The Flagpole

The College’s new Science Centre was officially handed over to the school today ready for teaching to commence as we start the new academic year. The fabulous new teaching and learning facilities include 1,800sqm of floor space with ten state-of-the-art laboratories, dedicated prep rooms, brilliant break out and study spaces, and brand new staff bases.

The building’s location at the top of The Lime Walk places it central to the College’s campus providing a truly inspirational environment that will inspire generations of Princethorpe pupils and staff for years to come.

The 18-month build was completed on time by Trendgrey Construction Limited, who are based in nearby Stockton. Working in partnership with the Foundation they have delivered an exceptional educational facility.

Over the last few weeks, the Estates teams and Science staff have been working round the clock to move in while outside the final landscaping of the site was being completed.

Today, Foundation Bursar, Eddie Tolcher, and Foundation Assistant Head and Project Manager, Alex Darkes, met with Trendgrey MD, Nick Henderson, Trendgrey Site Agent, Kevin Wynne, Trendgrey Quantity Surveyor, John Yates, Tony Pugh, and Elisa Canet, from AT Architects and Steve Joyce, from Ainsleys and Partners, to complete the formalities of the handover.

Plans are now well underway for the official opening of the new building which will take place on Friday 22 September.

It’s fantastic that the Foundation’s vision for science has become reality. It is all very exciting for us here at Princethorpe.

Princethorpe College is celebrating another year of excellent exam results.

112 students sat A-level and BTEC examinations and completed the Extended Project Qualification this summer. In one of our strongest years to date, 70% of all grades were A*- B, with more than a third being A*- A. Impressively, 17 high-flyers achieved three or more A* or A grades.

At GCSE Princethorpe pupils also performed well, from a cohort of 159 pupils, 42% of all entries were the coveted 9, 8 or 7 grades, with 16 pupils achieving all 9, 8 or 7 grades.

Grove du Toit, Headmaster, commented, "We are delighted with the excellent results that our Sixth Form students and Year 11 pupils have achieved against a backdrop of unprecedented challenges over the last few years. Their results reflect their hard work and perseverance, all credit goes to our pupils and staff for their commitment, collaboration and hard work."

He continued, "We are proud of their academic achievements, but all these pupils have many other fine qualities: kindness, respect and a strong sense of right and wrong, which will be tremendously important for them as they move on to the next phase of their lives. We congratulate them all on their well-deserved success."

Princethorpe has a new Admissions Team gearing up to help families who are interested in entry to the College for September 2024 and beyond.

Catherine Rogers is our new Registrar, having been promoted to the role in July. Catherine will be a familiar face to many families, she has been a longstanding member of the Admissions Team and has a wealth of knowledge and experience of the Princethorpe admissions cycle. Joining her is new Assistant Registrar, Marie Holt, who is no stranger to the Foundation either, having previously worked as a receptionist at Crackley Hall School.

The friendly pair have plenty in common, not least their shared public service backgrounds; Catherine was a midwife in the NHS for 18 years and Marie a Warwickshire police officer for 25 years, with their calm, unflappable natures they are both well equipped to cope with the busy period ahead.

The last week has seen the duo dealing with new Lower Sixth joiners post GCSE Results Day, preparations for Year 7 Activity Day and of course arrangements to ensure a smooth start to term for the next generation of Princethorpians.

Comments Catherine, “We are really looking forward to our first Open Event together, which promises to be an exciting one as we will be welcoming visitors into the brand, new state-of-the-art Science Centre at our Open Afternoon on Sunday 17 September.”

To get in touch with Catherine and Marie, email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634201/297, they will be happy to help.

With just ten weeks to go, the countdown to the College's Entrance Exams for admission in September 2024 has begun. This year the exams for Year 7 to 10 entry will take place on Saturday 11 November from 9.00am to 4.00pm.

Our friendly Admissions Team have been kept busy over the summer accepting registrations from prospective parents. The deadline for registration is Friday 29 September, to enable the processing of applications and seeking of references from junior schools.

There are still plenty of opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the College before the Entrance Exams, including our Open Afternoon on Sunday 17 September from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. Our Open Afternoon will allow prospective families to look around the school, join in with department activities and hear from our Headmaster, Grove du Toit. 

Our Year 6 Taster Days are also a great way for prospective pupils to really experience Princethorpe. Our Taster Days typically involve four lessons, a question and answer session with some of our current pupils and the chance to talk to the Headmaster, Mr du Toit.

We have three sessions available on Tuesday 12 September, Wednesday 20 September and Tuesday 26 September for those who are in Year 6 and have not had the chance to attend a previous Taster Day.

All our events are by appointment. To book your place click here

If you have any queries relating to admissions please feel free to email the Admissions Team, Catherine Rogers, Registrar and Marie Holt, Assistant Registrar, at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call them on 01926 634201/297.

The Princethorpe Foundation was delighted to welcome Dr Mo Glackin, General Secretary of the Catholic Independent Schools’ Conference to Princethorpe College on Wednesday 30 August. Dr Glackin joined staff in celebrating the first Foundation Mass of the school year before delivering a training session on governance in catholic schools for the Foundation’s Trustees.

We're excited to announce a significant development in our school's new Science Centre – the naming of a Chemistry laboratory as The Bruce Townsend Laboratory. This designation serves as a tribute to Bruce Townsend, a prominent figure in the field of Chemical Engineering, and a former parent who now has a grandson at Princethorpe College.

Born on 25 July 1929, Bruce Townsend was among the pioneering students who pursued Chemical Engineering at University College London during the 1950s.

Bruce's professional journey aligned with the transformation of Courtaulds, a company originally rooted in silk spinning in the 18th Century. Under his guidance, Courtaulds evolved into a global leader in man-made fibers by blending chemicals with wood pulp fibre. Notably, Bruce played a pivotal role in establishing wood pulp mills in Swaziland, involving intricate negotiations with tribal leaders to secure necessary resources.

Advancing in his career, Bruce assumed the role of Chief Executive of Research at Courtaulds, positioning him at the forefront of scientific innovation. His commitment to exploration led to groundbreaking discoveries, including Alginate – a revolutionary substance combining chemicals with sea kelp, transforming wound dressings and patient care.

Bruce's contributions were acknowledged with the Queen's Awards for Export and Technology in 1989, highlighting the vital role of Chemical Engineers in addressing global challenges related to water, energy, food, and well-being.

Believing in the importance of nurturing the next generation of scientists, Bruce's infectious enthusiasm and charisma left a lasting impact on all who crossed his path. The Bruce Townsend Lab is a testament to his legacy, providing an advanced platform for hands-on experiments, research, and collaborative learning, nurturing a passion for science among our students.

By attaching Bruce Townsend's name to this laboratory, we honour his lasting impact on Chemical Engineering and his unwavering belief in the power of scientific exploration. This lab embodies our commitment to nurturing young minds and fostering a deep appreciation for science.

The naming of The Bruce Townsend Lab signifies more than just recognition – it represents our school's dedication to providing pupils with the tools they need to excel in the scientific realm. We move forward with Bruce's legacy as an inspiration, fuelling our aspirations for a brighter scientific future.

On Tuesday 29 August, 27 runners from Princethorpe College (with the support of seven further staff) took on a 100km relay run in aid of Mary’s Meals.

Starting from the top of Cleeve Hill, in Cheltenham, and following the Cotswold and Centenary Ways, their route took them through Winchcombe, Stanway, Broadway and on towards Chipping Campden, then Ilmington, Whatcote and Ratley before reaching Burton Dassett, on to Itchington Holt, Ufton and Hunningham and finally to the finish line at Princethorpe College. Split into 12km sections, staff ran in small groups running one, two or for the most dedicated of runners four parts of the 100km course. 

The challenge was in honour of fundraising legend and Mary’s Meals supporter, Rod Isaacs, who is moving on to a new role outside the Foundation. It was a thank you for his extraordinary dedication and commitment to organising adventures for students that raise money for good causes, and it kick started the fundraising for Mary’s Meals for this school year.

It was an epic fundraising event with the team completing the relay run in a fabulous 11 hours and 57 minutes (that's an average 12kmph), despite the rain soaking everyone in the final sections of the day. OPs Tom and Will Crowfoot both ran over 50km while Rod Isaacs completed 36km.

So far the run has raised £1,580 but please do consider supporting the runners by donating to their JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/princethorpe-marysmeals23-24

Huge congratulations to everyone involved but a special thank you must go to the organiser, Head of Outdoor Education and Teacher of PE and Games, Will Bower.

Friday 1 September was an exciting and important day for Year 7 pupils who are joining Princethorpe College this academic year.

For this latest generation of Princethorpians, our Year 7 Activity Day was all about helping Year 7 settle into their new school, allowing them to meet their new classmates, familiarise themselves with the layout of the school and get a feel for some of the lessons they can expect. It was also a great opportunity to generally ask questions, allay any fears and ease their transition to secondary school.

Our incoming Year 7s arrived looking excited and a little bit nervous. During their action-packed day pupils participated in fun team building activities including a scavenger hunt, took part in Technology lessons, a Year 7 Chorus rehearsal with Mr Cowlishaw and enjoyed an afternoon Games lesson.

During the day we saw plenty of smiling faces and it was clear that everyone was making new friends. It was a flying start to secondary school – a huge well done to Year 7!

At the start of the summer holidays the College enjoyed a successful 16-day sports tour to South Africa. Taking our largest squad ever, of some 123 pupils and 16 staff, playing four sports, Rugby, Football, Netball and Hockey, the tour travelled to Johannesburg and then on to Cape Town, Pretoria and Pilanesberg for a fortnight full of keenly contested matches and spectacular sight-seeing.

During the tour the Rugby, Football, Netball and boys’ and girls’ Hockey teams participated in five full days of good spirited and competitive training and matches against school and club teams. Our South African hosts were so hospitable, and the training and matches were great experiences for all, with valuable lessons learnt both on and off the field.

Away from the sports field, the tour offered participants the chance to broaden their horizons with sightseeing and educational experiences that included the history of South Africa with tours of Soweto and the Apartheid Museum and a visit to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. Pupils also took part in an eye-opening tour of Cape Town’s oldest back township and get up close and personal with the wildlife in game drives at Pilanesberg Game Reserve. The tour party all enjoyed the spectacular scenery of Table Mountain in Cape Town and the charming costal town of Hout Bay.

Lee Cassell, Director of Sport, and leader of the tour, said, “South Africa is a truly stunning country, passionate and fiercely competitive in their sport. We have had an excellent trip and played some inspiring matches and I know that our Princethorpe pupils will have returned home with a truly wonderful set of memories.”

Our thanks go to all of the staff involved in putting together and running such an impressive trip. We look forward to the experiences translating into positive results on the pitches over the coming season.

There was much excitement at the start of the summer holidays here at Princethorpe College when we welcomed the BBC back to Princethorpe for the filming of the third series of The Sister Boniface Mysteries, the Father Brown spin off that features Lorna Watson as Sister Boniface, a brilliant Vespa driving, crime solving Catholic nun.

According to UKTV this latest series includes the story of a famous organist murdered mid tune in the Chapel (we wonder where that might be) as well as story lines of mysterious kidnappings and stolen precious jewels.

It was fantastic to see the College taken back in time but quite surreal to come round the corner and find yourself confronted by members of the cast dressed as nuns.

We can’t wait to see the new episodes and will keep you posted on when the new series will air.