The Flagpole

Princethorpe College was delighted to welcome 164 runners from 11 Warwickshire schools on Monday 9 October for the local qualifying round of the English Schools Athletics Association’s (ESAA) Cross Country Cup.

Runners competed in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Boys' and Girls' races on a course that led competitors around the College’s playing fields; the beautiful autumn sunshine providing warm running conditions.

Congratulations to Princethorpe’s Senior Boys, Senior Girls and Junior Boys teams who all finished in first place overall and automatically qualify for the Regional Round.

Evie Marston led the Senior Girls team home finishing in 2nd place, Grace Darcy was just behind in 4nd, Jess Evans 8th, Natasha Thomas 14th, Emma Sarkies 15th and Emily Glover 18th. For the Senior Boys, Ben Smith ran a strong race and was 1st across the line with Felix Batty finishing 6th, Jesse Esler 9th, Will Harrison 12th, Guy Dawkins 14th and Freddie Hadley 16th.

The Intermediate Girls finished in third place overall, with Lily Hunter 3rd, Anabel Davis 12th, Marley Adnitt 13th, Jessie Murphy 17th, Delilah Teeton 22nd and Ellie Maffey 23rd. While the Intermediate Boys finished fourth overall with Will Smith 5th, Mark Message 10th, Toby Iley 13th, Soren Wasley 17th and Sam Grindal 23rd.

The Junior Girls finished in third place, with Issey Cleary finishing 1st, Esme Card 13th, Evie Johnson 16th, Grace Crowfoot 21st, Emily Divers 23rd and Bella Davies 32nd. While the Junior Boys had an excellent run, finishing in first place overall with James Bostock crossing the line 1st, Isaac Fowle just behind in 3rd, Rufus Jones 7th, Auston Higham 12th, Charlie Leech 15th, Alvin Wamala 19th and Sam Barlow 30th.

So far, the Senior Boys, Senior Girls and Junior Boys have all qualified for the Regional Final which will take place on Saturday 11 November.

Well done to all the participants for their excellent efforts and a special thank you to the Games Captains for their sterling support and record keeping at the event.

Princethorpe College sent a team of eight enthusiastic young sailors to the ISA National Regatta at Draycote Water this week. It was the first time the competition had been held at Draycote and that was too good an opportunity for Princethorpe’s sailors to miss.

Pupils competed in either the Main Fleet or Rookie events. Sailing conditions were light with the wind lessening throughout the day adding to the tactical challenge of the competition but the youngsters took it all in their stride and everyone had great fun.

Congratulations to Year 7, William Shaw, who claimed Silver in the Main Fleet (losing by just 1 point) and to Year 9, Harry Prance, who took Bronze in the Rookie Fleet.

Well done to everyone who took part, it is great to add another sport to the College’s competition schedule.

Three Princethorpe pupils have been awarded top honours in the Regional ISA Art Competition, a testament to the depth and range of talent in Princethorpe's Art and Photography Department.

Recent Upper Sixth leaver, Ruby Harris placed first in the Painting Over 16 class. Ruby’s winning portrait, titled Fast Food, was part of her coursework for her A-level Art examination, it is a superb, striking, lifelike image and a well-deserving winner.

Her classmate, Ava Jones’s compendium of drawings took first place in the very competitive Over 16 Sketchbook class. Exploring themes about Obsessive, Compulsive, Orderliness and Perfection disorder her sketchbook submission showcased her preparations for her final piece that was also of an incredibly high standard.

Lower Sixth Former, Amaanya Bose took first prize in the Drawing U16 class. Her pencil piece receiving recognition, People and Places, was also part of her coursework for her GCSE Art examination.

Recent leaver, Amber Williams just missed out with her stunning images, also on the theme of Fast Food, taking a well-deserved second place in the Photography Over 16 class.

Paul Hubball, Head of Art and Photography, comments, “Many congratulations to all of our winners, they are worthy recipients of this year’s awards. Their entries were exceptional and the product of many hours of work. It is marvellous to see their talent rewarded in this way.”

Ruby, Ava and Amaanya’s work now goes forward to the National Competition which takes place locally at Chesford Grange in November.

A huge well done to them all!

The College took another step forward in its drive for sustainability recently when the solar photo voltaic panels on the new Science Centre and Sports Hall were commissioned.

As part of the project to construct the Science Centre, 44 solar panels were installed on the roof of the Sports Hall to support Princethorpe’s move towards net zero. The new rooftop solar array was commissioned on Wednesday 20 September and is now generating clean energy for the school to use. The expansive flat pitch of the roof making it the perfect location for the panels to catch the sun’s light as it moves across the sky.

On a good day, the panels will generate as much as 27kW of electricity, which will be offset against the school’s electricity consumption. When the panels generate more than the school needs, for example during weekends and holidays, the excess will be fed back into the National Grid. Even on the dreary grey days we have been experiencing recently the panels were generating 1.3kW to contribute to the school’s daily demands for power.

It’s another major improvement to the College’s infrastructure and one that has the capacity to grow further as there is plenty more roof space available.

In addition to the solar panels, the school will shortly be installing a display monitor in the Science Centre foyer. It will show the energy performance of the building, including the amount of electricity being produced by the panels, and will be an excellent resource to engage the whole school in the discussion about the advantages of clean energy and how we achieve a stable climate and healthy planet together.

Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, who leads the College’s Environmental Sustainability Board, said, “It's a really positive step forward, as we take on the challenge of moving towards ‘net zero’.”

Princethorpe’s aspiring young chefs showcased their superb cooking skills this week when they took part in the Springboard’s FutureChef competition. The school’s first-round heats took place after school on Tuesday 10 and Thursday 12 October with 17 contestants tasked with cooking and serving up a main meal in just one hour.

The FutureChef competition challenges young people aged 12 to 16 to cook their way through a series of rounds, gaining experience, meeting professionals and developing their skills, all while getting an insight into the culinary industry.

All of our would-be chefs really wowed the judges, Jacqui Scott, Grove du Toit, Michael Spencer, Gil Cowlishaw, Tom Walton and former FutureChef regional finalist Upper Sixth Former, Chloe O’Carroll-Bailey, with their culinary creations. From the off, they worked quickly, demonstrating technical skills such as knife work and pasta making and the finished plates of food looked tantalising and were full of flavour. What's more the contestants’ attention to detail was superb with plates polished, the food presented artistically and their work surfaces scrubbed clean.

It was a hard decision to choose between them all and the judges deliberated carefully as they argued the pros and cons of first one dish and then another. In the end they decided that Year 10s Sophie Henry and Finlay Ross had managed to hold their nerve and execute their dishes superbly to finish in first and second place and qualify for the next round of the competition.

Taking the year group titles were Year 7, Emily Divers, Year 8, Sophia Deery and Year 9, Emily Knight.

Commenting on this first stage of the competition, Teacher of Food Technology, Jacqui Scott said, “There was so much enthusiasm, teamwork and skill shown. Pupils cooked food to be proud of in a very short period of time. I have been really impressed with the level of interest in the FutureChef competition. It was really very difficult to pick our winners and the judges thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful we tried. I’m very excited to see how far we can go in the competition.”

Huge congratulations to our two worthy winners and well done to all of the participants who took part, it was an excellent effort all-round, and you all produced fabulous plates of food.

Competing this year were Year 7 pupils: Chloe Brosnan, Zack Darare, Emily Divers, Scarlett Horbury, Chloe Iley, Sam McCormick and Edward Morris, Year 8s: Dami Ajagunna, Sophia Deery, Harry McKerlie and Lucas Ross, Year 9s: Izzy Dale, Emily Knight, and Year 10s Serena Gumbura, Sophie Henry, Finlay Ross and Tomi Yusuf.

A team from Cawston Grange Primary School, in Rugby, took first place in this year’s Princethorpe College Year 5 Maths Challenge while Foundation Prep School, Crescent School, shared second place with Bridgetown Primary School, from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Organised by Douglas Buchanan of DCBEAGLE Challenges, who specialise in running exciting and stretching maths activities for primary school pupils, the now annual competition took place at Princethorpe College on Monday 9 October.

Competing were 52 pairs of enthusiastic and talented Year 5 mathematicians from 25 local schools. After a welcome from College Headmaster, Grove du Toit, pupils completed a series of puzzles against the clock. In five eight-minute rounds they tackled Tangram Triangles, Broken Calculators, Domino Jigsaws, Make 24, Card Order and Curly’s Cycling Circuits.

Ably supported and marked by a team of Princethorpe Year 10 pupils, the competition stretched and challenged the youngsters with mathematical activities that required both reasoning skills and mathematical knowledge. The event was engaging and fun for all who took part.

The winning teams all received mathematical prizes presented by Princethorpe College’s Head of Mathematics, Sharon McBride, and everyone who participated received a certificate and a special Princethorpe cookie.

Comments, Sharon McBride, “The College was delighted to host and support this event. It was a great opportunity for all to put their maths skills to the test and proved to be an exciting morning of mathematical challenges. We were really impressed by the children, well done to everyone who took part.”

Thinking of becoming a teacher? Then why not consider training at Princethorpe College.
Whether you are a new graduate or contemplating a career change, we have opportunities available across the subjects but particularly for those with a degree relating to STEAM.

Through our association with the Lion Alliance, we offer a year’s training as part of the School Led Route, leading to Qualified Teacher Status. Placements would be at Princethorpe and also at other schools within the Lion Alliance. Our training via the Lion Alliance is supported by Warwick University. In addition, Princethorpe College also has strong links with Birmingham City University and Coventry University through offering placements to their trainees.

Teacher training at Princethorpe is a successful part of the school and we are now in our fifth year. Bursaries from the government of between £7,000 and £28,000 are available to support those training in Chemistry, Computing, Mathematics, Languages, Geography, Biology and Design Technology.

Our Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning, Dr Liz Pyne is happy to offer advice about the different routes into teaching and what Princethorpe can offer you. Please email her at lizpyne@princethorpe.co.uk

Further information about the Lion Alliance can be found here: www.thelionalliance.co.uk

Information about Getting into Teaching and possible bursaries can be found here: getintoteaching.education.gov.uk

Year 7 were lucky with the weather when they enjoyed a wonderful three-day programme at Whitemoor Lakes Outdoor Residential Centre last weekend.

Pupils took part in an itinerary that included archery, climbing, high ropes, zip wire, orienteering and problem solving. In groups they rotated around the different activities, working together to complete the challenges they were set. In the evenings they enjoyed team games, singing round the campfire and a fabulous Saturday night disco. On the Sunday morning Father Alan Whelan MSC joined the group and led a service reflecting on the importance of kindness. All in all, it was a fabulous weekend with plenty of old-fashioned fun.

There were lots of opportunities for pupils to develop their team working skills and the activities all encouraged pupils to show initiative, resilience and social awareness. Over the weekend Year 7 took on all the challenges with determination and enthusiasm making for a memorable three days.

Deputy Head (Pastoral), Beth Sharpe said, “This was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 7 pupils to bond together as a year group. They had an amazing time and were really supportive of one another. I know they have come back into school with new friends and better able to work together as a team.”

Well done to everyone and a big thank you to all the staff who supported the trip.

You can see pictures from their visit here.

Year 9 pupils visited the National Holocaust Centre and Museum in Newark on Friday 6 October to develop their knowledge of the events and their awareness of the causes and complexities of the Holocaust. The cross curricular trip supported both their Religious Studies and History topics this year.

Pupils participated in workshops and learnt about the Holocaust and why it happened. They explored the museum’s exhibitions, heard recorded survivor testimony, and saw exhibits, including real examples of the yellow stars Jews had to wear. Year 9 also had the opportunity to visit the memorial garden where they were encouraged to add their own pebbles to a stone memorial to the 1.5 million children of the Holocaust. The museum’s ambition is to eventually have a mound of 1.5 million stones, poignantly reflecting the Jewish tradition to lay pebbles on a grave.

Head of RS, Cyp Vella said, "Hearing the personal stories of survivors will have helped pupils connect with the Holocaust and built their understanding of the roots of discrimination and prejudice. What impressed me was the conversations it provoked amongst the pupils. The sensitivity and care taken by Year 9 while we were at the museum was an absolute credit to them. It was a moving and thought-provoking place to visit."

Princethorpe College pupils and staff marked World Porridge Day this week by raising money for the Scottish charity Mary’s Meals. Championed by our Sixth Formers, pupils participated in a posse of Scottish and porridge fundraising fun.

At break time pupils were invited to dig deep and purchase a traditional Scottish breakfast, a pot of porridge, with a selection of luxurious toppings. Queues quickly formed for the steaming pots in the corridor outside the Refectory.

The Scottish theme continued out in the Orchard where the brave participated in the annual Welly Wanging Challenge. Organised by House, there were plenty of contenders lined up ready to enthusiastically fling, hurl, chuck and toss the wellies down the field. Foundation Principal, Ed Hester, as always delivered a whopping welly throw of 28.8m for Fisher House, Austin’s best thrown was by Seb Darch at 30m, Will Hughes hurled his welly 32.2m just beating Molly Grimsley who managed 32m, both for Benet, but the best welly wang of the day was from More’s Henry Woodrow who managed a magnificent 33m.

Ben Collie commented, “Congratulations to our Sixth Form students on their remarkable efforts organising the fundraising on World Porridge Day. Their hard work and dedication in planning and executing this creative and engaging event is truly commendable, resulting in a fundraising total of £180 so far. This accomplishment not only showcases their ability to organize and lead but also reflects their commitment to making a positive impact in their community and beyond. Their initiative and generosity are a testament to their character and a source of pride for us all. Keep up the excellent work and continue making a difference in the world!”

You can find out more about Princethorpe’s fundraising for Mary's Meals or make a donation here.

The Lower Sixth enjoyed an exciting outdoor activity day on Saturday 7 October at a new venue for the College, Adventure Sports in Warwick. The trip offered the students the chance to develop a growth mindset, as they embraced the unfamiliar and enjoyed new experiences. It also encouraged them to use their initiative skills, build personal resilience and gave them an important opportunity to bond together as a group.

The Lower Sixth Formers took part in a variety of outward-bound activities including Archery, Axe Throwing, Clay Pigeon Shooting, 4x4 Off Road Driving, Quad Bike Circuits and the very challenging but essential life skill of Reverse Steer Snooker. There was plenty of camaraderie with everyone having fun in the warm weather and the group have all come back into school having made new friendships and discovered inner strengths.

It was a wonderful day out for the Lower Sixth who have made a great start to their time in the Sixth Form.

The latest issue of The Old Princethorpian, the Princethorpe Foundation’s termly e-newsletter for past pupils, staff and parents, old and new, is out now!

Visit: www.oldprincethorpian.co.uk to have a read.

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.

If you have any comments on the e-newsletter or news to please do get in touch, email us at oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk.

The next events in the OP calendar include our Prize Giving Drinks Reception for last year's Upper Sixth on Friday 24 November and the College PTA Christmas Fair on Sunday 10 December.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Year 8 visited Worcester Cathedral on Tuesday 3 October in support of their History studies on Tudor England and the Reformation.

Pupils took part in a workshop learning about the religious changes during the Tudor period and the impact this had on the wider population. The found out about life in a religious community at the time, including the food the monks ate and the medicines and remedies they had to treat the sick. Their visit also included a tour of the cathedral to help them understand its architecture and religious significance.

Thank you so much to the cathedral volunteers who led workshops. Pupils had a fantastic, fun packed, interactive day out that provided a great insight into the role of religion in the Renaissance era.

The Roman Legionary invaded Princethorpe College on Wednesday 4 October armed with swords and scutums (shields) and ready to do battle. It was Year 7 Roman Day, a day full of tales of blood and gore, as pupils learn about the professional heavy infantryman of the Roman army.

Lucky class ‘volunteers’ dressed up in body armour and handled weapons as Gladiatrix Lisa, captivated the new recruits with fascinating facts about all things Roman. Year 7 were treated to lessons in sword skills and battle tactics and practised marching in the testudo formation adopting the shield wall formation commonly used by the Roman legions in battle.

@getthespecialists brought to life the strategic tactics and organisation of the Roman fighting machine. With replica costumes and equipment their sessions complemented the lessons Year 7 have been studying in History this half term.

Friday 29 September's Old Princethorpians' London Meet at The Riverside, in Vauxhall, drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 30 OPs from across the decades. 
 
A warm welcome from the Princethorpe contingent including OPs Chairman, Peter Rollason, (Class of 1977), and beautiful autumn sunshine greeted the OPs as they arrived at the pub. As the sunset and night fell the OPs lapped up the views from the glass fronted bar and outside terrace area which overlooked the Thames with stunning views to Battersea Power Station and back to the London Eye.  
 
The London meet is now a well-established event in our calendar and many of the attendees were regulars, though it was lovely to see a fair few new faces too. OPs were represented from as early as the 1970s, the 1980s and there was a large contingent of younger OPs from 2011 onwards. Some of the guests had not seen each other for over 40 years but picked up where they had left off. 
 
Longstanding and much-loved teacher, Alex Darkes, enjoyed reminiscing with past pupils, and as ever it was a delight to see the OPs of all ages networking, swapping stories and enjoying each other’s company. Special mention must go to international OPs, Louise Gusterson (Class of 1983), who was visiting from her home in New Zealand and Ernest Springley (Class of 1975), who came over from Germany for the occasion. 
 
The welcome drinks and delicious hot and cold buffet laid on by the OPs Committee were also much appreciated by all. 
 
Our next OPs Pub Meet takes place closer to Princethorpe upstairs at The Fox and Vivian, Clarendon Street in Leamington on Friday 8 March, you can register your interest on Princethorpe Connect now. 
 
For more pictures from the evening visit Princethorpe Connect. 

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 2023 - 6.30pm to 9.00pm

Year 11 pupils and their parents are reminded that the Sixth Form Open Evening will take place 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.

A link to the presentation schedule and an electronic copy of the Sixth Form Admissions 2024 Information Booklet has been emailed to Year 11 parents and pupils today and is available here, 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.

Thursday 19 October 2023 - 7.00pm

Following the success of our September lecture on Forensic Linguistics, the second monthly English Enrichment event will take place on Thursday 19 October. This time we will be screening a theatre performance of the National Theatre's production of Othello. 

Take your seats in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre just before 7.00pm and bring your own popcorn! The event ends at 10.00pm.

Pupils are welcome to go home and come back for the start of the performance at 7.00pm. If pupils choose to stay in school after a club or prep, they will be supervised in the Sixth Form atrium until the performance begins.

Pupils from all year groups, staff and parents are all welcome. A-level students studying Othello are strongly advised to attend as a revision opportunity for their November mock exams after half term.

Friday 24 November 2023 - 7.00pm to 9.00pm

We are excited to announce that invitations have been posted out today for our annual Prize Giving Ceremony, which will take place on Friday 24 November. The ceremony will be held at Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, commencing at 7.00pm.

The event is preceded by the Old Princethorpians' Reception in the Helen Martin Studio for Upper Sixth leavers and their parents from 6.00pm to 6.45pm.

Traditionally, the vast majority of last year’s Upper Sixth return to collect their A-level examination certificates. Most will have embarked on their first year at university, apprenticeship or employment and this is a good opportunity for them to catch up.

GCSE examination certificates will be presented to last year’s Year 11, as well as a number of other awards and prizes, including our most prestigious, The Princethorpe Shield. The Year 7 Chorus will be singing, and the String Orchestra and Concert Band performing. 

We are using Eventbrite to manage the ticketing for this year’s event and information about this is included in the invitation letters. 

Thursday 30 November to Saturday 2 December 2023 - 7.00pm

Princethorpe's Drama Department is delighted to invite you to our production of A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. 

Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother fell ill. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there’s a monster at his window. It’s elemental, a force of nature, and it wants something from Conor. It wants the truth. 

Our company have crafted an imaginative version of this acclaimed novel of love, loss and hope. We bring this powerful story to the stage for just three nights in the cold of the winter.

We would love you to come along and support our cast who have worked with vigour and imagination to tell this important tale.

Please be aware the story deals with powerful themes of illness, loss and grief. We recommend for Year 7 and above. 

Tickets are free and performances will take place on Thursday 30 November, Friday 1 December and Saturday 2 December at 7.00pm in the Clarkson theatre here at Princethorpe College. Please click on the day you require in order to book tickets on My School Portal.

We do hope you can join us for this event.

Sunday 10 December 2023 - 2.00pm to 4.30pm

The PTA Christmas Fair will take place on Sunday 10 December 2023 - a fun, festive event for all ages including:

• Christmas shopping market – choose from a range of artisan crafts, jewellery and gift
• Christmas craft room – make a Christmas table decoration
• Refreshments – mince pies and mulled wine, hot drinks and cake
• Bottle and Chocolate Tombolas
• Princethorpe student stalls
• Pre-loved school uniform stall
• Many other fun stalls 

We do hope that you and your family and friends are able to come along to what promises to be a wonderful festive event.

Progress Reports for Year 8 will be published on Friday 10 November, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

Progress Reports for Year 11 will be published today, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

• Evaluate your priorities for each subject
• This is based on two hours work on each weekday of the half term
• Complete homework set
• Complete any outstanding work
• Sort out your Teams folders/OneNote into good order

You want to come back from half term refreshed but up to date. 

Good luck and enjoy the break.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Could parents please ask their children to check their messages on Teams and email 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.

Any unnamed items of clothing, which are not school uniform or do not have a school logo on them, will be sent to charity at the start of half term as we have so many uncollected items which we cannot now continue to store. 

Thank you for your support.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

We would like parents to encourage pupils to regularly check their email accounts and My School Portal as we send out important messages to pupils which they need to make themselves aware of. These can include detention notifications which pupils do not want to miss if they have received one. 

They can also check sanctions on My School Portal. This year detentions are set by an accumulation of points which come from the sanctions that are issued. 

Saturday detentions are issued to pupils once their LLC or HLC points trigger such a detention. Please speak to your child as they have had this information shared with them. 

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

As we come to the penultimate week of the half term, I can honestly say that I am so proud of all the achievements of our Sixth Form students. 

Our Lower Sixth had an exciting day at Adventure Sports last weekend and challenged themselves with various outdoor activities, fostering teamwork, resilience, and personal growth. From axe throwing to shooting, they embraced the challenges wholeheartedly and demonstrated remarkable determination and camaraderie throughout the day.  

Our Upper Sixth students have settled back into the new term and are aiming for success in the upcoming mock examinations. Preparation and dedication during this time will undoubtedly pay off as they strive to achieve their academic goals. 

Congratulations to the Sixth Form students for their remarkable efforts in organising a successful event on World Porridge Day. The combination of selling porridge to raise funds and awareness for Mary's Meals, along with the welly wanging competition, is a creative and engaging way to support a great cause.

They also led on an excellent evening at school where they invited in the Granger’s Club, a local club for people with learning disabilities. Their hard work and dedication in planning and executing this event is truly commendable, resulting in an impressive fundraising total of £180 so far. This accomplishment not only showcases their ability to organize and lead but also reflects their commitment to making a positive impact in their community and beyond. 

On behalf of the Princethorpe community we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Sixth Form students for their outstanding achievement. Their initiative and generosity are a testament to their character and a source of pride for us all. Keep up the excellent work and continue making a difference in the world! 

Wreath Making  - Tuesday 5 December 2023 - Save the Date

We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming wreath-making! Get ready to embrace the holiday spirit and let your creativity bloom as we come together to craft beautiful wreaths. 

Event Details: 6.45pm - 9.30pm 

Date: Tuesday 5 December 2023 

Location: Sixth Form Centre  

Join us for a delightful evening filled with laughter, crafting, and spreading the joy of the festive season. Whether you're a seasoned wreath maker or trying your hand at it for the first time, this event promises to be a memorable and enjoyable experience for all. More information to follow.

Driving to School

As part of preparing students for life beyond Princethorpe, it is fantastic to see many Upper Sixth students passing their driving tests this Michaelmas Term.

As the weather turns after half term, please make sure students leave plenty of time for their journey into school and drive carefully while they gain more experience on the roads in these wintery conditions. On campus, please continue with the excellent driving behaviour we have seen so far this term, and please remember to reverse park when possible. 

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

UCAS and Careers - Reminder

This can be an overwhelming and confusing time for Sixth Form students (and their parents) when faced with the huge choice of university courses and apprenticeships available. The Careers and Sixth Form teams are available to help and advise students on all aspects of these decisions, but we are also here for parents too. Below is some information that may help but please do get in touch if you any specific queries that are not answered.  

Feel free to contact Jacqui Quinney, Head of Careers by email: jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk

University Applications 

All applications to university are made through UCAS.com which produces a very comprehensive Parents Guide.  
 
Parent guide to UCAS (ucas.com) 
 
Students will receive comprehensive guidance this half term on all aspects of the UCAS application.  
 
Deadlines

All applications are encouraged to be completed by the middle of November to ensure that the process doesn’t interfere with exam preparation.

Apprenticeships

Students interested in applying for apprenticeships can find lots of information both on Unifrog and also UCAS.com. Applications are made directly to the employer and many larger schemes open for applications from November onwards. However, many smaller employers will continue to recruit throughout the year. Due to the competitive nature of many degree apprenticeship schemes, students may want to consider applying to university too, as a back-up.   

Key Dates

Friday 20 October - Pink Day

Friday 20 October - Lower Sixth Social 7.00pm to -10.00pm

Friday 20 October - Upper Sixth progress reports available on My School Portal

Saturday 21 to 28 October - Lower Sixth History, Politics, Textiles and D&T Workshop Trip to the USA

Thursday 9 November - A-Level D&T and Textiles Trip to London

Friday 10 November - Lower Sixth progress reports available on My School Portal

Tuesday 14 November - Sixth Form Chemistry Trip to London

Tuesday 21 November - Sixth Form Physics Trip to London

Tuesday 27 to 29 November - Upper Sixth Mock Examinations

Friday 24 November - Prize Giving Warwick Arts Centre 7.00pm to 9.00pm

Friday 8 December - Upper Sixth mock reports available on My School Portal

Thursday 14 December - Upper Sixth subject progress evening online

Friday 15 December - Upper Sixth Social - More details coming soon

Best wishes for a happy and safe half term break when it comes.

Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form 

Progress Reports for Upper Sixth will be published on Friday 20 October, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

Progress Reports for Lower Sixth will be published on Friday 10 November, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

At Princethorpe College we believe that Work Experience is a vital part of any young person’s journey, and it has long been a part of our Careers Programme. A good work experience can provide a huge insight into an area of work, but it can also develop skills such as communication, self-confidence, initiative and teamwork.

We expect all of our students to complete at least one work experience placement of around a week, but they can, if they wish, undertake more than one placement or placements of longer duration. These placements can take place during any of the school holidays.

We understand that, owing to the impact of Covid, the opportunities for work experience have been severely compromised and therefore we are especially encouraging students in Sixth Form to complete work experience if they haven’t already done so. This can help enormously with university and careers planning over the next couple of years.

Normally, students are expected to find their own placement(s) through friends, family or through other initiatives; once a placement has been found then the information will need to be added to our Placements Portal.

If any parents are able to offer a work experience placement to any of our students then do please email me.

We are using Unifrog (www.unifrog.org) to manage the administration of the work experience programme – for example collecting information from the employer about their Risk Assessment and Health & Safety policy, as well as getting agreement from yourselves for the placement to go ahead.

Some important logistics:

Students need to agree the placement with the employer first, and then students will get the ball rolling by adding the placement to their Unifrog account (they’ll find the Placements tool on their Unifrog homepage). Please choose my name as the school contact from the drop down list.

The Unifrog system will then email the employer, the parent/guardian, and the school, to collect the necessary information and permissions. For the process to work, it’s essential that students add the initial information about the placement accurately.

If students have forgotten their Unifrog login details then they should use their school email address and click the forgotten password link.

Finding out more:

Unifrog have created a set of guides about placements which you can find here.

Within this set of guides, this is the best one to start with (it includes a short animation of how the whole process works).

Some pupils, might prefer to start with a virtual work experience placement and these too, can be very valuable in giving insight into a particular career sector. These still need to be entered on the Unifrog Placements tool as this will provide a record of what work experience has been completed. There are a great number of these placements available through the following link:

https://www.springpod.com/virtual-work-experience

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries. My email address is jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk. 

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers

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.

Any items of sports kit that require initialling during the October half term holidays can be brought into the school shop prior to Friday 20 October 2023 in a clearly named bag with a completed form attached.

If you do not have access to a printer a form may be collected from the School Shop in advance at break or lunch time. Please note all articles of clothing must be new or freshly laundered and dry, if they are to be sent to the embroiderers. This service is only available on items bought directly from the School Shop that have not been previously embroidered.

Initialling is not compulsory but is highly recommended to look professional, help reunite any lost items with the owner and is already included in the price. Initials can be a maximum of three letters and should not spell out a first name or nickname. 

Items will be ready for collection from the school shop when school re-opens on Monday 6 November 2023.

If you have any queries please contact the school shop on 01926 634272 or email uniform@princethorpe.co.uk

Barbara Bromwich
Foundation Shop Manager

Please don’t forget that Princethorpe College PTA is registered with easyfundraising. 

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.

The prestigious Bebras Computing Challenge introduces computational thinking to students. It is organised in over 60 countries and designed to get students all over the world excited about computing. The Oxford University Computer Science department lists the Bebras Challenge as one of the extra-curricular competitions that it looks favourably upon when vetting applicants for entry. All computer scientist pupils in years 9 to 11 will take part in the online competition during the first fortnight after half term. Pupils will have a practise lesson, before they take part in the competition, during another lesson.

More general information can be found here:

Welcome - UK Bebras

Pupils have been set a voluntary assignment to practise over half term below:

Be sure to choose the correct age range:

Inters (12-14) for Years 8 and 9

Seniors (14-16) for Years 10 and 11

Challenges - UK Bebras

Good luck!

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

Huge congratulations to Upper Sixth Former, Claudia Newman who placed 2nd in the 15hh plaited working hunter pony class at the prestigious Horse of the Year Show last Thursday 5 October.

Claudia was riding her amazing Connemara pony Annaghbay Storm, after qualifying for the national championships at Stoneleigh back in August. Competing at the HOYS is the stuff that dreams are made of, and the College is delighted for this incredible pair.

Louisa Fielding, the College’s Equestrian Team Manager, said, “What a superb achievement; Claudia is a stalwart of our school teams, she has been riding for Princethorpe for years. Horses are her passion, but they take so much hard work and commitment, this is amazing news and we are all really proud of her.”

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 pupils and 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

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 find below the updated Term Dates for  2023-24 and 2024-25.

2023 -2024 (two page document) - revised Open Morning and Christmas Fair dates

2024-2025 (two page document) - revised Sixth Form Open Evening and Christmas Fair dates

Please see below our current vacancies: 

Princethorpe College/Foundation

• Alumni Relations and Development Officer
• Archivist
• Minibus Driver
• Cleaner
• Part Time Estates Assistant 
• Casual Estates Assistant

Crackley Hall School

• Nursery Practitioner

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.