The Flagpole

I hope you and your family had a relaxing Easter break. 

You will be aware that this week we have been visited by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) for both a Focused Compliance Inspection and an Educational Quality Inspection. Our last inspections were in 2014 and 2018 respectively, so we have been expecting and preparing for the call for some time (the programme of inspections has naturally been somewhat disrupted by Covid). 

A team of inspectors (comprised of experienced senior leaders in other independent schools) has been in school for four days from Tuesday through to this afternoon. The process is very comprehensive as you would expect and the inspection team were exceptionally professional and thorough. 

The Focused Compliance Inspection looks at statutory compliance including recruitment, safeguarding, behaviour management, first aid, health and safety, risk assessment and the leadership and management of the school. 

For the Educational Quality Inspection inspectors scrutinise the teaching and learning across the year groups in detail, including lesson observations, staff and pupil interviews, examination of pupils’ academic work and progress, SEND support, personal and spiritual development, pastoral systems, co-curricular provision and careers advice and guidance. 

A key element of both inspections is feedback from parents, pupils and staff and I would like to thank all those who completed the online questionnaires for their responses and comments, the level of engagement was exceptionally high. 

I would also like to thank all those involved in the inspection process – the Senior Leadership Team, teaching staff, support staff and trustees – for their hard work both beforehand and this week. A special mention has to go to our Chair of Trustees, Liz Griffin, who showed true dedication to the cause, by conducting her interview with the inspectors via Teams all the way from Sydney, Australia. 

Whilst the Focused Compliance Inspection is either passed or failed, the Educational Quality Inspection produces two judgements, one for Pupils’ Achievement and the other for Pupils’ Personal Development. These can be rated Excellent, Good, Sound or Unsatisfactory. 

The final report will be sent to us in approximately five weeks and we will share it with you at the earliest opportunity, before it is published on the ISI website. 

Thank you once again for all your support. 

Wishing you a very good Bank Holiday weekend. 

E D Hester

The trustees of the Princethorpe Foundation are delighted to announce that Grove du Toit has been appointed as the new Headmaster of Princethorpe College with effect from January 2023.

Mr du Toit went through a rigorous month-long selection process to secure the post against a strong field of candidates.

Mr du Toit is currently Deputy Warden (Senior Deputy Head) at Forest School, a co-educational independent day school for children aged 4 to 18, located on the edge of Epping Forest, a position he has held for five years. He is responsible there for the day to day running of the school, which comprises some 1,500 pupils and more than 300 staff. His extensive remit encompasses oversight of many elements of school life including staffing, recruitment, operations, professional development and staff wellbeing. He also teaches Religious Studies to GCSE and A-level.

Married to Marike, with whom he shares two daughters, aged 13 and 10, Mr du Toit, 42, is a practising Christian. South African by birth, he moved to the UK in 2005 and after a brief period teaching in the maintained sector, he has held a variety of leadership roles in HMC independent schools in and around London.

Mr du Toit has two degrees from the University of Pretoria (a BA in Educational Guidance and Counselling and a BA in Biblical and Religious Studies) and a BEd from the University of South Africa in Educational Management. He also holds an MA in Educational Management from King’s College London and is currently studying for an MBA at Salford Business School.

He has a strong background in the co-curricular life of the school, in particular sport and the performing arts and in his spare time Mr du Toit loves to spend time in the outdoors with his family and dog and his interests include golf and outdoor cooking.

Current Princethorpe Headmaster, Ed Hester, who has been in post since 2009, will take on a new dedicated role as Head of the Princethorpe Foundation when Mr du Toit takes up office. This will allow him to focus on the strategic direction of the Foundation as a whole.

Comments, Liz Griffin, Chair of Trustees, “The Foundation Trustees were unanimous in the decision to appoint Grove to be the next Headmaster of Princethorpe College. His passion for education and young people shone through throughout the selection process. He has immense vision and energy combined with a wealth of experience and leaderships skills, but most importantly his personal values marry perfectly with the ethos of the College. We are delighted to welcome him and his family into the Foundation and will introduce him to staff, pupils and parents at the earliest opportunity.

She continues, “Our thanks go to Ed Hester, who has done an outstanding job as Headmaster of Princethorpe College over the last 13 years. Of course, Ed will continue to have a very keen interest in life at Princethorpe and will be on hand to ensure a smooth transition and successful handover to Grove, who will be supported by Princethorpe’s excellent Senior Leadership Team.”

Comments, Grove du Toit, “I am excited and honoured to take on the Headship of Princethorpe College and lead the school into the next stage of its development, building on the excellent work of Ed Hester. I recognise and fully appreciate what a special community Princethorpe is and upholding its ethos and spirit of family will be central to my role. I look forward to immersing myself in school life and building relationships with staff, parents and pupils alike.”

Current Headmaster, Ed Hester, adds, “Grove is a great fit for Princethorpe and brings with him a vast amount of experience and skills. I am delighted to be able to hand over the reins of running the College to him and am really excited at the prospect of working with him over the years ahead.”

Many congratulations to OP Clemmie Milnes, her fellow directors and students at the Born to Perform Dance School.

Fans of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent will have seen Born to Perform’s amazing audition last Saturday which earned them a golden buzzer and a ticket through to the live Semi-Finals.  Dancing to Hairspray’s You Can’t Stop The Beat, the troupe of young performers aged 14 to 24 absolutely wowed the judges with their performance. 

Born to Perform is an inclusive dance and performing arts school specialising in disability and SEND, based in Northampton. The sessions the school runs aim to improve its students’ confidence, communication and overall mental and physical wellbeing.

One of three directors at the dance school, Clemmie, who left Princethorpe in 2008, has worked in the Performing Arts industry for over 12 years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Choreography, specialising in Contemporary Dance and also worked towards a Master’s Degree in 'Drama and Movement Therapy' whilst studying at the Royal Central School for Speech and Drama in London. Whilst there she worked on placements within the SEN sector and found her passion for bringing the best out of people with disabilities with her unique and personalised approach.

Comments Clemmie, “We are overwhelmed with pride for our students and school! It’s a huge achievement and the group are working endlessly now on their semi–final piece.”

We wish them all the best and can’t wait to see them dance again!

To watch Born to Perform's audition click here.

Thanks to the hard work of the construction team and plenty of fine April weather the new Science Centre project is making excellent progress. The foundations are now finished with the take-offs for the steels complete. Work continues with excavations for the new netball courts and the dumper trucks were kept busy in the holidays relocating 1500 tonnes of spoil elsewhere on site where it will be used to level up the land.

The team have been finalising the lab designs with a specialist supplier and work is just about to start on the drainage. Work continues offsite on the steels which are currently scheduled to start being craned into place on Monday 23 May. The steels are being supplied locally by Warwick Steel who are based just south of Southam in Deppers Bridge. 

The IT team have erected a time lapse camera to capture the build as it happens day by day, and we are looking forward to sharing the first footage of the project next week. It will be exciting to see our plans for Science coming together.

To find out more about our new Science Centre visit: www.princethorpe.co.uk/science-centre

Princethorpe College came together on Wednesday 27 April to celebrate a whole school Eucharist, the first for two years. We gave thanks that we could once again gather as a community and reflected on the school theme for this year of ‘Hope’. We remembered that the greatest gift of Easter is hope, that hope is part and parcel of life and that when the world says give up, hope whispers try one more time. We listened to readings from the Easter story and the hope of the resurrection and joined together in prayers of hope.

Father Alan Whelan MSC reminded us that it is not enough to just have hope as hopes require action. Pupils then considered how their Hopes, Opportunities, Perseverance and Effort could help them take action for their Hopes, recording their thoughts on a card.

Together as a community we prayed for the school, for our families and for all those in the world who need our hopes.

Thanks to the Junior Chaplaincy Prefects and to Father Alan for leading us in our service.

The new Princethorpe College Prefect Body for 2022-2023 was formally inaugurated into office at an end of term ceremony on Tuesday 5 April. Parents and friends of those who have accepted their roles of office were invited to College for a buffet lunch before the afternoon’s formal ceremony began.

Head of Sixth Form, Ben Collie, introduced the incoming prefects who were presented with their prefect badges by Ed Hester, Headmaster. The outgoing Heads of School, Anthony Convey and Caitlin Mason, handed over the keys of office to the incoming Heads of School, Freya Mills and Pratheesh Prabakaran. The College extends warm thanks to the outgoing prefect body, they have given unstinting service this last year.

The 2022-2023 Prefects smartly attired in their new uniform for the first time, spoke to the gathered audience of pupils about their hopes for their new roles. We wish them all well as they take up their duties.

The roles of office are as follows:

School Leaders
Freya Mills
Pratheesh Prabakaran

Deputy Leaders
Eve Farquharson
Annabel Koster
Edward Moon
Toby Pearton

Pastoral Prefects (incorporating House Pastoral Prefects)
Laurel Arkesden
Jasleen Birdi
William Butler
Amelia Greig
Zara Hendy
Helaina Holt
Wilf Sansum
Jamie Smith

Austin Captains
Edward Foster
Ruby Harris

Benet Captains
Eleanor Page
Grace Thomas

Fisher Captains
Will Gibson-Sexton
Keira MacRae

More Captains
Evie Phillips
Lara Tripp-Smith

Social Prefects
Zoe Wallis
Amber Williams

Charity Prefects
Noella Mbanga
Maddie Wilde

Academic Prefects
Joshua Apaya
Erin Arriordaz
William Hawkins
Madoc Williams

Marketing and Communications Prefects
Amber Cowie
Millie Giffin

Environment Prefect
Tom Paling

Games Prefects
Molly Harper
Mia Johnson
Harry King
Lucy Randall
Evan Ridd

Fisher House is celebrating after winning the most hotly contested competition in school, the House Cup. Their victory was announced by House Activities Leader, Jess Newborough, in the Prefect Inauguration ceremony at the end of the Lent Term. The House Cup was presented to the outgoing Fisher House Captains, Greg Burford and Elizabeth Boyes, as jubilant Fisher pupils cheered across the school.

Before announcing the result, Mrs Newborough spoke of the challenges of the last year, her delight at how Princethorpe pupils had responded and the camaraderie and sense of community that the House activities provides. She spoke of the many House events and the importance of taking part, as just 200 points separated the winners this year. Whether the regular weekly fun of the Friday quizzes or the big events such as House Activities Day every single point contributes.

Across the year it was a steady and consistent performance that helped Fisher pupils amass their huge total of points and finish first across the line but well done to all pupils across the school who participated in the events so enthusiastically. The final results this year were: 1st Fisher, 2nd More, 3rd Austin and 4th Benet.

Huge thanks also to all the House team, including the House Activities Co-ordinators and House Captains for all they do to organise and run House events.

Over the last year The Princethorpe Foundation has welcomed two new members to the Board of Trustees. Mr Jatinder Birdi and Mrs Helen Knight have both joined the governing body to work with fellow Trustees to oversee the overall management and strategic direction of the Foundation.

Mr Jatinder Birdi is an accountant, with his own practice since 1998. He has two children, the eldest left Princethorpe College in 2020 and is now at University, while his youngest daughter is in the Sixth Form. Since June 2006, Mr Birdi has chaired the Warwick District Faiths Forum working to promote equality and diversity through mutual understanding and co-operation between faiths groups.

Mr Birdi, commented, “Both my children have thoroughly enjoyed their time at Princethorpe College. I am grateful for the opportunity to and privilege of joining the Board of Trustees, enabling me to support the Princethorpe community deliver a high level of education and experience for pupils.”

Mrs Helen Knight brings a wealth of educational experience having worked in secondary education for 36 years, including time as headteacher of Cardinal Wiseman School.

Mrs Knight, commented, “Since retiring in 2016, I have become a part-time PhD student at Durham University researching the development of Catholic secondary education for girls at the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. I am a member of St Anne's parish and regularly attend services at Princethorpe, so I was delighted to be asked to become a trustee of the Princethorpe Foundation. I remain passionate about Catholic Education, where I spent most of my career, and the opportunities education in a faith-based setting can give to students.”

Eddie Tolcher, Foundation Bursar and Clerk to the Trustees said, “Our Trustees bring valuable experience to the Foundation’s Governing Body. Their support and advice is much appreciated and we are delighted to have them on our Board of Trustees.

The Easter holidays saw the successful start of this year’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition season. With Princethorpe’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Group A participants completing their practice expeditions. Bronze Group B will have their first taste of self-sufficient walking next weekend. Always a key part of the Award, the expeditions provide an unforgettable experience that develops team and leadership skills and builds independence and confidence.

From Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 April, 40 Gold students braved very cold conditions in the Lake District spending three days of walking and camping. In six teams they walked circular routes from Braithwaite to finish in Keswick camping at Borrowdale and Buttermere. Between them, along the way, they enjoyed the stunning views of fells such as Ard Crags, Knott Rigg, Rannerdale Knotts, Haystacks and Catbells.

Then at the end of the Easter holidays, Friday 22 to Sunday 24 April, 61 Silver pupils travelled to the White Peak, where they trekked from Mandale Farm near Bakewell following routes through beautiful Dovedale, the Manifold Way and along the Tissington Trail to Ilam Hall near Ashbourne, navigating unfamiliar terrain and completing two days of walking and two nights camping. Pupils were split into nine teams, and they all successfully completed their practice expedition. Group nine included walkers also completing their Bronze qualifying expedition, showing great tenacity and determination.

To cap off this mammoth DofE effort, the same weekend the first of the group of 55 Bronze Award pupils also completed their practice expeditions in the local Princethorpe countryside, undertaking two days of walking and one night of camping, walking down to Long Itchington and back. Let’s hope they enjoyed their first expeditions, carrying all their own food and tents and getting to grips with the challenge of cooking your tea on a trangia!

Will Bower, Head of Outdoor Education, said, “Pupils worked hard showing good navigation and camp-craft skills and the weather was mostly kind to us making for good walking conditions. We had plenty of happy, tired faces at the end.”

All the pupils now need to start planning for their qualifying expeditions, that take place later in the term; Gold in Snowdonia, Silver in the Dark Peak and Bronze in the Cotswolds. Silver and bronze have a review and planning session on Sunday 15 May.

And the very best of luck to the Bronze Group B who will undertake their practice expeditions next weekend.

Lower Sixth Form student, and newly elected Head of School, Pratheesh Prabakaran fought off tough competition to win the Midlands regional round of the 2022 Catenian Association's Public Speaking Competition for students from Catholic schools.

Up against fifteen competitors from schools across the Midlands area, the competition took place at Newman University on Thursday 31 March. Pratheesh impressed judges with his presentation on the topic of ‘The biggest problem in the world today is?’ He will now join the regional winners from across the country at the Catenian Association’s National Public Speaking Final in September.

16-year-old Pratheesh, who is studying A-levels in Maths, History and English, commented, "We were presented with a choice of ten topics - all of them raised interesting questions, like ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’ and ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. However, there was one which instantly stood out to me, ‘The biggest problem in the world today is...’ where you could finish that sentence with whatever you pleased. I knew that the Catenians valued originality, so I decided to choose something I have been studying and observing for a while, the Ego."

Competitors were marked by the judging panel on a variety of criteria from content, delivery, elocution and appearance and securing the Midlands victory was a fantastic achievement for Pratheesh who was up against strong competition.

Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Rod Isaacs, commented, “All the competitors gave incredible performances on the day so Pratheesh’s victory is something that we are very proud of. It was fantastic to see so many schools competing. With such a broad range of topics covered, it really was a challenging and thought-provoking session.”

Princethorpe last won this leg of the competition in 2017 so it is wonderful to have the title return to Princethorpe College once again.

Princethorpe College’s Winter Sports Awards took place on the last day of the Lent Term, Tuesday 5 April. It was an opportunity to recognise the achievements of the College’s young sportsmen and sportswomen at all levels and across all sports.

Host for the event was Assistant Head Co-curricular, Neil McCollin, who led the celebration of this season’s sporting endeavours, presenting the awards were Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, and Head of Girls' Games, Jen Law.

The award ceremony began with a summary of the performances of the College’s teams, with awards recognising endeavour, progress, coach's player and most valuable player. The wide range of sports and the sheer numbers of pupils involved, a testament to the importance of sport to life at the College.

Miss Law and Mr Cassell then went on to announce the teams of the season for which there were many contenders. Reflecting on the team’s success, the numbers of fixtures played and the opponents faced, the Girls Sports Team of the Year was awarded to the First XI Girls Hockey team recognising their success across the year, including reaching the semi-finals in the England Hockey National Schools Championships. For the Boys Sports Team of the Year, after considering the strength of the opposition and the fixture lists, the award went to the U13A Rugby team, they were this year’s ISA Rugby Sevens National Cup winners.

A number of pupils were awarded prestigious full colours recognising their commitment and dedication to sport both on and off the field.

Then it was time for the individual awards they included:

Junior Sports Girl of the Year – Martina Grace
Junior Sports Boy of the Year – Fin Calder
Senior Sports Girl of the Year – Tilly Houghton
Senior Sports Boy of the Year – Alexander Hammond
Sixth Form Sports Girls of the Year – Eve Farquharson and Evie Phillips
Sixth Form Sports Boy of the Year – Edwards Sharpe

Director of Sport, Lee Cassell commented, “Congratulations to all the award winners; it has been another very successful season for the College with plenty to celebrate across the school. Huge thanks to all the pupils for their commitment and effort and to the coaching staff and parents for their dedication to school sport.”

On Sunday 3 April, a small group of Sixth Form students and staff took on the Coventry Way Challenge and walked an amazing 40 miles in just one day.

Their route circumnavigated the city of Coventry, starting in Meriden at 6.00am and walking through Kenilworth, Stoneleigh, Wolston Brinklow, Bedworth and Corley Moor before finally returning to Meriden at 8.53pm.

Our superhuman team of walkers were raising funds to support our longstanding commitment to providing a daily meal in school to the 675 children at Makalanga School in Malawi.

We are incredibly proud of them all. Please do consider supporting them. You can find out more information and donate here:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/princethorpe40

As part of their Science studies, Years 10 and 11 were visited by Sharan Gill from Severn Trent Water’s Education Team. Sharan gave a series of talks, taking pupils through the water cycle and explaining the journey water makes to and from our homes.

As well as explaining how Severn Trent deliver clean water to our taps, pupils also discovered how dirty water is treated and recycled and some of the problems and strange items that Severn Trent regularly encounter in the sewers (everything from mobiles to false teeth).

It was fascinating for pupils to hear about Severn Trent’s sludge scientists and their sustainability work that is helping to harness the power of poo.

The enrichment talks supported pupils studies on potable water, one of the topics in their GCSE Chemistry specification. Many thanks to Severn Trent and to Sharan for such a fascinating session.

On Tuesday 5 April, in the end of term assemblies, the new Junior Chaplaincy Prefects for 2022-23 were announced. Appointed this year were: Year 7s: Michelle Gichiri, Isabella Kay, Emily Knight, Annie Kowal, Alicia Maddams, Carrie Roberts and Ruby Terry, Year 8: Marco Rodriguez Hernandez and Year 10: Jemima Teeton.

The Junior School Chaplaincy Prefects play an important role in school taking on responsibility for supporting the work of the Chaplaincy team. They help with the planning and preparation of materials for the whole School and Year Group Eucharists, as well as the November Remembrance and Christmas Star school activities. They also support the annual shoe box appeal, not only promoting the initiative to Tutor groups but also collecting, sorting and packing contents as well. They provide ideas for the daily prayer and the ethos questions for the Friday Quiz.

Junior Chaplaincy Prefect, Jemima Teeton, spoke on behalf of the group in the assembly, she said, “The junior prefects will try to do their best to support and promote the ethos of the College.”

Congratulations to them all.

Friday 6 May 12.15pm to 13.05pm

All pupils and staff are invited to attend a STEAM Talk on product design in the Clarkson Theatre on Friday 6 May at lunchtime.

We will be welcoming Pete Kay and Aled James from DCA Design International who will share their career paths to their current Product Design roles. They will provide plenty of helpful advice for pupils wishing to pursue a career in Product Design. There will also be an opporunity to look at the innovative and exciting projects that Pete and Aled have worked on and are currently involved with.

Tuesday 10 May - 5.00pm to 7.00pm

Crescent School will be hosting an Open Evening on Tuesday 10 May from 5.00pm to 7.00pm for prospective families and pupils. 

This is a great opportunity for prospective families to get a feel for the school, to find out why the Crescent School has been judged 'Excellent' in all areas by the ISI and to meet Mr Thackway, Headmaster.

To book your place please click here. 

For more information please contact our Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley, on 01788 523851 or by email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk.

Please note: 

We have had very high levels of interest in places for Reception and our Year 3 class for September 2022 entry at the Early Bird Application deadline stage. As a result, we have already allocated all of the available places in these year groups for September 2022. We are now operating waiting groups in these year groups for families who are still interested in a place, should a suitable one become available.

We are currently operating waiting groups in most other years apart from our current Reception and Year 1 classes (Year 1 and 2 for September 2022 entry) where we do have some places available as these year groups each have two classes.

We are already taking registrations for places in Reception and Year 3 starting in September 2023. 

To find out more please click here.

Thursday 12 May

Year 7 pupils will get to meet After the War author Tom Palmer when he visits Princethorpe College on Thursday 12 May. As well as excellent historical fiction, Tom also writes thrillers and books about football and rugby.

Pupils can buy a signed copy of one of his books, at a discounted rate, ahead of Tom’s visit. Available titles are:

Each book costs £6.00 and will be added to the pupil school fee bill. Pupils can come to the library to see the books and place an order.

Thank you.

Saturday 14 May 2022 10.30am - 12.30pm

Old Princethorpians, former parents and staff are invited back to the College to join us for our Bluebells and Brunch event on Saturday 14 May 2022 from 10.30am to 12.30pm in the College's Refectory.

In addition to catching up over a leisurely complimentary brunch (including a Full English, pastries and lighter options) served until 12.00 noon, visitors will be able to take a stroll around the Mile Walk and visit Switzerland which should be resplendent with bluebells at this time of year. They will also be able to watch our girls teams take on King's High at cricket or take an optional tour of the school campus.

If you would like to attend please register on Princethorpe Connect by Friday 7 May 2022.

Please do spread the word!

Thursday 19 May 2022 - 5.00pm to 7.30pm

Prospective pupils and their parents are warmly invited to Crackley Hall and Little Cracker's Open Evening on Thursday 19 May from 5.00pm.

Come and find out more about what a Crackley education can do for your child. This is a great opportunity for prospective families to get a feel for the school and nursery, to meet Mr Duigan, the Headmaster, and speak to key members of staff.

To book your place, please click here.

For more information on admission to Crackley Hall and Little Crackers please email Jenny Vaughan at admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk or call 01926 514410.

Wednesday 25 May - 7.00pm

In our April meeting we discussed Lily’s Promise by Lily Ebert and her great grandson Dov Forman. This is a very moving and uplifting account by Lily Ebert herself, of her experience of Auschwitz and her Holocaust survival. We all found this a very powerful book with resonance for us today in view of what is happening in the world. We were less taken by the short novel Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson. This book looks feelingly at the experience of being black in contemporary Britain, but felt a little self-indulgent at times and the narrative was not always fully engaging. 

Our next meeting will be at 7.00pm in the Library on Wednesday 25 May. We will be discussing Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. This has been very well reviewed and you should be able to get hold of a copy quite cheaply at a supermarket near you. Please join us whether or not you have read this particular book. We are a friendly and unpretentious group, so join us if you would like to share your reading interests or if you’d simply like a few suggestions for future reads.

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Wednesday 8 June 2022 - 6.30pm to 8.30pm

The College Summer Open Evening will be a great opportunity for prospective families for September 2023 entry, to look around the school and to meet members of staff and pupils.

There will be two opportunities to hear from Ed Hester, Headmaster, at 6.45pm or 7.30pm, allowing families to explore the College before and after. So families do not miss out, we are encouraging visitors to book their place and time slot for the talk. 

Click here to book your place.

Our Year 5 Taster Days are now fully booked. However, prospective pupils who have yet to attend a Taster Day can register their interest in attending our Year 6 Taster Days in September. Click here to register your interest and be the first to book one of our Taster Days.

If you have any questions please contact the Admissions Team on 01926 643201/262 or 297 or email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Thursday 23 June 6.00pm to 8.30pm and Sunday 26 June 2.00pm to 4.30pm

A celebration of our pupils' GCSE and A-level Art, Photography, Design and Textiles work will take place in the Chapel and cloister corridor on Thursday 23 June from 6.00pm to 8.30pm and on Sunday 26 June from 2.00pm to 4.30pm.

A range of design and technology projects, from resistant materials to textiles, will be showcased alongside the stunning art and photography work the College is renowned for.

Comments, Paul Hubball, Head of Art, "This is a great opportunity to share our pupils' fantastic creativity with a wider audience and to welcome more art and design lovers to Princethorpe."

On Thursday evening admission is free, on the Sunday admission will be £2 per car including entry to the College's Summer Fête and Motoring Festival. Light refreshments will be served in the Quad.

All are welcome.

Sunday 26 June 2022 - 2.00pm to 4.30pm

As the College gallops into Trinity term the PTA focus our attentions on the highlight of summer – the PTA Summer Fete and Annual Motoring Festival.

There will be the usual array of stalls including our school supported charity stalls; countless fun games and activities.  We'll be firing up the BBQ and for those of you who find days like this thirsty work we'll be providing an array of drinks in the refreshment tent.

We are always seeking new supporters for this event so if you could help us out for an hour at the Fete or at future events, please do contact us at pta@princethorpe.co.uk or via Twitter @PrincethorpePTA.

We are once again running the popular ‘Pre-loved Uniform Stall’ and if you have any uniform which is no longer required this can be given in at the Student Hub.  School blazers, ties, skirts, jumpers, PE kits and PE bags are always welcomed, with proceeds of this stall going directly back to the PTA and the pupils of the College.

Should you have any ideas or queries regarding the Fete or the PTA, please contact us at the above email address.

Many thanks

Princethorpe PTA

All pupils should know the date and time for their upcoming speaking exam. They must check with their MFL teacher if they have forgotten. The same rules about GCSE and A-level exam attendance apply. It will be very difficult to rearrange within the permitted speaking exam window. It is therefore essential that pupils check with parents that no medical appointments etc are scheduled at the same time. 

All speaking exams are conducted internally, recorded digitally and then sent to the exam board to be externally assessed. For iGCSE it is worth 40 marks and comprises 25% of the qualification. For A-level it is worth 72 points and comprises 30% of the qualification.

Any issues please contact Stella Keenan at stellakeenan@princethorpe.co.uk

In the week before May half-term (Monday 23 to Friday 27 May) we will be conducting an internal examination week. For this period pupils will not be in normal lessons but will instead be using the time to revise and to take a series of assessments across their subjects. All year groups will continue to have their Games afternoon during this period.

For Lower Sixth students and Year 10 pupils we will be using the opportunity to begin preparations for public examinations next summer, helping them to become familiar with the formality of examinations and to have a taste of an examination hall environment, alongside any individual exam access arrangements. In order to allow for multiple papers, Lower Sixth will start their examinations on Friday 20 May.

For Years 7 to 9 the experience will be less formal and papers will be shorter in length, with pupils working in classrooms throughout and engaging in practical Art and Technology sessions. Their assessments will provide the chance to revisit content and to demonstrate how much they have learnt this year.

All pupils should plan to revise in preparation for these assessments and will receive generic advice from the school alongside specific guidance from each subject. After half-term we will publish results and give feedback so that all pupils know how to improve in their future studies.

Arctic Star by Tom Palmer

Based on a true story set in the Arctic at the time of the Second World War, this action-packed novel gives the reader a vivid picture of what the crew went through, and how they kept going.

Arctic Star features three young friends who are Royal Navy recruits, and follows them on the perilous journeys they make escorting merchant vessels across the Arctic, delivering supplies to the Russians. The sea is wild and treacherous, icy cold, and they are hunted through the waters by German battleships, planes and submarines. Faced with terrifying enemy attacks from both air and sea, as well as life-threatening storms, will all three boys make it home again?

There is a huge amount of information and atmosphere in this short book, and the climax of the story is the deadly battle between HMS Belfast and the Scharnhorst, which will have readers on the edge of their seats, but full of compassion and sympathy for all the men caught up in this terrifying field of war. It wasn’t until 2013 that the men who served on the Arctic Convoys in WW2 were properly honoured for their bravery.

Year 7 have been reading Tom Palmer’s book After the War during their English class library sessions and will get the chance to meet him when he visits Princethorpe on Thursday 12 May.

Exams Summer 2022

Individual exam timetables can now be viewed on My School Portal by parents and pupils under the heading Exam Timetable; room allocations will appear nearer the time.

Exam clashes have been adjusted for most pupils and these are now showing on the portals. For any questions about your summer exams please email examinations@princethorpe.co.uk or pupils can come and speak to the Exams Office staff in Room S38 on Upper Pugin.

Shellagh Dodds
Examination and Assessment Manager

Pupils and parents in Year 8 are reminded that the following textbook needs to be returned to their Science teacher by Friday 10 June 2022:

Year 8 - Smart Science textbook.

If a textbook has been lost, a charge will be made for this book.   

The Immunisation Service will be in school on Thursday 5 May to offer Year 8 pupils the first dose of the human papilloma vaccination

Year 9 pupils will be offered their 2nd dose on Friday 6 May

A number of Year 10 pupils that missed their second dose due to the pandemic have also been invited for a vaccination – these vaccinations will take place on both Thursday 5 and Friday 6 May

Please ask your sons/daughters to check their school email as appointment times will be emailed to them directly.

Please be aware that I don’t have access to the NHS consent portal so have  issued appointment times for all children. Please let me know if your son/daughter isn’t having the vaccination and I will remove them from the clinic.

Please also be reassured that only children for whom written consent has been provided by a parent or guardian will receive a vaccine.

Likewise, if you think your child should have received an appointment and they haven’t please let me know

Where possible please ensure pupils wear a short sleeve shirt/blouse on the day and have had breakfast. NHS guidance also requests that face coverings are worn whilst in the clinic, please ensure your child brings one to school on the day unless exempt.

Vaccinations will take place in the marquee on the North Lawn at school, please ask your son/daughter to make a note of their appointment time and arrive promptly, this will reduce waiting times.

If you are unsure if you have consented, please contact the Immunisation Service directly on 02476 321550

If there are any other queries, as always please do not hesitate to contact me at pcmatrons@princethorpe.co.uk

There is still a terrific amount of named and unnamed items in lost property at the Student Hub; please ask your child to check lost property even if they don’t think that they have mislaid anything.  All unclaimed items will be going to support a charity shortly - this is your child's last opportunity to check for missing items.  A member of staff is currently involved with a charity in Zimbabwe who are looking for clothing for children’s homes and items not collected will be donated at the end of May. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

The most recent Parent Toolkit webinar, entitled Eating Disorders And Poor Eating Habits took place on Wednesday 30 March 2022. Senior Matron Paula Greig shared information on a range of eating disorders, guidance on how to spot the signs of an eating disorder and advice on how to support your child and get help if this is affecting someone in your family. The recording of the webinar can be found on the Parent Toolkit section of My School Portal or directly via this link.

The next webinar RSHE Relationship and Sex and Health Education - What we do at Princethorpe, takes place on Tuesday 17 May at 6.30pm. The link to the webinar is here and the programme of all future webinars and links to access them, can be found on My School Portal here.

Please send any suggestions for future webinar topics that we have not already planned to cover to Mrs Beth Sharpe at BethSharpe@Princethorpe.co.uk

Andy Compton
Assistant Head - Director of Digital Strategy

Welcome back

I hope you all had a good Easter break and that the students have come back refreshed. This is of course a busy and important term. The Upper Sixth will be leaving us shortly to go on exam leave on Friday 13 May and the Lower Sixth have internal exams coming up which they also need to be preparing for plus various events and activities which we hope will be enjoyed by all.

It is great to see the new prefects and subject ambassadors taking up their positions this term, I am sure they will do you and themselves proud.

Summer Sixth Form Common Room

You may have noticed that in preparation for the public exams starting, our Summer Sixth Form Common Room is now in situ on the North Lawn. It will come into operation from Monday 16 May to Tuesday 28 June 2022 while the public exams are underway.

New picnic benches and a new outdoor tennis table will be provided for Sixth Form use and on Tuesday lunch-time a table tennis club will be offered to the Sixth Form by Mr Philips.

Upper Sixth – Sign up for Princethorpe Connect and OP Friendly Faces

In assembly this week the Development Team and Old Princethorpians shared information with the Upper Sixth about keeping in touch with the College and signing up to Princethorpe Connect, our online alumni community.  When signing up they will also be able to request an OP Friendly Face to help them with the transition to university. Please encourage your son/daughter to sign up, they will be entered into a prize draw if they do so by Monday 9 May and the Leavers’ Ball photos will be shared on the platform later in the summer. Parents who will be leaving us this year will also be invited to join the network.

Upper Sixth Leavers’ Ball
Coombe Abbey - Wednesday 29 June 2022 – 7.00pm to midnight.
Please check emails for the form coming out next week regarding the menu and seating plan.

Careers Update

Lower Sixth UCAS Information Evening

We hope parents found the Lower Sixth UCAS Information Evening helpful on Wednesday 27 April. The link to the recording can be found in the Careers section of The Flagpole. The Lower Sixth will have a similar presentation in school and the Lower Sixth will be having a specific UCAS Day on Tuesday 5 July 2022.

Lower Sixth Interview Skills Day – Wednesday 11 May

On Wednesday 11 May 2022 we have 20 employers coming into Princethorpe to put our Lower Sixth students through a mock interview. Students are currently writing their CVs which will be used during the 20-minute interview and will enable the interviewer to ask questions about their hopes for future careers, their hobbies, interests and achievements. They will also be critiqued on their appearance, how they project themselves and the CV itself. All I’m sure you’ll agree invaluable practice for university or employment interviews in the near future.

UCAS Offers
For advice on replying to university offers or anything careers related please contact Mrs Quinney directly by email at Jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk.

Lower Sixth Progress

Following the Lower Sixth exams, progress reports will be published on My School Portal on Friday 10 June 2022. Parents and students will then have the opportunity to speak to subject teachers at the Lower Sixth Parents’ Evening on Thursday 16 June 2022.

Parents of those students who the Sixth Form Leadership Team feel require extra support and guidance will be invited in for a Lower Sixth 360 Review on Monday 27 June 2022.

Lower Sixth Reminders

Lower Sixth James Bond Social
Marquee North Lawn - Friday 20 May 2022 – 7.30pm to 10.00pm

Students can still sign up to this fun evening by contacting Mrs Allen by email at AnneAllen@princethorpe.co.uk

Lower Sixth First Aid Training Course - Saturday 7 May 2022 – there are still places available, the cost is £65.

Lower Sixth TEFL Training Course - Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 June 2022, the cost is £175, which includes a certificate and course book.

If you would like your child to sign up for either the First Aid or TEFL course, please click here.

Lower Sixth Trip to Alton Towers

Monday 4 July 2022 – an Evolve email has been sent out this week, please confirm via the form if your son/daughter would like to attend.

Key Dates

Click here to see Lower Sixth Key Dates

Click here to see Upper Sixth Key Dates

More details about specific events will be sent out to parents in due course.

If you have any general queries or concerns please contact your child’s Tutor in the first instance or if relating to one of their subjects, please contact their subject teachers.

With best wishes for the term ahead.

Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form 
 
 
 

Members of the Lower Sixth will be able to park at school from Monday 6 June 2022.

To receive permission the Sixth Former must:

• have the consent of their parents and the Head of Sixth Form
• provide their full driving licence and their current insurance certificate and photocopies
• agree to abide by the required Code of Conduct

There is an administration fee of £30 for the provision of a parking permit which provides access to parking, an electronic fob and a parking permit until the end of Upper Sixth. The charge for lost fobs is £18 and for lost discs £2.  Please note that there will be a refund of £10 for electronic fobs returned to the School Shop at the end of Upper Sixth.

Please note that there is a limit to the number of parking permits that can be issued.  Permits are issued on a first-come first-served basis but only where the requirements detailed above are met in full.

The forms to apply for a permit are available from the Sixth From Administrators in the Sixth Form Resource Centre. When completed, including the signature of a parent and the Head of Sixth Form, the Sixth Former should take them, together with their full driving licence, (both the card and the paper section - if applicable) and current insurance certificate, plus photocopies, to the School Shop.

Members of the Lower Sixth are welcome to provide the paperwork to the School Shop from the 23 May 2022 but permits will only be issued from Monday 6 June.

If the contract is broken then the permission to drive to school will be withdrawn by the school.  Please note that Sixth Formers park at their own risk and that the school does not accept liability for accidents, damage or loss incurred.

Please note that if a Sixth Former drives to school without a permit they will be given a warning on the first occasion and will be denied parking on the second occasion.  We would appreciate the support of parents in this matter, this is so we can discharge our responsibilities to everyone on school premises as well as to individual drivers.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar 

We are delighted to confirm the dates for the end of year celebrations:

Friday 20 May 2022 Lower Sixth Social - James Bond theme, Sixth Form Centre

Wednesday 29 June 2022 Upper Sixth Leavers' Ball - Coombe Abbey

Year 10 and Year 11 programme

Due to limited spaces and specific focus for this programme, pupils must meet the following entry requirements:

GCSE Maths and English Language at grade 4 or higher. Plus three additional GCSEs grade 4 or higher to include one STEM subject or Engineering Vocational qualification level 3/90 credits/540 GLH or higher (predicted acceptable).

You will need to be available to attend the Gaydon site in Warwickshire on either 21 and 22 June 2022 or on 23 and 24 June 2022 .

If interested please complete the application form here. 

Lower and Upper Sixth programme

You will need to be available to attend the Halewood site during w/c 27 June or the Gaydon site w/c 4 July 2022.

If interested please complete the application form here.

All placements will be confirmed by 27 May 2022.

On Wednesday 27 April, we held our annual information evening for parents on Careers and Higher Education. This was an opportunity to learn more about the university application process and alternatives to university and helps equip parents to support their sons and daughters in this process. 

If you missed the event, then the slides are available here and the link to the live presentation here. 

If you have any questions about anything to do with university or other post-18 options, then please contact me directly. 

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers

A quick reminder that pupils who wish to participate in the NHS Allied Work Experience Programme on Sunday 8 May 2022 have just one week left to register here. 

The programme is available for Years 10 to Upper Sixth. 

All pupils will be awarded a Work Experience certificate for participating on the day, and the cost of the course is £10 per person. 

The following healthcare careers will be covered:

Nursing
Midwifery
Paramedicine
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy
Dietetics
Radiography
Prosthetics and Orthotics
Speech and language therapy
Pharmacy

The programme will take place via an online portal and run live from 10.00am - 5.00pm, following two patients from their initial accidents through to recovery. Pupils will see the patients interact with a variety of healthcare professionals, and it will also help develop their understanding of a multidisciplinary team.

Please don’t forget that Princethorpe College PTA is registered with easyfundraising. So, although we’ve been unable to get together and hold fundraising events in person for a while, we can continue to raise free funds, at no extra cost to you.

When you shop via the easyfundraising website or app, with over 4,100 of your favourite retailers, including John Lewis & Partners, eBay, Amazon and many more, you will raise FREE donations for the school.  

If you’re not already registered, please visit our easyfundraising page here:

This will really make a difference to our school! Thank you for your support.

Our friendly PTA here at Princethorpe College are keen to welcome new members. 

By joining our PTA community, you are not committing to volunteer, but just to joining our community and if you do wish to volunteer you will receive emails when we require help to run our events.

For more information about the PTA and how to join please email pta@princethorpe.co.uk

Princethorpe PTA

Well done to all who completed their practice expedition over the Easter break and good luck to the Year 9 pupils on the Bronze B Practice Expedition on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 May 2022.

This important element of the expedition section is mandatory for all participants. Please arrive promptly. Bring a pen, notebook, your DofE folder and a facemask. You may wear appropriate casual clothing. In the meantime, all participants should aim to log hours, collect evidence and sign off their physical, volunteering and skill sections. 

This important element of the expedition section is mandatory for all participants. Please arrive promptly. Bring a pen, notebook, your DofE folder and a facemask. You may wear appropriate casual clothing. In the meantime, please continue to log hours, collect evidence and sign off your physical, volunteering and skill sections. 

It is always great to be able to share news of pupils' co-curricular successes outside of school.

Four Princethorpe girls performed in the annual Macklin Dance Studio show, between them appearing in 16 dances. They worked really hard in preparation, with numerous dress rehearsals in the build up to the main event. Their hard work and talent were rewarded during the evening's awards presentation with the girls receiving the following trophies:

Sophie Gambling - Highest Combined Examination Marks Trophy and Highest Mark in a Lyrical Exam Trophy
Louise Gambling - Commitment Award Trophy
Leah Burford - Most Promising Newcomer Trophy
Keira MacRae - Most Improved Over 10 Trophy

Congratulations to them all.

Co-curricular trips and educational visits have always been a major part of life at Princethorpe. These experiences for pupils enrich their lives, enhance their learning and develop their understanding and appreciation of the world around. It has been great for us to be able to successfully run the Year 7 residential to Whitemoor Lakes and the Lower Sixth residential as year group bubble trips this year. Supporting the curriculum, we have had Maths Challenge to Warwick University, Geography field trips for Year 11 and Upper Sixth, as well at the Fashion and Design Technology trip to London.

We would like to update you with the provisional major trips and visits plans as they currently stand (this does not include academic department day trips or Duke of Edinburgh's Award). Please see here for the planned school trips in the coming years.

Please also ensure that you read the information about individual trips with care when they are released, in particular in relation to consent, cancellation and insurance.

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

Please see below our current vacancies: 

Princethorpe College

•  Health and Safety Manager
•  Teacher of English (maternity cover)
•  Teacher of Mathematics
•  Academic Systems Co-ordinator

 Crescent School

• Teacher (Years 3 and 4)

Little Crackers Nursey

• Nursery Practitioner

Full details and how to apply are available via the following link: Join Us

Should you know anyone who might be interested in this post, please do share this information with them.

Our Review of the College Bus Services continues to make good progress.

The aim of the review is to optimise the services we provide for families and where possible improve routes and journey times.

The next important element of the review will take place next Thursday and Friday (5 and 6 May) when the team from Vectare will be travelling on a number of routes. This will mean that on Thursday afternoon, Friday morning and Friday afternoon, you may see an extra adult onboard. 

All the team have been DBS checked and will liaise closely with the drivers on the services.

We will continue to feedback and once the review is completed Vectare will present their findings to the College and work on revised routes and timetables which will be completed and published by early June.

Many thanks

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Please find below the Term Dates for 2021-22 and 2022-23, including the forthcoming Bank Holidays.

2021-22 (two page document)

2022-23 (two page document)