It has been wonderful to welcome everybody back for the beginning of the year and to see just how quickly the pupils have adopted the norms of last term after the break. I was so grateful, also, to the staff who took a ski trip over the break and to hear the praise members of the public gave about how the older students conducted themselves.
Parents in Pre-Prep had the opportunity over breakfast to meet the new Head, Caroline Townshend. Parents gave her a very warm, friendly welcome. Mrs Townshend, who starts in the Summer term is coming in for a number of days to meet you, to chat to staff and to become even more familiar with the school.
Parents who are interested in this sort of thing may like to know that we start this term with the highest number of pupils ever and the highest percentage of girls at 44%. We are determined to keep our class sizes small at a maximum of 20 and this will be the case for Year 7, where we have experienced a great deal of interest.
Finances have, of course, been on everybody’s minds. Thank you to all parents who returned the data which will help us navigate these choppy waters for you. As mentioned before, we experience the same issues that parents experience, but on a much, much larger scale. Hence our heating bill has, for example, risen far more than the price of the biggest houses around! To help with this and to protect parents from these costs so that they have certainty, we undertook a rigorous review of where we spend money and have put in place a salami slicing approach, which has no effect on the children’s education. And so, for example, we have looked at match teas which for a school that has many matches are very costly and we are trying to make sensible changes.
Wishing you a happy term.
Ready, Steady, Run!
Calling all runners or walkers to join the Crosfields School team at this year’s Green Park Challenge. A 3km race around Green Park with a spectacular finish inside the Reading Football Stadium. Previously, we held a record of 91 Crosfields runners. Is this the year we have over 100?!
All finishers receive a medal and a goody bag. After the race, prizes are awarded to the top three performing girls and boys from any individual school in categories of under 7,9,11,15 and 17, please make sure you select 'Crosfields School' when you enter the race.
Please see the attached flyer for a discount code for entry and details of the t-shirt competition.
If you have any questions, please contact me hereor Mr Andrew Mant here.
Mrs Charlotte Bennett, Year 2 Teacher
New Parents' Evening Announcement
This half term we will host separate online parents’ evenings across the school. These appointments need to be booked online and will take place virtually (with the exception of Nursery, which is face-to-face). All appointments must be booked via SchoolCloud, our online platform.
Junior School
Nursery: 1st and 6th February (appointments go live from midday on 25th January)
Year 5: 19th and 24th January (appointments are live from 9th January)
Senior School
Year 9: 18th and 23rd January (appointments are live from 11th January)
Parents are invited to choose a time slot with their child’s individual subject teachers and a confirmation email of your appointments will be sent once you have booked them.
The booking system opens at midday on the dates indicated above. Should you have any problems, or wish to make any changes to your bookings, please contact parentsevening@crosfields.com
As Year 5 have started learning about periods within their PSHE lessons, I can think of no better time to introduce my new initiative, The Crosfields Period Buddy Scheme. As the Junior School Nurse, pastoral care is my top priority. As a young woman, starting your period can be a daunting time, especially if it happens in school. The Period Buddy Scheme is designed to get people talking about periods. The handbook covers where and what sanitary products are available, taking part in swimming and PE, emotions, pain relief and much more.
Please click here to read the brochure and feel free to contact me here if you have any questions!
Nurse Beth
Car Park Safety
We would like to remind all drivers to observe the rules of the school car park and remain extra vigilant for pedestrians and cyclists.
Please remember to:
• Stop at the marked pedestrian crossings in order to allow pedestrians to cross safely
• Do Not park on a marked pedestrian crossing
• Stick to the maximum speed limit of 5mph whilst driving in the car park
• Check your mirrors before opening car doors to double-check for on-coming pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles
We understand that the temporary road works impact the traffic flow in the local area and this may lead to you running late and coming to school in a rush, but safety is always our biggest priority and we ask all drivers to help us create a safer environment by observing the rules.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Mr James Sadler, Assistant Bursar
School Shop is Back!
The school shop has reopened its doors on Wednesdays, 15:30 – 16:30.
We have a large stock of Junior School tracksuit tops, tracksuit bottoms and hoodies that are on sale throughout January for £10 per item or less.
The second-hand uniforms sold in our shop delivers great value for money compared with purchasing new. This helps improve our sustainability by recycling uniforms with plenty of wear left.
If you are unable to make the school shop opening times, but would like to order something, you can do so by emailing us here.
Mr James Sadler, Assistant Bursar
Junior School includes Nursery to Year 6 and Senior School includes Years 7 to 10.
