The Flagpole

Princethorpe College has received the highest possible ratings across all criteria from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) following an inspection in April 2022. The report, which has just been published, consists of two elements, a focused compliance inspection, encompassing statutory standards, and an educational quality inspection evaluating the achievements of pupils, including academic performance and their personal development.

Headmaster, Ed Hester, comments “We are delighted with the report, it is a ringing endorsement for everything we do here at Princethorpe and reflects a huge team effort.

He continues, “Pupil achievement and personal development are the two key benchmarks for any successful school and being graded as excellent in both of these broad areas demonstrates the incredible talent, dedication and professionalism of our staff, the outstanding attitude and approach of our pupils and the support of our parents.”

During the inspection, the ISI inspectors observed that, ‘Pupils have very positive attitudes towards their work and are highly focused in lessons’, that they ‘achieve a high level of results, exceeding predictions at every level’ and they ‘benefit significantly from an atmosphere in school which is positive and one where learning and trying one’s best are celebrated’.

Referencing the extensive co-curricular programme, the inspectors commented that ‘pupils embrace wholeheartedly the many opportunities to participate in a myriad of activities and many enjoy substantial success’ and are able to ‘find their own unique passions and relish taking part in them, broadening their perspective on life’.

Pupils’ personal development was also judged as ‘excellent’ with inspectors recognising that ‘pupils have a strong sense of moral responsibility, encouraged by an environment in which there are the key rules of Be Kind and Do Your Best’. The vertical tutoring system was mentioned with older pupils described as ‘excellent ambassadors and role models serving as examples that younger pupils aspire to’. Looking outwards to the wider world the inspectors found that pupils were ‘active in promoting an environmental awareness, reflected in their Planet Princethorpe project’ and that ‘the extensive range of charity work provides a social compass which guides all pupils in their thinking’.

The ISI Inspectors also noted feedback from parents that, ‘commented positively on the strength of the children’s learning and how this reflected the commitment of the teaching and the direction provided by the school’s leaders and trustees’.

Mr Hester concludes, “At Princethorpe our aim is to create a caring and supportive environment where pupils can develop to become well-educated, articulate young people, ready to take their place in society with a true sense of values and purpose. I am delighted that the ISI Inspectors have so comprehensively recognised this in their report.”

The ISI is the Government-approved body responsible for the inspection of independent schools and they consider every aspect of the provision. A copy of the full report is available from the ISI or the Princethorpe College website here.

Princethorpe is celebrating after bringing home a haul of fifteen medals from the Independent Schools Association’s (ISA) National Track and Field Athletics Championships.

The Nationals took place on Monday 13 June at the Manchester Regional Arena. Princethorpe took a team of 17 athletes to the event; the pupils had all qualified for the Nationals at the Regional Championships earlier in the season. For all the athletes this was an excellent opportunity to compete against high calibre opposition at a pre-eminent event.

Princethorpe’s medal haul included five Gold medals. Olivia Monk stormed down the track to win both the Year 8/9 100m and 200m Sprints in explosive times of 12.72 and 26.66 seconds respectively. Then Grace McCollin won the Year 8/9 75m Hurdles finishing in a super time of 12.07 seconds, with Oscar Civzelis taking the Year 8/9 300m Sprint in a fantastic 41.59 seconds. The College’s Year 8/9 Girls' Relay team also won the 4x100m Relay competition running a stunning time of 52.25 seconds.

Claiming a Silver medal were Ben Smith who ran the Year 10/11 Boys 100m Hurdles in 16.98 seconds and Anjola Okusanya who completed the Year 10/11 Boys 100m Sprint in 11.99 seconds; Anjola took a second Silver running for the Midlands team in the 4x100m relay as well. Then Penelope Jones leapt a super 4.97 metres to claim Silver in the Year 8/9 Long Jump and William Smith took Silver in the Year 7 1500m.

Freddie Knott won himself two Bronze medals running the Year 8/9 80m Hurdles in 13.60 seconds and jumping 10.25 metres in the Year 8/9 Boys Triple Jump. Kate Pomerleau also won a Bronze medal in the Year 10/11 1500m completing the course in 5.08.81 minutes while Martina Grace matched that result taking a Bronze in the Year 8/9 1500m in 5.08.81 minutes. Louis Reynolds also took a Bronze in the Year 7 Boys Javelin.

Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, was delighted commenting, “A huge well done to all of our athletes for an excellent performance. They responded so well to the top-class competition they faced. Their tenacity, determination, good humour and genuine camaraderie made for a fantastic experience for the whole team, congratulations to all who competed in this outstanding competition.”

Princethorpe College was once again delighted to host the 2022 National Schools and Riding Clubs Two-Day Event. Run in conjunction with Stoneleigh Riding Club, nearly 200 competitors took part in the two-day competition, over the weekend 28 to 29 May, the only ‘long format’ event open to schools and riding clubs in the UK. It included dressage and show-jumping on the Saturday and roads and tracks, steeplechase and cross-country on the Sunday.

This was the eighth year the College has hosted the event on the Princethorpe estate and the course looked magnificent against the backdrop of the Princethorpe Tower. Returning once again and causing much excitement was the challenging permanent cross-country water jump generously built by one of the event’s main sponsors, The Wigley Group. As well as being a fantastic enhancement to the course, the deep pools within the water jump are also used by pupils year-round supporting environmental and wildlife curriculum studies.

The competition takes a huge amount of organisation, so our thanks go to the school staff and Stoneleigh Riding Club who, together with an army of volunteers, ensured the event was such a success.

Representing the College in the 80cm class were Rosie Moreton on Mountain who finished 4th overall and was awarded the ISA Gold medal, Grace Paybody on Extravagant Edition, who took the ISA Silver medal, Jess Hedgecock on Ballylee Tower and Daisymay McMurdo on Rise Up. Jess also had a second ride in the class on Miss Lucy and it was great to see Crackley Hall’s Jasmine Staveley competing on her pony Honey B. The 80cm team took the title in the ISA team competition and finished in third place overall in the National Schools event.

In the 90cm class Rosie Moreton rode Ballyrush Harry, Sammie Borland competed on Condor Goaviar, Lottie Paybody on Laragh Cracker and Claudia Newman on Annaghbay Storm. A super effort from them all saw the team finish in first place overall in both the National Schools and ISA competitions.

Riding in the 100cm class was Robyn Field on Two Tone Tilly, Robyn finished in 4th place overall and claimed the ISA Silver medal.

Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, Princethorpe’s equestrian event organiser, said, “The College was delighted to welcome school and riding club competitors to the Princethorpe estate for this year’s two-day event. It was great to see such a strong presence of school participants, many of whom had travelled long distances to take part in the competition. Our congratulations go to Tarporley School who took The Wigley Cup. The water jump was an exciting attraction in the cross-country course, and we enjoyed seeing competitors tackle it enthusiastically. Our thanks go to members of Stoneleigh Riding Club, the events key sponsors The Wigley Group and Newton LDP, and our Grounds and Estates Teams and all the volunteers, without whom we would have been unable to stage such a busy event.”

Congratulations to all the riders who took part. There will be more equestrian action taking place at Princethorpe shortly - the Inter-Schools’ Dressage Competition is scheduled for Sunday 3 July and spectators are most welcome.

The College’s new Science Centre is taking shape at the top of the Limes Walk. Due to officially open in September 2023, the 10 teaching laboratories will provide state of the art science facilities for the next generation of pupils to come through our doors. Work started back in mid-February and since then Trendgrey Construction Limited have been making good progress.

Last week we shared a short clip of time lapse photography of the work so far on social media, if you missed it, you can watch it here.

The building has now started to rise up out of the ground. Warwick Steel began to deliver the beams to the site last week and the installation of the steel framework is now well underway. Watching the crane manoeuvring each section into place is impressive but an even larger crane will be on site next week to lift the concrete floor blocks into place. Next week will also see the brickwork commence, it's amazing what can be achieved in such a short space of time.

What a finale we had to the Forensic Science Club on Thursday 16 June. Over the course of the Trinity term, our Year 9 Princethorpe Police Department trainees have been busy learning all about different Forensic Science techniques, from fingerprinting and blood splatter analysis to footprint evidence and soil samples, as well as how to process a crime scene and handwriting analysis.

Yesterday they took part in their final Crime Scene Challenge. After an unexpected break in, Year 9 were called upon to investigate, reviewing witness statements, examining the crime scenes and collecting and analysing evidence. The pupils quickly donned their protective clothing and started to search for evidence. There was plenty to find, as the careless intruders had left many, many clues – there was even a body in the cellars! It was a deadly mystery but Year 9 were more than up for the challenge.

Science Teacher, Sam Curtis, was impressed by them all, and commented, “All Princethorpe’s trainee forensic scientists passed their assessment with flying colours, piecing together the evidence to recover the stolen diamonds. They certainly weren’t fooled by the double crossing going on.”

Well done to all the super-sleuthing scientists who took part!

On Wednesday 15 June, Year 10 enjoyed a morning of leadership training. During the sessions, pupils discussed the attributes of good leaders, as well as finding out about how they could make the best of themselves.

They began with a theory session led by Victor Allen, an expert in emotional intelligence and developing skills for success, who supports our Prefect training, and then went on to take part in a practical activity that allowed them to explore and improve their own skills.

The Trading Game was great fun for them all, with pupils working in teams to manufacture and sell products, but the activity also helped them to develop important skills such as trust, conflict management, persistence, team spirit, managing behaviour, the act of giving concise instructions, and much more.

It was a very positive morning and as these young people move up the school there will be plenty of opportunities for them to put their new leadership skills to good use.

Our Summer Open Evening took place on Wednesday 8 June with the College warmly welcoming prospective parents and pupils into school.

Departments had prepared informative displays and had plenty of exemplar work on show, staff and current pupils were on hand to take questions and talk with parents and of course there were plenty of fun subject-related activities for younger (and older) visitors to enjoy. 

Outside many chose to explore the outdoor classroom and Duke of Edinburgh camp while in the Sports Hall the climbing wall and cricket nets were popular attractions. The Limes was bustling with a da Vinci display and parents and children exploring subjects such as IT, Geography, English and Modern Foreign Languages.

Music entertained our visitors in the Round House while drama rehearsals attracted audiences to the Clarkson Theatre. Through the length and breadth of the school, visitors were invited to attempt a dissection in Biology, to taste scones in Food and Nutrition, to watch explosive Chemistry experiments or to delve into the archives in the Library.

Ed Hester, Headmaster, welcomed parents in the Chapel with an inspiring address, talking about the school, its plans for the future and the ‘Spirit of Family’ ethos that allows Princethorpe to help every child to succeed. it was lovely to welcome our Headmaster in waiting, Grove du Toit, who joined Mr Hester on the stage and introduced himself to prospective families.

Many families attended the evening, with lots completely new to the school. For all it was a great chance to soak up the special Princethorpe atmosphere and to get a flavour of day-to-day life. The sun shone brightly and everywhere enthusiastic staff and pupils extolled the virtues of Princethorpe’s tailored individual approach.

A huge thank you to all the staff, pupils, prefects and parents who helped on the evening and to those involved in the preparations.  The school looked amazing and the feedback from our visitors as they left was very positive.

Families looking at entry in September 2023 have one more chance to visit the school at the start of the next school year. The College is holding an Open Morning, on Thursday 22 September from 10.30am to 12.30pm. The deadline for registrations for Entrance Exams is Friday 30 September. For more information visit our website here or email the Admissions Team at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

The Junior Physics Challenge is hosted by the British Physics Olympiad through the University of Oxford. The Challenge is now in its fifth year and takes the format of an online competition where pupils answer 60 challenging multiple-choice questions across two tests in just 50 minutes. The Junior Physics Challenge is designed to engage and stretch pupils by offering a range of problems to solve. It provides a low stakes opportunity for pupils to apply their curriculum knowledge of physics practically while engaging in a competition at a national level.

Princethorpe College’s results were, once again, excellent this year, so very well done to all who took part.

Special mention to Ben Smith, Jack Fleming and Sammie Borland for achieving the highest level of ‘Gold’. Pupils at the College were also awarded 14 Silver, 45 Bronze with 2 pupils received a participation certificate, both just outside the score needed for Bronze.

Dan Lee, Head of Physics, said, "Congratulations to all the participants, it was great to see our Year 10 pupils engaging with such enthusiasm in the Junior Physics Challenge."

Six Lower Sixth Form and Year 11 pupils have just completed a two-day course in Teaching English As A Foreign Language (TEFL). Taught by Nathan Lomax, an experienced TEFL Teacher Trainer, and former Modern Foreign Languages university lecturer, the course took place in school on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 June. The course covered topics such as teaching English language skills, identifying learning styles and creating learning materials through a series of engaging and fun activities.

Princethope’s Sixth Form has offered the TEFL qualification as an extra-curricular option for a number of years as TEFL certification is particularly useful for those students considering a gap year abroad. The qualification offers a good way to help fund travel. Despite giving up two full days of their weekend, all the participants really enjoyed the course.

As an added extra the pupils were also all given access to a TEFL job prospects site set up and run by Mr Lomax that provides details of contacts and opportunities for teaching English abroad.

All the pupils passed with flying colours, congratulations to them all. We wish them all well in their TEFL adventures!

House Bake Off was, as always, a popular competition with a tantalising display of 44 creative entries lined up for the judges in the College’s Food and Nutrition Room. The ‘Platinum Jubilee’ theme produced an incredible array of ‘royal’ themed bakes with fabulous flags, classy crowns and even a cute corgi.

Mr Hester took on the arduous job of judging all the entries, supported by Mr Cowlishaw with Mrs Newborough and Ms Scott on hand to help, they considered presentation, taste and relevance to the theme. Staff and pupils then crowded in for the lunchtime viewing.

House Activities Leader, Jess Newborough, commented, “Our House bakers are just incredible, the effort and creativity put into making these cakes was amazing. House Bake Off is always a super competition. Well done to everyone who took part.”

The results were:

Best Tasting Cake or Baked Good (Years 7-10)
Winner - Alex Bonsall (Fisher)
Runner up - Isla Morrish (Austin)
Highly Commended - Annie Kowal (Austin)
Highly Commended - Stuart Nedjati (More)
Highly Commended - Amelia Chard (Fisher)
Highly Commended - Matthew Carr (Fisher)
Highly Commended - Luke Abrahamson (Fisher)

Best Tasting Cake or Baked Good (Sixth Form)
Winner - Eleanor Page and Grace Thomas (Benet)
Runner up - Harvey Mellett (More)

Best Decorated Cake or Baked Good (Years 7-10)
Winner - Martha Harris (Austin)
Runner up - Georgina Barnes (Austin)
Highly Commended - Alex Bonsall (Fisher)
Highly Commended - Amy Farquharson (More)
Highly Commended - BHC Jubilee Street (Benet)

Best Decorated Cake or Baked Good (Sixth Form)
Winner - Will Gibson-Sexton (Fisher)
Runner up - Leah Burford and Keira MacRae (Fisher)
Highly Commended - Ed Foster (Austin)

Best Cake or Baked Good - Staff
Winner - Tanya Cowan (Benet)
Runner up - Julia Lindsay (Fisher)

The final overall house placings were:

1st Fisher
2nd Benet
3rd Austin
4th More

Scroll through the gallery to see all the amazing entries. All entries to the competition were awarded house-points.

29 pupils from Year 7 and Year 8 were offered the opportunity to visit the National Space Centre in Leicester on Tuesday 7 June for their effort and achievement in Science this year.

The visit began with a workshop titled Our Earth Under Threat where pupils worked together in teams to assess the threat of an approaching asteroid. They used the Torino Scale, data for the probability of impact and for kinetic energy, to decide what action to take. They also had to justify their reasons why.

The pupils then enjoyed the planetarium show Astronaut Education. It was a rollercoaster ride that began inside the bloodstream of an astronaut in a rocket on the launchpad as the countdown to take off commenced. The experience simulated the physiological response of the body to extreme stress and environmental conditions, such as g-force. It then showed a panoramic look at space from the perspective of an astronaut in low Earth orbit, followed by insights into a series of gruelling training tasks to conquer in order to qualify to take part in a mission into space.

A live Science Show It Is Rocket Science looked at propulsion in space, with a good dose of Newton’s Laws of Motion, explosions and fire thrown in too.

There was also a self-guided one-hour tour of the galleries that included many artefacts that have been into space (including a real piece of the Moon), hands on exhibits and interactive displays with highlights including the space toilet (not interactive), stellarium (3-D star chart of our closest few hundred stars) and a take-off simulator.

Finally, a quick stop at the gift shop and café provided souvenirs and sustenance for their return trip.

The pupils were fantastic ambassadors for the College and staff at the Space Centre remarked on their exemplary behaviour and excellent engagement in all the activities.

It was a great trip enjoyed by them all.

Pupils from Princethorpe College put in outstanding performances to win 12 events at last weekend’s Warwickshire Schools Athletics Championships helping the Eastern Area take both the Junior and Inter events. Two talented Princethorpe pupils, Olivia Monk and André Onyekwe were also awarded the trophies for Best Girls and Best Boys Overall Performance at the Championships.

In total, 22 College athletes took part in the competition that was held in Nuneaton on Saturday 11 June. 11 pupils have now been selected to represent the County in the Mason Trophy Inter-County competition on Saturday 18 June at Northwood Stadium in Stoke.

Competing for the Senior Girls, Evie Phillips took 1st place in the 200m and 1st place in the Long Jump whilst Lucy Randall finished in 1st place in the Javelin.

For the Inter Boys, Ben Smith took 1st place in the 1500m Steeplechase, 1st in the 400m Hurdles and 3rd place in the Discus, with Anjola Okusanya finishing in 2nd place in the 100m.

For the Inter Girls, Kate Pomerleau took 1st place in the 1500m Steeplechase and 3rd place in the 1500m, Grace Darcy finished in 2nd place in the 1500m Steeplechase, Sage Westbury was 3rd in the 200m and 3rd in the High Jump, while Ava Farren finished in 4th place in the 800m.

For the Junior Girls, Olivia Monk was 1st in the 100m and also 1st in the 200m (equalling the County record in a time of 25.7 seconds). Penelope Jones was 1st in the Long Jump and 2nd in the Hurdles, Grace McCollin took 1st place in the Hurdles and 4th place in the High Jump. Martina Grace finished in 2nd place in 1500m while Evie Marston was 3rd in the 1500m, Lim Self finished 3rd in the Long Jump and Frankie Kelly was 4th in the Discus.

For the Junior Boys, André Onyekwe took 1st place in the Long Jump and 1st place in the High Jump (setting a new County record of 1.90 metres). Sam Divers finished 2nd in the Javelin, Max Phillips-Gore finished in 2nd place in the Discus and in 6th in the 200m, Charlie Atkins finished 3rd in the 800m, Eddie Arkesden was 5th in the 800m, Jesse Elser was 5th in the 1500m and Dan Tomlinson was 5th in the triple Jump and 8th in the Long Jump 8th.

Best Performance Trophies for the Championship were awarded to:

Girls - Olivia Monk for her performance in the 200m

Boys - André Onyekwe for his performance in the High Jump

A huge well done to them all.

Tuesday 21 June 2022  - 6.00pm to 8.00pm

Year 8 pupils and their parents are invited to compete in our inaugural Science Family Challenge. 

Each team will carry out a range of hands-on science practical work, competing against other pairs to win the coveted Science Family Challenge trophy.

We can only accommodate one parent per pupil and a maximum of 36 teams due to limited space, staffing and equipment, so sign up as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.

Between challenges, Science teachers will carry out fun and exciting demonstrations and presentations. Our goal for the event is to share our enthusiasm for science and to give parents the opportunity to experience a taste of science education at Princethorpe College. 

If you have any questions, please get in touch via email at danlee@princethorpe.co.uk

Please sign-up via the link here.  

Dan Lee
Head of Physics and STEAM co-ordinator

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 Sports Hall 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 Fête 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 Fair 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 Fête or the PTA, please contact us at the above email address.

Many thanks

Princethorpe PTA

On Wednesday 29 June at 7.30pm in the Chapel Tim Campain, will play a wide variety of pieces from various genres. 

The renowned Princethorpe Binns’ organ of 1901 was built by James J Binns, Bramley Organ Works, Leeds. It was restored by Hugh Page in 1984.

From our archives we have a fascinating insight into the numerous letters that were written between Peter Paul Pugin and Sister Procurator of the Priory regarding the organ and the delay in placing the organ. An extract from one of the letters:

March 30th 1901 

...."it is all nonsense Binns saying the organ would be finished long ago if he had has a design for case. I sent him the design for case with full working drawings which he never acknowledged. He could have worked on it at once. The console is quite a separate affair. When I see Binns I will give him a bit of my mind. I was not at all extravagant in the design for the case and a tracing of it is now enclosed which you will kindly return after M Prioress has seen it. I will send on details of console as soon as I can!"

Please click here to reserve your place

Tickets - £5.00 including refreshments. All Foundation pupils free of charge.

The main image shows the original position of the organ console - it was moved to the gallery in approximately 1908 to make way for a statue of St Peter. This statue was taken by the nuns to Fernham when they left St Mary's Priory 1965. 

Sunday 3 July 2022

The annual Inter-Schools' Dressage Competition, which incorporates the Inter-House Dressage Competition, will take place at Princethorpe on Sunday 3 July 2022.

The Area 5 Dressage Competition, organised by Stoneleigh Riding Club, will take place at Princethorpe on the same day.

This competition is a qualifier for the NSEA Championships.

A link to more information on the Princethorpe College website can be found by clicking here.

A link to the National Schools’ Equestrian Association (NSEA) website can be found by clicking here.

Spectators are most welcome.

Saturday 3 September 2022 - 10.45am to 5.30pm

We are gearing up for the 11th annual Old Princethorpians vs College Sports Day (and 13th John Shinkwin Trophy Match) on Saturday 3 September. 

We are planning to repeat our previous format with a relaxing day that mixes sporting matches with music, a BBQ and a bar.

As before points will be accumulated throughout the day, with the Alex Wallis Memorial Shield being awarded to the victors at the end of the day.

Format of day:

10.45am to 12.00pm Football OPs vs Staff

12.00pm to 1.00pm Hockey Princethorpe College 1st XI Girls vs OPs XI (x 2)

1.15pm to 2.15pm Hockey Princethorpe College 1st XI Boys vs OPs XI (x 2)

1.30pm to 2.30pm Netball Princethorpe College 1st VII Girls vs OPs VII (x 2)

2.30pm to 3.45pm Rugby - John Shinkwin Trophy - Princethorpe College 1st XV Boys vs OPs XV (leavers of 2022 and 2021)

3.45pm - After Match Awards

We are keen to get as many OPs from across the generations participating. Upper Sixth leavers of 2022 and other OPs interested in playing in any of the sports should please complete the short online form here by Friday 26 August.

Team sheets for College players will be on SOCS towards the end of the holidays.

Wednesday 14 September - 7.00pm

We enjoyed a lively discussion at our May meeting about Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout. As a great fan of Strout’s writing, I was interested to see that the rambling nature of the first person narrative and the preoccupation of the novel with much of the minutiae of life were a little off-putting to some. Others did not warm sufficiently to the character of Lucy Barton but at the very least the book generated some engaging discussion.

Our next meeting will not be until next term on Wednesday 14 September at 7.00pm, when we will be meeting in the library as usual. We are hoping to welcome some new members then. As we will have plenty of time before then, we have opted for a few books for this occasion, including Learning to Swim by Clare Chambers and Foster by Claire Keegan, as these are both authors we have enjoyed in the past. We have also opted for The Whale Rider by Witi Ihumaera. All these are short reads and there’s a bit of choice here for those who don’t have much time for reading.

I hope you’ll be able to join us in the new academic year. We are a warm and welcoming group of readers who are always ready to try something new. We look forward to hearing of fresh recommendations from others after their summer reading.

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

For those families looking at entry to the College in September 2023 for their child, there are still several opportunities to visit the College before the registration deadline on Friday 30 September. 

Year 6 Taster Days

Parents of prospective pupils who have yet to attend a Taster Day can register their interest in their child attending one of our Year 6 Taster Days in September, by clicking here.

Open Morning
Thursday 22 September 10.30am to 12.30pm

The College's Open Morning gives prospective families a chance to visit the school on a normal working day, with Year 8 and 9 pupils acting as tour guides. Light refreshments will be available.

All are welcome please book your place by clicking here.

Entrance Examinations Day for September 2023 entry will take place on Saturday 5 November 2022 from 9.30am to 3.30pm. The deadline for registrations, scholarship and bursary applications is Friday 30 September 2022.

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

As we approach the end of this academic year, we are finalising September’s timetable and have started the process of designing teaching groups for next year. For pupils going into Years 8 and 9, this will involve a new teaching group for most of their subjects which will be constructed in discussion with both academic and pastoral staff. Pupils will find out which group they are in in September when they receive their new timetables. We encourage all pupils to view this change as an opportunity to widen their circle of friends and to work with a broader range of people.

Progress Reports for Years 7, 8 and 10 will be published today, Friday 17 June 2022, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

When The Sky Falls by Phil Earle

It's 1940, and Joseph has been packed off to stay with Mrs F, a gruff woman with no great fondness for children.

Joseph is amazed to discover Mrs F owns the rundown city zoo where she takes him to meets Adonis, a huge silverback gorilla.

Adonis is ferociously strong and dangerous, but Joseph finds he has an affinity with the lonely beast.

He would rather spend time with Adonis than at school, which has turned out to be a very difficult and unwelcoming place for Joseph most of the time, due to his difficulty reading words, even though he is a genius at maths.

But when the bombs begin to fall, it is up to Joseph to guard Adonis's cage should it be damaged by a blast. Will Joseph be ready to pull the trigger if it comes to it?

Reports for Year 9 will be published today, Friday 17 June 2022, and will be available to view on My School Portal.

Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 June 2022 - 6.00pm to 8.30pm

The Year 10 Parents’ Evening will take place on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 June 2022 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. The evening will be conducted as an online Parents’ Evening using SchoolCloud. We will send out detailed information in advance of the event.

Meetings will still be booked online and further details will follow on how to book the appointments.

It is hoped that all parents will be successful in gaining an appointment, however if this is not possible teachers may contact you via email to update you about your child’s progress.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

The Right Reverend William Kenny, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Birmingham will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation in the College Chapel on Friday 3 March 2023.

All Lower Sixth students and their families are invited to the Lower Sixth BBQ on Tuesday 5 July at 5.00pm. An opportunity to celebrate the year and look forward to the summer break.

Please RSVP via the links in the email sent to you this week.

If you are a parent of a Lower Sixth student and are trying to support them with the overwhelming choice available to them, then this guide might help here.

If you missed my presentation at our recent Higher Education Parents Evening then you can find it here 

For individual queries or guidance about anything to do with university applications, gap years or applying for apprenticeships and jobs, please contact me directly via email.

I'm always happy to meet parents on Teams. 

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers

Explore BDO virtual insight week is the perfect opportunity to learn more about BDO and the world of accounting. In this week-long virtual insight experience you’ll get to develop your professional skills, learn from and network with our brilliant people, and understand the opportunities that are available to you.

The programme will include training sessions on the importance of personal branding, LinkedIn and building resilience, a mentoring session with a senior member of the BDO team, roundtable discussions on what each business area does, application hints, tips and support networking sessions with employees and other attendees on the programme.

Register for the latest virtual insight programme event due to run from Monday 1 August to Friday 5 August 2022 here.

Many thanks for your help over the past year or so in helping your son/daughter find some work experience; I do hope it has been beneficial, as it can help so much with career, reference and course planning in the future. This last two years has, of course, been rather difficult with the COVID situation, but there have been over 90 placements arranged, and a lot completed, which is great.

If you have already let me know of a placement (either to come this summer or which has already taken place) then I already have the details and have sent out the relevant paperwork. If you have recently arranged a placement and haven’t forwarded the details, please could you let me know and I can then confirm and forward the necessary forms?

Once again, thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards

Mike Taylor
Work Experience Co-ordinator

Any items of sports kit that require initialling during the summer holidays should be brought into the School Shop prior to Wednesday 6 July 2022 in a clearly named bag with a completed form enclosed.

Pupils can also collect a form from the School Shop at break or lunchtime in advance if you do not have access to a printer. Please note all articles of clothing must be new or freshly laundered and dry, if they are to be sent to the embroiderers. 

Items will be ready for collection from the School Shop when school re-opens on Monday 5 September 2022.

If you have any queries please contact the school shop on 01926 634272 or email uniform@princethorpe.co.uk

Barbara Bromwich
Foundation Shop Manager

Next term your child will be taking part in rugby and hockey and following national governing body and school guidelines, it is compulsory that your child wears a mouthguard during these sports.

Therefore, in the interest of your child’s safety, we have invited OPRO, who specialise in the provision of custom made mouthguards, to visit the school on:

Thursday 8 September from 12.30pm – 3.45pm

On that day the OPRO dental team will take impressions of all pupils who want to be fitted and the finished mouthguards will then be delivered back to your home address approximately 7 working days later.

OPRO offer a number of benefits with their service:

• Prices start from £39.99
• Our exclusive school design mouthguards are priced at £44.99 and can be found at the following links:

https://opro.info/PrincethorpeCollege

• Buy one mouthguard and get a second mouthguard for half price
• Your child will receive a complimentary Snap-Fit mouthguard at the dental visit so they have something to use whilst they wait for their Custom mouthguard to be delivered
• Each mouthguard comes with a dental warranty which covers up to £22,500
• Your child’s name and the school name will be included on the mouthguard and case
• OPRO store all of the models in case a replacement is required
• All mouthguards carry the CE mark

If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity and have your child fitted, please place an order with OPRO on their website www.opro.com.

If you have any questions about the products or OPRO’s service please contact their customer care team directly on 01442 430690 or email info@oprogroup.com.

Once all the bookings have been confirmed we will inform you or the time slot that your child will be having their fitting.

Pupils do not need a custom made mouth guard to participate in sport.  They can use mouthguards that can be purchased from the school shop or any sports shop

Lee Cassell
Foundation Director of Sport

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

Innovation and Adventure days this year take place during the last week of term on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 July. Normal lessons are suspended and a wide variety of activities are on offer at school and off-site.

Parents will this week have received further information by email about the activities chosen by their child and the consent forms.

Please can you ensure that consent is given by completing the form as directed by 8.00am on Monday, 20 June. 

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

Following on from our successful joint Girls' Football initiative, Long Itchington Football Club have got in touch to see if any 15-year-olds and over would be interested in playing with them.

The club is currently looking for:

- Female players (16 and over for the 1st and new development team)

- Male players (16 and over for the 1st team and development team)

- Two or more coaches/managers

15-year-olds can train but not play until they are 16.

OP Oscar Rose, said, “We provide high quality football coaching and fully believe football is a game for everyone.”

Please see their poster for more details.

Thursday 23 June 2022

Year 7 pupils are invited to join us on a voyage of discovery of virtual reality, medicine, marine biology, film and TV, space exploration, explosive chemistry, crime-solving, robots, computer coding, microscopic bugs, giant trucks and more at the annual Year 7 visit to the Big Bang Fair at the NEC, Birmingham on Thursday 23 June 2022.

The pupils will get the opportunity to see how what they learn at schools is used by real people in real jobs. They will get the chance to hear from inspiring engineers and scientists from some of the UK’s biggest companies and find out about the opportunities available in Science and Engineering.  

We will leave Princethorpe by coach at 9.00am and return to College by 3.45pm. Pupils are expected to wear full school uniform and to bring a packed lunch. There are refreshment stands so the pupils are permitted to bring a small amount of money. The tickets are free of charge however a donation of £6 will be charged to cover the transportation costs.   

There are a few pupils who have not yet signed up via Evolve. Please log in and sign up to secure a place on the trip. 

October 2023

We are pleased to announce that final preparations are being made to launch a residential trip to New York and Washington between Saturday 21 October and Saturday 28 October 2023.

The trip is being run by the History, Politics and Design and Technology departments, with visits and tours based upon interests in these areas.

When the itinerary and costs are finalised, the trip will be launched to pupils in current Years 8-11 in lesson time, when more detailed information will be available.

The cost is approximately £2,199, full board, but this may vary slightly as activities are added to the itinerary.

Places will be limited and will be allocated on the following basis:

- GCSE/A-level students of History, Politics or Design and Technology;
- Pupils in current Year 9 who are signed up for History or Design and Technology GCSE;
- All other pupils in Years 8 to 11

Please note that this trip occurs in the same year as the Senior Sports Tour to South Africa (July 2023).

Kind regards,

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

Our Review of the College Bus Services continues to make good progress. We have recently received the report from transport consultants, Vectare, and are working through their recommendations in detail in order to decide what changes are best to take forward for September 2022 and the future.

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

We hope to be in a position to share this information with families shortly, along with timings of when bookings will open.

Many thanks

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

We are delighted to welcome Chella Franklin as Academic System Co-ordinator.

Chella read Engineering at university and spent nine years as an Engineer Officer in the Royal Navy and two years as an Engineering Consultant before taking a career break to raise her family.

She returned to work when her youngest started school and spent 16 years at Lawrence Sheriff School as the Exams Officer, Cover and Data Manager.

She then returned to Engineering; spending two years working for the Institution of Chemical Engineers collaborating with engineers worldwide.

She is looking forward to becoming a grandmother imminently!

Please note that half a term's notice is required if a pupil no longer needs to use the bus service provided by the school.

Parents wishing to give notice should contact Barbara Bromwich by emailing buses@princethorpe.co.uk.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Please see below our current vacancies: 

Crackley Hall School

• Head of Nursery - Little Crackers

Princethorpe College

• Marketing, Admissions and Communications Assistant
• Estates Assistants (zero hours)

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.

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) 

2023-24 (two page document)