Christmas Newsletter, December 2011

Dear Parents

We enjoyed celebrating successes of 2010/2011 at our Speech Day in October, at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool. The Autumn Term was full of events, which were enjoyed by all departments. Thanks go to all the staff for their hard work in all areas of school life.

The annual ski-trip to Claviere is under way ~ all have arrived safely at the time of writing and there have been no mishaps, just a delay in leaving Manchester Airport due to the snow! Thanks are due to Mr Bryning and all the staff who give up their time to make the trip possible, especially as this year it meant their missing end of term staff meeting on the Friday after term finishes for the children – and missing the staff Christmas party!

We have also enjoyed charity activities this term, raising a total of £2,491.72 for Willowbrook Hospice, Just Care and Help for Heroes. Thank you all so much for your support, which is very much appreciated.

The exciting new venture of the term is the setting up of Tower Tots nursery for three month olds to three year olds in Manor Croft, the house in the corner of our playing fields. Work is going on apace, and we hope to be on schedule to open in early March. Seventeen families have registered an interest in their babies joining us, and staff will be appointed after interviews in January. The hours will be 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday for 50 weeks of the year for a total of 27 children. They will not have to wear blue or maroon babygros!! The charges will be £35 per day and £20 for a half day. More information will be on the website in due course.

We would like to increase pupil numbers in some classes which are smaller than the twenty which is an ideal number (our average class size is currently 17) and it was suggested at a recent Governors’ meeting that parents who introduce a new family to the school (with at least one child staying at least one term) will receive a voucher for free uniform for three years, for one of their children.

I know that some parents are feeling the pinch of the economic times, and I am sorry to have to inform you that, with effect from the Summer Term 2012, the tuition fees will increase by 4% to £1,738 per term for Pre-Prep and Prep school children and £2,044 per term for Senior children. The 3 and 4 year olds will continue to receive the Early Years reduction of £528 per relevant term. We do try not to have large increases, but school running costs do not stay still, unfortunately. One of our purchases has been a snow plough, which will doubtless ensure that no snow falls in term time from now on!

I would like to let you know of a History trip for pupils of Years 9,10 and 11 from Tuesday 7th February to Thursday 9th February in London, visiting the Houses of Parliament (which is why it has to be term-time!) and the Natural History Museum as well as a theatre trip and sightseeing. We do need to know numbers quite quickly on our return to school, so please respond promptly to the letter that will be sent out.

You will also find the Events List for the forthcoming terms. We look forward to seeing you at each of them, in due course.

All that remains is to wish you a peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Yours sincerely,

R J Oxley(Miss)
Principal