The Flagpole

The College is preparing itself for its Entrance Exams Day tomorrow, Saturday 5 November, with nearly 300 children due to sit the exams across four age groups. 

Comments Melanie Butler, Assistant Head Marketing, Admissions and Communications, "This year we have had particularly high levels of interest and, following a successful Open Morning in September and Year 6 Taster Days, the registrations have continued to flow in. We know that positive recommendations from current families will have played a large part in this success."

"We wish all the candidates the very best of luck, and look forward to seeing them bright and early in the morning!"

Arrangements for the Entrance Exams Day (11+, 12+, 13+ and 14+) are as follows:

Saturday 5 November 2022 - 9.30am to 3.45pm

Candidates are requested to report to the College between 8.45am and 9.30am; it is advisable that candidates should not arrive prior to 8.30am. Please enter the school via the Pupils’ Entrance in the playground. Candidates should wear comfortable clothes and bring a coat. The day is planned to give plenty of time between the exams for breaks, a hot lunch and time to play outside if the weather allows.

The examinations will end at 3.40pm or 4.20pm for those with agreed access arrangements, refreshments will be available upon collection of the candidates.

Thanks in advance to all the staff and students who help on the day and with the marking of scripts.

Nine Princethorpe College swimmers have qualified for the ISA National Championships at the London Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park, in early December, after success in their events at the Midlands ISA Swimming Gala at Walsall Gala Baths on Thursday 13 October. Princethorpe’s squad of 20 put in excellent performances helping the College achieve second place overall after the 52 events were completed.

The College’s team brought home an amazing haul of medals, with 13 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze medals collected and a number just missing out on top three finishes. Their amazing performance in the pool helped Princethorpe finish second overall at the regional event.  

For the Year 7 girls team, Issey Cleary claimed a Gold in the 25m Breaststroke in 17.75 seconds and the 25m Butterfly in 15.38 seconds while her teammate Stephanie Bolton did just as well with Gold in the 25m Backstroke in 16.50 seconds and in the 25m Freestyle in 14.41 seconds. The Year 7 Girls also swam brilliantly to take Silver in both the Medley and Freestyle Relays. The Year 8 Girls did nearly as well with Charlotte Gower claiming Gold in the 50m Backstroke in 34.71 seconds and the 50m Freestyle in 30.18 seconds while Tara Rodgers claimed Gold in the 25m Butterfly in 15.12 seconds. Then the Year 9&10 Girls team swam steadily to claim Bronze medals in both the Medley and Freestyle Relays. For the Senior Girls (Years 11,12 and 13), Year 11 Lottie Hunter took Gold in the 50m Freestyle in 28.79 seconds and then Bronze in the 50m Breaststroke in 39.39 seconds.

For the boys, Year 8, George Fry put in a solid performance for a Bronze medal in the 50m Backstroke, completing the course in 36.11 seconds. In the Years 9&10 classes, Year 10 André Onyekwe swam well to take Gold in both the 50m Backstroke in 28.47 and in the 50m Freestyle in 25.26. His teammate Harrison Guest finished first in the 50m Breaststroke in 36.93 earning himself a Gold medal. The Years 9&10 Boys also took Silver in both the Medley and Freestyle Relays. For the Senior Boys, Connor Silvester finished first in the 50m Breaststroke in 34.64 and in the 50m Freestyle in 27.87 collecting himself two Gold medals.

Assistant Head Co-curricular, Neil McCollin commented, “These results are a great achievement, the result of many long hours of training for our pupils with their swimming clubs. The ISA Championships are a superb opportunity for our swimmers to showcase their skills in the competitive school environment. Princethorpe is always a force in the water, and I was delighted to watch the scores build over the day.”

The eight gold medalists have qualified for the Nationals with George Fry also being selected to compete in the Midlands Relay team.

Representing Princethorpe were – Year 7 pupils: Stephanie Bolton, Issey Cleary, Sophie McCormick and Harriet Mulhall. Year 8 pupils: George Fry, Charlotte Gower, Isabella Knipe, Ruth Oritsejafor and Tara Rodgers. Year 9 pupils: Sam Grindal, Sophie Henry, Alexa Holland and Ewan Pearce. Year 10 pupils: Amelia Fry, Harrison Guest, André Onyekwe and Mia Webb. Year 11 pupils: Charlotte Gledhill and Lottie Hunter. Sixth Former: Connor Silvester.

Back in October, pupils from Princethorpe College took part in the 2022 UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Senior Challenge, a prestigious national problem-solving competition that recognises the best young mathematicians in the country. The Challenge involves answering multiple choice questions and is sat under normal school exam conditions. The papers are then sent away to be marked by UKMT and the best pupils in the country are awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold Certificates.

The competition is aimed at students in the Sixth Form and Princethorpe selected 27 able mathematicians from both the Lower and Upper Sixth to participate in this year’s challenge. It is a demanding exercise designed to stretch and test pupils’ mathematical skills, so the College is delighted that this year, Princethorpe’s mathematicians achieved exceptional results.

Congratulations to Lower Sixth Former, Joseph Newborough, who was awarded a Gold Certificate, and took the award for best performing student in school, and to Upper Sixth Former, Edward Sharpe, who was awarded a Silver certificate, and took the award for best performing student in the Upper Sixth. Joseph performed so well that he has also qualified for the follow-on round, the Senior Kangaroo Challenge.

Silver certificates were also awarded to: Joshua Apaya, Christopher Lock, Alexander Flegg, Emma Sarkies, William Hawkins, Alex Hill, Oscar Page.

Bronze certificates were awaded to: Alexander Allison, William Gibson-Sexton, Madoc Williams, Amy Hogg, Eleanor Page, Rahul Samra, Natasha Thomas, Thomas Dodsley.

Well done all and many thanks to all the pupils who took part, we hope you enjoyed the challenge.

Theo Scoutas
Post 16 Mathematics Co-ordinator

Three talented Upper Sixth Leavers have been recognised in the Independent Schools Association Midlands Art Competition. The local round of the prestigious competition took place back before half term, on Thursday 6 October, at St Dominic’s Priory School in Staffordshire.

Art and Photography student, Grace Leigh’s stunning and atmospheric photograph Phantom Of The River took a well-deserved first place in the Key Stage 5 Photography class. Her picture was one part of her triptych that was presented at the College’s Art Show this summer. The photo is an original unedited work, and the water in the lake was by all reports very cold. This is the third year on the run that a Princethorpe student has taken first place in the KS5 Photography class.

Then Art Scholar, Tillie Benford’s compendium of drawings, Last Day Of High School took first place in the very competitive Key Stage 5 Sketchbook class. Exploring themes of nostalgia and sentimentality her sketchbook submission showcased her preparations for her final piece that was also of an incredibly high standard.

While Art Scholar, Mary Lomas’ graphite pencil drawing Reflections Of The Dark Triad took second place in the Key Stage 5 Drawing class. Her drawing of a photographer poised to take a picture featured a self-portrait and reflection.

Princethorpe College Head of Art, Paul Hubball, was delighted, commenting, “Many congratulations to Grace, Tillie and Mary. Their pieces were exceptional, a product of many hours of work as they prepared for the A-level examinations. The girls received many compliments on the quality of the work and it is marvellous to see their talent rewarded in this way.”

Feeder school Crackley Hall also scooped two awards in the regional competition celebrating the artistic talent we have across the Foundation.

Mr Hubball went on, “This year’s judges were very tough. Their experience made them look for the best technicians on show so we were very pleased to have three students recognised.”

As class winners Grace and Tillie’s pieces now go forward to the ISA National Art Competition, that takes place at the ISA Autumn Conference later in November.

On Tuesday 1 November, 26 family teams (pupil and parent) competed in the Year 7 Science Family Challenge. They watched exciting demonstrations involving fire, explosions and tricks of the mind, before tackling some challenging tasks across the fields of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. They had to apply practical skills and also answer challenging questions. Congratulations to all who took part and a special mention to our top three teams:

1st place - The Bunsen Learners
2nd place - Bow Ties Are Cool
3rd place - Pro-tons

The calibre of the teams competing was unbelievable with the winning team 'The Bunsen Learners' scoring a very impressive 50 out of a maximum of 57 points (after bonus points for team names and dragons were included).

Thanks also to our wonderful Laboratory Technicians, pupil helpers and Science staff who made the evening possible. We hope the pupils and parents all enjoyed taking part.

Look out for our inaugural Princethorpe College Science Christmas Lecture coming to the Clarkson theatre on Tuesday 13 December.

Twenty Upper Sixth History students enjoyed a wonderful opportunity to walk in the footsteps of royalty at Hampton Court Palace this week. As part of their study of Tudor England they spent a morning discovering Henry VIII’s Royal Apartments, admiring priceless Flemish tapestries in the Great Hall and sitting in the Council Chamber where Thomas Cromwell forged his new plans for the English State. A highlight of the trip was a guided tour of the site, exploring the driving forces behind the Reformation. Pupils enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to adopt the roles of Henry VIII and his advisors as they ‘tried’ the heretic John Lambert. Everyone agreed that the experience brought their study of the period vividly to life.

Over the Michaelmas half term Princethorpe’s U15 Boys and U14 Girls hockey teams travelled to the Netherlands for the first leg of this year’s annual Hockey Tour. It was great to have the exchange trip back in the calendar again, organised by the Princethorpe Sports department, over the years thousands of pupils have participated in the hockey training camp and enjoyed the opportunity to experience another country and culture.

The five-day tour had an early start and a long day of travel on Saturday 15 October. On arrival at Hopbel Hockey Club the tour party were greeted warmly and whisked away by their Dutch host families to make friends and experience traditional Dutch family life.

In addition to three days of training and tour matches the pupils and their hosts managed to squeeze in plenty of fun, including a cycling tour round Rotterdam, a tour BBQ, mini-golf, bowling and a walking tour of the local town, Den Bosch, some even managed a tour of PSV Eindhoven.

Hockey wise, we were up against some very good opposition. Princethorpe battelled well and showed great improvement throughout the course of the tour, making use of all that extra coaching and practice. In their first two matches the boys went down 1-6 and 2-6 but remained resilient were pleased to take the final match 7-1. The girls also had a challenging run just losing out in their first match 4-5, drawing the second 2-2 and then losing 0-3 in their final game.

Director of Sport, Neil McCollin, commented, “We have had another very successful hockey tour and I am very proud of all our pupils. They made the most of the intensive coaching sessions, played skilfully and gained a good insight into how another country plays the game. Unfortunately, this time both trophies stayed in Holland but the pupils represented the College superbly and we look forward to welcoming our Dutch friends back once again in April 2023 for the return leg of the tour.”

Huge thanks go to all the staff involved in supporting and running the hockey tour: Jen Law, Neil McCollin, Dominic Phelps and Paul Whitehead.

Over the half term holidays Princethorpe’s PE and Games Department took 38 Year 8 and 9 pupils on a four-day tour along the south coast. The 15th Annual Junior Sports Tour included training and matches interspersed with plenty of off-pitch activities and fun. It was a great chance for all to hone their skills and practise technique against friendly but competitive teams.

The Year 9 boys had a very successful tour, their hard work in training paying dividends with three excellent wins. They faced Portsmouth Junior Rugby Club first and comfortably won the game with a super 39-5 score line. Their second match was a much greater challenge against the disciplined and never before beaten Dauntsey’s School. Dauntsey’s proved a tough test, but the boys weathered the storm well and their resilience and effort resulted in well organised and professional tries. Head of Boys’ Games, Joe Jackson, was thoroughly delighted with their performance and an excellent 45-24 win. The boys then faced Bournemouth School For Boys claiming a third resounding victory 33-5.

Joe Jackson, said, “All three games were fantastic team efforts with Dauntsey’s proving to be the toughest test. The boys were energetic both on and off the rugby field, although I think their personal highlight was Splashdown Water Park!”

The Year 8 netball girls also had some great results in their games, and what was most pleasing was their progression throughout the tour. Fielding two teams, the girls first played Portsmouth High School with both the A and B teams winning their matches, 16-5 and 10-6 respectively. Their second fixture was against Bournemouth School For Girls. The U13A team came up against fierce competition and a team that was very well practiced. With a slow start from us the girls managed to close the score line with grit and determination, however, it wasn't enough to secure a win and the match finished with a loss 7-11. The U13B team however, played with consistency throughout their fixture and secured their second win 8-3 of the tour.

On tour, off the pitch is always a great chance to build team spirit through lots of different activities. Pupils enjoyed Splashdown, the all-action, flume filled waterpark in Poole, had time for shopping at Gunwharf Quays and of course enjoyed a competitive sunshine-y morning of games on the beach.

Head of Academic PE and Tour Leader, Hannah Carminati, commented, “There was plenty of learning for our sports teams this year and pupils made a lot of progress as they wound their way along the south coast. They were a really good group, impeccably behaved, they mixed well with their opponents and with each other, but what pleased us most was how enthusiastic our pupils all were. It made for a very successful tour.”

Huge thanks to the dedicated sports staff who accompanied the tour: Lee Cassell, Hannah Carminati, Joe Jackson and Ellie Callan. A big thank you of course to the schools and sports clubs that hosted us; their hospitality was outstanding, and we look forward to continuing the relationship with them for future tours.

Princethorpe’s aspiring young chefs showcased their superb cooking skills this week when they took part in the Springboard’s FutureChef competition. The first-round heats took place after school on Monday 31 October and Thursday 3 November with nine contestants tasked with cooking and serving up a main meal in just one hour.

The FutureChef competition challenges young people aged 12 to 16 who are keen to learn more about cooking, to cook their way through a series of rounds, allowing them to gain experience, meet professionals and develop their skills, all whilst learning invaluable lessons and getting an insight into the culinary industry.

All of our would-be chefs really wowed the judges, Jacqui Scott, Ed Hester, Grove du Toit and Lower Sixth Former, and previous competition Warwickshire round winner, Chloe O’Carroll-Bailey, with their culinary creations, serving up a range of tempting meals. From the off, they worked quickly, demonstrating technical skills such as knife work and pasta making and the finished plates of food looked tantalising and were full of flavour and seasoned expertly. What's more the contestants’ attention to detail was superb with plates polished, the food presented artistically and their work surfaces scrubbed.

It was a hard decision to choose between them all and the judges deliberated carefully as they argued the pros and cons of first one dish and then another. In the end they decided that Sophie Henry and Finlay Ross had managed to hold their nerve and execute their dishes superbly to jointly win the Princethorpe heat. The pair will now progress on to the local final where they will compete against the winners of other school heats. Henry Curnow took second place and Sophia Deery came third. If Sophie and Finlay are successful they will then have the chance to go on to the regional final, and maybe even the national final which will be held in London, in March next year.

Commenting on this first stage of the competition, Teacher of Food Technology, Jacqui Scott said, “There was so much enthusiasm, teamwork and skill shown. Pupils all cooked food to be proud of in a very short period of time. I have been really impressed with the level of interest in the FutureChef competition. It was really very difficult to pick our winners and the judges thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful we tried. We have two strong competitors going through to the next stages and I’m very excited to see how far they can go in the competition.”

Huge congratulations to our two worthy winners and well done to all of the participants who took part, it was an excellent effort all-round.

Taking part this year were Year 7 pupils: Olivia Burley, Sophia Deery and Liana Fairlie, Year 8s: Michelle Cichiri, Henry Curnow, Lola Esler and Emily Knight and Year 9s: Sophie Henry and Finlay Ross.

Princethorpe College has been delighted to welcome Sports Psychologist, and former Great Britain athelete, Hannah Dunderdale, into school to work with pupils from the Elite Sports Group this last half term. Hannah will continue to work with the pupils over the course of the academic year. She will be delivering various workshops on topics from mental preparation to anxiety strategies, with the aim of developing pupils' mental skills to support and aid their sporting performance.

"It’s been a pleasure to welcome Hannah into school, as a former athlete she brings a wealth of experience, and pupils are making the most of the opportunity of working with her to develop their mental skills," said Lee Cassell, Foundation Director of Sport.

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.  

This event is now fully booked. We look forward to welcoming those attending on Wednesday.

Wednesday 9 November 2022 - 7.00pm

We had 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 were 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

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 next week.  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.

Thursday 24 November 2022 – 5.00pm-8.30pm

The Year 8 Subject Progress Evening will take place on Thursday 24 November 2022 from 5.00pm to 8.30pm. The evening will be conducted online using SchoolCloud. We will send out detailed information in advance of the event on how to book your 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.

In light of England men’s scheduled football fixture against Wales in the World Cup, we have rescheduled the Lower Sixth Subject Progress Evening; this will now take place on Wednesday 30 November. We apologise for any inconvenient that this change causes.

January 2023

A few of our pupils in Year 11 and the Sixth Form will be taking an external exam in January 2023, the confirmed timetable can be viewed here. All pupils have been given a copy of their entry statement plus the JCQ regulations leaflet which can also be viewed here. Individual timetables can be viewed on My School Portal and room allocations will be shown here nearer the time.

Summer 2023

Next summer’s provisional exam timetable for A-levels and GCSEs can be viewed here; the JCQ and the exam boards are still finalising the programme and hope to issue a confirmed timetable by the end of the month. Entries for these exams will be made in January and submitted to the boards in February after which pupils will be able to view their own individual timetable on My School Portal. A printed copy will also be distributed.

Shellagh Dodds
Examinations and Assessments Manager

Progress Reports for Years 8 and 9 will be published on Friday 18 November 2022, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Now we are in to the second half term, it is important to recognise the stresses and demands on our Lower Sixth students. You should have noticed the level of study has increased somewhat but be aware that this level of load can cause difficulties and anxieties. Here are some tips to support your youngster.

Encourage your youngster to ask for help when they need it – seeking out a teacher before stress starts to build up is essential. This could be as simple as finding the teacher before class, chatting to their tutor or sharing worries with friends.

Stay organised – consider how your youngster is scheduling their time and ensure that they are setting aside time for each subject throughout the week. Encourage them to start assignments early, set deadlines and make the most of study periods in the school day.

Mix up your study routine – talk to your youngster about staying focused and positive during their study time. It is important that they use a variety of study techniques from using flashcards or mind maps, writing summaries and watching online tutorials to getting a friend or family member to quiz them, completing practice tests under exam conditions and working through questions from the text book.

Take time to research your post-school options – get your youngster thinking about their future aspirations. Taking time to research and make plans for post-school life can provide a nice break from studies, while also helping them to stay motivated by reminding them of the bigger picture. This may include researching institutions and courses of interest, organising things for a gap year and putting together course applications.

Stay calm and keep things in perspective – Sixth Form studies are rewarding but also demanding. Your youngster’s mental health is a vital component to success. Take time to encourage them to be involved in other activities and have a balanced life style.

For more suggestions, please click on this link.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

As part of the Year 8 Technology rotation pupils will spend 8 sessions, approximately 20 hours with homework, being introduced to, and working toward their John Muir Discovery Award.

John Muir is a world-renowned environmental campaigner, widely considered to be the father of the National Parks movement which started in America with the designation of the Yellowstone as the first National Park and spread worldwide. The Trust operated in his name offers the Discovery Award to young people, the aim of which is to raise their awareness of nature and wild places.

The Award is spilt into four challenges.

• Discover a wild place
• Explore it
• Do something to Conserve it
• Share your experiences

To complete the award pupils must.

• Complete all four challenges
• Complete the required time commitment
• Show enthusiasm and commitment
• Have an awareness of John Muir

The link here explains a little more about the Award and its aims.

In school we aim to facilitate all four challenges. Over three sessions we introduce the Award and Discover and Explore the Princethorpe site and a local nature reserve, observing and researching the fauna and flora to understand the landscape and how it is managed. There follow three more Conserve sessions when we work with and are supervised by the Princethorpe Foundation Grounds Team working on season dependent conservation and countryside management projects. In the final two sessions we complete a poster project to Share experiences and communicate with others what we have found out.

It is essential if we are to make the most of the Discover, Explore and Conserve sessions, when we spend most of the time outside, that pupils wear weather appropriate clothing and footwear that will keep them warm and dry or cool and safe from the sun depending on the season. In autumn and winter waterproofs and wellies, with hats and gloves, are the best option over warm layers. In spring and summer lighter clothes that still cover the skin and a hat if warm. Legs and arms are best covered to prevent scratches and scrapes from the undergrowth. Princethorpe sports kit can be used but does not have to be. Pupils will be expected to be in uniform prior to and after sessions and we have access to the changing rooms to facilitate this. As we will be using a variety of hand tools PPE and full training will be provided.

The time allocation of lessons with homework equates to approximately 20 hours, five hours short of the required time stipulated by the John Muir Trust. Therefore, to facilitate Year 8 pupils completing the John Muir Discovery Award we ask that families consider how they may voluntarily spend five hours fulfilling the aims of the Award in their own local area. This may include.

• Explore walk on the local footpaths around where you live
• Visit and explore a National Park on holiday
• Go orienteering or geocaching
• Ride a bike at a Forestry Commission Centre
• Create some sketches of plants in your garden
• Write a poem about nature, you could use Robert MacFarlane’s The Lost Words as inspiration
• Create an area in your garden for birds, bees or insects
• Build a bat or bird box and put it up in your garden
• Record the sounds of nature: the wind in the trees, birds and animals
• Volunteer to help with a work party at a local Wildlife Trust site
• Visit a Warwickshire Wildlife Trust woodland
• Go birdwatching, complete a plant or wildlife survey

The list is not exhaustive, and completion is not compulsory, but we hope that you may find it something fun to do to achieve this nationally recognised Award. All that we require to show how you have spent your five family hours is some form of documented evidence that can be shared with us at school digitally. All Year 8 students have been added to a Team, John Muir Award 2022-23 where your collected evidence can be uploaded. The deadline for completion is Friday 30 June 2023.

I hope many of you will join us so that we can raise awareness of the importance of wild places to us all, something John Muir was aware of nearly 150 years ago.

'Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn'.

John Muir

Simon Robertson - Teacher of Outdoor Education
Will Bower - Outdoor Education Coordinator

While the Storm Rages by Phil Earle

Based on true events, this wartime drama tells the story of a boy fighting to save his dog after the government states that all pets should be put down. Noah will not let that happen!

Instead, Noah and his friends take their pets in a leaky old boat up the Thames to try and find the animals a place of safety. It’s a journey of a lifetime and only the children’s resilience and passion for their animals and the right for them to stay alive can save them.

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

Following a recent review of our Sanctions Grid for pupils, please be aware that from Monday 7 November any incidents that result in a mobile phone being confiscated by staff will receive a HLC. This will directly result in a Friday after-school detention. 

As a school we regularly review our sanctions with the aim of making them as fair and consistent as possible.

Can I again take this opportunity to ask parents, over the weekend, to remind their children of the importance of good conduct and organisation in school. Pupils failing to comply with the Princethorpe College Code of Conduct may put themselves and others at risk of harm.

A letter will be sent out next week to parents detailing the changes to both the Sanctions Grid and our full Behaviour Management and Relationship Policy.

In the meantime, can I thank you for your continued support in these matters. If you have any queries or concerns, please do get in touch with me.

Beth Sharpe  
Deputy Head - Pastoral

Welcome back. This will be a busy half term leading up to the Christmas break. 

First of all a huge thank you to Zara, Amber, Jess, Isy, Grace, James, Noah and Ruby for making our Assembly so special this morning.

In case you missed it, here is a link to the Revision Skills talk by Mrs Pascoe-Williams. 

We have added new car parking spaces, as promised, and will start offering them out soon. We will review again in January to see how many more students have been successful in this 'right of passage'. Our long-term aim is to increase student parking and the Estates team have highlighted a number of areas where this could be done in the future. 

As the weather turns, please make sure students leave plenty of time for their journey into school and drive carefully while they gain more experience driving in these wintery conditions. On campus, please continue with the excellent driving behaviour we have seen so far this term, and please remember to reverse park when possible. 

For any queries please email me 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.

Key Dates

Friday 18 November at 7.00pm - Prize Giving at Butterworth Hall 

Tuesday 22 November - Year 11 Immersion Day with Sixth Formers helping out

Friday 25 November - Sixth Form Christmas Tree Decorating in the Sixth Form Centre

Tuesday 13 December - Care Home lunch in the Sixth Form Centre

Wednesday 11 to Wednesday 18 January - Business and Sports BTEC examinations

Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 January - Upper Sixth Mock Examinations

Friday 13 January - Upper Sixth Mock reports available on My School Portal

Wednesday 18 January - Upper Sixth Subject Progress Evening

Tuesday 7 February - Interview Skills Day

Saturday 18 March - Careers Fair

Upper Sixth Social on Friday 9 December - Reminder

The next Upper Sixth Social will take place on Friday 9 December with a Winter Wonderland theme.

Best wishes
Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form 

If you are exploring career options here is an excellent opportunity to go along to the Birmingham office of PwC and find out what a career with them could offer you. You’ll have the opportunity to learn more about their School Leaver Roles, Virtual Insight Week programme and their Flying Start programmes. You’ll also have the chance to chat to a range of their people from different areas of the business – from senior leaders to current trainees, as well as theirsStudent recruitment team.

This event is open to students in Year 11, 12 and 13. Parents, carers and teachers are also welcome. 

Date: Thursday 8 December

Time: 5.30pm to 7.00pm

Location: PwC Birmingham Office One Chamberlain Sq, Birmingham B3 3AX

More information here. 

Once again, this year Princethorpe’s Chaplaincy Team supported the St Anne's, Wappenbury, Parish Shoe Box Appeal, providing gifts for children overseas who would not otherwise receive a Christmas present.

101 shoeboxes were assembled at the College and delivered to the local co-ordinator, Pam Hopwood, ready to bring happiness and joy at this special time of year. Estates Assistant, Andy Hadley kindly collected all the boxes from the College and the Parish and delivered them to the central collection point in Evesham. They will now be transported onwards by Teams4U.

The shoeboxes will be given to a vulnerable child, or family, through schools, nurseries, hospitals and orphanages. Teams4U share the shoeboxes through relationships with local communities as part of a long-term commitment to their children.

We are looking for a major tour match shirt sponsor for the main playing shirt which all the South Africa Senior Sports Tour tourists will wear. The sponsor’s logo will feature on the front of the playing shirt. The cost to the main tour sponsor would be £2,000.

We are also looking for a sponsor for each team’s playing shirt (boys’ rugby, boys’ football, girls’ netball, boys’ hockey and the girls’ hockey) which will go on the playing shirts. The cost of this sponsorship would be £1,000 for each team.

In addition, the following opportunities for sponsorship are available:

• to sponsor the South Africa Tour hoodie for all members of the tour – approx. £1000
• to sponsor the South Africa Tour jackets for all tour members – approx. £1000
• to sponsor the sleeve of the South Africa Tour polo shirt for all tour members – approx. £750

We hope that this gives people the variety to sponsor an aspect which suits them. Sponsorship provides a great opportunity to promote your company during the tour and afterwards when the kits will be worn during weekly fixtures. 

Thank you for your consideration. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at leecassell@princethorpe.co.uk to discuss the opportunities in more detail.

Lee Cassell 
Foundation Director of Sport 

We relaunched the Elite Sports Programme last year and now have two different groups that the pupils can be part of - the Elite Sports Performer and the Elite Sports Pathway.   
 
Pupils in Year 8, or pupils in Year 9 and above who think that they have progressed and developed in their sport since last year, can now apply to be considered for the Elite Sports Programme. 
 
Attached here is a presentation with more information and we would ask that parents complete the form here if your child would like to be considered for the Programme.  

Pupils who have shown that they are meeting the performance standard for the programme will then be invited to be part of the one of the programmes. Teams will be the main method of communication between staff and pupils.  
 
If you have any further questions please email me at leecassell@princethorpe.co.uk 

Lee Cassell 
Foundation Director of Sport 

We have been able to arrange a package which will allow us to raise some funds for the upcoming school trip to South Africa in July 2023.

A hospitality package is available for us to go and watch Coventry RFC at the Butts Park Arena in their league match against London Scottish, with the hospitality in the Formation Media Marquee.

We have 40 seats available for the match on 4 March 2023 at £78 per person (inc VAT) which includes a £18 donation to the 2023 Tour Fund.

The price includes:

• Matchday Ticket
• Three Course meal
• Welcome drink on arrival
• Access to private cash bar for pre-match, half time and post match socialising
• The option to watch the match from the XL Motors stand or from the Marquee
• A visit from a player, subject to availability and Covid rules
• Free e-programme

We did a similar event for the previous school tour in 2019 which was a great event enjoyed by all who went. 

To book your seats please could you email post@princethorpe.co.uk with the following details:

• Name of parent
• Contact email address
• Whether your son or daughter is due to be on the 2023 trip
• Number of seats you would be interested in taking up

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

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

It is always great to hear about our pupils' successes that take place outside of school; please do keep us updated if your son or daughter has won a competition, is performing in a show or competing at a high level with a sporting team outside of school, we would love to hear more. 

We would like to invite parents to submit this information to us via a nomination form by clicking here so we might celebrate these achievements in school too.  

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

Online eDofE accounts have been created and you have been sent an email with the login details. Please sign in as soon as possible. The DofE will then send a participant handbook directly to your home address.

Further course materials are being distributed at the DofE Start-Up Meetings. Attendance at these sessions is mandatory for pupils. The next steps will be discussed.

Gold - Monday 7 November – Tutor Time – the Clarkson theatre

Silver – took place Friday 4 November

Bronze - Friday 18 November – Tutor Time – the Sports Hall

Please could all new bronze, silver and gold participants complete the steps listed below by Friday 16 December.

1. Download the DofE app or find www.edofe.org

2. Login using the username and password sticker on your folder

3. Update your personal details

4. Set timescales (for example at bronze physical 6, volunteering 3 and skill 3 months

5. Complete programme planners for the physical, volunteering and skill sections. This includes;

- selecting the activity  
- inputting start dates
- setting a goal to achieve
- recording your assessor details (please speak to your potential assessor to ask permission before you upload the details)

Whilst the enrolment deadline has now passed for moving up to the next level, there is still time to complete your award from last year in full. Please continue to prioritise signing off your volunteering, physical and skill sections. 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 continue this week, lunch 1 – LG01 and lunch 2, in LG02.  The Certificate Presentation Evening takes place on Thursday 16 February 2023.  Please do prioritise signing off your sections before the Christmas break so they can be processed in time for an invite to the evening.  We would like to celebrate all of your achievements on the scheme!

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education - DofE Manager

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. 

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 click 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

Please see below our current vacancies: 

Princethorpe Foundation

• Head of Finance 
• Teacher of Mathematics (maternity cover)
• Examination Invigilator

Little Crackers

• Nursery Manager
• After Care Assistant

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.

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 - princethorpe@vectare.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.

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

2022-23 (two page document) 

2023-24 (two page document)