The Flagpole

It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of the third week of this term already. I am still discovering new things every day, with Knitting Club and Archery in the Refectory being my highlights of this week. In addition, I also received an invite to the Outdoor Cooking Club, attended the House University Challenge competition, witnessed towers being built in Art Club, supported our Netball and Football teams, saw various subject clinics being offered, met prospective pupils and parents at our Choral Fun Day and Sixth Form Taster Day, and attended a wonderful “Peeps at Princethorpe” evening where I went up to Mount Zion and down into the cellars. I am really getting to know Princethorpe inside and out, and it is excellent.  
 
Mock examinations are now completed, and special mention must go to our pupils who coped with them very well. It was good to welcome Upper Sixth parents and pupils back into school for their Progress Evening. Meeting parents and hearing what our senior pupils are planning for next year was exciting. Their focus is very much on the end of year exams and preparing to give the best account of themselves. However, when we are very busy or focused on an end goal, I do think we sometimes forget about the daily journey. Looking at Princethorpe with new eyes, I cannot help but be amazed at the variety of opportunities on offer. “Living for Friday” should never be the mantra for our pupils. I have challenged some of our Sixth Formers to have something daily to look forward to – this should be the case for every pupil at Princethorpe. Make the most of every day, as too soon you will be where our Upper Sixth students are. I have no doubt that they have made the most of their time at Princethorpe which is an example we should all follow. 
 
I would like to draw Year 11 parents and pupils’ attention to the reminder in the News Section about the Internal Sixth Form Scholarship Process, the deadline for which is next Monday 23 January. 
 
With the current weather, we request pupils and parents be careful around site, and also to keep a close eye on sport fixtures. Frozen pitches may lead to changes which we will communicate as soon as possible.  
 
I would like to finish with a quote that was passed to me by one of my colleagues which I really found inspirational.  
 
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled” (Plutarch, 45-125 AD)  
 
May we continue to encourage our pupils to be passionate and excited about their education at Princethorpe and the opportunities that brings. 
 
With best wishes for the weekend. 

Grove du Toit
Headmaster

Princethorpe College has a new Headmaster, Mr Grove du Toit, and last week, as he settled into life at Princethorpe, the Heads of School, Freya and Pratheesh, sat down with him to ask him questions submitted by pupils from across the school. House points have been awarded to all those who submitted questions.

The question-and-answer session was recorded and is being shared with pupils on Teams, to help them all get to know more about their new Headmaster.

This week on our social media we have also been sharing his answers, to introduce the wider Princethorpe community to Mr du Toit. If you missed the clips, you can find the full video on our school website here.

As the Year 11 Mock Reports are available from today on My School Portal, we would like to remind Year 11 pupils and parents of the Sixth Form Scholarship process for September 2023 for internal candidates and the deadline for applications which is this coming Monday 23 January 2023.

All of our Year 11s are able to apply for Sixth Form Scholarships - Academic, Art, Music, Organ, Drama and Sport. To do so they must complete a Sixth Form Scholarship Application Form and write a 'personal statement' outlining their achievements to date and why they feel they would make an excellent candidate for the scholarship (maximum 500 words).

Those pupils who currently have a scholarship, will normally retain their award for Sixth Form, but must also complete a Sixth Form Scholarship Application Form to re-apply for the scholarship.

Applications should be marked for the attention of the Registrar, Mrs Vanessa Rooney.

Depending on the scholarship, prospective award holders may be interviewed and/or take part in a scholarship assessment in February or March.

Details of any awards will be confirmed when the Sixth Form Offer letters are sent out in writing during week commencing Monday 20 March 2023. Some awards may be dependent on final GCSE grades.

The criteria for each of the scholarships can be found on our website here and in the Sixth Form Admissions Information Booklet 2023. It is essential that pupils and parents look through these in detail before making an application. The Sixth Form Application Form for current Princethorpe Year 11 pupils can be found here. The form can be filled in electronically and returned via email to admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

We hope that this will be another motivational factor for our Year 11s as they focus on their studies and revision in the build up to the exam season.

Last Friday 13 January, the Foundation’s Development Team welcomed donors to Princethorpe for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour. Organised as a thank you for those who support the work of the Foundation, over 100 visitors enjoyed a fascinating evening uncovering a little of Princethorpe’s unique history and the stories of three very special Old Princethorpians who attended St. Mary's Priory between 1900 and 1910. Visitors were given a glimpse into the lives of these special OPs and of the subsequent impact they had on the world once they left school.

In this the third ‘Hidden Princethorpe’ event, guests were first treated to a presentation by Catherine Lewis, the College's Archivist before they began their tour. They explored many of the College’s hidden places, including a visit to the Organ loft and basement, Mount Zion in the Chapel and the College cellars, areas not typically open to pupils or the public.

After all that exploring, the evening finished with refreshments and drinks and plenty of convivial chat. Development Director, Steve Kowal, commented, "We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our donors who joined us at our ‘Peeps of Princethorpe’ event. We hope you enjoyed learning more about the rich history and vibrant community here at Princethorpe. Your support, and the support of all donors to the Foundation, is greatly appreciated and helps us to continue providing exceptional educational opportunities for all our pupils. Thank you to you all for being a part of the Princethorpe family."

The event was a great success and the donors left with a deeper understanding of the College's rich history and heritage, many thanks to all the donors who attended. The College is looking forward to hosting more events like this in the future.

To find out more about the work of the Development Team please visit https://connect.princethorpe.co.uk/supportus

Princethorpe College’s STEAM Scientist competition attracted plenty of entries and Dan Lee, Head of Physics and STEAM Co-ordinator, and the Sixth Form STEAM Ambassadors, Joseph Newborough and Emma Sarkies, were delighted with the response.

Pupils were asked to choose six famous scientists representing a range of different science backgrounds, whose scientific achievements pupils felt to be exceptional, and to write a brief paragraph about each of the scientists, explaining why they had selected them to be featured on the walls of the College’s Science Centre.

The new 10-laboratory Science Centre, which is currently being constructed, has space for graphics on a number of the wall panels and the competition offered pupils the opportunity to get involved with the design of the finished building by choosing their favourite scientists to celebrate on the walls.

Year 7 pupil, Noah Walker, was chosen as the winner and visited the construction site last week, on Tuesday 10 January, to be presented with his prize. During the visit Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes and Trendgrey Construction Managing Director, Nick Henderson gave Noah, Joseph, Emma and Mr Lee a short tour of the new building that included the likely locations of the scientist wall graphics.

Noah had suggested an amazing six scientists, who in his opinion, changed the world. They included renowned scientists such as Alan Turing and Steven Hawking but also those perhaps less well known, such as Katherine Johnson, a pioneer space scientist, and Nikola Tesla, whose surname we are all familiar with, who was a physicist who amongst other things invented AC current. His six scientists also included Allen Bard, who is considered to be the creator of electrochemistry, and then a very important biochemist, Katalin Kariko, whose research into ribonucleic acid laid the foundations for the vaccines that shielded the world from the coronavirus pandemic. The competition judges were all agreed that Noah’s six scientists were excellent choices that would make for a superb display.

Eight highly commended entries, that were all awarded Da Vinci merits, included: Year 7s, Charles Packe and Jake Mainwaring; Year 10, Abigail Mandava; Year 11s, Bea Boakes, David Ikuomola, Seb Hume-Chignell and Lampros Papadogiannakis; and Lower Sixth Former, Tom Lomas.

Well done to all who took part in the competition, it was fascinating reading about your scientists and many congratulations to Noah, whose six scientists will make a superb display on the walls of the new Science Centre.

You can read Noah's winning entry here.

There's still time for parents who are interested in getting more involved in school life to respond to the recently issued Parental Involvement Survey, which was sent out by Mr du Toit last Friday.

The survey comes on the back of the Parental Questionnaire issued last term, where a good number of parents expressed interest in supporting the school across a range of areas.

As the questionnaire was anonymous, we would be very grateful if you currently do help us in any way, or would like to offer your help in the future, if you could complete the brief online form which can be accessed here, by Monday 23 January please.  Only the information on the first page of the form is a “required field”. All other sections can be completed as relevant to save you time.

Specific areas where we would welcome help include:

• Careers-related activities: doing presentations on a specific career or profession or as a business taking part in the exhibition at the Careers Fair (which will take place on Saturday 18 March 2023), interview practice and offering Work Experience
• The Parent Teacher Association
• Co-curricular and sporting activities
• Parent focus groups

A number of parents also kindly indicated that they would be interested in supporting our fundraising efforts and there is opportunity in the form to expand on that too. 

An enormous “thank you” to you all for your continued support of the College, it is hugely appreciated by both the staff and pupils.

On Monday 9 January Lower Sixth History, Politics and Law students visited the Houses of Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Royal Courts of Justice to gain insights and experiences to inform their A-levels studies.

The students toured Parliament, learning about the history of Parliament as well as contemporary debates, such as the future of the House of Lords. They then met Reece Parslow, Parliamentary Support Officer for Sir Jeremy Wright MP for Kenilworth and Southam, who spoke to the students about the routes for young people into working in Parliament and for an MP. Then it was straight off to Committee Room 5 where the students were met by Mark Pawsey MP for Rugby and Bulkington, who spoke about the role of an MP and fielded questions from the students. The Lower Sixth had a wide range of interesting questions; George Wild asked Mark Pawsey on his stance on votes for sixteen-year-olds, a topic that he is currently writing his EPQ on; Zara Simpson asked Mark what the hardest part of his role as an MP was; and Toby West asked a very specific constituent question about Ansty’s green belt.

After a quick lunch, students headed to the Supreme Court where Mrs Essery delivered a fantastic self-guided tour. The group got to visit the court rooms of the highest court of appeal in the land. From there the Sixth Formers went on to the Royal Courts of Justice, stopping to see 10 Downing Street, Horse Guards Parade and Trafalgar Square on the way.

Grey Lyttle, Teacher of History and Politics, commented, “It was a fascinating day, full of experiences, with lots of steps on the pedometer and lots of new information learned!”

Preparations for the College Careers Fair on the morning of Saturday 18 March are shaping up nicely.

Online registrations for the event, which is open to all pupils from Year 10 to Sixth Form, will open in mid February.

A wide range of speakers and organisations will be on hand to offer advice and guidance on careers, universities and apprenticeships.  To date we have representatives from organisations as diverse as the Police and Price Waterhouse Coopers to Lotus Cars and J P Morgan giving presentations, and universities from across the country, such as Cardiff, Sheffield, Plymouth and nearer to home Warwick, with stalls in the exhibition part of the Fair.

Comments, Jacqui Quinney, Head of Careers, "Attendees will be able to select three workshops to attend over the course of the morning, alongside a visit to the Careers Exhibition.  We are delighted with the breadth of careers we will have on offer, there promises to be a wealth of information and advice available."

An email will be sent to parents with pupils in Years 10 to Sixth Form in the next few weeks with a link to the online registration page and information about all the speakers.

Princethorpe College was delighted to welcome guest speaker Dr Rachel Molitor, Lecturer in Psychology and University Admissions Tutor for Coventry University, on Monday 9 January, to talk to our Upper Sixth students about making the leap from A-levels to University.

Dr Rachel’s advice was informative and constructive. Her presentation was full of useful information and insights, as she explained the advantages of going to university and what to expect when you arrive there. Dr Rachel explained how degree programmes are structured and delivered and the support universities offer using insights from her own experiences and specialism, Behavioural Psychology.

It was a fascinating, lively and timely presentation for Year 13, many thanks to Dr Rachel for joining us.

Aspiring young singers from local primary schools enjoyed a super day of song when they joined Princethorpe's Director of Music, Gil Cowlishaw, Music Teacher, Alison Wakeley, and members of the Princethorpe College Choir for a fabulous Choral Fun Day.

The Year 5 and 6 pupils tackled a variety of choral pieces from popular favourites including Pharrell Williams’ Happy and Miley Cyrus’ The Climb, to old favourites such as Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

As well as rehearsing furiously, the visiting children took part in a musical team scavenger hunt and enjoyed lunch in the Refectory.

The day culminated in an impressive gala performance of their newly learnt pieces in front of an enthusiastic capacity audience of family and friends in the College's Clarkson theatre, followed by refreshments for all.

Commenting on the day, Gil Cowlishaw said, "We were really impressed by the children. They achieved such a lot in just a few hours, learning so many songs and then taking to the stage to perform in front of an audience is no mean feat, a huge well done to them all!"

And a special thank you to all of the fantastic Princethorpe pupils who came along to support the Choral Fun Day.

Wednesday 25 January - 7.00pm

Our December book was Landlines by Raynor Winn, the third of a series of books in which she charts her extensive walking projects with her husband Moth whose Parkinson’s related illness benefits hugely but unaccountably from these expeditions. This one begins with the challenges of the Cape Wrath Trail through remote areas of Scotland, after which the couple tackle the challenges of the Pennine Way. The writing is vivid and engaging with plenty of human interest stories along the way. The writer explores the benefits to both mental and physical health of walking and evokes the impact of the natural world upon wellbeing whilst not shirking from the physical discomforts and logistic challenges of long expeditions. We all found the book uplifting in different ways.

We will be meeting again on Wednesday 25 January in the library at 7.00pm. On this occasion we will be discussing The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje and, as a bit of a lighter read, The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. Please join us whether or not you have read these particular books. We are a friendly and unpretentious group of readers, always open to new suggestions, so it is always good to welcome newcomers.

Tuesday 31 January - 4.30pm to 7.00pm

If you are interested in finding out more about working at Princethorpe College either as a member of teaching or non-teaching staff, why not come along to our A Taste of Princethorpe College – Staff Recruitment Event on Tuesday 31 January from 4.30pm to 7.00pm.

The event will be in two parts, one aimed at those interested in teaching posts and one aimed at those interested in support roles. Final details of the event will be sent out shortly beforehand.

You’ll get a tour of the College with some of our Sixth Formers, and a chance to meet the Head of Department or Manager. There will be short presentations by the Headmaster and Foundation Bursar and the opportunity to ask questions of our senior team. Light refreshments will be available.

What current vacancies are there?

We will shortly be advertising vacancies for the following departments for September 2023 or before: English, Library, Grounds, Admissions and Marketing and the role of AV Technician. We are likely to have other roles being advertised in the coming months so if there isn’t a current vacancy that suits, please still come along and meet our team and get a flavour of working life at Princethorpe.

If you would like to attend or to find out more about what kind of people thrive at Princethorpe click here.

The closing date to register your attendance is Tuesday 24 January. 

Further information on the event will be confirmed nearer the date.

Any other questions about recruitment should be directed to recruitment@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634269.

Wednesday 8 February - Saturday 11 February 2023

From the 8th to the 11th February, Princethorpe College has some kooky visitors! Join us in the Clarkson theatre as we present The Addams Family Musical - School Edition, our College Musical Theatre production for 2023. A talented cast from Year 7 right up to Sixth Form will be bringing the legendary family to life.

Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, is all grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows. She's fallen in love with a sweet young girl from a very respectable family. With his cherished Morticia in the dark, will Gomez manage to keep his daughter’s secret until the two families meet for a fateful dinner with hilarious consequences?

Join them, plus Uncle Fester, Lurch, Pugsley and more for a heart-warming story of love, family and friendship… with a twist!

Performances will take place on Wednesday, 8 February, Thursday 9 February, Friday 10 February and Saturday 11 February 2.00pm and Saturday 11 February 7.00pm.

Please click on the day you require in order to book tickets on My School Portal.

Tuesday 28 February - 4.00pm

We warmly welcome you to an informal evening of scripted and devised work from KS4 and KS5 Drama and Theatre Studies pupils.

Our Year 11s are busy in the throes of preparing their two extracts for their GCSE exam the week after and Year 10 and Lower Sixth will be presenting their original devised pieces.

Please come and support them as they would love to hear your feedback.

Please note that this evening is recommended for 14+ as there are themes and language of strong content.

Tickets are not required for this event, but to help us cater efficiently please reserve places by clicking here to book through My School Portal, no later than Thursday 14 February.

Aileen Cefaleillo and Vicky Roberts
Joint Heads of Drama

Friday 10 March 2023- 6.30pm to 10.30pm

The OPs annual Local Meet takes place on Friday 10 March 2023. We are moving back to Leamington Spa and will be meeting in the upstairs function room at The Royal Pug, 141 Regent Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 4NX.

Our local meets are usually very popular, so we are hoping for a really good turnout of OPs from across the decades to attend, plus a few former members of staff.

There will be the customary welcome drink or two and the OPs Commitee will be laying on some delicious food, so do let us know if you would like to attend by going to Princethorpe Connect and clicking on the "Register for the event" button.

Partners and friends are most welcome. We look forward to seeing you there!

Friday 18 March 2023

The PTA will be holding a St Patrick's Day Social. More information will be coming out shortly so please keep your diary free for what promises to be an enjoyable evening. 

We are always looking for volunteers so if you would like to help at this or any future event, please sign up here at the Ptasocial website or email us at pta@princethorpe.co.uk

You can also follow us on Twitter - @PincethorpePta, Instagram - @princethorpepta or Facebook - Princethorpe PTA

Year 11 Mock Exam Reports will be published today, Friday 20 January 2023, and will be available to view on My School Portal.

The Year 11 Subject Progress Evening will take place online on Thursday 26 January 2023 from 5.00pm to 8.30pm. Appointments are now available to book on SchoolCloud.

Progress Reports for Year 9 will be published Friday 10 Februrary 2023, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Full reports for Year 8 and Year 10 will be published on Friday 10 February 2023.  They will also be available to view on My School Portal.

January exam results for the IGCSE Maths candidates will be distributed to pupils on 2 March 2023.

January exam results for the BTEC Level 3 candidates will be distributed to pupils on 23 March 2023.

Summer 2023 - the whole college exam timetable can be viewed here. Personal exam timetables and exam entry statements will be distributed to pupils before half term and the information will also be displayed on the pupil and parent portals; any exam clashes will be resolved after the half term break.

Shellagh Dodds
Examination and Assessment Manager

Further to our articles in the previous editions of The Flagpole, the deadline for ordering Year 11 2023 Hoodies and Yearbooks has kindly been extended by our supplier to 8.00am on Monday 23 January 2023.

There are still some pupils in the year-group who have not ordered; we would be very grateful if you would place your orders over the weekend. If you are unsure whether or not you have completed your order, I would recommend checking your bank statements as orders are placed directly with our supplier, Fizz. 

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. This is the final extension of the date so orders must be placed by Monday 23 January 2023.  
 
To place an order, please visit https://shop.fizz-group.co.uk/

Our School Unique ID is: P024672YR11 
 
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 

We will be celebrating Year Group Eucharist for Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 in the Lent Term 2023.

• Wednesday 25 January - Year 10 - 9.40am-10.30am
• Wednesday 1 February - Year 9 - 9.40am-10.30am
• Thursday 9 February - Year 8 - 9.40am-10.30am
• Thursday 16 February - Year 7 - 9.40am-10.30am

Family members are invited to join the relevant groups in the College Chapel and to stay afterwards for light refreshments.

Please use the main exterior Chapel entrance. Car parking will be clearly indicated.

If you would like to attend please click on the relevant year group above to confirm your attendance.

If have any queries please email Mrs Mary Benham, Chaplaincy Co-ordinator at marybenham@princethorpe.co.uk

The South Warwickshire Immunisation Service will be in school on Thursday 2 February to offer all pupils in Year 8 their first HPV vaccine.

Emails have been sent to all Year 8 parents containing a link to the e-consent form. Please note this link expires on Sunday 22 January.

Year 9 pupils will be offered their second dose on Friday 3 February. If your child received their first dose of this vaccine in Year 8 then you will have already consented for the full course of two vaccines. You do not need to do anything further unless you no longer wish them to receive the second dose or something has changed medically. If this is the case please contact the South Warwickshire Immunisation team directly.

South Warwickshire schools: Tel: 01926 353899 Email: SOUTHIMMS@covwarkpt.nhs.uk

Vaccinations will take place in the sports hall and pupils will be emailed their individual appointment times. Please ensure they eat breakfast on the day and if possible wear a short sleeve shirt/blouse.

If you have any queries please let us know at pcmatrons@princethorpe.co.uk.

Mrs Paula Greig
Senior Matron 

Could parents please ask their children to check their messages on Teams as numerous messages have been sent out to pupils regarding named lost property being held at the Student Hub.    

We do appreciate how expensive some of these items of uniform are and we do not like to think of parents unecessarily buying replacements when items are being held securely at lost property waiting to be returned to pupils.

Thank you for your continued support.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

The Upper Sixth have completed a successful round of Mock Examinations and I hope the Progress Evening was a constructive and helpful evening for you all. 

We had a record number of prospective students at our Sixth Form Taster Day this week. Thank you to our Sixth Form students for looking after them so well during the day.

Student Leadership for 2023/24

We are now looking at all the applications with the Senior Leadership Team, and next week we aim to invite students to interview for Prefect positions. 

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

Tuesday 7 February - Interview Skills Day

Saturday 18 March - Careers Fair

Thursday 29 June - Upper Sixth Thanksgiving Eucharist and Buffet Supper

Wednesday 5 July - Upper Sixth Leavers' Ball 

Best wishes

Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form 

Coinciding with National Apprenticeships Week, which takes place from 6 to 10 February, this event will give students the opportunity to hear from current and past engineering apprentices to find out what is involved in undertaking an apprenticeship and the opportunities they present.

Potential career paths will be explored as well as sessions with members of the WES Apprentice Board and BAE Systems, plus a networking event led by National Grid including a Q & A session. 

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity please register here. 

During an NHS healthcare virtual work experience day, students will follow two patients from their initial presentation to recovery. They will gain a unique insight into how patients interact with a variety of healthcare professionals and what it’s like to work in an NHS multidisciplinary team. 

Each work experience day is completely different and students will be able to build on their knowledge of NHS careers as they see different patient cases and their healthcare professionals work in a variety of settings, such as hospital and community. For this reason they recommend that students attend one work experience a month for five months, to not only gain a deeper knowledge of multidisciplinary teams in general but also their chosen careers. Disciplines include:

Nursing
Midwifery
Paramedicine
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy
Dietetics
Radiography
Prosthetics and Orthotics
Speech and Language Therapy
Pharmacy

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with healthcare professionals throughout each day, empowering students to make informed career decisions and demonstrate their commitment to healthcare in their UCAS applications.

Once they have registered, students will be emailed links to their virtual work experience portals.

Students are awarded a Work Experience certificate for every session they complete. Those who complete the full five month programme will be awarded a Highly Commended Reference from the Presidents of Allied Healthcare Mentor. 

Students can register individually here at any time throughout the five month programme. It is recommended you book early to gain as much out of this programme as possible. Places are £10 a session, to cover administrative and technological costs.

During February half-term two Creative Careers Fairs are taking place; one in Nuneaton and one in Stratford-upon-Avon.

These events are particularly ideal for students studying English, Art, Media and Dance. You will have the opportunity to take part in panel discussions and active workshops led by some of the creative industry’s top professionals and companies.

Companies presenting at the fairs, and on hand to talk about careers, include the RSC, Motionhouse, the School of Audio Engineering and the BBC Apprentice Hub, plus many more artists, writers and creatives who will deliver workshops and discussions about how they secured careers in this sector. 

Further details here.

To become a Warwickshire Police cadet you must live or go to school in Warwickshire, and be aged 13 to 16 years on 1 September 2023.

There are two units in Warwickshire, one in Nuneaton that covers North Warwickshire and one in Leek Wootton Warwick which covers South Warwickshire.

Junior cadets (aged 13 to 16 years) meet every Tuesday evening in Nuneaton and Wednesday evening in Leek Wootton, between 6.15pm and 8.30pm.

Seniors cadets (aged 16 to 18) meet every Thursday evening in Nuneaton or Leek Wootton, between 6.15pm and 8.30pm. They are required to do three hours volunteering per month as part of the scheme.

Please contact cadets@warwickshire.police.uk for more information. 

Staff and OPs will once again be pounding the pavements and paths this January to raise money for Mary’s Meals. Rod Isaacs, Cyp Vella, Andy Compton, Clare White, Ellie Callan and Ben Collie will be joined by OP Tom Pilling on Sunday 29 January to navigate a half marathon off road route starting and finishing at Newbold Common in Leamington.

The hardy runners are fundraising for a charity close to Princethorpe's heart, Mary's Meals, and specifically the project to feed the 600 pupils of Makalanga Primary School, near Blantyre in Malawi.

Keen to get in shape for the challenge, Rod Isaacs has also pledged to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) on each of the previous four weekends in January making it four and one for good luck.

If you would like to show your support for their intrepid efforts please follow the link below.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/princethorpemarysmeals

As part of the fundraising for the Senior Sports Tour to South Africa this summer we will be selling refreshments on Saturdays before home sports fixtures begin.

Hot drinks and cakes will be available from the Tuckshop so please come and support. 

We are continuing with the process of organising the return visit of our Dutch hosts from October 2022. We are looking forward to reciprocating the fantastic experience which our pupils received during our four night experience with the players from Hopbel Hockey club. The return dates are from Saturday 29 April through to Wednesday 3 May.

The girls and boys (mainly girls) are a variety of ages, between 12 and 15. This may be of interest if your child would like to attend the Holland visit in October 2023, however this invitation is open to all families. In order to host, we are looking for families who can offer to host a pair (or more) of Dutch visitors and willing to entertain and involve them in your family life for the four nights. We will organise an itinerary of fixtures, activities during the school day and a BBQ for our guests with their host families on the final evening. We will let you know who the other host families are so that you can organize other events together if you wish. We will supply bus tickets for the Dutch visitors should these be required but they will need to be picked up after fixtures each day from College.

Due to requisite safeguarding checks, all adults (members of the family over 18 years old) within the household must hold an enhanced DBS certificate, to be sent for by the Princethorpe Foundation, even if they currently have a DBS certificate from another employer. If you are subscribed to the DBS Update Service, please do let us know. To allow plenty of time for the DBS certificates to be received before the tour, please do book an appointment with our Recruitment Co-ordinator at recruitment@princethorpe.co.uk, to take place after Monday 30 January, as the DBS check has to be done within the three months prior to the visit. It will only take 15 minutes per person to apply for the DBS certificates, and one person from the household can bring the documentation on behalf of everyone in the household. The recruitment team are available Monday to Friday from 8.00am until 5.00pm. If you have any questions, please do contact Claire Wildsmith or Suz Jeffery on 01926 634269.  Please see the attached document entitled ‘Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks’ for the ID documentation required.

Many thanks for your continued support of Princethorpe Sport and we hope that you can continue this by hosting some Dutch guests in April. 

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

A warm welcome to the Lent Term programme of Physical Education and Games at Princethorpe College. 

Our PE and Games Department have created a helpful guide for pupils and parents ahead of the Lent Term 2023 which includes further information about: 

• Team coaches and how you may contact them
• Instructions on how to access the Princethorpe Sport app
• Information about fixtures, including selection and cancellations
• Sports kit expectations
• Postcodes for away fixtures (which can also be found in the Lent Termly Calendar)

If you have any questions, please direct them to your son/daughter's team coach or email myself, Lee Cassell (Foundation Director of Sport), Jen Law (Head of Girls' Games) or Joe Jackson (Head of Boys' Games).

Lee Cassell 
Foundation Director of Sport 

Please don’t forget that Princethorpe College PTA is registered with easyfundraising. So, even when we are not hosting fundraising events in school, we can still 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

Timetables for peripatetic music and LAMDA lessons for this term can be found on My School Portal, please follow the link here.

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 in January, 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 as we will be sending out invitations in the new year.  We would like to celebrate all of your achievements on the scheme!

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education - DofE Manager

A reminder to Y10 Silver group, your expedition training takes place in The Limes on Saturday 28 January, 9am – 4pm and Sunday 29 January 2023, 9am - 1pm.  You will receive an email with full details.

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.

The enrolment packs have been distributed at the DofE Start-Up meetings and the next steps explained. Please could all new bronze, silver and gold participants complete the steps listed below as soon as possible.  If you haven’t already, all should be aiming to start their volunteering, physical and skills sections this month.

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

2. Login using the username and password sticker on your folder (or the email sent directly to the address you put on your enrolment form).

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)

Submit your ‘programme planners’ online to your DofE Leader for approval. Once approved you can start your award.

6. Get used to the app/website by experimenting with other features, for example: manage evidence, contact your leader and DofE card.

Additional guidance will be emailed directly home, please could participants spend some time reading through this information with their parents. Further resources can be found on My School Portal.

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education - DofE Manager

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

Thursday 16 February 6.30pm

The DofE Certificate Presentation Evening will take place on Thursday 16 February 2023 from 6.30pm to 8.00pm. The event will start with tea and coffee in the Limes Atrium followed by the presentation in the Sports Hall.  

Invitations will be sent out to all who have completed everything on the eDofE website and all who completed the Gold qualifying expedition last summer.

A number of those who took part in the scheme last year have yet to complete their award.  Please follow the instructions provided in this guide to complete your sections and guarantee your invite to this exciting event.

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education

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

Monday 6 February 6.15pm

An on-line information evening for parents of pupils going on the Easter ski trip will take place on Monday 6 February at 6.15pm.

The link for the evening will be sent out in due course.

Jen Law
Trip Co-ordinator

The Malawi 2024 Expedition is a first for Princethorpe and an incredible opportunity.

The cost of the Malawi trip will be £3,290 and is built around the three pillars of School Partnership, Global Citizenship and Experience which are explained in more detail in the presentation linked below. The trip is scheduled to run from 5-20 July 2024 and will include:       

• Evening flight with Ethiopian airlines from London Heathrow to Addis Ababa and from there to Blantyre in Malawi   
• Accommodation at seven different lodges in different parts of the country  
• A visit to the charity STEKA which works with street children  
• A chance to experience the exuberant worship of a typical Sunday morning service
• Three days of classroom, sport and collaborative activities at two different schools with whom we have existing links. Mary’s Meals staff will spend half a day with us at each school. We may also visit the Mary’s Meals HQ in Blantyre
• Twenty-four hours on Mount Mulanje, the largest mountain in the country, including hiking and sleeping in a mountain hut overnight. The group will be assisted by porters and guides
• Two days at Ecolodgy Centre learning about environmental projects linked to sustainability, agriculture and business enterprise
• Afternoon safari and bush supper followed by two days R&R on Lake Malawi
• Two days at Bhubesi Pride Foundation with hands on experience of their work which centers on sport and education 
• Return flight from Lilongwe to Heathrow via Addis Ababa 
• The cost includes all accommodation and food, transport for the duration of the trip, all activities, insurance and travel to and from Heathrow airport, as well as tips and contingency money. Vaccination costs, personal insurance and money for souvenirs or personal items are not included

Pupils who take part in the trip will be expected to have a strong commitment to our College ethos, especially the ideals of kindness, hospitality and openness to others, plus a sense of humour. In addition, high expectations of pupils are expected in terms of a consistent work ethic and good behaviour in school from the moment that they sign up for the expedition. We expect and encourage all pupils to contribute towards the cost of the trip in whatever way they can.  In addition, we will decide on some charitable fundraising towards one or more projects at the two schools we will visit during our trip – for example classroom refurbishment or construction of girl’s toilet blocks. We look forward to collaborating with parents, pupils and local businesses in achieving this aim. 

Please click to view the following linked documents (but note the updated deadline for deposit payment) 

• Malawi 2024 Presentation
• Pre-Residential Trip School Behaviour Contract and Code of Conduct 
• Payment schedule and cancellation agreement
• A video about a previous Orbis Expedition can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yikGo43bg0

To secure a place on the trip: 

As it is the time of year when there is the threat of snow, it might be helpful for everyone to be familiar with the arrangements should there be significant snowfall. Where possible and if it’s safe to do so, we always remain open, even if we have to end the school day earlier than usual.

Should there be bad weather overnight, we talk to the bus companies a little before 6.00am and they brief us about their ability to operate our services. The Headmaster then makes a decision about whether the school will open.

Information will be available via the channels detailed below:

• The home page of the website www.princethorpe.co.uk will normally be updated shortly after 6.00am.
• We will also post on the College Twitter page @PrincethorpeCol and Facebook Page www.facebook.com/PrincethorpeCollege shortly after 6.00am.
• If there is likely to be disruption we will send text messages to parents’ mobiles and the mobiles of pupils who use the buses, usually by 6.30am. Please note that we are not able to receive text replies on this service.

The Estates team will respond to the severe weather with appropriate actions in line with our policies to keep the site as safe as possible. This may result in areas being closed or restricted and normal operations being adapted. We kindly request your support in adhering to any restrictions and taking extreme care whilst on site. In the case of flooding, then www.environment-agency.gov.uk is also useful. If you look under Flood and then use the river search word Leam, that will give you a good idea of the conditions around Princethorpe and the surrounding villages.

Should we have to close during the course of the day we will send text messages to let you know the arrangements.   In such circumstances we will publish regular updates on the website.  Where possible, we will make sure that our main number 01926 634200 is staffed or carries a recorded message.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

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 see below our current vacancies: 

Princethorpe College

• Teacher of English
• Admissions and Marketing Administrator

Crackley Hall

•  Teaching Assistant - KS1

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.

Thank you to all the parents who turn off their engines when they are waiting for pupils to come out of school. As a community we are striving to reduce the impact that we have on our world and turning off engines reduces our carbon impact and the emission of smelly exhaust fumes.

Eddie Tolcher 
Foundation Bursar

Cyber-crime – please be extra vigilant

Parents are asked to be vigilant when reading emails relating to the payment of school fees and any other items to the Foundation. You can protect yourselves by only making payments to us in line with our normal, published methods. Any email offering a large discount on fees for the coming academic year if paid immediately is fraudulent.

There has been no change to the bank details of Princethorpe College, Crackley Hall or Crescent Schools and there is no intention to make any changes in the foreseeable future. Any electronic notification that appears to be from any of the Foundation schools changing these details may be fraudulent. Our bank details are available on the Parent Bills, the Online Payment Portal and in the Information Booklet for each school, and only those details should be used.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or my colleagues in the Bursary if you are have any doubts about the correct details or indeed if anything appears suspicious.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar