The Flagpole

Tuesday 1 November 2022 - 5.30pm to 7.00pm

Year 7 pupils and their parents are invited to compete in the 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

Wednesday 9 November 2022 - 7.00pm to 8.30pm

On Wednesday 9 November, Princethorpe College is hosting a da Vinci Lecture in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre from 7.00pm to 8.30pm. 

Dr Alex Jones, Director of Proteomics Research Technology Platform and Director of Postgraduate Taught Courses at the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick will be our guest speaker.

Moving from some quick large scale ecosystem examples, down to some molecular biology, Dr Jones will explore how wonderful and essential plants are from food and building materials, to drugs and decarbonisation solutions.  

We warmly invite students and parents to join us for this free ticket event. Refreshments will be provided. Please follow this link to book your tickets. 

Wednesday 9 November 2022 - 7.00pm

We have a good number of parents at our last meeting and it was good to see both old and new faces. It was also great that we all seem to have enjoyed Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. All found it a very engaging read with some astonishingly unexpected twists and turns. This is a gothic tale with Dickensian London as its base. Superbly researched, we are taken on a journey from London to remote mansions to asylums and back to London again with endless double crossings along the way. Certainly this is highly recommended as a read for winter evenings. 

We are meeting again in the Library at 7.00pm on Wednesday 9 November. On that occasion we will be discussing The Dance Tree by Kiran Milwood Hargrave, which has been well-reviewed, and a memoir as well: Delicacy by Katy Wix, which we are told on the front cover is a memoir about cake and death!  Do please join us whether or not you have read these texts. You will find a friendly, welcoming and unpretentious group who are always ready to try fresh reading suggestions.

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Friday 11 November - 11.00am 

On Friday 11 November at 11.00am the Princethorpe College community will gather together to silently reflect on the bravery and the selfless sacrifice made by so many of our country's service men and women.

This service will take place outside on the playground, so please can pupils ensure they bring a coat to school with them that day if the weather is cold. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

Monday 21 November 2022 – 6.00pm to 7.30pm

As part of our VESPA strategy, Princethorpe College will be holding a virtual, interactive GCSE revision evening, on Monday 21 November between 6.00pm and 7.30pm, for the parents and pupils in Year 11.

It will be hosted by Martin Griffin and Steve Oakes who have worked with more than sixty schools to develop effective character education systems using the VESPA model. During the session, Martin and Steve will explore the key principles of having a positive and proactive learning mindset and share tools and strategies for effective coaching and intervention with parents and equip parents and pupils with practical ideas and strategies to support their children throughout their GCSE courses. We do hope that Year 11 parents and pupils will be able to join us for what promises to be a very useful and informative evening.

We look forward to you joining this event. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at lizpyne@princethorpe.co.uk

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Sunday 27 November 2022 - 2.00pm to 4.30pm

The PTA Christmas Fair will take place on Sunday 27 November - a fun, festive event for all ages including:

• Christmas shopping market – choose from a range of artisan crafts, jewellery and gift
• Christmas craft room – make a Christmas table decoration
• Refreshments – mince pies and mulled wine, hot drinks and cake
• Bottle and Chocolate Tombolas
• Princethorpe student stalls
• Pre-loved school uniform stall
• Many other fun stalls

Please note the PTA can now take card payments on their refreshments and pre-loved uniform stalls.

You can also participate in the Christmas Raffle and tickets will be sent out after half-term.  We have some fantastic prizes:

• 1st Prize £250
• 2nd Prize Fortnum and Mason Hamper
• 3rd Prize £100

Plus, many more….

We would be very grateful for donations of bottles and/or chocolates in order to run the ever-popular tombolas - these can be sent in to school via the Student Hub.

And don’t forget your pre-loved school uniform! Please leave laundered uniform that is still in good condition with plenty of wear at the student hub. Thank you.

Help Needed:

If you love decorating for Christmas and would like to help in the preparation for the Fair or even at the Fair itself, we’d really like to hear from you. Setting up begins after school on Friday 25 November and runs through the weekend. We greatly appreciate any help, so even if you can only spare half an hour we’d love to see you. Please register with us on the following website app.ptasocial.com/register/princethorpecollege or email PTA@princethorpe.co.uk for more information.

We do hope that you and your family and friends are able to come along to what promises to be a wonderful festive event.

Wednesday 30 November and Thursday 1 December - 7.00pm

Our Christmas Wreath making evening has proved so popular in the past that this year we will be putting on two evenings in support of the South Africa Tour fundraising effort.

The evenings will take place on Wednesday 30 November and Thursday 1 December in the Sixth Form Centre. Arrival time will be 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start. Cost for the evening will be £25 per person and includes all materials to make your beautiful wreath, a welcome drink and mince pie.

It is open to all Princethorpe parents, staff and friends. In order to book your place(s) please click here by Wednesday 23 November. One person can book for a group of people – recommended if you would like to sit together for the evening.

There will be a bar on the night and a raffle, so if anyone has a raffle prize they would like to donate, please get in touch with Mr Cassell at leecassell@princethorpe.co.uk

Thursday 1 to Saturday 3 December 2022 - 7.00pm

The Drama Department warmly invite you to an evening of seasonal cheer!

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

An Adaptation 

One ghostly Christmas night...solitary as an oyster....

The cold hearted Ebeneezer Scrooge is taken on a magical journey with the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. 

Join us for a festive feast for all the family with Tiny Tim, Fezziwig and the Urchins.

Tickets are free and performances will take place on Thursday 1 December, Friday 2 December and Saturday 3 December at 7.00pm in the Clarkson theatre here at Princethorpe College. Please click on the day you require in order to book tickets on My School Portal.

We do hope you can join us for this event.

Saturday 28 January 2023

The South Africa Fundraising Ball is returning on Saturday 28 January 2023. It will be a night of excellent food, music and dancing and has been an enjoyable fundraiser in the past for our South Africa Senior Sports Tour.

Tickets will be limited so please save the date and we will update you with further information and how to purchase tickets in due course.