Equestrian Success for Cundall Manor Team
Earlier this month, Cundall Manor Equestrian team had a successful and hugely enjoyable outing in their first competition this season. It was a technical, challenging and long course over 18 fences in an outdoor arena. The teams entered in the Show Jumping with Style classes over 75cms and 85cms. The course was a combination of show jumping and cross-country fences, testing the rider to go clear and to change style accordingly. It was great fun to compete in a large field and particularly against our friends and local rivals. We are delighted with a strong performance that resulted in Cundall Manor team coming 2nd in the 75cms class therefore qualifying for the National Championships to be held in October at Addington Manor, Buckinghamshire. Well done to the team – Kate S, Oliver K, Jemima T and Amelia B. A fantastic achievement! Well done to all our team members Connie P, Josie S, Olivia S and Jemima K. A special thank you to all parents for their efforts on Easter Sunday. Our next team event is on Sunday 14th May at Northallerton Equestrian Centre. If you would like to join a team, please email Lucy Sanderson or Siona Tomlinson. Email addresses available from the school office. We would be delighted to hear from you.
Year 7 Open Evening at Cundall Manor School
North Yorkshire parents are invited to consider how an independent education may benefit their child at a brand new Year 7 Information and Open Evening. Cundall will host its first dedicated Year 7 Information and Open Evening for parents wanting to find out more about the sector. The event will take place onThursday 4 Mayfrom5.30pm – 7.30pmat the school. Parents are being encouraged to find out more about the independent school sector and how small class sizes, a robust curriculum and extraordinary pastoral care could help their child succeed. Senior members of staff will be on hand to chat with parents while pupils will be available to show visitors around the Upper School. John Sample, Headmaster at Cundall Manor School, said: “Our Year 7 Information and Open Evening is a great opportunity for parents to come along and informally discuss the prospect of how an independent education may benefit their child.” “Our latest development in the Upper School showcases our commitment to providing the best possible learning environment for our children, giving them a great start to an important time in their education.” Places are limited so parents are being encouraged to book ahead. Please visit www.cundallmanorschool.com/contact-us/to reserve your place.
An evening of Entertainment ‘Under the Stars’ at the Cundall Ball
Tickets for the highly anticipated Cundall Ball are now on sale, with demand expected to be high for the annual celebration. This year, members of the Cundall community near and far, are being invited to join the Cundall Ball Committee ‘Under The Stars’ for a night of entertainment, fun and fine dining. The annual ball will take place on Saturday 24 June at the school with tickets on sale from the school or online. The event follows on from last year’s success and the committee are determined to make it even bigger and better. Chair of the Committee, Rachel Powell, said: “The Cundall Summer Ball is a magnificent event and a fantastic party bringing together the whole of the Cundall community; Parents, Teachers and Governors in celebration of another amazing year and all that is ‘Cundall’.” To find out more about the Ball or to reserve you place, visit the school website atwww.cundallmanorschool.com/events-home/or call 01423 360 200.
Pupil Celebrates Writing Success
A primary school pupil from Cundall Manor School is celebrating after receiving an award as part of a national Young Writers competition. Sasha entered the ‘Once Upon a Dream’ Young Writers competition for 7 -11 year olds, and claimed the accolade of best poem in the book with her entry ‘What Happens at Night.’ Four other poems from the school were chosen for publication. North Yorkshire pupils, Nancy, Juliet, Sasha, Violet and Josie all had their work published as part of The Young Writers competition. This year the competition is celebrating its 25th year. The competition received over 25,000 entries from across the country. The theme ‘Once Upon a Dream’ captured the imaginations of the youngsters at Cundall Manor School with poems ranging from real-life aspirations to wild and vivid dreams. Lesley Ratcliffe helped bring the competition to life for the children. She said: “Our pupils really enjoy exercising their imaginations and the Young Writers format is a great way for our younger pupils to engage with writing and poetry in particular.” She added: “The theme really gave our pupils the chance to use their imaginations in a creative way and the outcome is some wonderful poetry, deep with vivid descriptions and meaning.” The publication ‘Once Upon a Dream – North Yorkshire’ was released earlier this spring. The book follows hot on the heels of the school being nominated for the Independent Schools Association National Award for Excellence and Innovation in Provision for a Junior School.
A Performance Fit for a King
Form Five treated us to a sterling production of Kjartan Poskitt’s “Henry The Tudor Dude” based on the life of Henry VIII. It is certainly an amusing take on the dramatic events that engulf this infamous English Monarch who romps his way through life building navies, discarding wives, breaking away from the Church of Rome and waging war on the French. Many of the notable historic characters are presented as caricatures and so there is plenty of opportunity for fun in this production. A collegiate effort would be an understatement as with a cast of 38 everyone has at least three roles to play and there is a swift rotation of sanctimonious TV presenters who narrate the events directly to the audience. It is hard to mention all the performances as everyone in the company did so well. However, I must mention my young Henry, Will, my slightly older Henry, Thomas and my fat, bald and diseased Henry, Hugh, who gave fantastic performances, really mastering the joys and angers of this testy King. There were strong supporting roles given by Emily as Wolsey, William as Cranmer, Ellie as Cromwell, Finn as More and, of course, the side-kick executioners and warders Luke, Joshua, Fraser, George and Matthew.
Work Begins on New Classrooms
Work has begun on four new classrooms following a ground-breaking ceremony which officially opened the site. The school has started the first stage of a 10-year development programme following last week’s (Friday 31 March) site opening by the school’s governors, Head Teachers and development partners. Working with land, property and business consultancy George F. White, who are project managing Cundall Manor’s development from conception to completion, the single storey extension to the Upper School will accommodate four new state-of-the-art classrooms. Talking about the project, Hunter Hardy, Head of the Architectural Team at George F. White, said: “Our planning and architectural teams joined forces to gain planning consent from the local council on behalf of Cundall Manor so that it could expand and complete the first phase of its long-term development plan. We appointed contractor Tom Willoughby to build, who is following our strategic direction and design concept for the classrooms, constructing exactly what the school desires.” The classrooms will be home to the flourishing English and Drama departments. Sir Thomas Ingilby, Chair of Governors, said: ‘Planning such an ambitious development project for a school brings with it a number of responsibilities: every building has to be located with consideration and foresight, functional, sensitively designed, pleasing to the eye – and affordable. The architectural and planning teams at George F. White have embraced all of these concepts, and future generations of Cundall Manor pupils will benefit from a first-class education in these new state-of-the-art classrooms.’ Representatives from across the build were on hand at the official opening of the site.
Trebuchet Challenge a Smashing Success
In traditional Cundall manner, we have taken a very unique approach to celebrating the end of term – by asking our pupils to create a trebuchet and compete to see who can propel an egg the furthest. The annual competition saw nearly a dozen entries from across the school. With the help of parents, pupils constructed a number of innovative and varying designs with varying degrees of success. This year’s winners were the Throup family who ‘smashed’ their personal best, propelling the egg the length of the course. Marketing Manager, Paul Swalwell, said: “The competition is a quirky and fun way to end term.” “The variety of entries this year proved just how popular this is with our pupils and to see how much effort goes into each design is amazing. Judging from the success of this year’s winner, I think we may need to find a bigger course for next year’s event.”
Easter Egg Competition Proves A Real Treat
Pupils in Pre-Prep at Cundall Manor School have been displaying their art skills as they competed in the annual Painted Easter Egg Competition. Children as young as two from the school’s Pre-Prep showed off their creative works to a team of judges and their friends at assembly today with some stunning displays which included a host of innovative designs and beautiful artwork. Marketing Manager, Paul Swalwell, helped judge the competition. He said: “The entries were fantastic! Thank you so much to children and parents for making us smile so much with their humour and creativity.” The top two entries both had a Roald Dahl theme with first place going to Oliver for his wonderful ‘Charlie and The Chocolate Factory’ inspired creation. A very close second place belonged to Holly with her fabulous ‘James and the Giant Peach’ entry. Well done to everyone for their brilliant efforts.
Thornton take on Staff in Hockey Match
The annual Thornton v Cundall staff hockey match returned to the school last night (Thursday 28 March) as Thornton put in a sterling performance against a strong staff side. The team of Y11 pupils narrowly came up short against the staff team, losing 2-1 in an enjoyable and competitive game. The staff team drew first blood going into half time 1-0 up following a quick breakaway. A good second half saw the staff extend their lead to two before the year 11 pupils brought it back to 2-1 following a well-rehearsed penalty corner. Well done to all our Thornton pupils for playing the game with such humour and sportsmanship.
Flower Masterclass for Mother’s Day
A masterclass in flower arranging helped prepare Form 4 pupils for Mother’s Day thanks to a leading florist. Susie Hart from Yorkshire based event and wedding florists, Hart Company, visited Mr Bayne’s Form 4 class to give some pupils a special lesson in flower arranging. Pupils were then allowed to take home their masterpiece in time for Mother’s Day. Head of Forms 1 – 4, Mr Bayne said: “A huge thank you to Mrs Hart for coming in and leading such a fun and timely lesson. The children were great and they really embraced the experience.” Susie added: “The pupils were so enthusiastic. They listened well and created an impressive series of designs, each one unique and personal to the designer.” “They were so inquisitive and positive about trying something new, which I was really impressed with. It was a pleasure to teach them and their manners, as ever, were perfect.” Mrs Hart from the Hart Company helped Form 4 pupils prepare for Mother’s Day.