumstances. Please email admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk or call 01926 514410
Step 1 - Visit the School
As with all prospective pupils we encourage those interested in applying for a place to visit us before registering. There are a number of opportunities to visit every year, with Open Events each term which give a good flavour for school life, or we can arrange an Individual Tour on a normal working school day to suit you and your family. This typically include a meeting with the Headmaster, Rob Duigan, which is a key part of the admissions process.
Step 2 - Registration
Having visited and if a place in your chosen year group is available, we would ask you to complete an online registration form before we arrange a Taster Day for your child. 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. Once you have registered and your child’s taster day is arranged, we will also request a confidential reference from your child’s current school and a copy of your child’s most recent report.
Children need to be registered by the end of May at the latest in order for their application to be progressed for our Induction Morning in June.
Click here to Register your child
Step 3 - Taster Days
Whilst we do not have a formal entrance examination for Crackley Hall, we want to ensure that every child will fit into school life and engage with our stimulating and varied range of activities and our ethos. A key part of the admissions process therefore is the Taster Day, when the candidate would participate in a normal school day with the appropriate year group and meet the class teacher and fellow pupils. During the taster day, we ask children in Years 2 and above to sit papers in English and Maths, to help us gauge their level of knowledge and understanding. Younger children are informally assessed, through observations in their engagement with the day and interactions with the other children.
Step 4 - Offer of a place
Following the taster day, the Headmaster will meet colleagues to discuss your child’s application, the Taster Day and any assessments. If a suitable place is available you will receive an offer letter with a start date. Following your acceptance and deposit, you will receive a Joining Details Pack, containing full information on many aspects of school life. You will also be given access to My School Portal, an online system designed to streamline communications between the school and parents by bringing all information and services together.
We will then put you in touch with our Uniform Shop at Princethorpe College for an appointment, so they can be kitted out in time for their start date. The Uniform Shop is open in the holidays by appointment and after school on days of the week during term time.
Step 5 - Induction and Transition
Joining in September
Children joining us in September at the start of the academic year will be invited to join us for our Induction Morning in June, when, with the rest of their class, they will spend time with their new teacher in their new classroom. You will also receive an invitation to the PTA’s Summer Fête, an event full of fun activities for all the family and at the beginning of the Autumn Term there is a Welcome Evening for all new parents.
Information about new joiners is shared with all the staff so they can offer support as appropriate.
Joining Mid-Year or Term
New joiners would be buddied with a child from their class who will help them find their way around and answer any questions during their first few days. We typically find that children settle quickly in the friendly, welcoming environment here at Crackley Hall and soon make friends with their classmates and through the co-curricular clubs.
Their class teacher will of course support their transition, feeding back to you regularly and would be your first port of call if you have any queries or concerns.
For parents too, our friendly PTA organise a number of activities during the school year, including a regular coffee morning, and if you are able to spare some time, they welcome new volunteer helpers with open arms.
To download our online Prospectus Pack click here.
Curriculum in Brief
The average class size is 18 pupils. Where class sizes exceed this, we provide additional teaching support to maintain the same high standards and level of personal attention for each child.
A broad and balanced curriculum is taught. The curriculum is covered in three Key Stages: Foundation including Nursery and Reception; Key Stage 1, including Junior 1 and 2, and Key Stage 2, including Junior 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Initially, there is a great emphasis on the importance of developing key skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, numeracy and science. The curriculum is based on national guidelines and is enriched by a wide range of co-curricular activities, trips and residential courses outside school. Art, Design and Technology, French, Mandarin, Drama, PE and Games, Music, RE, Science and Forest School are mainly taught by subject specialists.
Preparation For Secondary School
The transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 is crucial. As part of the cross-phase coordination of Teaching and Learning, various key events occur throughout the academic year to prepare children for secondary school studies.
Specialist subject staff from Princethorpe College, the Foundation's senior school, craft and deliver engaging learning experiences to enrich Crackley pupils' skill sets. A cross-curricular approach ensures that teachers at Crackley can firmly embed these skills within the Key Stage 2 curriculum.
In preparation, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning are taught from Junior 3 to Junior 6. Exam Preparation is offered as an extra-curricular lunchtime club in Junior 5, with Exam Technique and Practice Papers starting in earnest in the Trinity term of Junior 5.