News

Jacob Umaga Inspires Us All At The Relaunch Of The College’s Elite Sports Programme

On Tuesday 18 January, the College was delighted to welcome England international and Wasps Rugby FC fly-half, Jacob Umaga, to school to talk and inspire pupils at the relaunch of the College’s Elite Sports Programme.

Aimed at pupils from Year 8 to Upper Sixth who are participating at a representative level, or have the potential to participate, the programme will offer different pathways to mentor, guide and encourage pupils in their journey to the pinnacle of their sport.

Jacob shared his personal journey with pupils starting from playing school sport up through the Warwickshire County programme, then on to Leicester Tigers, England’s youth teams before moving to Wasps and being selected to represent his country internationally. He shared his top tips for the journey, the importance of learning from those around you and of being your own player.

Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, commented, “Thank you to Jacob for sharing his story, and for being so generous with his time with our pupils at the end of the evening. We are looking forward to working with pupils and helping them to achieve their potential.”

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2021 Tower Review Is Available Now

The latest edition of the College’s magazine, The Tower Review, has just been published.

It tells the story of the school year, term by term, reflecting on the whole host of activities, achievements and successes that pupils from Year 7 through to Upper Sixth took part in. It includes highlights such as Prize Giving and the College production as well as reviews of sporting events and House competitions.

2020/21 was an incredible year filled full of challenges, but there were still plenty of wonderful and memorable moments to reflect on. We hope that our annual souvenir review will be treasured by pupils and parents alike.

The magazine will be mailed to parents and the Leavers of 2021 will also be sent a hard copy in the post. An electronic copy can be found here and also on the school website.

If you would like to receive an additional copy please email marketing@princethorpe.co.uk with your name and address.

 

Visiting Speakers Share Insights Into Faith

The Upper Sixth welcomed four visiting speakers on Thursday 20 January for an Interfaith Forum. The event was organised by Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Rod Isaacs and provided the students with a chance to hear from representatives from the Humanist, Sikh, Muslim and Christian faiths.

Ghulam Vohra, Chairperson of the Coventry Muslim Forum, Marcia Watson, representing the Offchurch Group of Churches, Jane Sault from the Humanist Association and Jatinder S Birdi, representing the Gurdwara Sahib of Leamington and Warwick, also Chair of Warwick District Faiths Forum and Trustee of the Princethorpe Foundation, spoke to the students in turn, sharing an understanding of their faith, answering questions and providing insights into their beliefs and their thoughts on the importance of faith in society today. The Upper Sixth had the opportunity to appreciate the different faiths, to consider how many similarities there are between them and how through mutual understanding and co-operation we can all work with and respect each other in our communities.

Our thanks go to our visitors for providing such an engaging and thought-provoking session.

Plenty Of Hockey Talent At Princethorpe

Every year we are delighted to hear of pupils’ triumphs securing much-coveted places in the County Hockey squads. Earning representative honours is no mean feat. All those selected will have school and club commitments; they will have attended extra trials and training sessions before finally being chosen for the squad.

Those who win through participate in England Hockey’s ‘Player Pathway’, a programme that provides Development Centres and Academy Centres as progressive staged steps to help all junior hockey players realise their potential.

Head of Girls’ Games, Jen Law, comments, "It is fantastic to see our pupils’ passion for hockey, they show great enthusiasm and excellent technical skills which is regularly recognised by the County selection teams. I am really pleased to have such a depth of talent to call on for the school’s fixture programme."

Pictured here are some of this year’s successful contingent, the full list is below. Our congratulations go to all who were selected this year. We look forward to watching their hockey journeys in the years to come.

Year 7 Girls: Amy Robinson and Hattie Sarkies

Year 8 Boys: Archie Dowling, Josh Gorbutt, Marco Rodriguez Hernandez and Noah Windley

Year 8 Girls: Lauren Tebbatt

Year 9 Boys: Joe McCullough, Oscar Glover, Fin Calder, Charlie Wilcox and Dylan Williams

Year 9 Girls: Martina Grace and Cara Ridd

Year 10 Boys: Ben Smith

Year 10 Girls: Georgia Dowling and Ruby Clark

Year 11 Girls: Sophie Gray and Tilly Houghton

Year 12 Boys: Harry King, Tom Knight, Jamie Smith and Madoc Williams

 

Year 11 Alexander Debuts For England U16 Football Team

Princethorpe College Year 11, Alexander Hammond, has just debuted for England’s U16 football team. Alexander, who plays in goal, was called up for the squad’s recent double header against Turkey (two consecutive matches) and helped the team achieve two fantastic results, with wins of 2-1 and 3-1.

Alexander plays for Aston Villa Academy and last summer was picked by the England team scouts to be on standby for the U16 team. In October he took part in an England Men’s Goalkeeping Development Camp at the National Football Centre, St George’s Park. It proved to be a great opportunity for him to showcase and develop his skills. His determination and talent were clearly recognised, and he was delighted to be called up just before Christmas to be in the international match squad.

Alexander has also just signed his Scholar Contract with Aston Villa and will join the club after he completes his GCSEs. These are exciting times for this talented young player – well done to Alexander and good luck from all of us here.

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Train To Teach At Princethorpe With The Lion Alliance

Thinking of becoming a teacher? Then why not consider training with the Princethorpe Foundation.

Whether you are a new graduate or contemplating a career change, we have a wide range of opportunities available across the subjects but particularly in Maths, English, History, Geography and PE.

Though our association with the Lion Alliance, we offer a year’s training as part of the School Direct scheme, leading to Qualified Teacher Status. Placements would be at Princethorpe and also at other schools within the Lion Alliance. Our training is supported by Warwick University, Birmingham City University, Coventry University and by our experienced mentors here at the Princethorpe Foundation.

You can preview the courses on offer here: www.gov.uk/find-postgraduate-teacher-training-courses by searching the database using the details: 1K1 – The Lion Alliance

Our Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning, Dr Liz Pyne is also happy to offer advice about the different routes into teaching and what Princethorpe can offer you. Please email Dr Pyne at lizpyne@princethorpe.co.uk.

Further information about the Lion Alliance can be found at www.thelionalliance.co.uk.

Buy An Engraved Brick, Paver Or Element In Princethorpe’s New Science Centre

After the exciting announcement that the new Science Centre has been given the go ahead, now is the perfect time to make your mark on Princethorpe College and become a permanent part of the College’s history for generations to come.

You can support the Science Centre project with a simple donation in return for an engraved name on a Brick, Element or Paver?

Princethorpe’s pupils sit at the heart of the school community, and purchasing a Brick, Element or Paver is a wonderful way to record the part individuals play in school life. They make great gifts commemorating and celebrating time spent attending the College, reflecting the energy pupils have invested in their studies and all while helping to turn the vision for Science into reality.

For more information, and to take advantage of this one-off opportunity, please visit the school website here or contact the Development office at makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk.

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First VII Netball Girls In The Final Eight Of Sisters N Sport Plate

Princethorpe College’s First VII Netball team have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Sisters n Sport Seniors Plate competition. The girls faced Malvern College on Saturday 8 January and played superbly to win 37-20. It was fantastic effort especially as the team were also all juggling the start of term, revision, training, and their mock exams as they prepared for the match.

Team coach, Louise Harrison, said, “I was really proud of the team and how the girls all pulled together and played for each other in a squad with lots of changes due to illness, injury and Covid. Their team spirit shone throughout the match and their tenacity in defence saw the most turn-overs the girls have been able to complete this season.” She continued, “Excellent performances from Charlie who made her full first team debut at Goal Attack, Eve who was voted player of the match by Malvern College, and Evie just purely for her sheer perseverance - I'm sure her player felt like they had no space at all. I am really looking forward to the next round and the netball term ahead.”

Epiphany Services Reflect On The Importance Of Hope

On Thursday 6 January, pupils took part in an online service to celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, the feast that marks the arrival of the three wise men to pay homage to the new born king.

This year, the Chaplaincy theme for the year is ‘Hope’. So, in his service, Father Alan Whelan MSC spoke about the meaning of Epiphany, how it offers a revelation, an insight into how the birth of Jesus was a journey from darkness to light, a journey of hope.

Father Alan encouraged pupils, as they settled back down to daily school life, to also reflect on their parents’ hopes for them, how those hopes could be to ‘keep on trying’ and ‘don’t give up’. He then shared an example of how some of the College’s Sixth Form students, who are members of the Youth St Vincent de Paul society, have brought hope, through their volunteering, their visits to care homes and charity work.

Our thanks go to Father Alan for leading the services, for the inspiration for us all to reflect on our hopes, and to all who bring hope, light and encouragement through their charity work.

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Four Sixth Form Students Awarded LAMDA Grade 8 Gold Medals

Congratulations to Olivia Ward, Ciaran Smith, Ishbel Kempton and Elsie Kelley who have all been awarded a distinction in their London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) Grade 8 Gold Medal examinations.

Gold is the highest medal awarded by LAMDA and will have taken years of training to achieve. The four Sixth Formers took their LAMDA Gold medal examinations back in November, at school, and just before Christmas they received news of their success. Achieving their LAMDA Gold Medal examinations means that all four students have now also accrued 30 UCAS points towards their university applications.

Olivia Ward took LAMDA Speaking in Public Grade 8, for which she had to write and present two speeches. She gave an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of electoral reform in her first speech, and for her second she gave an imagined ‘Best Woman’ speech for her brother’s wedding. She had to write an impromptu speech in the exam and deliver it with only fifteen minutes preparation time. The examiner praised Olivia’s ability to present stimulating and well considered work.

Ciaran Smith impressed the examiner by performing with ‘real confidence, control and a mature understanding of texts’ during his Reading for Performance Grade 8 exam. Ciaran created a recital on the theme of ‘Democracy’ using texts from The Hand that Signed the Paper by Dylan Thomas, Henry V by William Shakespeare and 1984 by George Orwell. He wrote introductions and linking statements to all his chosen texts and answered questions on the writers and contexts in depth.

Ishbel Kempton and Elsie Kelley have been taking acting exams together for several years and were delighted to complete their studies in their Grade 8 Acting Duologue exam. They performed scenes from Antigone by Sophocles, The Odd Couple (Female Version) by Neil Simon and The Thrill of Love by Amanda Whittington. The examiner noted a ‘clear energy’ and ‘strong presence’ in their performances, and they completed their exam with a discussion on their chosen theatre practitioner, Constantin Stanislavski.

Lead LAMDA Teacher, Kathy Buckingham-Underhill, commented, "I am delighted to see these four young people completing their LAMDA studies on such a high. Congratulations to them all. Their hard work, diligence, ownership and understanding of the tasks involved has been amply rewarded. Their LAMDA teachers are proud of them all."

A huge well done to all four students on a really impressive achievement.