The Flagpole

On Tuesday 28 June, Headmaster, Ed Hester, visited the Science Centre construction site for his first official tour of the new building. He was accompanied by Trendgrey Construction MD, Nick Henderson, Princethorpe’s Project Manager, Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, along with, Head of Science, Emma Cooper, and two Sixth Form Science Subject Ambassadors, Hannah Lawrence and Tom Dodsley.

The Princethorpe contingent could clearly see the structure of the new Science Centre rising triumphantly at the north end of The Limes. The size and scope of the building evident to them all. It was also possible to see where most of the rooms and circulation areas will be and how the building will link to The Limes. This has been ‘Week 3’ of the steelwork, the final bolts of which should be tightened by the end of this week. The first-floor slabs are being craned into place by the steel erectors and the staircase at the north end is already in place. On the building the visitors could see silver I-beams, which are zinc galvanised to prevent the steels from rusting where they’re exposed to the weather. It was also possible to see the structure for the supports of the wooden arches which flank the two wings on the front of the building. A long-reach Liebherr 110t crane was in use on the site at the time, supplied by Ainscough, who have their local base just across the A423 in Princethorpe. Over the next weeks work will continue installing the first-floor slabs, on the sub-masonry and with the drainage.

Ed Hester, commented, “It was fantastic to be able to visit the site as the final stages of the steel work were being completed. Whilst we can see the new building progressing, to be able to get close up to the new structure and see how the drawings and plans are becoming a reality was exciting. I am amazed by the progress over the last few weeks. It is good to recognise the hard work and expertise that has brought us to this point.”

Significant progress has been made with the project since work started back in mid-February. It will be exciting for us all to see how the project has progressed when we return to school in September.

Princethorpe College had nine pupils representing Warwickshire in the Midlands Combined Events Championships that took place at North Oxfordshire Academy in Banbury last weekend.

For the Junior Boys, André Onyekwe placed 1st taking the Midlands individual title, while Jesse Esler finished 11th overall, together they helped the Warwickshire Junior Boys team finish in first place. They both now go forward to represent the Midlands at the Nationals on Saturday 17 September.

The Inter Boys were an all-star Princethorpe team. They finished in second place overall just losing out to Derby, despite the Year 10 boys pulling out all the stops in the 1500m. Their individual results were Ben Smith 4th, Vincent McNevin 8th, Ollie Farquharson 9th and Anjola Okusanya 10th.

Year 10 Ava Farren was a part of the Inter Girls team, she finished in 11th place overall.

Then competing for the Senior Girls were Princethorpe’s Lower Sixth Formers, Evie Phillips who finished in 4th place and Lucy Randall who was just behind in 5th. Their results helped the Warwickshire Senior Girls finish in 1st place overall qualifying them both for the Nationals too.

What an amazing season these young athletes are having.

On Thursday 30 June, Princethorpe College welcomed Dr Gina Rippon, Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Neuroimaging at the Aston Brain Centre.

Dr Rippon spoke to the whole school who had assembled in the Sports Hall. Her talk was inspiring and revelational, informing pupils and staff that after 200 years of scientific research there is no evidence that the male brain is superior to the female brain, instead that we now know that there is no difference between the male and female brain when we are born. It is the environment and stereotyping, both conscious and subconscious, that contribute to how the brain develops from birth, and makes us believe that a male or female brain is superior at certain tasks.

Dr Rippon discussed gender gaps and highlighted how far the human race is away from equality and left us with the main message that our brains are all the same and that you can do anything regardless of your gender, race or background.

It was a thought provoking session that challenged how we all think about each other.

Princethorpe pupils jetted off on a ‘Gap Year’ travelling the world in a series of themed activities for this year’s House Activities Day. Held on Friday 1 July, the biggest event of the House year is always a real favourite with pupils who go all out to win the house points up for grabs.

After an introductory briefing from Captain Jess Newborough, pupils set of in their form groups to work on a series of activities and challenges all around the school. From Camp America’s obstacle course to making masks in Mardi Gras, being put through their paces at the Samba Stop Over or crossing the alligator infested river in Up the Creek to even creating their own mocktails in Mocktail Madness or getting ahead of their fellow travellers in the First Aid Frenzy or the Gap Year Fashion Challenge, it really was a non-stop day full of fantastic fun.

After all the challenges had been completed, the school came together for a finale or Ibiza Party on the Close. Mrs Newborough thanked everyone for their participation commenting, “We have had a fabulous day, it has been great to see everyone getting involved. The atmosphere has been amazing.”

A huge well done to everyone for taking part and an absolutely massive thank you to those who made the day possible especially House Activities Leader, Jess Newborough, the House Activities Co-ordinators; Ellie Callan, Hannah Carminati, Bérénice Galano and Meg O’Gorman and our stalwart Sixth Form House Captains who all worked so hard to make House Activities Day so much fun.

What a fantastic day was had by all.

21 girls from Year 8 to Year 10 girls visited the British Motor Museum on Wednesday 29 June to take part in a special Girls in STEM workshop.

They enjoyed an exclusive keynote presentation and Q&A with Louise Reynolds, Vehicle Line Director at Jaguar Land Rover, Louise spoke about her current role within Jaguar Land Rover, her career, and the challenges that she faced in a heavily male-dominated workplace. Pupils then had a Women In Motoring guided tour that included how women were instrumental in the development of the first combustion engine powered car and how early female motorists were encouraged to pack three essential items when driving a motor car: a pet for company, a box of chocolates for sustenance and a loaded revolver to deter any bandits!

Pupils then became 'Engineering Apprentices' removing and replacing a wheel of a remote-control car in a race against time - Georgie's group achieved an impressive time of 10 seconds, beating the current Museum record by a whole 3 seconds! Pupils then raced their cars around a track and to their credit none of the wheels fell off. Armourers from MoD Kineton set a challenge to build a crane with pulley system to lift ammunition with which the pupils had varying success at achieving, this in a very short time frame.

Their day culminated with a special presentation from members of the all-female driver line-up of Laser Tools GB4 Racing team. The F1 Pit Stop Challenge brought out the competitive spirit and pupils were split into teams to complete a tyre change relay to simulate F1 pit stops. A brief self-guided tour of the exhibits closed the day before the girls departed with STEM goodie bags in hand.

Head of Physics, Dan Lee, commented, “The girls were an absolute credit to the school - they asked thoughtful questions, engaged in all of the activities and had a really positive experience.”

What an inspirational opportunity – we hope you enjoyed yourselves girls!

On Wednesday 29 June, Princethorpe College said farewell to much loved peripatetic percussion teacher, Alan Wickett. Alan first joined the College some 17 years ago as our ‘second drum teacher’ when lessons on the drum kit really took off. He was soon called upon to take the lead teaching over three very full days – willingly driving across from the Welsh Borders to stay locally, just to foster Princethorpe pupils’ love of drumming. Alan chooses not to teach anywhere else; he is a gigging performer by trade.

Mrs Coulson remembers well the day Alan brought along his talented son for a whole day Drumming Workshop titled Don’t Stop The Beat, when Alan ‘filled’ the Clarkson Theatre (on the flat) with more drum kits than one could imagine would ever fit into two VW Touring Vans! Before proceeding to introduce the history of drumming to all years in school, taking it in turn to explain the journey of Drums and how they developed so very gradually to suit the mood and habit of the music of each period – one explaining with the other performing music from each genre on the ‘appropriate’ kit! For an amazing, and much appreciated finale, Alan encouraged those who took drum lessons, to try out the Vintage sets for themselves. Seeing pupils (and staff) learn so much, through such sensitive and knowledgeable practical teaching skills, was a joy to encounter and it was no surprise at all when his Teaching List grew rapidly over the next term.

Alan has decided to retreat from teaching Drums this summer; but will remain very much a forefront leader of swing and jazz drumming; he will continue to perform ‘live’ with his own Swing Band; recently recording extensively with Van Morrison and currently specialising in online Vintage Drum Tuition for connoisseur Drummers globally.

Many of you will have had cause to walk along the Music Corridor and be ‘deafened’ (we jest) by the pupils in their lessons. Alan has been a sensitive and amazing mentor to 100s of Princethorpe pupils since joining us in 2005!

We wish him all the very best. He will be much missed by us all. Long may he continue drumming and enjoying his music.

With thanks to Mrs Coulson for writing this tribute to Alan ‘Sticky’ Wickett (Sticky Wicket is genuinely his stage name).

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 have been treated to a very special coaching session courtesy of professional cricketer and Old Princethorpian, Bethan Ellis. Bethan returned to Princethorpe College last week to run cricket coaching sessions with the Year 7 and Year 8 girls.

Bethan currently plays professional cricket with Lightning Cricket, the number one T20 side in the East Midlands, her team also competes in the Women’s Elite Domestic competition. She left Princethorpe in 2017 and is at Loughborough University studying for a Masters.  

Bethan put through the girls through their paces, stressing the importance of getting the basics right, looking at grip, stance and alignment and you could see their play improve as they put her advice into practise. They enjoyed a coaching session in the nets followed by a mini match. Bethan even made time for a one-on-one session with talented young cricketer Year 8 pupil, Amy. The session finished with a Q&A.

It was an amazing opportunity for the Princethorpe girls. Many thanks to Bethan for coming into school to work with our pupils.

For over 130 Year 11 pupils, Thursday 30 June was an important day. With their public examinations finally out of the way, Year 11 pupils and their families were invited back to the College to celebrate the end of their GSCE year in a final Year 11 Thanksgiving Service.

Nearly four hundred guests attended the service held in the College Chapel. Father Alan Whelan welcomed them all and opened the service with a hymn. A number of staff, including Heads of House and members of the Senior Leadership Team, gave emotional readings that reflected the aspirations the College holds for their future. Pupils performed celebratory music and the mood was one of optimism for the journey ahead. A plea for continuing kindness and generosity of spirit underpinned all the messages in the speeches.

Mrs Beth Sharpe, Pastoral Deputy Head, thanked all the parents for their support of the College and read a moving extract from a Denis Waitley poem called Roots and Wings. Ed Hester, Headmaster, continued the thanks to the parents before inviting them to join with staff for refreshments after the service.

As friends, families and pupils trickled out of the Chapel towards the Sixth Form Lawn to catch up, dish out hugs and enjoy a fine spread for lunch, there was a buzz of excitement ahead of next Monday evening’s all-important prom!

It was wonderful day of celebration and we wish all Year 11s a relaxing summer break before they move on to the next step of their life journey.

Congratulations to all the Princethorpe pupils who have completed their Duke of Edinburgh's Award Qualifying Expeditions this half term and good luck to the Bronze Group B who will be out this weekend completing theirs.

Unaccompanied and self-sufficient, pupils have trekked and camped their way across Snowdonia (38 Gold), the Dark Peak (53 Silver) and the Cotswolds (54 Bronze A and to come 59 Bronze B), working together in teams to achieve their expedition objectives.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Awards are recognised as the world’s leading youth achievement award. They provide young people with the opportunity to get involved, explore new interests, discover talents and make new friends and they are a big part of life here at Princethorpe.

Will Bower, Head of Outdoor Education, said, “I am very proud that so many of Princethorpe’s pupils embrace the challenge of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. They take the opportunity to develop skills and try new experiences, pushing themselves both mentally and physically to live up to the College’s ethos and be the best they can be and all with such commitment and enthusiasm. Since September 274 pupils have completed a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition, amounting to a total of 39 days of in school training and trips.”

He continued, “We will be holding a celebration evening next year when pupils who have completed their Award will be presented with their certificates. The Gold Award participants will also receive an invitation to visit a royal palace, in London, for their official presentation.”

Well done to everyone who has taken part this year and make sure you all sign off the volunteering, physical and skills sections so we can celebrate your achievements next year.

On Wednesday 29 June the College welcomed 150 pupils who will be joining the school this coming September, most will be joining in Year 7 but some are joining higher years.

The Induction Day was a chance for them to meet fellow pupils, familiarise themselves with the layout of the school, get a feel for the sorts of lessons they can expect and generally to answer questions, allay fears and ease the transition to their new school.

Our prospective Year 7s arrived looking excited and a little bit nervous in readiness for an action-packed day. Head of Transition, Susan Harris greeted them warmly and soon had them organised into groups before their friendly Sixth Form helpers led them off to try sample lessons.

During the day they also met their new Tutor Groups, got to grips with the lunch queue and the dining room, and in the afternoon after more lessons, they met their Heads of House and enjoyed some fun team building activities. There was lots of excellent advice on offer from staff and current pupils and of course no induction day would be complete without that special treat, a legendary Princethorpe cookie! 

We saw plenty of smiling faces and it is clear that everyone enjoyed making new friends. We look forward to welcoming the Year 7s back again just before the start of the autumn term for the Year 7 Activity Day on Friday 2 September.

Princethorpe’s Upper Sixth celebrated the end of the examination season and their time at Princethorpe with a beautiful Thanksgiving Eucharist and a fabulous farewell Ball. It was one last chance for them to gather together to reminisce over their time at the College, the friends they have made and the many adventures they have had along the way.

Parents and students enjoyed a moving Eucharist service and delicious buffet supper that took place on Tuesday 28 June in the Chapel at school and then afterwards in the Sixth Form Atrium. The Upper Sixth Ball followed one day later on Wednesday 29 June at a former royal residence, the beautiful and historical Coombe Abbey.

The students smartly attired in black tie and ball gowns enjoyed a sparkling reception, followed by a delicious sit-down dinner, much anticipated speeches and then dancing until dark. 

It was a joyous occasion with lots of laughter, shared memories and plans for the future. Head of Sixth Form, Ben Collie said, “We wish all the Upper Sixth the very best as they move on from Princethorpe. We very much hope that they all keep in touch and come back to tell their teachers and future pupils all about their fascinating endeavours and achievements. They have been a delightful year group, have worked hard and we are confident they will be rewarded with success when the A-level results are published in August.”

Photos from the Sixth Form Leavers' Ball will be shared shortly on Princethorpe Connect. If you haven't already done so, sign up now so you can view them as soon as they are uploaded.

The College’s annual Sports Day took place on Friday 17 June and it was a fantastic morning of friendly, but fiercely competitive sport. Field and track events took place simultaneously, so the playing fields were action-packed from the moment the starting gun fired. College staff were kept busy measuring, timing and recording all the running, jumping and throwing taking place.

House colours and flags were spread across the field and the Heads of House: Lizzie Caisey, Louisa Fielding, Adam Rickart and Faye Roberts cheered on their pupils hoping that this year their House would be victorious. In the end it was More that took the victory, followed closely by Benet, then Austin and Fisher, but it was a close-run competition where every performance, sprint, middle distance or field event counted, and the result was only decided after the very final event – the relay.

Our very own Clare Balding, aka Mrs White, was kept busy announcing all the races and interviewing the winners, adding to the excitement of the event.  

Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, said, “It was a super Sports Day with plenty of excellent performances and lots of new College records set. The atmosphere was incredible, pupils were very supportive of each other, appreciating every individual effort and there was very little in it at the end.”

Huge thanks to all the staff and Sports Leaders involved in organising the event.

The scores have been checked and verified and the final results were 1st More (1060.6 points), 2nd Benet (979.5 points), 3rd Austin (905.5 points) and 4th Fisher (874.5 points).

You can find the current Sports Day Records here:
Girls Sports Day Records
Boys Sports Day Records

Meet our new Junior House Leaders who will be supporting House Activities Leader, Ms Newborough, the House Activities Co-Ordinators, and the House Prefects. They will be developing their leadership, teamwork, and communication skills through championing House activities with pupils and supporting and encouraging House charity fundraising.

Our new Junior House Leaders went through a rigorous selection process before being selected that included written letters of application and a challenging interview. Huge congratulations to them all.

Most of our new Junior House Leaders are pictured here but the full list includes:

Austin House
Betsy Burgess (7)
Alexa Holland (8)
Martha Harris (9)

Benet House
Roxy Glenn (9)
Chloe Potts (9)
Jess Lane (9)

Fisher House
Noah Cowlishaw (7)
Freddie Rodd (7)
Ruth Oritsejafor (7)
Amelia Reynolds (8)
James Reynolds (10)

More House
Michelle Gichiri (7)
Amber Sandhu (8)
Georgie Pollock (9)
Malavika Sabith (9)

Huge congratulations to Upper Sixth Former, Cameron McGregor, Lower Sixth Former, Lucy Randall, Year 9, André Onyekwe, Year 9, Olivia Monk, Year 8, Grace McCollin and Year 8, Penelope Jones and who have all been selected to compete for the Warwickshire Schools Team at the English Schools Athletics Championships in Manchester on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 July.

They will be competing in the 400m, Javelin, High Jump, 100m, Hurdles and Long Jump respectively. It is such a fantastic achievement just to be selected to compete but to have six athletes reaching the standard is super exciting for us all here at Princethorpe College. These young people really are up there with the top athletes in the country for their events.

We wish them all the very best of luck and we look forward to hearing how they get on.

On Tuesday 21 June, 20 teams of Year 8 pupils and their parents competed in Princethorpe College's first ever Science Family Challenge. Practical skill, teamwork and problem-solving were all essential on the day, as each parent and child team completed six different challenges across Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The challenges were interspersed with a series of demonstrations that included supersonic ping pong balls, explosions, fire and some mind-blowing brain puzzles and tricks.

The competition was very close, with the following four teams all clocking up a hugely respectable 45 points and finishing in joint 2nd place: Special Relatives, Team Big Bang Little Bang, Josh's Giants and Event Horizon. The overall winners with a massive 47 points were Boyle's Law (no pressure) and congratulations go to Jonjo and Mr Boyle for their impressive win, they are this year's recipients of the coveted Science Family Challenge trophy.

Thanks go to our wonderful Laboratory Technicians, pupil helpers and Science staff who made the evening possible.

Look out for the return of the Science Family Challenge next term for current and new Year 7 pupils, plus Princethorpe College's first ever Science Christmas Lecture.

The termly Celebration of Achievement Lunch recognises pupils from across the College for contributions, commitments and achievements. This Trinity Term, 78 pupils from across the year groups were nominated by members of staff and invited to the College Roundhouse by Assistant Head - Co-Curricular, Neil McCollin, for an informal, celebratory buffet lunch.

All of the pupils had risen to the challenge of the College’s ethos; they had done their best in many different ways, both in and outside of school. Some had been nominated for academic perseverance; others invited along for their contribution to sport or drama; a number for voluntary and charity work.

Mr McCollin congratulated every one of them and thanked them for the many ways that they enrich College life.

You can find out more about their achievements here.

On 28 June, after many weeks of preparation, a group of Lower Sixth students from Princethorpe College took part for the first time in the Independent Schools Mock Trial competition.

Students took on the roles of prosecution and defence barristers, witnesses, court clerk, usher and jurors in two Crown Court trials. The first case was R v Summers – where the defendant was accused of witness intimidation; the second, R v Piper – a case of actual bodily harm, with a defence of self-defence. Both cases required students to use their skills of analysis and critical thinking to prepare for their examinations in chief, cross examinations and opening and closing speeches, ready to present their case on the day.

After a final day of preparation on Monday, where they were able to rehearse their parts with the kind assistance of barrister and Old Princethorpian, Lucy Coulson, students went head-to-head with other independent schools, including Westminster School and St George’s Ascot. Students not only demonstrated their superb oracy, but also excellent teamwork – and, most importantly, the ability to think on their feet – just like real barristers they had to be prepared to deal with the unexpected! 

Mrs Essery, Head of Law commented “I was immensely proud of the students – not only of their fantastic performance on the day – but also the hard work and commitment they demonstrated up to that point. They worked brilliantly together as a team, and all gained great experience of how the criminal justice system works, and of the skills and knowledge required for success in the legal profession.”

This year, due to issues arising from the pandemic, the competition took place virtually via Zoom – with the students being observed, given feedback and scored by real judges. Despite an outstanding performance, and definitely getting the better of their opponents on the day, the team just missed out on third place by a whisker – to teams in the other part of the draw. We hope to go again in the competition next year – this time in a real rather than virtual court room.

Team

This year’s Summer Art, Photography, Design and Textiles Show opened on Thursday 23 June with a special evening reception for the artists and their families, friends and guests. The displays remained on show until Sunday 26 June allowing visitors to the College’s Summer Fête and Motoring Festival to enjoy the superb standard of work this year’s GCSE and A-level pupils have produced.

Those who know the College will be familiar with its formidable reputation for quality Art and Design and the work at this year’s show was no exception. On display was work from pupils exploring a diverse range of mediums and themes. In the Sports Hall fascinating portraiture sat alongside superb studies, imaginative illustrations and phenomenal photography. Intermixed were intricately stitched dresses and jackets, showcasing this year’s Textiles pieces. Recycling or repurposing was a theme running through many Resistant Materials’ final products. Oil barrel chairs and BBQs sat alongside plenty of multipurpose furniture.  

Visitors were audibly impressed with what they saw, stopping to stare in wonder, exclaiming over the ingenuity and talent and enjoying the fine collection of work.

Our congratulations go to all our GCSE and A-level pupils for producing such a worthy display. Thanks go to the Art and Photography Department and the Design and Technology Department for all their support and inspiration to pupils this and every year and for putting together such an outstanding display.

The College’s exhibition was once again one of many venues across Coventry and Warwickshire taking part in Warwickshire Open Studios 2022.

The College’s annual Summer Fête and Motoring Festival is always a delightful afternoon. So much hard work goes into organising the event and the College is hugely grateful to our dedicated PTA who do such an excellent job every year.

Sunday 26 June was no exception. The Orchard was transformed thanks to plenty of enthusiasm, gazebos and bunting and the British weather remained warm and dry, allowing organisers and visitors to relax and enjoy themselves.

At the bottom of the Orchard there was line upon line of classic and unusual cars on show.  Polished to perfection by loving owners, proud to show off their prized vehicles, Hillman Imps sat alongside Morris Minors, Maseratis and TVRs and visitors wandered appreciatively in between, stopping to ask questions and admire their favourites.

An array of stalls offered all sorts of entertainment, goods and services, including homemade food, arts and crafts, gifts, fundraising activities, tombolas and so much more.  

A monumental number of burgers and sausages were barbequed and jugs full of Pimms poured and the crowds were entertained by members of the College’s Choir and Orchestra. 

What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and best of all, on the day, nearly £4,500 was raised which will benefit the learning of every pupil in the school.  Huge thanks to all the organisers and visitors, see you again next year for more fun!