The Council of Management of Abbotsford School and the Trustees of Crackley Hall have made an exciting announcement that the two schools will be brought together from September 2010 to provide the very best in primary education in Kenilworth. The school, which will welcome boys and girls from 2 to 11, will continue to be known as Crackley Hall and will operate from the existing Coventry Road campus.

Warwickshire Catholic Independent Schools Foundation’s Chair of Trustees, Mrs Mary O’ Farrell, said “The decision to create a new school from Abbotsford and Crackley Hall has not been taken without careful thought and governors prize what they believe has made each school special. As we separately considered the best way of moving our schools forward, we came with growing certainty to the view that we would be stronger together than apart. This merger will strengthen the Foundation and allow considerable development at Crackley."

Paul Ryan, who took up office in September 2008, will continue to lead Crackley Hall and Abbotsford’s head, Dominic Cook, will play a key role as Integration Head overseeing a smooth transition.

Chair of Abbotsford’s Council of Management, Peter Rush, added “Abbotsford and Crackley Hall share a very similar ethos and are both well known for their high standards of teaching and outstanding pastoral care. By combining the values of the two schools, we believe that we can build something stronger than the sum of the parts: a new, broader and enriched school which cares for and challenges its pupils, offering a wider range of opportunities and preparing them even better for the future.”

Parents of children of both schools have been told the news and have been invited to meetings this Wednesday 16 June to hear about the benefits of the merger, which include major upgrading of facilities in science & technology and an increase in the range of competitive sports offered. Children from both schools will also have the opportunity to spend time together between now and September.

Head, Paul Ryan said “We are committed to making the transition as smooth as possible and have lots of fun events planned for the children over the course of the next few weeks.”

Click here to link to the Abbotsford School website.

Image shows from left to right: Dominic Cook, Head of Abbotsford; Mary O’Farrell, Chair of Trustees WCISF; Peter Rush, Chair of Council of Management Abbotsford and Paul Ryan, Head of Crackley Hall.