The Flagpole

Pupils from Princethorpe College put in outstanding performances to win ten events at last weekend’s Warwickshire Schools Athletics Championships helping the Eastern Area take both the Junior and Inter events. College athletes claimed a further five second place finished and six third place finishes. Grace McCollin was awarded the trophy for Best Girls Overall Performance at the Championships after setting a new County record in the 75m Hurdles (11.3 seconds) and equalling the County record (12.4 seconds) in the 100m. André Onyekwe set a new National Standard personal best jumping 1.95m in the Inter Boys High Jump.

In total, 21 College athletes took part in the competition that was held in Nuneaton, at the Pingles Athletics Track, on Saturday 10 June and an amazing 11 pupils have been selected to represent Warwickshire in the Mason Trophy Inter-County competition on Saturday 17 June at Northwood Stadium in Stoke.

Competing for the Senior Girls, Grace Darcey took 1st place in the 800m.

For the Inter Boys, André Onyekwe took 1st place in the High Jump and Triple Jump while Oscar Civzelis finished in 3rd place in the Discus and Shot and 5th in the 1500m. Freddie Knott claimed 3rd in the 100m Hurdles and 4th in the Triple Jump and Stuart Nedjati 4th in the Shot.

For the Inter Girls, Kate Pomerleau took 1st place in the 1500m Steeplechase while Lim Self claimed 1st place in the Triple Jump and 2nd place in the Long Jump. Olivia Monk had two 2nd place finishes in the 100m and 200m. Martina Grace finished in 3rd place in the 1500m, then Emily Glover was 4th in the 800m and Frankie Kelly 5th in the Shot.

For the Junior Girls, Grace McCollin took 1st in the 100m and in the 75m Hurdles while Penelope Jones claimed 1st in the Long Jump and 2nd in the 75m Hurdles. Lauren Tebbatt finished 1st in the Javelin and 5th in the 200m, Lily Hunter was 3rd in the 1500m and Skye Rotheram 4th in the High Jump.

For the Junior Boys, Hunter Staveley took 1st place in the Shot and 3rd in the 300m while Mark Message claimed 2nd in the 800m. Josh Harris was 4th in the 80m Hurdles and Dan Tomlinson earnt himself two 5th place finishes in the 100m and the Long Jump. Charlie Atkins also came 5th in the High Jump and finished 10th in the 1500m.

A fantastic effort from them all.

We wish the very best of luck to pupils competing in the Mason Trophy Inter-County competition this weekend:

• Mark Message - 800m
• Hunter Staveley - Shot
• Grace McCollin - 100m and 75m Hurdles
• Penelope Jones - 75m Hurdles and Long Jump
• Lauren Tebbatt - Javelin
• Ben Smith - 1500m S/C
• André Onyekwe - High Jump and Triple Jump
• Olivia Monk - 100m and 200m
• Evie Marston - 3000m
• Kate Pomerleau - 1500m S/C
• Lim Self - Triple Jump

Vanessa Rooney, our wonderful Registrar for the last seven years is stepping down from the role with effect from the end of June. She is handing over the reins to Assistant Registrar, Catherine Rogers, who has been appointed following a thorough recruitment process earlier this term.

Grove du Toit, Headmaster, comments, “Vanessa has done an exceptional job as Registrar at Princethorpe over the last seven years. She has been a welcoming face and voice to so many families, and parents often comment on how well they are looked after by her and the team. We will be sad to see Vanessa go, but Catherine is a worthy successor, having come out top of a strong field of candidates and will I know maintain the high standards and friendly approach we have come to expect from the team.”

He continues, “We thank Vanessa for her tremendous dedication and service to the College and wish her well in her new endeavours.”

The College is now recruiting for an Assistant Registrar to replace Catherine, the deadline for applications is Monday 19 June, click here for more information on the role.

Another key milestone has been reached in the construction of the College’s new Science Centre with the internal connecting doors between The Limes and the Science Centre now in place. Princethorpe’s new Science Ambassadors were the first lucky pupils to open the doors to the new building when they posed for a celebratory photo just before Open Evening on Wednesday 7 June.

Until now the connection to the Science Centre has been boarded up so it was an amazing breakthrough moment to see the panels removed and the doors unlocked to allow our Science Ambassadors to be the first pupils to see through.

Inside the new Science Centre, work continues around the clock with the fitting out of the ten new laboratories is nearly complete with each themed in a striking colour. Outside, the scaffolding is mostly down, and the front of the building has its cladding in place. Work continued on the landscaping over half term, and the new netball courts are now all dug out.

The building’s location at the top of The Lime Walk places it central to the College’s campus and the views from the laboratories are stunning.

The project remains on schedule to be handed over to the College in the summer, ready for teaching to commence in it next academic year.

It is all very exciting for us here at Princethorpe.

The atrium area of the Science Centre has been designed with two steel beams at ceiling level to incorporate suspended artefacts which can be viewed - without touching - from the circulation areas of both floors. These supports would allow either one object of mass 300kg or two objects at 150kg each, suspended on steel wires. Unfortunately we had two items promised, which have subsequently failed to materialise and we’re putting out a plea in case anyone can help. We are looking for something with a scientific and perhaps topical theme: maybe part of the transmission from an electric car, something to do with battery technology, a substantial car component or similar. This can be anything at all with a scientific theme and we would be happy to agree this as a loan or a gift to the school. If you think you may be able to help, please get in touch with Alex Darkes at alexdarkes@princethorpe.co.uk or 01926 634207.

The College’s annual Sports Day took place today, Friday 16 June, and it was a fantastic morning of friendly, but fiercely competitive sport. Field and track events took place simultaneously, so the playing fields were action-packed from the moment the starting gun fired. College staff were kept busy measuring, timing and recording all the running, jumping and throwing taking place.

The temperatures were sizzling, and the performances were too, as pupils and staff cheered all the competitors on. Everyone was hoping that their House would be victorious but, in the end, it was More House who claimed victory for the second year on the trot.

Our very own Clare Baldings, aka Mrs White and Mrs Allen were kept busy announcing all the races and interviewing the winners, adding to the excitement of the event.

Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, said, “It was another super Sports Day with plenty of excellent performances and lots of new College records set. The atmosphere was incredible, pupils were very supportive of each other, appreciating every individual effort and there was very little in it at the end.”

Huge thanks to all the staff and Sports Leaders involved in organising the event.

Have a look at the photos in the gallery, more will be shared with pupils and parents next week.

Year 7 enjoyed a day off timetable on Wednesday 14 June when they took part in an Immersion Day that included a variety of different sessions.

Working in House teams, Year 7 took on four STEAM challenges designed to develop their teamwork skills. They had maths riddles to solve, a series of puzzles to test them, the challenge of building famous landmarks out of play dough and finally they were asked to construct a tower to support an egg. Stonehenge proved to be a popular play dough landmark but sadly more eggs were cracked than uncracked (costing teams half of their points for the tower engineering challenge). Teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, communication and perseverance were all needed to be successful.

Their day also included a new challenge event for Year 7, a sponsored walk in aid of Mary's Meals. Year 7 walked just over five miles, either in the morning or afternoon accompanied by staff.

We were all impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment. A huge well done to them all.

Princethorpe College was once again delighted to host the National Schools and Riding Clubs Two-Day Event. Run in conjunction with Stoneleigh Riding Club, more than 200 competitors took part in the two-day competition, over the weekend 27 to 28 May, the only ‘long format’ event open to schools and riding clubs in the UK. It included dressage and show-jumping on the Saturday and roads and tracks, steeplechase and cross-country on the Sunday.

This was the ninth year the College has hosted the event on the Princethorpe estate, and the course looked magnificent against the backdrop of the Princethorpe Tower. This year the competition included a new 70cm class in addition to the 80cm, 90cm and 100cm events. Returning once again and causing much excitement was the challenging permanent cross-country water jump generously built by one of the event’s main sponsors, The Wigley Group. As well as being a fantastic enhancement to the course, the deep pools within the water jump are also used by pupils year-round supporting environmental and wildlife curriculum studies.

The competition takes a huge amount of organisation, so our thanks go to the school staff and Stoneleigh Riding Club who, together with an army of volunteers, ensured the event was such a success.

Riding for Princethorpe in the new 70cm class were Sam who claimed 1st place in the ISA event riding Mellow Marsh, while teammate Emilie finished in 2nd place on Caramac. As part of a joint Princethorpe/Kingsley team they earnt themselves a third place overall finish in the National Schools event.

Representing the College in the 80cm class were Rosie on Long Story Short. Rosie rode superbly to finish 2nd overall in the National Schools event and 1st overall in the ISA class. Teammate Lizzie placed 3rd on Tickety Boo in the ISA class and together with Jasmine on Honey B they helped a joint Princethorpe/Abbey Gate team take the title in the ISA team competition and finish in third place overall in the National Schools event.

In the 90cm class Rosie rode Ballyrush Harry and had another great round to finish 3rd overall, and 1st in the ISA class. Teammate, Lottie earnt herself 3rd in the ISA event riding Laragh Cracker. Jessica rode Ballylee Tower and Claudia Annaghbay Storm and a super effort from all the girls saw the team finish in second place overall in both the National Schools and ISA competitions.

Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, Princethorpe’s equestrian event organiser, said, “The College was delighted to welcome school and riding club competitors to the Princethorpe estate for this year’s two-day event. It was great to see such a strong presence of school participants, many of whom had travelled long distances to take part in the competition. Our congratulations go to Weaverham High School who took The Wigley Cup. The water jump was an exciting attraction in the cross-country course, and we enjoyed seeing competitors tackle it enthusiastically. Our thanks go to members of Stoneleigh Riding Club, the events key sponsors The Wigley Group and Newton LDP, and our Grounds and Estates Teams and all the volunteers, without whom we would have been unable to stage such a busy event.”

Congratulations to all the riders who took part. There will be more equestrian action taking place at Princethorpe shortly - the Inter-Schools’ Dressage Competition is scheduled for Sunday 2 July and spectators are most welcome.

This year, 62 Year 10 pupils competed in the British Physics Olympiad Junior Challenge, an online competition where pupils answer multiple-choice questions across two tests in just 50 minutes. The Junior Physics Challenge is designed to engage and stretch pupils by offering a range of problems to solve. It allows pupils to apply their curriculum knowledge of physics practically, while taking part in a competition at a national level. It is the first opportunity GCSE pupils have to participate in a British Physics Olympiad event.

Pupils' results were, once again, excellent this year, so a huge well done to all who took part. Particular congratulations go to Zach Hawkins who was the top performing pupil from the school, Zach achieved a Gold certificate, along with Anna Johnson, Jesse Esler, Amelia Chard and Theo Sparkes. Pupils at the College were also awarded 14 Silver, 41 Bronze and two Commendation certificates.

Dan Lee, Head of Physics, said, "Congratulations to all the participants, it was great to see our Year 10 pupils engaging with such enthusiasm in the Junior Physics Challenge."

Director of Music, Gil Cowlishaw took his Sixth Form BTEC Music students to The Revel Church of England Primary School in Rugby last Friday 9 June. The Sixth Formers were welcomed warmly and really enjoyed working with the children, sharing their love of music in its many forms and showcasing their many different talents. The Revel’s pupils were blown away by the skills of the Princethorpe singers, pianists, violinists, percussionists, saxophonists and guitarists.

Music makes an important contribution to the life of every school and our Sixth Form students were delighted to share their passion with the youngsters at The Revel. The students organised and led the session themselves and they were delighted and impressed by how well the young pupils responded.

Huge thanks to all at The Revel and we very much hope we can come back and visit again soon.

Pupils from across the College were invited to the Roundhouse on Monday 12 June, by Assistant Head - Co-Curricular, Neil McCollin, for a celebratory buffet lunch, to recognise their contributions, commitments and achievements.

All of the pupils had risen to the challenge of the College’s ethos; they had done their best in different ways, both in and outside of school. Some had been nominated for academic achievement; others invited along for their contributions to sport or drama; some for charity or community work and others for their commitment to school.

Mr du Toit congratulated every one of them and thanked them for the many ways that they enrich College life.

A number of pupils missed the event as they were taking part in the English School Athletics but to ensure they didn’t miss out Mr McCollin had arranged for them to have a special celebratory packed lunch. 

A huge well done to them all.

On Wednesday 14 June, Year 10 took time out of a hectic term filled full of preparations for Year 11 to think about their future post GCSEs. In a special Taster Day, they explored life in the Sixth Form and gained an insight into the opportunities and support on offer here at the College.

Welcomed by Head of Sixth Form, Ben Collie, the day began with an informative session that looked at how the Sixth Form team supports students' self-development and progression, including information on opportunities such as the Extended Project Qualification and the College’s Sixth Form Enrichment Programme. 

Pupils then attended five different subject-based lessons that provided an insight into potential A-level choices and the different approaches to teaching at this level. It was pleasing to see how engaged the potential Sixth Formers were.

The timetable was action-packed but the Year 10s clearly enjoyed trying out life in the Sixth Form. Well done to all the pupils for their enthusiasm, we know for many it will have been the first time they have really thought about their future pathways.

Head of Sixth Form, Ben Collie, commented, “The Sixth Form team really enjoyed working with the Year 10s. They asked a range of good questions that will have helped with their decision making and we are looking forward to meeting them again with their parents at our Sixth Form Open Evening which takes place in the Michaelmas Term on Wednesday 18 October.”

Our Summer Open Evening took place on Wednesday 7 June with the College warmly welcoming prospective parents and pupils into school.

Departments had prepared informative displays and had plenty of exemplar work on show, staff and current pupils were on hand to take questions and talk with parents and of course there were plenty of fun subject-related activities for younger (and older) visitors to enjoy.

Outside many chose to explore the outdoor classroom and Duke of Edinburgh camp or have a go at archery while in the Sports Hall the climbing wall was as a popular attraction. The Limes was bustling with a da Vinci display and parents and children exploring subjects such as Computing, Geography, English and Modern Foreign Languages and many visitors enjoyed looking through the newly installed glass doors into the Science Centre.

Music entertained our visitors with the Concert Band playing in the Quad while drama rehearsals attracted audiences to the Clarkson Theatre. Through the length and breadth of the school, visitors were invited to watch explosive Chemistry experiments, guide the robot round the track in DT, taste scones in Food and Nutrition, delve into the archives in the library or figure out the puzzles in Maths.

Grove du Toit, Headmaster, welcomed parents in the Chapel with an inspiring address, talking about the school, its plans for the future and the ‘Spirit of Family’ ethos that allows Princethorpe to help every child to succeed.

Nearly 200 families attended the evening, with lots completely new to the school. For all it was a great chance to soak up the special Princethorpe atmosphere and to get a flavour of day-to-day life. The sun shone brightly, and everywhere enthusiastic staff and pupils extolled the virtues of Princethorpe’s tailored individual approach.

A huge thank you to all the staff, pupils, prefects, and parents who helped on the evening and to those involved in the preparations. The school looked amazing and the feedback from our visitors as they left was very positive.

Families looking at entry in September 2024 have one more chance to visit the school at the start of the next school year. The College is holding an Open Afternoon, on Sunday 17 September from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. The deadline for registrations for Entrance Exams is Friday 29 September. For more information visit our website here or email the Admissions Team at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Past and present pupils, parents, staff and trustees came together on Saturday 10 June to mark Crescent School’s 75th anniversary. Out on the school playing fields the Friends of Crescent hosted a traditional summer fete, while inside the school old pupils enjoyed wandering through the classrooms and exploring the archive displays.

The anniversary fête was well attended with pupils and teachers from across the generations, from the sixties through the eighties and on to more recent years, returning to visit their old school. Many were delighted to find old photos of themselves, and fascinating memorabilia retrieved from the archives. Foundation Archivist, Catherine Lewis, was kept busy as old pupils put names to photos and shared memories and even donations for her collection. The oral history booth was popular with all, who were happy to record their memories of life at Crescent School.

The school fields were transformed thanks to plenty of enthusiasm, gazebos and bunting and the British weather blessed us with superb sunshine, allowing all to relax and enjoy themselves and their ice creams.

It was a very special occasion, enjoyed by everyone, that gave many the chance to reconnect and share fond memories.

Our thanks go to all the staff, pupils and parents who contributed to the celebrations and also to all the past pupils and teachers who attended and made the event such a great success. We do hope they enjoyed their walk down memory lane.

We encourage everyone who has a connection to the school, or who would like to share their memories and be kept up to date with news from the school, to register on Princethorpe Connect here or to email oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk.

In the latest of our series of STEAM lectures, on Thursday 16 June Professor Thomas Hills from the University of Warwick gave a very interesting talk titled ‘Searching For Our Future Selves’. The session was attended by Lower Sixth Psychology students and a number of staff. Professor Hills spoke briefly about his educational journey that took him across the USA and then went on to share his amazingly varied work. Professor Hills has carried out research in a number of different fields associated with Psychology, with a significant amount of Biology and Chemistry multi-disciplinary crossover. He discussed the difference between exploitive and exploratory behaviour and the link to dopamine, sharing insights from his research with worms. He then went on to explain how the same behaviour occurs in humans, using Van Gogh as an example. He then talked about self-projecting, the ability to imagine the consequences or outcomes of decisions and how experiences allow us to build maps to make better decisions from a more refined ability to self-project.

It was a fascinating lecture, many thanks to Professor Hills for sharing his work with our students.

Two Year 8 pupils, Harry Messenger and Louis Reynolds, played for the Midlands team in this year’s Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) U13 Regional Football Festival. The tournament took place over the Easter holidays at Shrewsbury School.

Princethorpe’s boys were pitched against representative teams from across nine UK regions and Shrewsbury provided an excellent setting for the Festival with its fantastic facilities located on the banks of the River Severn.

Both Princethorpe boys played well and were thrilled to have represented the Midlands team. Team coach, Stuart Turpin commented, “They were great lads to have in the squad and a real credit to their school both on and off the pitch.”

What a great experience for the boys.

Year 7 visited Warwick Castle on Wednesday 7 June to help bring their studies of Medieval England to life. Originally built by William the Conqueror, the castle with its motte, portcullis, murder holes and battlements, provided the perfect backdrop to their history lessons allowing Year 7 to see and experience its defensive structures and understand its significance and impact on everyday medieval life.

Year 7 also took part in a Medieval Battle Skills workshop finding out how weapons were used on the battlefield and the role of Warwick Castle in the Wars of the Roses.

It was a fantastic opportunity for Year 7, and we are sure they enjoyed the splendour of the castle and of course the 500+ step climb up and around the castle ramparts!

36 Old Princethorpians were invited to Buckingham Palace in London to be presented with their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award. They join thousands of young people and their families celebrating their amazing achievements.

On Friday 19 May, at his first award celebrations as the charity’s Patron, His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, a Gold Award achiever himself, congratulated all those that had completed this challenging award, commending them on their perseverance, creativity and resilience.

After his speech, the Duke met Award holders, including our very own OP Archie Hancock (Class of 2022), hearing about the positive impact their DofE experience has had on them.

Head of Outdoor Education, Will Bower, who also attended the event, was incredibly proud, commenting, “Completing your Gold Duke of Edinburgh takes real commitment and resolve, and the skills developed along the way benefit both the individual and their local community. All of these young people showed dedication and perseverance and their final expedition to Buckingham Palace is a really wonderful reward.”

Receiving their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award in ceremonies this year are:

Ellie Partridge, Will Dunderdale, Luke Brotherton, Luke Palmer, Josh Whitby, George Saunders, Will Crowfoot, Tom Crowfoot, Henri Fuchss, James Walker, Angus Griffin, Will Marshall, Lauren Mason, Will McCormack, Eve Howard, Erin Darcy, Victoria Heritage, Ben Scares, Anthony Convey, Sam Warne, Jessie Crawford, Archie Hancock, Dan Wildey, Joe England, Louis Rodgers, Jack Collins, Ella Mason, Emily Scrivens, Ishbel Kempton, Tobias Lambe, Pablo Scopes, Elizabeth Boyes, Ed Foster, Zara Hendy, Laurel Arkesden and Erin Arriordaz.

We look forward to news of further awards presentations and don’t forget that the maximum age limit for completing your awards is 25 years. We encourage all OPs who haven’t quite signed off all their sections to complete the requirements and get their moment at the Palace as well.

Mr Bower suggest you have a look at these helpful resources:

Complete Your DofE Award OPs

Assessor Report Guide 2022-23

Just before half term we published the latest issue of The Old Princethorpian, the Princethorpe Foundation’s termly alumni e-newsletter for past pupils, staff and parents. If you haven’t seen it yet then you can find it here: http://www.oldprincethorpian.co.uk

The newsletter aims to keep our alumni in touch with each other and news, developments and events across the Foundation. It includes the latest Foundation and College news, and plenty of news and updates from OPs across the decades.

The next OP event is our annual OP Summer Supper Reunion which takes place on Friday 23 June. Full details can be found in the Events section on Princethorpe Connect here: https://connect.princethorpe.co.uk/events

We hope everyone enjoys reading the newsletter and finding out what is going on in the alumni community. Please do share it with any alumni you know.