The Minnacle Crackley Hall Spring 2026

Issue 38 | Spring 2026

Showcasing exceptional work by pupils at Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery

Welcome

…to Issue 38 of the Minnacle

As Crackley’s Minnacle editor, I have the privilege of reviewing the exceptional work taking place across our school.

Each time I see the breadth of tasks and the diverse areas of the curriculum covered, I am truly impressed by the practice, mastery, creativity and dedication demonstrated by our pupils. The Junior da Vinci criteria provide a wonderful platform for pupils to showcase their talents in a variety of ways and the high standards achieved, reflect the effort and commitment invested in these tasks.

Our Spring 2026 edition celebrates the remarkable range of talent within our school and highlights success both in the classroom and beyond.

Eva Cowlishaw

Junior da Vinci Lead

This stunning collaborative front cover artwork by Junior 1 takes inspiration from the iconic style of MC Escher.

It showcases an impressive use of vibrant colour and tessellation, reflecting both creativity and precision. The piece reflects both artistic flair and careful attention to detail, showcasing the pupils’ ability to work together to produce something truly eye-catching.

Nursery Rec

Eli from the Badgers created a Christmas bauble using found materials from Forest School.

With impressive focus during the finger gym activity, he maintained just the right tension on the wool, wrapping it tightly around the twig tree to create this superb piece.

This stunning piece by Luca from the Badgers captures the elegance of Conker rolls in rich, autumnal hues of bronze, copper and gold - a perfect tribute to the season.

Arthur applied his Maths knowledge to make a poster showing lots of different ways of making 10.

He included part-whole models, pictures, words, addition sentences and subtraction sentences.

Emmie wrote fabulous silly sentences that included ‘ch’, ‘sh’, ‘th’ and ‘ng’, as well as some of our latest tricky words!

Emmie listened to the sentence, held it in her head and then wrote it down. She has lovely finger spaces and has used full stops at the end of her sentences too!

In Junior 1, after learning about verbs and how to use them effectively, pupils explored vibrant vocabulary to describe the dynamic movements of fireworks.

Working collaboratively, the class selected a title for their poem and contributed the final line - all night long… Maya then went on to create this wonderful list poem independently.

Bella has demonstrated outstanding talent in both Design Technology and Art.

Her creation of a cave using Mod Roc was not only structurally impressive but also artistically remarkable. With great care and thoughtful attention to detail, she transformed the interior into a stunning representation of Stone Age cave art. Each drawing is beautifully executed - clear, expressive and evocative of artwork from thousands of years ago - showcasing Bella’s deep understanding of historical art forms and her exceptional creative skill.

Yubo is a master of subtraction! Not only can Yubo subtract mentally using his knowledge of number bonds and place value, but he has also mastered efficient column subtraction of 2-digit numbers - including exchanging from the tens.

Yubo has used this knowledge to solve problems involving missing digits and to check his answers using an inverse operation.

Rupert produced an exciting and imaginative piece of independent writing, telling the thrilling story of a fearless dragon hunter who discovers a dragon concealed within a trap.

Rupert’s writing is a fantastic example of how pupils can bring their ideas to life through descriptive language and storytelling.

J3

J3

Ralph has embraced creative writing with enthusiasm. He demonstrated impressive use of adjectives, similes and fronted adverbials to bring a mature and sophisticated style to his storytelling.

Anna, Harper, Ethan and Erin have demonstrated exceptional skill in their extended writing pieces, incorporating the elements learned in class to show true mastery.

As part of their Geography topic, Year 4 pupils studied volcanoes and their dramatic impact on the environment.

To bring their understanding to life, Ella and Aden each created an impressive diorama depicting a volcanic eruption.

Ella used a combination of recycled materials and tissue paper to represent the flow of lava cascading down the volcano. Aden took a different approach, using coloured sand and paint to show the aftermath of an eruption, complete with a tsunami.

Both projects demonstrate not only artistic skill but also a deep understanding of the processes and consequences of volcanic activity - a fantastic example of learning through creativity.

Orla, Eli and Marie produced exceptional work in RE.

They demonstrated a deep understanding of the significance of the Last Supper and the miracles of Jesus.

Alexis, Ashleigh, Harriet and Sloane have been working hard on different writing techniques this term.

Using the topic of Mexico, these pieces exemplify outstanding descriptive writing, skilfully employing complex sentence structures and persuasive techniques to inspire readers to consider a holiday in Mexico.

Edward created this wonderful acrostic poem in History about the Christmas Truce, carefully selecting vocabulary to convey the profound and momentous nature of this historic event.

Ashleigh Alexis Harriet Sloane

Remy created a striking representation of an Advent candle using wax pastels. He thoughtfully employed a restrained colour palette to convey the candle’s simplicity and its symbolic light in the

Zac’s artwork depicting the sinking of the Titanic.

He featured a striking composition, with the ship overlaid as it slips dramatically between the sea and sky.

The J3 Sewing Club were hard at work last term, crafting a delightful collection of Christmas decorations.

Tianna, Autumn and Wilson each created stunning examples of every design, and we’re certain they looked beautiful adorning their Christmas trees.

Challenge Calendar Sewing Club Tianna Autumn Wilson

This year, we have been using a half termly themed Challenge Calendar to inspire pupils outside of the normal curriculum.

The theme has been dictated by our sustainability focus as well as the seasons and liturgical year. The following pupils all made outstanding responses to the calendar.

In the first part of the academic year, our theme focused on the beauty of autumn and the importance of caring for our local environment, including ways we can support and

These projects not only showcased creativity and resourcefulness but also reinforced our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship within the school community.