The Flagpole

With the beginning of term now fast approaching I write to give you a few updates and key information in advance of the pupils’ full return to school next week. As I write we are at the end of four days of staff training which have been carefully planned to ensure we are as fully prepared as possible for the term and year ahead.

With my August letter we sent out both the Michaelmas Calendar and the Princethorpe Information Booklet for Parents and Pupils. If you haven’t yet been through these please do so together as a family over the weekend as part of your preparation for the new term.

Start of Term arrangements

Pupil Timetables

These will be uploaded on Friday and be available to pupils and parents via My School Portal over the weekend. Please do check them before Monday. Please forward any urgent queries about subject options or curriculum to Mr Spencer at michaelspencer@princethorpe.co.uk.

Monday 5 September, the first day of term

Pupils will spend the first two periods with their tutor groups, individual photographs will be taken for those in Years 7, 10, 11 and Lower Sixth, plus any new pupils to other years and new joiners will also have their fingerprint information taken for the biometric cashless catering system. In addition, there will be an online Whole School Assembly in which I will be launching our new School-Pupil Charter. I will send parents full details of this in the next few weeks.

Pupils will generally be in lessons from Period 3 (Period 4 for the Lower Sixth) and will need to be fully prepared and equipped for these.

Locker keys will be issued over the course of the first week and we ask pupils to make every effort to only carry what they need for that day in their bags.

Please do talk to you child about the importance of a strong start to the term and getting the basics right so we have the highest standards of uniform, punctuality and organisation from the first day. This includes making sure they have a full set of well-fitting and correct games kit including (their House top) and mouth guard and shin pads which are compulsory for contact sports.

Co-curricular Activities

The full programme of activities is in the calendar and will also be published on My School Portal and The Flagpole; please look out for a number of exciting new clubs and activities launching this term. The co-curricular programme will be running from the first day of term for all activities with the exception of Climbing and Art. Tutors will sign pupils up for these two clubs during the first week of term.

Year Group Journeys

Over the first few weeks of term, we will holding an assembly with each Year Group individually to run through their year including the key activities and events that lie ahead. We will write to you and share details of their “Year Group Journey” so that you can see the bigger picture and be best placed to support your child throughout the year.

Whole School Photograph

After many enforced postponements due to Covid over the last two years, you may have noticed from the calendar that we have a Whole School Photograph planned for Friday 9 September. Fingers crossed the weather will be kind…

Finally, I send a warm welcome to all new pupils and families joining Princethorpe this term and repeat our congratulations again to all pupils who took their GCSEs and A-levels this year. They all worked exceptionally hard and achieved tremendous results that are well deserved which they can be proud of and will set them up well for all their various next steps.

With best wishes to all families for the term ahead,

Yours sincerely

Ed Hester
Headmaster

With just nine weeks to go, the countdown to the College's Entrance Exams for admission in September 2023 has begun. This year the exams for Year 7 to 10 entry will take place on Saturday 5 November from 9.00am to 4.00pm.

Our friendly Admissions Team have been kept busy over the summer accepting registrations from prospective parents. The deadline for registration is Friday 30 September, to enable the processing of applications and seeking of references from junior schools.

There are still plenty of opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the College before the Entrance Exams, including our Open Morning on Thursday 22 September from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Our Open Morning will allow prospective families to look around the school and experience school life. 

Our Year 6 Taster Days are also a great way for your prospective pupils to really experience Princethorpe. Our Taster Days typically involve four lessons, a question and answer session with some of our current pupils and the chance to talk to the Headmaster, Mr Hester.

We have three sessions available on Tuesday 13 September, Thursday 15 September and Tuesday 27 September for those who are in Year 6 and have not had the chance to attend a previous Taster Day.

All our events are by appointment. To book your place click here

If you have any queries relating to admissions please feel free to email the Admissions Team at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call them on 01926 634201/297.

Thanks to the hard work of the construction team and plenty of fine weather, work on Princethorpe’s new Science Centre continues to make great progress. The project has now reached week 26 of the build, so it is almost halfway through.

The College’s new Science Centre is situated at the top of The Lime 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 by the end of the Trinity Term the steel framework was in place. Since then, Trendgrey Construction Limited’s dedication has helped the build make significant progress. A lot of the super structure brick work is now complete, particularly at the west end. Inside on the ground floor, the beam and block floor is laid and the partition walls are going up. The drainage works are finished, and the first fix of the electrical and mechanical works is underway. The rafters for the main roof are also being installed. Shortly, the roof trusses will be craned in and the focus then will be to get the building watertight.

In the first few weeks of term, pupils will be asked for their help in collating material for a time capsule that will be buried in the entrance hall of the new building and then we will be looking forward to the topping out ceremony.

As you can see in this latest time lapse clip, it’s all very exciting for us all here at Princethorpe!

https://vimeo.com/745816313/91a081ff71

Princethorpe College is celebrating another year of excellent exam results.

Out of a cohort of 127 students who completed their A-levels, BTEC and Extended Project Qualification this year, 45% of all A-level grades achieved were A* or A with overall 95% of grades at A* to C. Impressively, 34 high-flyers achieved three or more A*or A grades; special mention to Freya Caine, Sebastian Dibb, Caitlin Mason, Ben Scares and Ciaran Smith who all achieved four A*s.

At GCSE Princethorpe pupils also performed well, from a cohort of 127 pupils over half (54%) of all entries received the coveted 9, 8 or 7 grades and 39 Year 11 pupils achieved eight or more 9, 8 or 7 grades. There were many exceptional personal achievements, with stand-out performances from Oliver Llewellyn, Dina Parmenter, Amy Hogg, Joe Newborough, Harry Kelly and Daisy Southgate, who all achieved an outstanding seven or more grade 9s.

Ed Hester, Headmaster, commented, "We are delighted with the excellent results our Sixth Form students and Year 11 pupils have achieved against a backdrop of unprecedented challenges over the past two years. Their results reflect their hard work and perseverance, all credit goes to our pupils and staff for their commitment, collaboration and hard work."

He continued, "We are proud of their academic achievements, but all these pupils have many other fine qualities: kindness, respect and a strong sense of right and wrong, which will be tremendously important for them as they move on to the next phase of their lives. We congratulate them all on their well-deserved success."

Don’t miss your last chance to leave your mark on Princethorpe’s new Science Centre.

Most of the Elements for Princethorpe’s new Science Centre have been snapped up by generous benefactors who will now see their name engraved on an element in the striking Periodic Table display situated upstairs on the first floor. They have proved a popular choice, so why not choose one for your family? Or choose a Brick or a Paver to leave your mark on Princethorpe College for generations to come.

The College is committed to raising a proportion of the funds needed for the new Science Centre through fundraising. There are many ways in which individuals can get involved, from smaller donations for names on a Brick, Periodic Element or Paver to more significant donations for naming equipment and laboratories. It’s fantastic to see the Princethorpe community joining together to make the vision for Science a reality.

The closing date for donations is Friday 30 September so don’t miss out. For more information, and to take advantage of this one-off opportunity, please visit the school website here or contact the Development office at makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk. Donations can be paid over a period of months, please contact the Development Office for more information.

At the start of the summer holidays six pupils competed for the Warwickshire Schools Team at the English Schools Athletics Championships. Then, Upper Sixth Former, Cameron McGregor, Lower Sixth Former, Lucy Randall, Year 9, André Onyekwe, Year 9, Olivia Monk, Year 8, Grace McCollin and Year 8, Penelope Jones travelled up to Manchester to compete in the event. 

It was such a fantastic achievement for these pupils just to be selected to compete, but to have six athletes reaching the standard was super exciting for us all here at Princethorpe College and we were proud to have had the most pupils ever to be selected from one school for the Warwickshire team.

The young athletes competed in the 400m, Javelin, High Jump, 100m, Hurdles and Long Jump respectively and we are delighted to share that Cam ran an outstanding race to claim the Gold medal in the 400m while André soared over the bar to also take Gold in the High Jump. Lucy also threw a personal best in the Javelin. We are hugely impressed with their commitment and dedication to their sports and are incredibly proud of them all. These young people really are up there with the top athletes in the country for their events and we are really looking forward to seeing them achieve more athletics success this school year.

Friday 2 September was an exciting day for the new Year 7 pupils who are joining Princethorpe College this academic year.

For this latest generation of Princethorpians, the Activity Day was all about meeting their new classmates, familiarising themselves with the layout of the school and getting a feel for the sorts of lessons they can expect. It was also a great opportunity to generally ask questions, allay any fears and ease their transition to secondary school.

Our incoming Year 7s arrived looking excited and a little bit nervous. During their action-packed day they participated in fun team building activities including a scavenger hunt, took part in Science or Technology lessons, a Year 7 Chorus rehearsal and enjoyed an afternoon Games lesson.

We saw plenty of smiling faces and it was clear that everyone was making new friends. It was a flying start to secondary school that will have helped them get ready for the beginning of the Michaelmas Term.

Princethorpe College is welcoming plenty of new faces this Michaelmas Term, as in addition to all its new pupils, the school also has a number of new staff members who are joining, or who have recently joined, the College.

Pictured here on their Induction Day our new staff enjoyed an informative and busy start to their time at Princethorpe. Together they bring a wealth of new experience to the school and we extend a very warm welcome to them all.

Joining the College teaching staff are:

Madeleine Hughes - Teacher of Endglish
Joe Jackson - Head of Boys’ Games
Ed Musson - Teacher of Computer Science
Megan McDonagh - Sports Coach
Gabor Toth - Teacher of Mathematics
Harry Walters - Teacher of PE and Games
Milly Hemmings - Learning Support Assistant
Georgia Newborough - Graduate Teaching Assistant

Joining as trainee teachers are:

Megan Harcourt - Trainee Teacher
Farah Khan - Trainee Teacher
Lucia Mander - Trainee Teacher
Chloe Smith - Trainee Teacher

Joining the College support staff are:

Anthony Bocking - Evening Caretaker
Dekk Brain - Senior Estates Technician
Sally Chadwick - Library Assistant
Chella Franklin - Academic Systems Co-ordinator
Molly Geehan - Marketing, Admissions and Communications Assistant
Catherine Lewis - Archivist
Claire Phillips-Gore - PA to the Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Pastoral Office Manager
Neil Wotton - Evening Caretaker
Sara Young - Health and Safety Manager

On the last Sunday of the Trinity Term over 40 Sixth Formers and 12 staff laced up their walking boots and took on the challenge of walking 24.7 miles for the charity Mary’s Meals.

Starting at the Queen’s Head Pub in Meriden they followed the official Coventry Way route for 17 miles to Ryton before finishing with an eight-mile loop back to Princethorpe College. Thankfully the weather remained clement on the day, so conditions were kind to our wonderful walkers.

First over the line was recent OP and Estates Assistant James Walker, completing the distance in seven hours on the dot, he was followed swiftly by Ben Hardy, George Landreth and Oscar Page. They were followed home by a procession of weary but jubilant walkers.

Organiser of the event and Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Mr Rod Isaacs, commented, “As always, there was a wonderful spirit of camaraderie along the route. Everyone was helping each other and keeping focused on the aim to raise as much money as possible for impoverished children around the world.”

Through the College’s fundraising, 622 children at Makalanga Primary School, in Malawi, are already receiving a daily meal in school each year.

Thanks to the generosity of so many, over the years Princethorpe College has raised well over £110,000 for Mary's Meals, from sponsored cycle rides and welly-wanging to cake sales and the PTA’s Burn’s Night Quiz, as well as our epic Sixth Form sponsored walks.

Thank you so much to all who walked and to everyone who has donated, it was a truly herculean effort Of course, with the start of a new school year, the fund raising begins once again and if you would like to help get us of to a good start then you can make a donation here.

We have great pleasure in unveiling the OPs' events calendar for the forthcoming academic year.

This year's calendar features some of our regular favourites including the OPs vs College Sports Day this Saturday 3 September and the popular London Meet on Friday 30 September once again in Covent Garden. Our spring meet moves back to Leamington at The Royal Pug on Friday 10 March and the Summer Supper Reunion will take place on Friday 23 June, this time celebrating the leavers of 1973, 1983, 1993, 2003 and 2013, although leavers of other years are also most welcome.

All OPs, past parents and staff are welcome to participate in any or all of the events. Click here to download the calendar or visit Princethorpe Connect, our new online community to register and book on events.

You can also visit the Old Princethorpians section at www.princethorpe.co.uk/ops for more information on Old Princethorpians.

Saturday 3 September - 10.30am to 4.30pm

We are looking forward to the 11th annual Old Princethorpians vs College Sports Day (and 13th John Shinkwin Trophy Match) tomorrow, Saturday 3 September. 

We are planning to repeat our previous format with a relaxing day that mixes sporting matches with music, a complimentary BBQ and ice cream van and a subsidised 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)

4.15pm - After Match Awards by the BBQ

Do come along and support all the teams! 

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
Tuesday 13, Thursday 15 and Tuesday 27 September 

Our Taster Days are great for prospective pupils to experience school life at Princethorpe. Typically they involve four lessons, a question and answer session, with some of our current pupils, and the chance to talk to the Headmaster, Mr Hester. Snacks and lunch are provided and there is no charge for the day. Parents of prospective pupils who have yet to attend a Taster Day can book their child a place here. 

Open Morning
Thursday 22 September 10.30am to 12.30pm

The College's Open Morning will give 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.

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

September 2022

We will be holding two Headmaster's Quizzes in the Michaelmas Term as follows:

Friday 16 September - for parents of pupils who are new to school (Year 7) and

Friday 23 September - for parents of pupils who are in Year 8

Sunday 18 September 2022 - 2.00pm to 4.30pm

This September the College will once again be participating in the Heritage Open Day festival and you are all invited to come for a tour.

Built in 1832, St Mary's Priory was one of the first Catholic buildings built in England after the Reformation and until 1966 it was home to a congregation of Benedictine nuns. The Priory was then purchased by The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart who established Princethorpe College. Today Princethorpe is a fully co-educational Catholic independent day school.

The Foundation's Archive team will be conducting free tours of the College on Sunday 18 September from 2.00pm to 4.30pm where they will share the history of our magnificent building and the amazing people that made it the place it is today.

It's always a popular event and all are welcome to come along.

Monday 19 September - 6.30pm to 7.30pm

The College's Admissions Team will be holding a Virtual Parents' Q & A session on Monday 19 September from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

The event will be a live streamed Q & A session with Mr Ed Hester (Headmaster), Mrs Vanessa Rooney (Registrar) and the senior team. This is a chance for parents’ to ask our Admissions Team questions relating to the admissions process and Entrance Examinations Day in an informal forum before the registration deadline of Friday 30 September.

If you would like to attend please click on this link, where you will also be able to submit any questions in advance.

Tuesday 20 September - 7.30pm

On Tuesday 20 September at 7.30pm Dr Nick Baker will present a fascinating talk on the myth, legend or reality that was King Arthur.

It is thought that King Arthur was a British warrior who, in the late fifth and early sixth century, defended Britain against hordes of invading barbarians. Although early records for this military superman are few and far between, Arthur has featured in popular culture for centuries. Geoffrey of Monmouth, a Welsh cleric, famously promoted Arthur in his History of the Kings of Britain (1136), a history book which details the king’s birth at Tintagel Castle. Later still, Medieval romances speak of Arthur’s chivalrous behaviour, his Knights of the Round Table, Excalibur and the enigmatic Merlin. His bones were unearthed by the monks of Glastonbury in 1191, which formed part of an elaborate hoax to put Glastonbury on the map! Arthur has also been the subject of cinematic treats like Walt Disney’s The Sword in the Stone (1963), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981). 

This talk will attempt to introduce the historical evidence for Arthur and separate fact from fiction. It will also consider the diverse ways he has been portrayed in literature, art and film, over the centuries. The audience will then be able to make up their own minds about the ‘real’ King Arthur!  

The presentation will take place in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre.

You can reserve your place by clicking here 

We look forward to seeing you and enjoying the evening together.

Tuesday 20 September 2022  - 5.30pm to 7.00pm

Year 8 pupils and their parents are invited to compete in our annual 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 29 September 2022 - 6.30pm to 8.00pm

Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery in Kenilworth, are hosting a dedicated Nursery, Reception and Year 3 Open Evening on Thursday 29 September from 6.30pm.

This Open Evening is a dedicated evening for prospective families wishing to join Little Crackers Nursery, Reception or Junior 3 in September 2023 and beyond. 

The evening will be split into two sessions with the first session dedicated to those looking for Nursery and Reception places and the second session dedicated to those looking for Junior 3 places. This is a perfect opportunity to see the school and talk to key members of staff who will be teaching and supporting your child.  

To book your place please click here. 

If you can't make the Open Evening but would like to look around the school, you can now book a personal tour here or call our Registrar, Mrs Jenny Vaughan on 01926 514410 or email admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk and come on a day to suit you.

For more information visit www.crackleyhall.co.uk

Tuesday 4 October 2022, 7.00pm to 8.00pm

The Crescent School, in Bilton, Rugby, is opening its doors for a dedicated Open Evening on Tuesday 4 October 2022 from 7.00pm.

This Open Evening is for prospective families wishing to join Reception or Year 3 in September 2023 and beyond.

The evening will have dedicated presentations depending on which year group you are interested in. There will also be opportunities to look around the school, visit dedicated classrooms, such as the Science Lab and IT Suite, as well as speak to key members of staff. Joe Thackway, Headmaster, will also be available to answer any of your questions you may have about the school.   

To book your place please click here.

If you can't make the Open Evening but would like to visit the school, you can now book a personal tour here, or please call our Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley on 01788 521595 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk and come on a day to suit you.

For more information visit www.crescentschool.co.uk

Please see the document here for information about EPQ.

Following the distribution of exam results the period for making enquiries about results continues until 5.00pm on Wednesday 28 September. The options still available are a review of marking and/or requesting a copy of the exam script here. If Edexcel is the exam board it is still possible to request a copy of the script before deciding whether to request a review of marking, the other exam boards will no longer provide a copy script before the deadline for requesting a review.

Anyone considering a review who needs a breakdown of individual paper marks, or who needs to know if they are close to a grade boundary, can ask me or the Head of the relevant department.

To apply for any post-results service please complete the form enclosed in your results envelope, or a copy can be downloaded here. Please note that all fees are per candidate, per component/paper/unit. If the exam taken had more than one written paper pupils must make clear which paper they wish to have reviewed.

If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Shellagh Dodds
Examinations and Assessments Manager

Please see the link here for the equipment pupils will be expected to have for the start of term.

Kind Regards

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Medical Centre staff would like to welcome pupils back after the summer holidays and hope both parents and pupils enjoyed a lovely break.

If the medical needs of your son/daughter have changed over the holidays please do let us know so we can support them whilst they are at school.

Email PCMatrons@princethorpe.co.uk or telephone 01926 634214.

Paula Greig
Senior Matron

Please be aware that individual portrait photographs will take place on Monday 5 September for all of Years 7, 10, 11 and 12 and pupils new to Princethorpe College. Biometric fingerprinting will also take place for pupils new to Princethorpe College to enable them to use the cashless catering service.

There will also be a Whole School Photograph on Friday 9 September. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

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.

We would like to remind Sixth Form students that high standards of personal appearance and presentation are expected of them at all times. Our Sixth Formers are the main ambassadors of the College and role models for the lower school pupils.

Please click here to download a copy of the dress code. If you are in any doubt as to the suitability of items you purchase during the summer, please retain receipts and consult myself, Mr Vella or Mrs Allen before you wear them.

Please pay close attention to the sanctions which will be incurred if you do not adhere to the dress code.

Ben Collie
Head of Sixth Form

Welcome back to all our Sixth Form students after the summer, and a particular warm welcome to the new Lower Sixth. We enjoyed meeting you all at the Induction Day on Friday.

Car parking permits

For any queries please email me at bencollie@princethorpe.co.uk and I will reply to you as promptly as possible.

UCAS and Careers

Any questions about UCAS or careers related advice please contact Mrs Quinney directly by email at jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk.

Lower Sixth Reminders

Lower Sixth Trip to Dearne Valley Outdoor Centre

Friday 23 September to Sunday 25 September. A letter with further details will be emailed home.

Upper Sixth Reminders

Upper Sixth UCAS Q&A session (Sixth Form Centre and Online)

Thursday 29 September from 6.00pm - 7.00pm

With best wishes for a successful Michaelmas Term.

Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form 

Some degree courses require students to take an admissions test as part of their application. It will be stated in the entry requirements for the course and Sixth Form students can check with their tutor or a member of the Sixth Form Leadership Team. Registration for these tests is now open and must be completed by Thursday 29 September 2022. Late registrations are not accepted.

The BMAT test has a fee of £75 all other tests are free.

Tests take place in school during October and early November depending on the subject, individual test dates are shown on the back of the registration form.

To be entered for a test please complete the attached form here and return to the examinations office before the deadline.

Shellagh Dodds
Examination and Assessment Manager

From 1 September 2022, all Work Experience correspondence should be sent to Jacqui Quinney, Head of Careers at jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk.

Maybe you were lucky enough to get away over the summer holidays and now there are a few foreign coins or notes lurking in a pocket or a handbag?

Why not round them up and put them to good use? All donations would be gratefully received and all money raised will be split between UK projects of the SVP (St Vincent de Paul Society), including support for the homeless, elderly, handicapped and those coming out of prison and an overseas SVP project helping to fund secondary school education children - especially girls - in India. Click here to discover what the SVP organisation is about and how your donation can help.

The money can be current or out of date, British or foreign; anything is welcome.

Click here and watch the video to see how cash4coins works. This is what you can donate:

• All foreign coins and banknotes
• Current UK coins and banknotes
• Any old British and Irish money
• Even obsolete currency

Please send in money in a strong envelope labelled ‘Rod Isaacs - Cash4Coins’. This can be handed in to form tutors to pass on.  We raised nearly £170 last year. 

Many thanks

Rod Isaacs
Assistant Head of Sixth Form

A warm welcome to the Michaelmas Term programme of Physical Education and Games at Princethorpe College. 

Our PE and Games Department have created a helpful guide for pupils and parents ahead of the Michaelmas Term 2022 which includes further information about: 

• Team coaches and how you may contact them
• Instructions on how to access the Princethorpe Sport app
• Information about fixtures, including selection and cancellations
• Sports kit expectations
• Postcodes for away fixtures (which can also be found in the Michaelmas Termly Calendar)

If you have any questions, please direct them to your son/daughter's team coach or email myself, Lee Cassell (Foundation Director of Sport), Jen Law (Head of Girls' Games) or Joe Jackson (Head of Boys' Games).

Lee Cassell 
Foundation Director of Sport 

This academic year 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 link here
• 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

Thursday 15 September 2022
Sixth Form Centre Dining Room - 7.00pm

The PTA extend a warm welcome to all, and hope you will be able to join us for cheese and wine at the PTA AGM on Thursday 15 September at 7.00pm.

The AGM will give new and current parents an opportunity to find out what the PTA does for the school, and how you could help us by supporting activities such as Open Days and the Christmas Fair and Summer Fête.

There will be an opportunity to meet other parents, those who are new to the PTA and existing members. We have a number of parents who are involved in the PTA to differing degrees. As well as welcoming those parents who may wish to join us on the committee – we also very much welcome parents who may be able to spare an hour supporting the fairs or welcoming visitors to the school on Open Days. It really is an excellent way to get involved with school life, and you can offer as little or as much of your time as you feel is possible.

Our main aim is to provide the ‘extras’ for the school which are very much appreciated by pupils and staff alike; we support events such as Trips, House Activities Day, Planet Princethorpe, the Library and Proms.

If you are interested and would like to discuss what is involved in being on the PTA please feel free contact the Committee at pta@princethorpe.co.uk. 

We hope you will be able to join us on the night and very much look forward to meeting you.

Princethorpe PTA

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.

Welcome to the start of the new academic year. We are very much looking forward to getting the Co-curricular programme up and running on Monday 5 September. Please find the link here to the Co-curricular timetable. 

These are just an example of the range of activities in offer this term. Please do look through the timetable and see whether Beekeeping, Magic, Knitting or Jewellery design spark your interest. 

We are also looking forward to welcoming parents back on site to watch the Michaelmas term fixtures programme. Please use www.princethorpesport.co.uk or MySchoolPortal to know when the fixtures are, their venues and whether pupil shave been selected. 

The Drama Department rehearsals are in full swing and we look forward to seeing the pupils perform in A Christmas Carol in December while the Music Department are incredibly excited about the String Orchestra and Concert band after school clubs.  

Good luck this academic year and I hope that every pupil finds something in the Co-curricular plan to get involved with. 

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

Information for those interested in enrolling in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme this year will be distributed over the coming weeks. This will start with an opportunity for pupils to express an interest in tutor time. 

There will be an assembly for Year 9 pupils in advance of the Virtual Parents’ Presentation on Tuesday 13 September, 6.00pm - 7.00pm, online. Parents of Year 9 pupils are particularly welcome as we hope to recruit the whole year group to complete their bronze award this year.   

Following the Virtual Parents’ Evening enrolment materials will be available on the Flagpole and MySchoolPortal.

Here is a reminder of the eligibility criteria: 

Award Stage    Age Requirement 
Bronze              Year 9 
Silver                Year 10 
Gold                 16 years old (must be in the Sixth Form) 

I look forward to welcoming pupils onto the scheme this year. 

Please continue to prioritise signing off your volunteering, physical and skill sections. Many have already completed their award in full. Guidance can be found on a DofE Completion email sent to you and your parents, the advice documents are also available on MySchoolPortal.

Lunchtime drop-in clinics start next week, day and location tbc. I will aim to hold the Certificate Presentation Evening in February 2023. However, the final deadline for completion for those aiming to move from bronze to silver is October half term, for those stopping at bronze it is Christmas. 

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education - DofE Manager

The GCSE Year 11 Geography Trip to Preston Montford (Shropshire) departs Monday 26 September and returns Tuesday 27 September.

Tuesday 13 September - 6.00pm (Online)

More information regarding the Year 7 Trip to Whitemoor Lakes, which departs on Friday 23 September and returns on Sunday 25 September will be available at the Parents' Information Evening (online) on Tuesday 13 September at 6.00pm. 

We will email you a link to access this online event in advance of the meeting. This meeting will give parents and pupils an insight into activities and arrangments. This will be a fantastic weekend which will give our new Year 7s an opportunity to make new friends and have fun.

In the next few days you will receive an email via Evolve which will ask for your consent for this trip and a request for further information. Please could you send the information as soon as possible as we're working to very tight timeframes for this trip, thank you. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

A reminder that those wishing to book a new single or return bus pass or ad hoc journeys should do so from our bus website here. To do so you will need to first set up an account. The site shows clear information on all bus routes, stops and fare information.

Bus passes are booked on an annual basis and are invoiced termly, starting with the Michaelmas Term fees. Payment must be made by the start of each term in order to guarantee the place.

Ad Hoc Journey Bookings
All ad hoc users must pre-book a seat to travel. A £10 penalty fare will be charged per journey for those who fail to do so. You are able to make multiple ad hoc journey bookings at the same time. All ad hoc journeys must now be paid for at the time of booking using a debit or credit card.

Bus Passes
All new bus pass users will be issued with a Swipe Card during the first week of term. For ease of use we will also be issuing all new and existing bus pass users with a digital wallet pass, similar to those used for plane and train travel, which they will be able to load onto their mobile phone. More information about this will be sent before the start of term.

Safety
The safety of pupils using the bus service is of paramount importance. We ask parents to talk to their children about how to keep safe going to and from the bus stop and ensure they know what to do if the bus doesn’t arrive. There is a briefing for pupils who use the bus service at the start of each academic year. The College’s risk assessment of the bus service is attached here and a copy is also on the Parent Portal.

Buses Customer Service
Vectare, our transport consultant, will now be handling the customer service for the buses on the College’s behalf, the Vectare team are very familiar with our bus routes and do this already for a number of schools with great success. They will provide parents with support between 6.00am and 10.00pm, 7 days a week. For any live operational matters (i.e. stood at a bus stop), please call Vectare on 0115 777 3185. For any matter that is not live, and operational, please use the contact form on the website, or contact them via email at princethorpe@vectare.co.uk.

Should you have any queries relating to any of the above information please do not hesitate to contact the team at Vectare and they will be more than happy to assist.

Users of the PC1 Service were emailed this week with an update which comes into play from Monday 5 September. The changes apply to the morning service only.

Five stops at the start of the service will now be operated by a Princethorpe College minibus and driver with the following later timings.

07:40 Barby - Arnold Arms, corner of Kilsby Lane
07:42 Barby Primary School
07:50 Ashby St Ledgers - St Leodegarius Church
08:02 Braunston - Fish and Chip Shop
08:03 Braunston Church
08.21 Princethorpe College

This morning service will be called PC1A – Barby and will have a very limited number of seats. All those currently booked with a pass on these stops will have a seat in the morning.

This change will enable us to make more seats available on the main PC1 service and also make it possible to start the PC1 service in the morning at West Haddon – Crown Lane, followed by a stop at the Post Office in Crick. The West Haddon stop falls within fare zone C, but we will honour the B zone fare for those moving to this stop who have already booked a single or return pass for this year.

The Kilsby – Junction of Main Road/Ashby Road stop will no longer be available in the morning. All pass users for this stop live in the Crick/West Haddon area so will be better served by the new morning stops.

The timings will be as follows:

07:23 West Haddon

07:29 Crick – Post Office

07:35 Kilsby – A428 Halfway House Stop

The service will now be called PC1 – Rugby East. And the route will then follow the remaining stops and published timetable.

The afternoon service for the PC1 - Rugby East will remain unchanged to that initially published.

We hope this will come as good news to the large number of users from the Crick/West Haddon area who will now have a more convenient morning stop and those from Barby, Ashby St Ledgers and Braunston who will now have a much shorter morning journey time.

If you would like to adjust the booked space for your child, please follow the below process:

1. Visit princethorpe.vectare.co.uk
2. Login using the same details you used to make your booking
3. Select 'My Account'
4. Select 'Orders'
5. Select the relevant booking
6. Select your child
7. Select the 'change stop' button next to the relevant journey
8. Select the journey that you would like. 

Alternatively, the video here shows how this can be done:

To see the full route/s, please visit princethorpe.vectare.co.uk. If you have any queries about the changes please contact princethorpe@vectare.co.uk.

The College takes the safety of pupils, staff and visitors very seriously and we have taken various measures to minimise the risk of an accident involving a vehicle. Please take care when driving on campus particularly at busy times such as the start and end of the business day.

The College has updated its risk assessment on the management of traffic on site to ensure the safety of pedestrians and vehicles, these can be made available on request. Parents are also asked to discuss with their children how to keep safe. Our aim is to make it as safe and easy as possible for everyone. 

Steps drivers can take to improve safety:

• Adhere strictly to the speed limits and instructions given by College staff
• Never hold or use a mobile phone whilst driving
• Park in designated areas and never on double yellow lines
• Stop for pedestrians wishing to cross at designated crossing points
• Ensure that pupils only exit or enter cars when safely parked in designated areas
• Music should be kept to a minimum level
• Be patient, kind and courteous 

Everyday traffic

• All pupils arriving and leaving school at the normal time must be dropped off and picked up in the playground area adjacent to the pupils’ entrance and tennis courts; this is the only designated area for parents at the beginning and end of the school day. 
• The playground is closed to traffic from 9.00am to 3.30pm. Parents arriving within this period are asked to park in the ‘Short Stay’ parking (yellow hatched area between Reception and the Roundhouse) and go to Reception or the Student Hub.
• If you are collecting your child at the end of the day, please avoid arriving before 3.00pm. If you are queuing, please keep yellow hatched areas by the main gates clear to enable our estates team or emergency vehicles access.
• Please do not drop off pupils at the end of the drive as it is unsafe for pedestrians.
• For the safety of all pupils, parents are asked not to drive through the North Car Park and drop off or pick up from the Sixth Form Centre and not to park on the grassed areas.
• Sixth form parking is available only to those issued with permits. A designated Sixth Form car park has been provided next to the sports field. Permit holders must park in their designated space as issued by Mr Collie.
• For improved security, our automatic main gates close between 9.00am to 3.20pm. Should you require access during this time, please press the bell button on the keypad.
• Parking on site is very restricted especially whilst we have construction taking place on site. If you are wishing to attend the College to watch sport, please use visitor or short stay parking however, we cannot guarantee this will always be available.

Start of the academic year

The start of term is exceptionally busy and we recommend that new pupils use the bus service from the first day of term. However, we accept that some may want to be picked up while they settle into College life. To help ease the queues, we may use The Close (grass area next to the playground) at the end of the day. Trained staff will manage parking on this area and all drivers are asked to cooperate and to follow instructions. Please note, this will only operate during the first week of the academic year (5th to 9th September).

Polite reminders

• We encourage drivers to turn off their engines whilst waiting to reduce pollution
• The whole site is non-smoking/vaping

Rob Heath
Director of Estates

We have moved to a different payment platform, Global Payments, which we hope will improve the service for parents.

Parents can pay by debit and credit card and additionally by Google pay and we are hoping that Apple Pay will be available in due course.  Some further information on what the screen now looks like can be found here.

Cashless Catering Team

As we start the new term we would like to remind parents of some useful contact details.

To report a pupil absence please email attendance@princethorpe.co.uk or telephone the Attendance Line on 01926 634260.

For other enquiries please use the email addresses below:

Bus related queries - buses@princethorpe.co.uk

School Shop - uniform@princethorpe.co.uk

Medical Centre - pcmatrons@princethorpe.co.uk

School fees -  accounts@princethorpe.co.uk

General enquiries - post@princethorpe.co.uk

Lost property - lostproperty@princethorpe.co.uk

Wisepay catering - cashless@princethorpe.co.uk

Email addresses for members of teaching staff can be found on My School Portal.

Cyber-crime – please be extra vigilant

Parents are asked to be vigilant when reading emails relating to the payment of school fees and any other items to the Foundation. You can protect yourselves by only making payments to us in line with our normal, published methods. Any email offering a large discount on fees for the coming academic year if paid immediately is fraudulent.

There has been no change to the bank details of Princethorpe College, Crackley Hall or Crescent Schools and there is no intention to make any changes in the foreseeable future. Any electronic notification that appears to be from any of the Foundation schools changing these details may be fraudulent. Our bank details are available on the Parent Bills, the Online Payment Portal and in the Information Booklet for each school, and only those details should be used.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or my colleagues in the Bursary if you are have any doubts about the correct details or indeed if anything appears suspicious.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Please see below our current vacancies: 

Little Crackers

• Nursery Manager
• 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.

Please find below the Term Dates for 2022-23 and 2023-24

2022-23 (two page document) 

2023-24 (two page document)