The Flagpole

We have reached the end of September on a sunny Friday, and it is hard to believe we are already four weeks into term. I have observed a purposeful rhythm and routine when walking around site and visiting lessons. Most importantly, our new pupils have settled well, and our exam years have fully embraced the challenges associated with external assessments. In short, it has been a strong and positive start to the academic year.

We celebrated the official opening of our new Science Centre last week with Yewande Akinola as guest speaker. She shared her incredible journey through life, using Science as a vehicle, and it was inspiring. This exciting addition to our facilities already feels part of college and our pupils have “moved in” with enthusiasm. The legacy rooms are also adding new value to our pupils and their experiences in Performing Arts, Design and Technology, and other general teaching rooms. We still have the occasional Year 7 asking for directions, but overall, both staff and pupils are enjoying the campus experience. Any parents who joined us for a visit on Open Afternoon, attended a 360 evening, or visited during our Science Open House event will definitely agree.

As per my earlier communications, we have placed real emphasis on standards and expectations. In a culture where excellent teaching and learning is the norm, we should not worry about the little things – for example, behaviour, uniform, engagement, equipment, and homework should all be a given. This provides staff the opportunity to focus all their efforts on what happens in the classroom. I want to thank all parents for their support in reinforcing our expectations. I hope you would agree that our pupils have responded to the challenge and both staff and parents have commented on the positive impact this has made. As part of our teacher professional development, we are looking at Instruction, Feedback, and Response this year. We want to ensure high impact in the classroom which must be built on a strong foundation of expectations and standards. To embed this culture requires reminders and reinforcement and we look forward to continuing on this journey with parents.

We are very proud of the holistic offering children receive at Princethorpe. What happens outside of the classroom is as important as within. Our PE and Games programme has started with a bang, and it is very encouraging to see so many parents supporting on the touchline – we would love to see more and don’t hesitate to bring family, pets, or anyone else who wants to come and cheer on the teams. Ours is a spirit of family and building relationships with other parents is important for our community. Our clubs are also in full swing and during the first two weeks, 70% of Princethorpe pupils attended a club. One pupil attended ten clubs in one week which may be a record! Furthermore, we have seen our Biologists out on their field work residential, our climbers had a day trip to the Peak District, our Year 7s are off to Whitmoor Lakes next weekend, and we are crossing the oceans to America and Europe during half-term. At the start of the year, I want to plead with you as parents to ensure your child engages with all the extras on offer if they have not done so already. It adds to their development, friendships, and enjoyment. Please contact their tutor if they need a nudge in any direction.

Pupil safety is always at the forefront of what we do, and with this in mind, can I please issue the following reminders when you drive onto site:

·         Please keep to the speed limit, especially when you enter the playground. As drivers, we must be aware that a child may not be aware of you approaching so please be careful.

·         When you drop off or pick up, do not stop in the flow of traffic, no matter how quick the stop may be. Please pull into the area in the middle to ensure cars can continue their flow around the area and keep the car line clear.

·         When parking, please ensure it does not obstruct anyone and that it is considerate to other drivers who may park after you.

·         When stationary for longer than is needed to pick up or drop off, please do not idle your vehicle, switch off your engine. I have asked colleagues to address parents who may fall foul of this expectation.  

·         Please do not drive through to the North Car Park during pick up or drop off, it is for staff parking only during the school day.

As ever, please take some time to read the rest of The Flagpole, especially as there are important updates and events being highlighted.

Thank you for your continued support.

Grove du Toit
Headmaster

On Friday 22 September Princethorpe welcomed award-winning engineer and innovator, Yewande Akinola MBE, to officially open its brand new state-of-the-art Science Centre. 

Boasting 1,800sqm of floor space with ten state-of-the-art laboratories, dedicated prep rooms, break out, study spaces and staff bases, Princethorpe’s new Science Centre will provide outstanding teaching and learning facilities and bring Science to life for pupils of all ages. 

In a welcome to a gathered audience of over a thousand pupils, staff, invited guests and trustees, Foundation Principal, Ed Hester, thanked all who had helped to deliver the magnificent building, Tony Pugh and his team at AT Architects, project manager Steve Joyce from Ainsleys and Nick Henderson and his team at Trendgrey Construction. He went on to thank the College’s many friends and supporters, including donors, who had all helped the building become a reality. He expressed special thanks to Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes who had worked so hard and done more than anyone to bring the amazing building to fruition. 

In her keynote speech, Yewande praised the design of the intelligent new building, that includes an integrated digital building management system, she spoke of her journey to becoming an engineer and her work innovating, designing and problem solving for buildings. She shared her passion for Science and spoke about its role in bringing positive improvement to people’s lives. She encouraged Princethorpe’s pupils to embrace opportunities, ask questions, be innovative and express their creativity, urging them to be curious and see where Science could lead them. 

Her delightful, easy and enthusiastic manner, warmth and interest in young people and education and her sheer passion for science and engineering were an inspiration for all at the event. 

Yewande was joined by invited guests including Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, and Sophie Hilleary, High Sheriff of Warwickshire for a formal ribbon cutting and official unveiling of the Science Centre plaque. 

Attached here is the Science Centre Opening Booklet, which includes a message from the Foundation Principal and facts about the project.

"What is the Sixth Form at Princethorpe really all about?" That’s the question that followers of the school’s social media were teased with last week.

The College repeatedly posed the question alongside a series of images and information on Sixth Form life in the countdown to a big reveal on Thursday 21 September, at 4.00pm, when the new Sixth Form film, Princethorpe People, was premiered.

Comments, Head of Sixth Form, Ben Collie, "As the film explains, the Sixth Form at Princethorpe is about academic achievement, exploring new passions and preparing for the future, but most importantly of all, it’s about people. At Princethorpe we have a dynamic community of young people with individual talents, interests and aspirations. The majority move up from within the College, but a significant number also join us from other schools. It is our job to support them all to become whatever they want to be and get them to wherever they want to go."

Produced by the Foundation Marketing Team and award-winning Affixxius Films, the concept for the film was developed following research amongst last year’s Lower and Upper Sixth. The film was shot in the Trinity Term and captures glimpses of Sixth Form life and individual portraits of Sixth Formers and some of the members of staff who support them along their journeys.

With thanks to the students and staff who took part and the film crew for bringing what makes our Sixth Form so special to life on the screen.

Click here to view Princethorpe People.

We hope you enjoy it. We'd love you to like and share it on social media too!

This week, children from across the Foundation and from local primary schools have been enjoying Princethorpe’s fabulous facilities when they attended Science Investigators’ Workshops in the College’s brand new Science Centre. It was one of the last opportunities for prospective pupils for September 2024 entry to visit the College before the Entrance Examinations' registration deadline on Friday 29 September.

Ably assisted by Miss Cooper and her team of specialist science teachers and pupil helpers, the children were put through their paces with some fun Chemistry, Biology and Physics activities. They found out how long it takes for an alka seltzer rocket to explode, discovered the favourite conditions for meal worms to live in using a choice chamber and last but by no means least, designed and constructed paper bridges that withstood some amazing masses.

A huge well done to them all, we hope they enjoyed their science investigations and that it will fuel a love of Science and STEM subjects in secondary school!

Many thanks to the staff and pupil helpers who made the workshops possible.

It was European Day Of Languages on Tuesday 26 September and what better day could there have been for Princethorpe’s Year 10 Language Leaders and their teachers to visit Foundation Prep School, Crackley Hall School, to work with their Junior 3 pupils.

Junior 3 were excited to welcome the Year 10s and really enjoyed the structured, interactive sessions they delivered that built on and practised the vocabulary the young pupils have been learning in their lessons. In groups they took part in four Spanish activities on the topics of numbers, greetings, pets and the weather. There were plenty of smiles all round as the youngsters enthusiastically engaged, answering questions and playing matching games.

It was a fantastic learning experience for them all.

13 keen and enthusiastic souls travelled to the Roaches in the Peak District for a spot of climbing on Saturday 23 September. The day trip, led by Head of Outdoor Learning, Will Bower, was a great opportunity for the College’s Climbing Club to put into practice all the skills and techniques they have learnt in Climbing Club on the College’s own Climbing Wall.

The Roaches is a prominent rocky ridge of gritstone situated above Tittesworth Reservoir and the town of Leek. On the day the sun was shining and the views from the ridge were magnificent. All of the pupils were venturing onto rock for the first time and they successfully climbed a variety of classic routes graded from ‘very difficult’ to ‘severe’ near to Whillans Hut. A great time was had by all and everyone enjoyed refuelling at the Roaches Tea Room.

Thanks to Aimee Brookes and Al Stapleton for supporting the trip.

From Friday 15 to Monday 18 September, 21 Upper Sixth students visited Swanage in Dorset for this year’s Biology Field Trip. An essential part of their A-level studies, the trip allowed students to complete two required assessed Biology practicals, as well as experiencing a variety of field work techniques.

The group were based at Leeson House Field Studies Centre in Langton Matravers, on the Jurassic Coast. Across their long weekend the biologists visited the River Piddle to do a comparison between the species found in slow- and fast-moving water as well as Kimmeridge Bay to undertake work on the rocky shores examining the distribution and morphology of limpets and periwinkles, both perfect opportunities to practise their sampling techniques. Their field trip also included studying Studland sand dune succession, surveying wood lice populations and examining mammal and moth traps. The Upper Sixth also had the opportunity to take part in an Oceanography Discovery Day at Southampton University, which included a three-hour boat trip as well as a lecture on climate change.

Head of Biology, Catherine Warne, commented, “Our Sixth-Formers made the most of their jam packed itinerary, they learnt a lot but had plenty of fun too. It was a very successful trip.”

On Tuesday 19 September, the Drama department ventured out to see Frantic Assembly's acclaimed version of Metamorphosis at The Curve Theatre in Leicester.

Combining the fluidity and lyricism of Lemn Sissay’s adaptation and Frantic’s uncompromising physicality, it proved to be an unmissable retelling of Franz Kafka’s shocking tale of cruelty and kindness; a visceral and vital depiction of humans struggling within a system that crushes them under its heel.

Frantic's signature style of fast paced choreography, sound tracking and design impressed all of our GCSE and A-level Drama and Theatre Studies pupils and was invaluable preparation for the live theatre and scripted and devised elements of their upcoming examinations.

The English Department enjoyed their inaugural Enrichment session on Wednesday 27 September, when 30 pupils from across a range of year groups and a number of staff from multiple disciplines attended a lecture after school from 4.00pm to 5.00pm.

Dr Annina Heiney, from Aston University in Birmingham, introduced pupils and staff to the fascinating world of Forensic Linguistics and together they explored how language can be analysed to solve crimes. Not only was the guest speaker fascinating to listen to, she also offered them the opportunity to participate very actively. They listened to an audio clip and analysed dialect and accent to profile the speaker. Next they read extracts of authentic documents used as evidence in court and identified linguistic traits in order to solve a criminal case. Pupils were thoroughly engaged in the process and offered some brilliantly insightful ideas.

Head of English, Helen Pascoe-Williams, said, "Thank you to everyone who joined us. Dr Heiney's session was fascinating and we look forward to inviting her back in the future. We also look forward to our next English Enrichment session which will take place at the end of October when we invite pupils and staff to a special free worldwide stream of the National Theatre's Othello. Keep an eye out for more details nearer the time."

Many thanks to Dr Heiney for visiting Princethorpe and providing such an interesting insight into the world of Forensic Linguistics.

At the College there are many opportunities to get excited about languages and our annual House competitions marking European Day Of Languages are always popular events.

In school this week, the MFL and House teams have challenged staff to use a foreign language in their lessons, either speaking it or including it in the lesson activity, with pupils acting as judges and completing feedback forms. While pupils have had the chance to answer language-based questions in a break time trivia quiz. With every correct answer winning a point for their House, the quiz has been fast and furious and very competitive. It's all been a lot of fun while helping to inspire a love of languages.

Many thanks to the Sixth Formers and staff who have organised and supported the House events this week.

It was National Coding Week last week, an event that highlights the importance of coding skills for today’s increasingly tech-driven society. Here at Princethorpe, pupils get the chance to code every week, with Computer Science a core part of the curriculum in Years 7 and 8, and optional from Year 9 to A-level. There are an array of co-curricular coding activities for pupils to explore their passion for programming as well.

The College’s ‘Cyber Stretch Club’ meets every Tuesday lunchtime, with Mr Musson and Mr Carter providing a positive learning environment, where pupils are encouraged to develop their computational thinking skills. Computer Science Ambassador, Chris Lock, is on hand to support our younger coding enthusiasts too.

Pupils attending the club this term are working towards the Bronze iDEA Award (Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award), a programme that enhances digital, enterprise and employability skills. The award provides pupils with the opportunity to complement their Computer Science curriculum studies and can also qualify as the ‘Skill’ section for pupils undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award. This year, there is the extra incentive of a da Vinci on offer for pupils who complete the award by Christmas.

Open to Year 7 to 9, it's all about having fun while developing subject knowledge and essential life skills. Keep working on your coding skills everyone!

Year 7 begin their Religious Studies lessons at Princethorpe with an introduction to the origins of the College and its predecessor, the catholic community of St Mary’s Priory. Exploring the College’s history gives an excellent insight into the school and its ethos and is a really great way to bring pupils’ initial RS studies vividly to life.

In their first few lessons, pupils have toured the school exploring the wealth of religious artefacts and treasures around the school site. They have spent time in Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, the Cloisters and the Nun’s cemetery, reflecting on the incredible history of Princethorpe College.

Year 7 have found it all fascinating and have asked plenty of interesting questions and it’s their turn now to add to the College’s unique history.

They have made a great start - well done Year 7!

You can find more on the College's history on the OPs Page of our website here. 

Monday 2 October - 1.05pm to 1.55pm

All pupils and staff are invited to attend a STEAM Talk on renewable energy integration in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre on Monday 2 October at lunchtime.

We will be welcoming Dr Mostafa Kheshti, research fellow at the University of Warwick’s School of Engineering. Dr Kheshti will be talking about renewable energy and sustainability, the Smart Grid and the use of AI within the power industry.

All are welcome - just come along.

Tuesday 3 October 2023 6.15pm-7.00pm

The Parents' Information Evening for the Hollan Hockey Trip will take place online at 6.15pm on Tuesday 3 October.

Please see this link to view the presentation.                           

Tuesday 3 October 2023 6.15pm-7.00pm

The History, Politics, Textiles and Design Technology Trip to USA Parents' Information Evening will take place online at 6.15pm on Tuesday 3 October.

Please click the link here to view the presentation. 

Tuesday 3 October 2023, 7.00pm to 8.00pm

The Crescent School, in Bilton, Rugby, is opening its doors for a dedicated Reception Open Evening on Tuesday 3 October 2023 from 7.00pm.

This Open Evening is aimed at prospective families wishing to join Reception in September 2024 and beyond.

The evening will have presentations highlighting key admissions information as well as what school life is like in Reception. There will also be opportunities to look around the school and visit the Reception classrooms, as well as speak to key members of staff. Joe Thackway, Headmaster, will also be available to answer any of your questions you may have about the school.  

To book your place please click here.

The Early Bird Deadline for Reception registrations for 2024 entry is Friday 20 October 2023.

If you can't make the Open Evening but would like to visit the school, you can now book a personal tour here, or please call our Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley on 01788 521595 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk and come on a day to suit you.

For more information visit www.crescentschool.co.uk

Monday 9 October – 6.00pm to 7.30pm

As part of our VESPA strategy, Princethorpe College will be holding a virtual, interactive GCSE revision evening, on Monday 9 October between 6.00pm and 7.30pm, for the parents and pupils in Year 11.

It will be hosted by Martin Griffin who has worked with more than sixty schools to develop effective character education systems using the VESPA model. During the session, Martin will explore the key principles of having a positive and proactive learning mindset and share tools and strategies for effective coaching and intervention with parents and equip parents and pupils with practical ideas and strategies to support their children throughout their GCSE courses. We do hope that Year 11 parents and pupils will be able to join us for what promises to be a very useful and informative evening.

A link to join the event will be emailed on Friday 6 October.

We look forward to you joining this event. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at lizpyne@princethorpe.co.uk.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Wednesday 11 October 2023 - 7.00pm to 8.30pm

It was super to welcome some new readers into the Parent’s Book Club group this week, including myself, and see people returning to the group for another year of books to share and enjoy. The summer read was Trespasses by Louise Kennedy. It was a popular read amongst the group, set in the 70’s at the time of the troubles. A book that looks at how the decisions we make can have such a profound impact on our lives and the lives of others. We had a good debate about the idea of ‘love’ and what that means to Cushla. In all, we highly recommend.  

The next book we are reading stays in Northern Ireland and centres on the life of a young girl who is surrounded by classmates who suddenly fall ill. 'An original and exciting work that's equal parts terrifying, hilarious and memorable' - The Sunday Times Ireland - called The Raptures by Jan Carson. We all agreed that with a review like this the novel has a lot to live up to. I can’t wait to see what this first autumn read has to offer. 

If you would like to join us next month, please do. We are a friendly bunch, and the discussion is light and cheery. You also get a coffee and a biscuit, what’s not to like.  

We look forward to seeing you.  

Friday 13 October - 7.00pm to 10.00pm

We are thrilled to extend a warm invitation to you for an evening that promises to be both enlightening and entertaining. Former pupil Marc Marot will be making a special return to Princethorpe to deliver a keynote address about his illustrious career in the Music and Art Industries. This is a free to attend event and supper will be provided.

Marc embarked on his professional journey in 1982, taking on the role of 'Professional Manager' at the UK Independent music publisher, Eaton Music Ltd. In this capacity, he collaborated with renowned film composers like George Fenton, Carl Davis, and Henry Mancini, as well as iconic pop groups such as Status Quo.

In 1984, he assumed the position of Managing Director at Blue Mountain Music, where he had the privilege of working closely with the legendary U2 and their reggae music catalogue.

Among Marc's impressive portfolio of music publishing signings are notable names like Massive Attack, De La Soul, Julia Fordham, and Shakespeare's Sister.

His career continued to ascend as he took on various roles within Island Records, eventually becoming the Managing Director in 1990, making him the youngest MD in the UK music industry at that time.

During his tenure as MD at Island Records, Marc's leadership played a pivotal role in nurturing and developing a roster of exceptional artists, including:

• Pulp
• PJ Harvey
• The Stereo MCs
• P.M. Dawn
• The Cranberries
• Elbow
• Chaka Demus and Pliers
• NWA
• The Orb
• Ice Cube
• Talvin Singh
• Tricky
• Nine Inch Nails

His contributions led to Island artists winning the prestigious Mercury Music Record of the Year award three times and achieving ten short-listed albums. Remarkably, artists signed during this period went on to claim 25% of all the prizes awarded in the competition's 20-year history.

Marc also played a pivotal role in guiding U2's career during the 1990s, from the release of Achtung Baby to just prior to the launch of All You Can't Leave Behind, resulting in nearly 60 million album sales.

In 1998, he introduced Bono to the concept of Third World debt relief through his involvement in the 'Jubilee 2000' campaign. Marc oversaw the 'drop the debt' initiative within the music industry, earning gratitude from Bono, who acknowledged his efforts on the MTV awards stage and at the UN council chamber in New York.

To this day, the acts he discovered or managed have amassed an impressive record, achieving 38 Top 10 singles, including an astounding 18 #1 singles on the UK charts.

This is a free to attend event and supper will be provided. You can register and find out more here.

Saturday 14 October - 9.00am to 3.00pm

Rebecca Bates at Ekko Equestrian www.ekkoequestrian.com, who is based in Stockton just outside Southam, is running a polework and cavaletti clinic for Princethorpe pupils on Saturday 14 October.

Open to all ages and abilities, participants will enjoy a fun, positive and supportive session.

Beccy is a dressage rider who has competed nationally and internationally. She is a former GBR team rider and an accredited dressage coach.

Princethorpe pupils who would like to take part in an individual or group session should book directly with Ekko via Horsemonkey here.

Happy riding!

Mrs Fielding

Tuesday 17 October 2023 - 6.00pm to 7.30pm

Year 7 pupils and their parents are invited to compete in our annual 'Science Family Challenge'. 

Each team will carry out a range of hands-on science practical work, competing against other pairs to win the coveted Science Family Challenge trophy.

We can only accommodate one parent per pupil and a maximum of 36 teams, so sign up as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.

We can't wait to share our enthusiasm for science and give parents the opportunity to experience a taste of science education at Princethorpe College. 

If you have any questions, please get in touch via email at danlee@princethorpe.co.uk

Please sign-up via the link here.

Dan Lee
Head of Physics and STEAM co-ordinator

Wednesday 18 October 2022 - 6.30pm to 9.00pm

Year 11 pupils and their parents will shortly be receiving an invitation to attend our Sixth Form Open Evening on Wednesday 18 October 2023 from 6.30pm.

The evening will focus on the Route to Sixth Form for 2024 including key dates, milestones and scholarships, specific A-level and BTEC subject information and advice provided by the Heads of Departments, together with information on outstanding pastoral care provided and the vast array of sporting, co-curricular, leadership and service opportunities available.

The evening will include brief talks by Grove du Toit, the Headmaster, Ben Collie, Head of Sixth Form, Michael Spencer, Deputy Head - Academic and current Sixth Formers. There will also be the opportunity to speak to the Sixth Form Team in the Sixth Form Centre. In addition, all of the A-level and BTEC departments will be open for you to visit, with short presentations, course details and the opportunity to talk to staff and current students.

An electronic copy of the Sixth Form Admissions 2024 Information Booklet will be emailed shortly before the event, hard copies will be available on the evening. We recommend you refer to this prior to your visit to help you choose which departments to visit on the evening.

External candidates should register via this link and if you have any questions please do contact the Admissions Team via email at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Our popular Christmas Wreath Making Evenings are back this year, with two dates to look forward to! 

The evenings will take place on Tuesday 5 December and Wednesday 6 December 2023 in the Sixth Form Centre. All of the materials needed to make your beautiful wreath will be included in the cost, plus refreshments. Proceeds will go towards the Malawi Trip and South Africa Sports Tour. 

It is open to all Princethorpe parents, staff and friends. More details and a link for booking will be available soon. 

Following feedback from parents and a review of reporting conducted last academic year, we are making some changes to how academic reports look this year. I will be writing to parents of pupils in Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) in the next few weeks to explain some changes to our grading system but wanted to take this opportunity to inform you all of a change that affects all year groups.

Our ‘SEA’ grades reflect the Systems, Effort and Attitude components of the VESPA model which we use across school to discuss positive approaches to learning. As Mr du Toit explained at the start of term, we have begun this academic year with a renewed focus on the classroom and have developed a profile of our ideal Princethorpe Learner which you can see below. In light of this, we are replacing the +/- grades with a statement for each subject that will indicate whether or not your son/daughter is working in line with these expectations, or even exceeding them. We hope that this will give greater clarity as to how they can improve in the future.

Please see the document here for information about EPQ.

Wednesday 11 October - 6.00pm-8.00pm

To support the progress of our new Year 7 pupils, we will be offering face to face meetings with your child’s tutor to discuss how they are settling-in to life at Princethorpe. Alongside this, senior staff will present some key messages for the year ahead, including how to support pupils’ learning at home. As targets will be made for further improvement we expect that pupils will also attend the meeting wherever possible.

Parents will be given the opportunity to book a 10 minute slot with their child’s tutor electronically; an email will be sent out with more information and booking details before the evening itself.

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head – Academic

Wednesday 11 October -  6.00pm-8.30pm

To support the progress of our Year 10 pupils we will be offering face to face meetings with your child’s tutor to reflect on how they are settling-in to GCSE study, and to discuss future targets. These will be preceded by a presentation from senior staff to explain how we can use YELLIS testing data to inform these discussions, and to highlight some key messages for the coming academic year. As we are discussing their individual targets, we expect that pupils will also attend the meeting.

Parents will be given the opportunity to book a 10 minute slot with their child’s tutor electronically; an email will be sent out with more information and booking details before the evening itself.

For further details please click here.

Dan Lee
Head of Physics and STEAM co-ordinator

Progress Reports for Year 11 will be published on Friday 13 October 2023, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

Can I please remind parents to read and fully appraise themselves of the information in the Information Booklet for Parents and Pupils. 

In particular, the uniform updates and changes which have been made to the school uniform requirements and Sixth Form dress code, as these will continue to be enforced throughout the school year. If we do have any concerns with a pupil's uniform we will contact you directly to resolve any arising matters.

Thank you for your continued support. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

This year every pupil in school has been issued with a locker in their year group zone. I would be grateful if you could remind your child that their sports bags must be placed into these lockers until they are required.

Unattended sports bags can pose a fire hazard, particularly in the event we need to evacuate the school, highlighted in our recent fire drill practices, and sports bags should not be left anywhere else around the school site. Pupils who do not use their locker for their games bag will receive a sanction.    

Thank you for your continued support. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

Can I please remind you that our After School Prep facility closes at 6.00pm after school each week day. There is a charge for any pupil who is not collected by this time.

Thank you for your continued support. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

Please remember that we are a nut aware school. We kindly ask that pupils do not bring anything to school containing nuts as part of their lunch or snacks. Allergic reactions can be extremely serious, so this is really important to make sure everyone in our community is kept safe.

Thank you for your continued support. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

We are delighted to offer our Sixth Form students the opportunity to participate in a TEFL course running at Princethorpe College on Saturday 13 January and Sunday 14 January 2024. For more information please watch this video or see this flyer.

Students may express their interest in the course by completing this form.

With best wishes

Ben Collie
Head of Sixth Form

Lower Sixth 360 event

Thank you to everyone who took part. We’ve had very positive feedback and parents unable to attend will be sent the information.

University Open Days

Many of our students are already out and about visiting universities and making an excellent impression. We are hearing some good stories about their experiences so far and about subsequent offers of work experience opportunities prior to enrolling.

Community Service and Charity Events

The Granger's Club

This coming Tuesday evening, 10 October, Princethorpe College Youth SVP group is welcoming members of the Granger's Club for people with learning difficulties along with family members, helpers and volunteers. The club is usually based at the Hagard Community Centre in Willenhall where a number of our Sixth Form pupils regularly volunteer. Activities will include use of the climbing wall and fitness suite, therapy dogs and board games. 

World Porridge Day and Mary's Meals

Our World Porridge Day celebration in aid of Mary's Meals, which provides a daily meal in school for over two million children, will include our annual inter-house welly-wanging competition and will take place on Tuesday 10 October. Scotland - where Mary's Meals has its roots - has an obvious connection to porridge. In Malawi, the staple food is a maize porridge enriched with vitamins... so porridge will be on sale at break time to help raise funds for the charity. A reminder to all the Sixth Form to bring in cash on the day. 

Families are also encouraged to order a big blue mug through this form which can support any further fundraising at home.

View our progress in fundraising for Makalanga School by viewing our dedicated site here. Or to support the Mary's Meals emergency appeal click here.

Sixth Form Photograph

This will take place on Tuesday 10 October.

Car parking Permits

For any queries please email me and I will reply to you as promptly as possible.

UCAS and Careers

Any questions about UCAS or careers related advice please contact Mrs Quinney directly by email at jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk.

Save The Date

A Christmas Wreath Making Evening in aid of the Malawi Trip will take place on Tuesday 5 December 

Lower Sixth Reminders

Lower Sixth Activity Day on Saturday 7 October

Adventure Sports, Warwick from 9.30am to 4.00pm.

Lower Sixth Social on Friday 20 October

Peaky Blinders themed event to include music and dancing on Friday 20 October in the Sixth Form Centre.

Upper Sixth

Upper Sixth UCAS and 360 Review Meeting on Thursday 5 October

Will take place in The Limes and Sports Hall from 6.00pm to 8.30pm

Upper Sixth Social on Friday 9 December

The next Upper Sixth Social will take place on Friday 9 December. More information to follow soon.

With best wishes

Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form 

Thursday 5 October 2023 - 6.00pm to 8.30pm

We would like to invite all parents of Upper Sixth students to a 360 Review Evening with their child’s Form Tutor. This will include a 10 minute face-to-face appointment to discuss overall progress, presentations from senior staff to support preparations for forthcoming mock examinations and the opportunity for Q&A about the UCAS process.

Booking details will be issued the week before this event.

Michael Spencer                           Ben Collie
Deputy Head - Academic             Head of Sixth Form

Thank you. 

Mary Benham
Chaplaincy Co-ordinator

Pink Day will be taking place on Friday 20 October - this is our annual fundraiser for breast cancer charities. Please bring in £2 for the charity pot for the pleasure of a non-uniform day, and if you are in Sixth Form dress to impress in pink!

Non-Uniform Days
On non-uniform days we still expect certain standards of appearance to be upheld as
detailed below:

• Clothes should be sensible, safe and suitable for a school day

• Clothes should not be too tight or too short, sheer or flesh revealing

• Headwear is not permitted inside the school buildings

If staff consider that a student’s appearance does not meet these standards, the pupil may be asked to change into borrowed clothing for the day. Pupils are not compelled to participate in non-uniform days and may choose to wear normal uniform, however, if they do wear non-uniform they are expected to pay for this privilege. If a pupil fails to make the appropriate donation senior staff will follow this up and make parents aware of the situation.

The system is now live with pupils and parents using it to ensure that they are safe to return to play after receiving an injury to their head.  If you are experiencing any problems with the login, please see the instructions that Return2Play have sent to us.

If anyone is having login issues, please follow the below steps: 

Head to www.return2play.org.uk and select login. 
Select ‘forgot password?’ 
Enter your email address to generate a new temporary password to be sent to you. 
Press ‘back’ to return to the login page 
Enter your email address as their username (case sensitive) 
Copy the temporary password from the password reset email into the password box, ensuring there are no spaces either side of it. 
Select login and then enter a new password of their choosing when prompted. This should contain an upper case letter, a lower case letter and be eight characters or more. 

If this does not work for you, please contact support@return2play.org.uk and Return2Play’s support team will help you directly. 

Lee Cassell
Foundation Director of Sport
 

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

• Team coaches and how you may contact them
• Instructions on how to access the Sports homepage and teamsheets
• Information about fixtures, including selection and cancellations
• Sports kit expectations
• Postcodes for away fixtures 

Please click the link here to view the guide. 

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

Lee Cassell 
Foundation Director of Sport 

Please don’t forget that Princethorpe College PTA is registered with easyfundraising. So, although we’ve been unable to get together and hold fundraising events in person for a while, we can continue to raise free funds, at no extra cost to you.

When you shop via the easyfundraising website or app, with over 4,100 of your favourite retailers, including John Lewis & Partners, eBay, Amazon and many more, you will raise FREE donations for the school.  

If you’re not already registered, please visit our easyfundraising page here.

This will really make a difference to our school! Thank you for your support.

Our friendly PTA here at Princethorpe College are keen to welcome new members. 

By joining our PTA community, you are not committing to volunteer, but just to joining our community and if you do wish to volunteer you will receive emails when we require help to run our events.

For more information about the PTA and how to join please email pta@princethorpe.co.uk

Princethorpe PTA

The CyberFirst Girls Competition aims to inspire Year 8 girls interested in technology to pursue a career in cyber security. The Computer Science Department would like to enter a team into this year's competition. If your daughter is interested in cyber security and would like to tackle challenges from cryptography and logic to artificial intelligence and networking, then please encourage her to contact Mr Musson via TEAMS chat.

Cyber security is taught in Year 8 Computer Science lessons this term, with extra support provided in the Tuesday lunchtime club sessions in November to help pupils prepare.

Prizes include a brand-new laptop for those in the winning teams.

More information on the competition can be found here. 

Please continue to prioritise signing off your volunteering, physical and skill sections. Many have already completed their award in full. 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 clinic takes place every Tuesday 1.05pm in LG02.

The Certificate Presentation Evening takes place on Thursday 8 February 2024. However, the final deadline for completion for those aiming to move from Bronze to Silver is October half term, for those stopping at Bronze it is Christmas. 

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education - DofE Manager

The Parent Information Evening recorded presentation, Information Booklet and Enrolment Form are all available on MySchoolPortal/Co-curricular/DukeofEdinburgh’sAward via the link here.

The deadline for enrolment is Friday 20 October (the last day of term before the half term break). Please complete the form and submit the £60 non-refundable deposit. Assemblies will be held with pupils after half term where course materials will be distributed and the next steps explained.

Here is a reminder of the eligibility criteria: 

Award Stage    Age Requirement

Bronze              Year 9

Silver                Year 10

Gold                 16 years old (must be in the Sixth Form)

I look forward to welcoming pupils onto the scheme this year. 

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education - DofE Manager

Tuesday 3 October 2023

Pupils should attend school in school uniform and leave anything they do not need for the day at home or in their locker. The weather is currently forecast as fair, but please do keep an eye on the forecast in case this changes, and a waterproof may be required.  

All Year 8 pupils who have given their consent to go on the trip should meet for registration in the Sport’s Hall when the bell goes for period One. Pupils will return at approximately 3.30pm, so will be able to change for any sports teams when they return. Pupils can attend after school clubs and Prep as normal.  

Please ensure that your child has a refillable drinks bottle and a packed lunch with them in a bag. There is only 30 minutes in the schedule for lunch and no café facility available on the day. Please remember that we are a nut aware school and products containing nuts should not be brought on the trip as there are pupils and staff with severe allergies.  

Please also ensure that your child has any prescription medication that they need for the day eg inhaler, epipen, etc. Pupils should carry their own medication in these cases.  

Please direct any further questions to Mrs Lindsay at julialindsay@princethorpe.co.uk.

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.

We are delighted to welcome Katie Strange back to Princethorpe, she joins the Administration Team, to work alongside Lauren and Hayley, as our new Receptionist\Administrator.

Katie is an Old Princethorpian, Class of 2015, who joined us for a year as a Teaching Assistant after her time in Sixth Form. Katie then went on to work at the Rugby branch of Abraxas Cookshop for six and a half years, where she developed a love for and a strong knowledge of all things cookware; any questions about cooking or baking then Katie is the one to ask!

In her spare time Katie loves photography, cycling and long walks around National Trust properties.

Katie is delighted to be back at Princethorpe and looks forward to meeting you all in Reception.

Emma Harcourt joins the Administration Team as Pupil Hub Manager, working alongside Annabelle Barnes.

Before coming to Princethorpe College, Emma worked at Solihull College as Sports Exercise Science Course Leader and Lecturer for 22 years. She is excited to be working at the school and looks forward to getting to know pupils and staff as the term progresses.

Outside of school time, Emma is kept busy being involved in her children’s sporting activites and she enjoys spending time with friends and family.

The Bursary welcomes Emma Hibbert who joins the team as our new part-time Finance Assistant.

After an initial career as a music teacher, Emma then retrained as an accountant, and has since worked across a variety of sectors for the past 12 years, with the past three years specialising in charities.

Aside from her musical interests Emma enojoys spending time with her young family, often at National Trust properties and RHS Gardens. Emma enjoys a wide variety of hobbies including photography and crafts, regularly crocheting for charity appeals.

Please see below our current vacancies: 

Princethorpe College

• Archivist
• Examinations Invigilator
• Casual Estates Assistant

Crescent School

• Learning Support Assistant

Full details and how to apply are available via the following link: Join Us

Should you know anyone who might be interested in this post, please do share this information with them.