The Flagpole

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