Dear Parents and Families
[Before I start, I’m at the end of a Ryanair air-con-induced head cold, so I blame any vagaries or rambling in this journal on overdoses of Lemsip and Covonia.]
New Revised Timetable
The new timetable for September, with its benefits of increased teaching hours and enrichment opportunities, has brought about some welcome discussion and a generally favourable acceptance. Those questions that have been asked - in regard to timings, after school activities, consultation processes etc. - have, I hope, been answered in these two important documents below, separated for convenience into Junior and Senior, which I ask you to read carefully.
Any Questions? Revised timetable for 2025 (Juniors)
Any Questions? Revised timetable for 2025 (Seniors)
I am aware of the changes requiring personal and familial retiming and adjustment and appreciate all efforts being made to enable this new efficient and cost effective adjustment.
I ask that you indicate your initial preferences for the Friday afternoon, using the form below, for each of your children seperately, so we can initiate planning as early as possible.
The Friday Afternoon (Current Reception-5)
The Friday Afternoon (Current Y6-10)
Ski Trip to La Molina, Spain
For many, taking a normal family ski trip is characterised with so many highs and lows (metaphorical and literal), with a great deal of stress and concern throughout. Enough for some to question whether it is a holiday at all.
So all those who have suggested that Mrs Storey, Mrs Atkinson, Mr Morris, Mr Low and myself were on a big holiday must themselves lead a trip escorting 40 children, including 25 Y7s, across Europe, high up in Andorra, and watch each child throw themselves with varying levels of control down steep snowy pistes, and experience our pupils’ emotional, mental and physical fatigue over six intense days (with an additional day in a busy Barcelona) before they should be so flippant!
My colleagues were magnificent, and pupils were, in the main, marvellous in their fortitude and resilience and behaviour. They all came back in one piece (another school I was speaking with had endured four broken arms and a double collar bone fracture amongst their pupils and one teacher!), albeit with whatever bugs and viruses were running through the plane fuselage.
Mrs Storey dedicates so much of her own time to meticulously arranging these trips for the enrichment and benefit of so many pupils. She shines very brightly indeed.
Cransley Speedworks Motorsport
Cransley Speedworks F1iS car
Much to our utter surprise and bewilderment, as our entry wasn't the fastest by any means, the small but mighty Y10 Cransley Speedworks team not only won the prestigious award for the Best Engineered Car, but came second in the ambitious Development class at the F1 in Schools Regional Finals last week, out of 14 highly competitive large schools across the North West, and are now automatically entered into the National Finals on the 26-27th March.
Work has now begun on a full rebrand, new business enterprise plan, new digital media (instagram.com/cransleyspeedworks/), full re-engineering of the car itself and a series of testing sessions on our new F1 in Schools track, which arrived on the day of the Regional final.
Cransley Vitesse F1iS car. Photos courtesy of M Davies (Y9)
Congratulations too to the sister Y9 entry-level team Cransley Vitesse, who are learning very quickly about how difficult this competition is, and are now fully supporting the Speedworks team, and watching their inheritance grow, as the older team learn and develop so rapidly.
My thanks to the wonderful Mrs Cosgrove who conceived and enabled our participation in the event and the superbly talented Mr Hassell for his extraordinary grasp of complex technical requirements, CAD and CFD software, manufacturing processes and somehow managing to teach this to the pupils so they are able to actually see their creations in extraordinary 3D graphic models… and then literally in the palm of their hands. (Each car is only 10 inches long. What did you expect?)
Thank you also to Rix Motors, PDS Eco and Legend Print Services who have contributed to the Motorsport project’s success, together with a partnership with the original local Speedworks BTCC Motorsports team.
Watch this space for the results later this month.
Spring Hoedown
I invite all Junior School pupils and parents to bring all the family to our inaugural traditional Spring Hoedown on the very last Friday of the term, 4th April. I see governors, headteachers, parents, grandparents, pupils, brothers, sisters, friends all do-si-do-ing our way through some bluegrass country tunes, with some great American food being rustled up by Chef Ed.
Book tickets now at ParentPay.
World Book Day
Mr Morris seems a little blue.
You know you have caught some horrible virus when you exit your Study to the sight of a looming 6 foot 4 bearded giant blue crayola pencil carrying a laptop.
Then you vaguely recall from the murky depths of your clouded memory that it is World book Day, and the hairy crayon is actually Mr Morris.
Indeed the sight of so many fabulous book character costumes was either an utter delight or a nightmarish headtrip, sufficient to make you check the ingredients in your herbal tea.
Congratulations to all children for keeping up their characters for the entire day, and to all you parents who worked the costumes so wonderfully. Senior School too next year? Mark the date and prepare, Senior School parents. I imagine it is very hard to get a costume from ASDA for a fifteen year old at 9.45pm on a Wednesday evening.
That’s it from me. More to share next week, but some recovery time is needed. A final thank you to Mrs Storey who asked with a straight face “Ah, you are not well, poor man. Is it all over your body… or is it just all in your head?” much to the hilarity of the office team. Thanks, Laura.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mr Pollock
Headteacher