The Year 11 Subject Progress Evening will take place online on Thursday 26 January 2023 from 5.00pm to 8.30pm. Details of how to book appointments will be issued after the Christmas holiday.
Year 11 Mock Exam Reports will be published on Friday 20 January 2023 and will be available to view on My School Portal.
The Upper Sixth Subject Progress Evening will take place in person on Wednesday 18 January 2023 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. Details of how to book appointments will be issued after the Christmas holiday.
There are a few adjustments to our timetable that will take effect from January. My School Portal will update over the weekend. Pupils should check their timetable before term begins.
As we return from Christmas, Upper Sixth and Year 11 students will be sitting mock examinations. We wish them all well in their preparation for these and would like to remind all other pupils to be considerate in keeping quiet while moving around site near examination venues. Year 11 pupils should ensure that they have sufficient revision resources with them to use in the sessions when they do not have mock examinations, making sure that their laptops are fully charged.
Upper Sixth Mock Exam Reports will be published on Friday 13 January 2023 and will be available to view on My School Portal.
A few weeks ago, Dr Alex Jones joined us from Warwick University to address a full audience in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre to speak about her work as a plant scientist. It was a thoroughly engaging talk and very well received by all. If you were not able to attend and would like the chance to watch the recording, please follow the link here.
Helen Pascoe-Williams
da Vinci Co-ordinator
Please find below details regarding homework expectations over Christmas. Whilst homework is of course vital, especially for those taking external exams this coming summer, Christmas is a very important family time and it follows a long and demanding term. All pupils should make sure to include at least three days of total rest and family time.
Years 7, 8 and 9
1. No formal homework will be set for the holiday (although some pupils may have to complete homework set for the last week of the half term).
2. Pupils will be expected to catch up on any missed or incomplete work and sort any files or folders.
Year 10
1. Homework may be set for all subjects.
2. Pupils will be expected to catch up on any missed or incomplete work and sort any files or folders.
Year 11
1. Pupils should be revising for their mocks beginning Wednesday 4 January. This should include revision work as indicated by subject teachers and areas of revision that pupils have identified for themselves. Pupils should aim for at least four hours’ productive work per day.
2. Pupils will also be expected to catch up on any missed or incomplete work and sort any files or folders.
Sixth Form - Lower Sixth
1. Homework may be set for all subjects. Students should aim for at least four hours’ productive work per day.
2. Students will be expected to catch up on any missed or incomplete work and sort any files or folders.
Sixth Form - Upper Sixth
1. Students should be revising for their mocks beginning Wednesday 4 January. This should include revision work as indicated by subject teachers and areas of revision that pupils have identified for themselves. Students should aim for at least between four and six hours productive work per day.
2. Students will also be expected to catch up on any missed or incomplete work and sort any files or folders.
3. Review of examination papers and completion of corrections as directed by subject teachers.
Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Christmas and a healthy and successful 2023.
Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head – Teaching and Learning
A reminder that Year 7 pupils will begin to use devices in the classroom from January 2023.
From January, pupils in Year 7 will need to bring a device to school every day for use in lessons. The majority of Year 7 pupils bought devices through the school scheme this term for use in school. These devices will automatically be ready for use in school, with all relevant apps and policies in place.
If your child is in Year 7 and does not yet have a suitable device for use in school we would recommend the following specification:
Windows 10 or 11
Minimum 4GB RAM (8GB preferable)
Minimum 128GB SSD
Touchscreen preferable
Parents of pupils in Year 7 who have not purchased through the device scheme have been sent instructions to ensure their child’s device is setup ready for use in school, to help with a smooth start in the Lent term.
If you have any questions about this please do get in touch.
In advance of the mock exams in January, I would like to remind parents that the College subscribes to GCSEPod, an online content and revision provider to support GCSE revision. GCSEPod can support the effort, systems and practice elements of the VESPA model, providing tailored content to help your child revise.
As a subscriber, your child has access to GCSEPod’s library of over 6,000 ‘Pods,’ 3-5 minute videos designed to deliver knowledge in short bursts. GCSEPod makes learning and revision much more manageable: every Pod is mapped to an exam board, and contains all the right facts, quotes, keywords, dates and annotated diagrams that your child needs for GCSE success – all neatly organised into topics and exam playlists. Watch this short video for a quick introduction.
One of the best things about GCSEPod is that your child can download any Pod to their mobile device, and then they can watch them at any time, in any place, with or without internet. It’s like they’re carrying a whole set of textbooks in their pocket! Make sure they download the GCSEPod app from the App Store (Apple and Android are supported) to access this feature.
For more ways to support your child using GCSEPod, please visit www.gcsepod.com/parents where you’ll find lots more information and resources.
Your child can also access a helpful video on how to use GCSEPod to revise for exams on this link (pupils will need to be logged into their school account to access this video).
Your child has already been registered with GCSEPod through their school account. If you child has already activated their account they can login using the ‘Sign in with Office365’ button, using their Princethorpe email address and password.
If they haven’t used GCSEPod before they just need to activate their account by going to www.gcsepod.com and clicking “Login” in the top right-hand corner, then following the instructions below:
1) Click “New here? Get started.”
2) Select “Student”
3) Enter their name, date of birth and the school name.
4) Create a username, password, and a password hint to help them remember the password.
Once the account is activated they can login using the ‘Sign in with Office365’ button, using their Princethorpe email address and password.
If you have any questions regarding GCSEPod please don’t hesitate to contact me at andycompton@princethorpe.co.uk
Andy Compton
Assistant Head - Director of Digital Strategy
I am delighted to be writing to offer you the opportunity to purchase a Class of 2023 Yearbook and Hoody for your child.
We are working with Fizz, the UK's premier supplier Yearbooks and Hoodies, and are eagerly anticipating what are sure to be wonderful keepsakes to celebrate their time at Princethorpe.
The Hoodies will have a large ‘23’ print on the back, containing the names of all pupils in the year group, and will also feature an embroidered school logo on the front. Pupils can pick from a range of different colours in the Hoody style as chosen by the Year 11 pupils themselves. Pupils will also have the opportunity to personalise their Hoody with a name/nickname should they wish, at a small additional cost.
Our Yearbooks will feature messages from staff, portraits, photographs and comments from pupils which are sure to bring back many happy memories for years to come, and is the perfect way of capturing all of those priceless moments from the school years that have flown by so quickly.
All Year 11 pupils have the opportunity to purchase a Yearbook, Hoody, or indeed both (in previous years, the vast majority of pupils ordered both). It is essential that these orders are placed in plenty of time so that they do not miss out as there will only be one order. Orders must be placed by Monday 9 January 2023.
To place an order, please visit https://shop.fizz-group.co.uk/
Our School Unique ID is: P024672YR11
You must place an order before 9 January 2023. I cannot stress this deadline enough, as we do not want anyone to be disappointed. Princethorpe will not be able to order any spare Yearbooks or Hoodies, so please do not miss out.
All orders will be delivered direct to school for pupils to collect. Hoodies will be handed out prior to the Easter holidays and the Yearbooks will be given out on Tuesday 27 June 2023 at the Year 11 Headmaster’s Thanksgiving Service and Buffet Lunch.
Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral
