24th November 2021 — Spratton Hall are overjoyed to once again been recognised by The Cricketer magazine as one of the top 50 cricketing prep schools in the country.

All entries were judged against an extensive set of criteria, which included a compelling commitment to cricket in the curriculum, facilities, fixture programmes and coaching, and this year the judges also took into account how schools kept the game alive during the pandemic.

The coaching staff at Spratton put every effort into making summer 2021’s cricket season as ‘normal’ as possible. Following the DfE guidelines carefully, the children initially played competitive matches within their school year bubbles, before becoming one of the first schools to resume inter-school matches and welcome their supporters back to the boundaries. By the end of term, the School had played multiple fixtures, enjoyed a tour to Yorkshire, and several girls and boys had proudly taken up places in County teams.

With nine skilled cricket coaches and fantastic facilities, including 8 Astro Nets, 3 Grass Nets, 10 Grass Wickets, 6 Astro Wickets and an Indoor Sports’ Dome, Spratton Hall has a philosophy of ‘cricket for all’. Cricket has been the main summer sport for both boys and girls since 2018. The girls have enthusiastically taken to playing cricket and those that were happy to play hard ball cricket, took up places in the ‘Boys’ cricket teams to create a number of mixed teams from summer 2021.

Head Master Simon Clarke, is once again proud of the School’s inclusion: ‘It is a testament to our first-rate coaches and fantastic facilities, that cricket at Spratton has been such a success story this year, despite the earlier restrictions. Several girls and boys play for County teams and the School has played host to multiple teams, hosting up to 11 matches in a single day. We are looking forward to an exciting season next year!’

The Cricketer magazine editor Huw Turbervill sums up: “…I would like to place on record my thanks to all the teachers, coaches and volunteers who have worked so hard, in the most difficult of circumstances, to ensure the next generation are given opportunities to grow within, and love the game, that we cherish so deeply. “Congratulations to all of the schools included and we look forward to hearing about all of your future successes.”

15th April 2021 — Spratton Hall’s equestrian team were thrilled to be the only prep school to secure a place at this year’s prestigious Royal Windsor Horse Show. All four of their teams have also qualified for NSEA’s Hickstead Eventer Trial finals.

Four teams, and their dedicated parents braved the chilly conditions to travel to the April Hickstead Qualifier with a view to getting to the finals in May. It is a challenging event in normal circumstances with some tricky combinations, but was made even more difficult due to the fact that there have been fewer opportunities for the team to train together this year.

Day one was the Eventer Challenge Hickstead Qualifier. The children rode superbly and the 70cm teams finished 2^nd and 3^rd respectively, while the 80cm team also came 2^nd. The 90cm team were the youngest team in their class, but they rode exceptionally well and were placed 1^st overall. Having all four teams qualify is an amazing feat and a credit to their skills and hard-work.

The second day was the Royal Windsor qualifier. Spratton Hall entered a team of three to ride against twelve other school teams. Amazingly every rider secured a clear round and by virtue of being two seconds faster that their closest rivals, took the coveted 1st place and subsequent entry to the final at the Royal Windsor Show. The commentator on the day summed up the rider’s tenacity and determination: "Well that is what we have been waiting for all day and the youngest team with only three members have shown us how it's done".

Well done to Jemima, Alice, Emmy, Daniel, Ottilie, Scarlett, Chloe, Polly, Tiggy and Daisy for an exceptional performance! Now their training begins in earnest for the finals.

26th November 2020 — Spratton Hall are delighted to once again be recognised by The Cricketer magazine as one of the 50 cricketing prep schools in the country.

The inclusion follows an exhaustive process which saw a record number of schools submit entries to be included in the guide, despite the ongoing pandemic. All entries were judged against an extensive set of criteria, which included a compelling commitment to cricket in the curriculum, facilities, fixture programmes and coaching.

Prior the first lockdown Spratton Hall were having a fantastic year for cricket. The girls’ 1st XI cricket team were victorious in the Lady Taverners Indoor County Finals held at the Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in March and as a result became county champions! Despite not being able to play cricket during much of the summer term, several girls and boys were still promoted to County level.

Upon returning to Spratton Hall in the autumn, the Prep School made up for lost time by incorporating cricket into the autumn sport’s calendar. The boys and girls could also finally start to use the School’s eight new cricket nets to improve their bowling and batting skills. Bubbled matches between houses, also gave the child the opportunity to keep their competitive juices flowing.

Headmaster, Simon Clarke, a keen cricketer himself explains Spratton Hall’s cricket philosophy: ‘We believe in 'cricket for all', and both girls and boys of all ages play it as their main summer sport. We achieve excellence as we start coaching cricket from age 6, so there is real depth in the cricketing teams and every pupil gets the opportunity to play a role in matches’.

Recognising the challenge of keeping cricket going in schools’ during the pandemic, the Cricketer magazine editor Simon Hughes said “There should be deserved praise for all the teachers, coaches and volunteers who have put in so much hard work, in the most difficult of circumstances, to preserve a love of the game among the next generation. Congratulations to all of the schools included and we look forward to hearing about all of your future successes.”

15th October 2020 — Spratton Hall is proud and delighted that two of our Old Sprattonians have been recognised in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

William Baldet MBE

A student at Spratton until 1985, and contemporary of the current Head Master, Simon Clarke, William has been awarded an MBE for his tireless work in counter terrorism and, in particular, the grassroots fight against the radicalisation of young people. He has been a practitioner in Countering Violent Extremism for the last 10 years and holds two further positions: Consultant for the Office for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Member of the EU-funded Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) Europe. As a teacher and respected expert in his field he regularly appears in the media to discuss ways to help counter violent extremism.

Oliver Coles BEM

A student at Spratton until 1998, Oliver has been awarded a BEM (British Empire Medal) for his services to the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic. As the founder the not-for-profit initiative Hospitality for Heroes, he had the idea to marry the culinary skills of top London chefs, who weren’t able to work during the pandemic, with local food suppliers who had lost their customer base. This enabled him to provide restaurant-quality, healthy meals for NHS frontline staff. By raising awareness on social media, he was able to ensure that £150,000 was raised to deliver over 80,000 delicious meals.

Congratulations to them both from the whole Spratton Hall community for their outstanding achievements and Honours!

5th March 2020 — Children at Spratton Hall School in Northamptonshire, joined in with the fun of World Book Day 2020, bringing their favourite literary characters to life.

The school had a full day of book-related activities, that ranged from a fancy dress parade, storytelling sessions in secluded nooks around the grounds, and also a ‘share a story’ initiative, where older children shared their favourite book with others in the years below them.

For the first year, costumes for the character’s in David Walliams’ expansive catalogue surpassed those from J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise, with a particular favourite being the lead character in ‘The Boy in the Dress’. The children's costumes were approved by David Walliams himself, who liked the picture the school had posted on Twitter.

The day before, the school had welcomed acclaimed author Megan Rix, who had visited Spratton to sign copies of her books and to talk to the children about what had inspired her to write, including her beloved pet Labradors.

The Headmaster Mr. Simon Clarke (who today, was masquerading as Willy Wonka from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) was delighted by the children’s efforts: ‘The children could choose whether they wanted to come in costume and the majority did. It’s a great opportunity for them to express themselves and be creative, but most importantly it helps them to embrace the wonder of books and the joy of reading’.

6th February 2020 — Spratton Hall School demonstrated their green credentials on Friday when they appeared on BBC 1’s Look East programme, as part of a feature about environmental responsibility. The children and Headmaster were interviewed by BBC journalist Theo Chikomba for a slot in the early evening news.

Look East filmed them on the day that they were visited by Encore Environment, the creators of a UK-wide teaching programme aimed at 4-12 year olds, called ‘Waste Wise Kids’. The course focuses on encouraging children to think about waste, recycling and sustainability and what they can do at school and at home to make a difference.

Spratton Hall children already demonstrate their commitment to the environment, by making compost heaps, doing litter picks in local villages, recycling paper and making recycled bird feeders. To complement these initiatives, the school also has a weekly Eco Club where representatives from each year group share ideas on how they can reduce, reuse and recycle, as well suggesting and implementing ways in which the school can curb its environmental impact.

The school and Encore Environment both share the vision of incorporating environmental responsibility into the curriculum and Simon Clarke, Spratton Hall’s Headmaster, is a firm supporter: ‘Children have got to be at the heart of the environment and it’s down to us to educate and empower them, so that they, and future generations will have a planet they can be proud of’.