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