The Flagpole

As part of the Sixth Form scholarship interviews, I like to ask pupils who they would consider to be a role model. The expected answers would probably include celebrities, famous sports personalities, or someone who is a world changer like Malala. However, every year the number one answer by some distance is parents. I find it so encouraging and uplifting when a mum or dad is given their 30 seconds of praise and admiration. Pupils acknowledge the sacrifices, hard work, unwavering support, spinning of many plates, and encouragement they receive from their parents, and they want to follow in those footsteps. I always tell them to share this with their parents when they go home as I know how much it would be appreciated – if this happens, I will never know. As parents of teenagers, we normally deal with messy rooms, one-word answers, incomplete chores, and a low position in the order of priority list compared to friends. However, my message is simple – don't stop parenting! You may not see or hear the results of your efforts, but rest assured it does make a difference and most importantly, it is valued by your child. The role you as a parent or guardian plays cannot be replaced by friends or school. We value our relationship with you and so do your children. I thought this was an important message to pass on as it has lifted my spirits hearing teenagers opening up about how “awesome” their parents are.

The second set of mock exams will finish on Tuesday for our Year 11 pupils, while Upper Sixth pupils finish today. We are now firmly in the home stretch regarding preparations for final exams and we wish all in the exam years the best of luck with their mock results and continued preparation. Our Upper Sixth are also receiving their last university offers so it is very much a final push to get over their individual lines.

As we move into longer days, and hopefully drier weather, I know that plans are being made to celebrate the various achievements and milestones that are coming up and this will very often involve our pupils heading off to social events and gatherings with their friends. As a school, without fail, we deal with the fallout where some of the parties lead to negative outcomes. With this in mind, can I please request you consider the following guidelines when you are hosting or sending your child to a social gathering.

·         Your child’s safety must always be the number one priority. Ensure you know where they are going, who will be there, what supervision is in place, how they will travel, and how to contact them.

·         Young people will come across alcohol, recreational drugs, vaping, or other substances that put them at risk. As a parent, you cannot control who attends or what is brought to a party. Therefore, please have open conversations with your child about safe behaviour. If you feel your child does not have the experience or maturity to make good decisions yet, do not hesitate to make the decision for them. Do not put them in an environment where they will not be looked after.

·         Please be educated about the dangers of unsafe behaviour. Being able to have an informed conversation about, for example consent or legal limits, will have more impact than simply saying “don’t do it”. Don’t hesitate to contact other parents and ask them about the context of the party they may be hosting. They will appreciate your support and you being interested. It takes a village to raise a child and we have collective responsibility to look after every young person in our community.

·         Finally, please do not hesitate to contact the school if you feel there is something that you need to pass on. We are limited in our involvement regarding the outside events that our pupils attend, and we cannot prevent or police any party. However, we will always act if we feel our pupils’ safety may be at risk. This could be a quick phone call or conversation. Most importantly, it keeps us in the loop if one of our pupils requires support.

I appreciate the above may not be relevant to parents in the lower years as this is still a long way off. However, it does provide the opportunity to take stock and reflect on where you as a family currently are in managing the challenges that go with raising teenagers.

On a much more upbeat note, you should have noticed our social media posts this week announcing the arrival of Dance at Princethorpe. Rachel Fox joins us from BOA in Birmingham, to lead the programme with the first step being a Level 2 BTEC course in Dance as part of Year 10 and Year 11 options. This is very exciting and will impact on other areas in the curriculum and co-curriculum, adding to our performing arts provision.

The first Pinnacle of the year was published over half-term and provides a window into all that happens here at the College. Do have a good read and following the half-term, do encourage your child to get involved with new clubs or activities. Princethorpe is about wider opportunities and getting stuck in. No pupil should ever just come to school and go home. The development, friendships, growth, and fun that comes with clubs and activities must not be missed. 

I wish you a good rest of half term.
With best wishes

Grove du Toit
Headmaster

The deadline for the acceptance of places for September 2024 Year 7 entry to the College is fast approaching. Over the last few weeks, a high number of acceptances have been coming in and it is looking to be a tremendous Year Group.

Parents wishing to accept their child's offered place are reminded that they need to send their signed Confirmation of Acceptance Form and £300 deposit back to Mrs Catherine Rogers, the Registrar, by Tuesday 5 March 2024 please, to secure their child’s place. 

Please be aware that we can only guarantee places that are accepted by the above deadline date.

Do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries, Mrs Rogers and Mrs Holt, our friendly Admissions Team, can be contacted on 01926 634201 or 297 respectively or you can email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Preparations are well underway for celebrations to mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Jules Chevalier MSC, the founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the religious order which established Princethorpe College in 1966 and ran it until the late 1990s. 

We will be celebrating the occasion within school in a variety of different ways, including curriculum-related activities, assemblies, a special dinner for the MSCs based in the UK and Ireland and a display of archive material focusing on the MSCs longstanding connection with the College. 

Our new archivist, Jo Wong, is busy getting material together for the display and was delighted to recently receive a copy of a late 1960s St Bede's and Princethorpe College prospectus from Old Princethorpian, Adrian Charlton (Class of 1973).

Adrian had found the prospectus while sorting through his parents’ papers. The booklet was in excellent condition and makes for fascinating reading. It includes wonderful descriptions of the settings of both schools, it touches on the education provided, health and diet, physical training, the uniform and sportwear required. Admissions arrangements and vacation weeks are outlined and the Princethorpe fees are stated as 35 guineas per term for day pupils and 85 guineas for full boarders.

We look forward to seeing the full display in due course. Look out for more details of our festivities in the next edition of the Flagpole. 

Princethorpe College is introducing a new BTEC Level 2 Performing Arts Dance programme from September 2024, strengthening our performing arts pathways and providing an exciting new creative subject for pupils to study.

Leading the subject will be Rachel Fox, an experienced dance teacher, performer and choreographer, who will be joining us from Birmingham’s renowned specialist Performing Arts Academy BOA. With a first-class degree in Dance, postgraduate teaching qualifications and plenty of experience of teaching BTEC Dance at Level 2 and beyond, Mrs Fox will deliver a highly creative course that enables pupils to refine their performance skills, explore diverse styles and choreograph their own work.

The new BTEC Level 2 qualification is open to all pupils who are currently in Year 9 for a September 2024 start. Find out more on our website here.

The addition of Dance to the curriculum will be reflected in our PE, Games and co-curricular offering of clubs and activities and Mrs Fox will also be available to other pupils, where possible, to assist with dance work related to out of school commitments.

Over 300 pupils, parents, invited guests and staff gathered together on Thursday 8 February for the College’s annual Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Celebration Evening. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on pupils’ achievements in Outdoor Education and in particular to celebrate those who have successfully completed their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. It was particularly special to welcome a number of families, where multiple siblings have completed the award.

Will Bower, Head of Outdoor Education, began the evening by summarising the last year. He spoke about the College’s commitment to Outdoor Education and the variety of activities pupils take part in, including orienteering, climbing, walks offsite, bushcraft and the John Muir Award. He talked about the commitment pupils make in undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the independence, perseverance, strength of character and sense of humour they show and how seeing their achievements in such a wide variety of activities is a great privilege.

Then the College was delighted to welcome special guest, Olympic Silver Medallist and former Director of DofE Central England, Phil Brown. Phil spoke honestly and humorously about his experiences as part of the team who won the 4 x 400m Relay Silver medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. He had some amusing stories regarding the highs and lows along the way. He highlighted the significance of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for personal development and reminded pupils of the skills and experience they’ve picked up that will aid them in future life.

Other special guests at the evening included Richard Lea from PAU Expeditions, Keir Mulcahey from the DofE Operations Office and Tamsin Frost our Award Verifier. We were delighted they were able to join us in celebrating pupils’ achievements.

Across the evening, pupils were presented with their Certificates to mark the completion of their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.

Mr Bower, commented, “The Awards celebration was a superb opportunity to get together to celebrate the achievements of our young people. I am always impressed by the breadth of their endeavour to do their Awards and to do them well!”

There is still time for anyone who has not quite completed their award to get it finished. Pupils are encouraged to attend the Tuesday lunchtime eDofE drop-in clinics in LG02 for help.

Many congratulations to Jasper Nicholls (Year 9), Daniel Ovens Gibbs (Year 10) and Alex Flegg (Upper Sixth) who were the College’s top performing pupils in their age categories in this year’s Oxford University Computing Challenge (OUCC). Jasper attained so highly that he was awarded a Merit certificate, placing him in the top 10% of those who took part in the OUCC competition.

The OUCC is an invitational event for those who finished in the top 10% of the UK Bebras Challenge. Both challenges test skills such as logical thinking, pattern recognition and decomposition, as well as computer programming. The OUCC encourages pupils to develop their skills one stage further, consisting of three sections of problems for pupils to solve. It is renowned for being an exceedingly tough challenge and for the first time this year, the competition had a time limit.

15 Princethorpe pupils from Year 9 through to the Sixth Form had qualified for this year’s OUCC competition, a real achievement in its itself. All were awarded certificates.

Head of Computer Science, Ed Musson commented, “Computational thinking is an incredibly useful and powerful skill and all of these pupils have mastered it to a level well beyond their years. It was great to see their abilities being recognised in such a prestigious competition.”

The College was proud to see two Princethorpe pupils win medals at the England Athletics Age Group Championships in Sheffield at the start of half term. The event took place on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 February with pupils representing their athletics clubs.

Year 11, André Onyekwe, and Year 10, Grace McCollin, both put in personal bests and we applaud their success.

André competed in the U17 Boys High Jump and claimed the Silver medal with an amazing jump of 1.95 metres. He also took Bronze in the U17 Triple Jump with an outstanding hop, step and leap, and personal best, of 13.46 metres.

Grace ran in the U17 Girls Hurdles and sprinted her way to a Bronze medal in a fantastic personal best of 8.63 seconds.

Congratulations also to, Year 11, Olivia Monk who qualified for U17 Girls 60m semi-final with a new personal best of 7.83 seconds and, Year 10, Penelope Jones, who ran a personal best in the U17 Girls 60m Hurdles of 9.37 seconds. It is a fantastic achievement for all these athletes to be competing at this elite level of sport.

You can watch André and Grace in action on the College’s Sports Instagram @princethorpefoundationsport

We are looking forward to watching this next generation of young Olympians develop, it is going to be a really exciting summer of sport!

Year 9 pupil, Faith Katanda has just had her selection confirmed for this summer's International Children’s Games. Faith has been chosen to represent Team Coventry, and will play for their Girls Football team, when they compete in Lèon, in Mexico, in July.

The International Children’s Games are an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event that takes place every year where children from around the world, between the ages of 12 and 15, participate in a variety of sports and cultural activities.

It’s an amazing opportunity and is sure to be an incredible adventure. We wish Faith the very best of luck and look forward to hearing how she gets on.

The latest issue of the Pinnacle has just been published, showcasing yet more of our pupils' excellent work. The magazine's new editorial team, Julia Lindsay, Jo Evans and Sarah Duran, have given the Pinnacle a bit of a revamp and they hope you like its restyle.

The Pinnacle has always celebrated our pupils at their best and this edition includes plenty more examples of their outstanding efforts. History features, with project work from Year 7, 8 and 9, on the Romans, Richard III and World War Two. As does MFL, with excellent examples of descriptive writing from Year 7 and Year 8 in Spanish and in French.

There is a special Photography Club feature exploring evening photography and a cross foundation spread showing the different initiatives that take place across all the Foundation schools.

A double-sided Minnacle is included too, with equally impressive work by Crackley Hall and Crescent pupils. It's wonderful to celebrate their talents.

Printed copies have been sent home with pupils or you can read a copy of The Pinnacle on our school website here.

Many congratulations to Year 10 pupil, Sophie Henry, who was commended for her technical skills and ability in a hotly contested Springboard Futurechef Regional Final at Worcestershire College, before half term on Tuesday 6 February.

Six future chefs from across the Midlands competed in the event, preparing two courses in 90 minutes for a budget of just £10. Sophie, who is studying Food and Nutrition at GCSE, had prepared thoroughly putting a lot of time into planning her dishes. The food she produced was of the highest standard and beautifully presented, it included a main course of Chicken Normande and Dauphinoise Potatoes with a dessert course of Chocolate and Raspberry Swiss Roll.

The competition was fierce, with the judges complimenting the contestants for the standard and talent demonstrated.

Princethorpe’s Teacher of Food Technology, Jacqui Scott, said, “I am extremely proud of Sophie, she did brilliantly. Her two-course meal was outstanding, her timing brilliant and she received really positive feedback from the judges.”

A huge well done to Sophie, although she didn’t win this time, we think she truly has the makings of a master chef.

The renowned Princethorpe Binns Organ located in Our Lady of the Angels Chapel was purchased and installed in 1901. It was procured from and built by James J Binns, of the Bramley Organ Works, Leeds, and the original receipt shows it was purchased for £1,199-1s-3d.

In the Foundation's Archives we have a fascinating insight into its purchase from numerous letters that were written between Peter Paul Pugin and Sister Procurator of the Priory regarding the organ construction and the delay in placing the organ. An extract from one of the letters says:

30 March 1901

...."it is all nonsense Binns saying the organ would be finished long ago if he had had a design for case. I sent him the design for case with full working drawings which he never acknowledged. He could have worked on it at once. The console is quite a separate affair. When I see Binns I will give him a bit of my mind. I was not at all extravagant in the design for the case and a tracing of it is now enclosed which you will kindly return after M Prioress has seen it. I will send on details of console as soon as I can!"

When originally constructed the organ was powered by water. A large water tank was situated in a room in the Tower, and this provided hydraulic pressure (by gravity) to bellows which pumped the organ. The water settled in a tank under the engine house (now a garage) and was pumped up to the top of the tower by a Lister-Petter donkey engine which ran on petrol or paraffin. The hydraulically powered bellows and the colossal water pipes and valves are still in place.

The console was moved from adjacent to the south transept to the gallery around 1908 to make way for a statue of St Peter which was gifted that year. The photo attached is dated 1905. You can also see the acetylene gas mantles in this picture. This statue was subsequently taken by the nuns to Fernham when they left St Mary's Priory in 1965.

A 3-phase electric blower was fitted by the British Organ Blowing Company from Derby in 1953, shortly after electricity was installed at the priory by Lee-Beesley of Coventry. Prior to this, the chapel and school building had been lit by acetylene gas which was made on site.

In a letter to the College dated 1975 from a partner at an organ builder who had been in to survey the organ, it was described as “A very fine example of its type. It is well voiced, generously planned and of excellent workmanship throughout.”

By 1983, when Hugh Page first encountered it, the organ was virtually unplayable as much of the action and leatherwork had perished and six stop slides were completely jammed. Between January and June 1984 Hugh re-leathered some five hundred pneumatic motors and re-set the jammed slides, necessitating the removal of some four hundred pipes. He cleaned all of the pipes and carried out considerable work to reduce wind leaks. Hugh always loved coming to Princethorpe and the organ truly became his pride and joy. For the remainder of his life, he visited at least once a week to keep it all in working order.

His dedication to Princethorpe’s Organ is recognised in the College’s annual Hugh Page Memorial Organ Recital which takes place each year in June.

The rank of tuba pipes added to the choir organ, with electric action, were installed in August 2017 by Peter Spencer, as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The College repaired the Driving Motor and Fan Bearings at the cost of £3,200 in August 2023. This work was completed by Organ Blower and Humidifier Engineer, Stephen Lemmings of Derby.

The organ is registered on the National Pipe Organ Register here and the listing contains full details of the organ. For the last twelve years the organ has been maintained by Bubbenhall organ builder Peter D Spencer.

Sadly, the organ bellows now need removing and releathering, having already been patched 20 years ago when wear and tear was evident through splits and leaks, and this will be a costly exercise.

Princethorpe’s historic organ constitutes an irreplaceable part of the College’s and the country’s national heritage, and we are keen for it to be preserved and restored. It has played its part in many services held in the Chapel and its sound will be immediately familiar to all Old Princethorpians.

We would be grateful for the support of our community with this important restoration project. If you would like to donate please visit here.

Thursday 29 February - 4.00pm to 5.30pm

Our next English enrichment event will take place on Thursday 29 February, between 4.00pm and 5.30pm in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre.

This time we will be looking at Journalism. Where can the study of English lead you? To a career in journalism perhaps?

Join us for a talk by Georgina Fuller, a freelance journalist, editor and media consultant with over 20 years' experience. Georgina has had bylines in papers such as The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and The Times, and has appeared on Channel 5, ITV, Radio 5 and Radio 2. She will explore the importance of investigative journalism, coming up with ideas, writing for the web versus print, researching articles and finding case studies.

All welcome!

Helen Pascoe-Williams
Head of English

Tuesday 5 March - 4.30-6.30pm

We warmly welcome you to an informal evening of drama presented by our KS4 and KS5 Drama and Theatre Studies pupils. Our pupils will present a mix of devised and scripted pieces from a range of plays and theatrical styles.

They would really welcome your feedback in the final stage of their rehearsals.

We encourage Year 9's who are opting for Drama at GCSE to attend this event.

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

Tickets are not required for this event, but to help us cater efficiently please reserve places by clicking here to book through My School Portal, no later than Friday 1 March.

Thursday 7 March 2024

Thursday 7 March is World Book Day and our College will be celebrating everything books and reading. 

Reading for pleasure is so important, not just for the enjoyment of a good book but also it also helps to relax, inspire, escape and also brings a new confidence in literacy and comprehension. We learn so much from reading books, without even realising it.

We are excited to announce that we have a week of events planned around World Book Day, please click here for further information.

As usual you will be able to use a WBD voucher to either claim your free £1 book from participating retailers or use for money off another book in store. This year the vouchers have been sent to us digitally, to download please click here. We do have some printed vouchers so pop into the library if you would prefer one of these. 

The library will also have a selection of the free World Book Day books that can be exchanged for a voucher, they will be offered on a first come, first serve basis during the World Book Day week.

There are lots of fun activities on the World Book Day website, just click the link below to join in the fun.

World Book Day

The Library Team

Friday 8 March 2024 - 6.00pm to 10.30pm

The OPs annual Local Meet takes place on Friday 8 March 2024. We are returning to Leamington Spa, but to a new venue, the upstairs function room of the Fox and Vivian on Clarendon Avenue.

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

There will be the customary welcome drink or two and the OPs Commitee will be laying on some delicious food, so do let us know if you would like to attend by clicking here by Friday 1 March.

Alumni of all our Foundation schools and partners and friends are most welcome. We look forward to seeing you there!

Saturday 9 March - 10.30am to 12.30pm

Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery, are holding an Open Morning on Saturday 9 March. Come and find out why Crackley Hall School has been judged 'Excellent' in all areas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. It's a great opportunity for prospective families considering Crackley Hall School to come and have a look around and get a feel for the school. There will also be opportunities to speak to pupils, key members of staff and to meet Mr Duigan, Headmaster.

To find out more and to book your visit to Crackley Hall and Little Crackers Nursery visit our website here.

There are a number of opportunities to visit the school during the course of the year. We encourage prospective parents and pupils to visit us both formally and informally to get a true flavour of the school.

Most of our pupils enter at Nursery and Reception, though pupils are welcome at any age, dependent on a place being available.

Applications for places in the current Reception to Junior 6 are treated on an individual basis as places are limited. In years where there is no place available, we operate waiting groups. 

Little Crackers Nursery are now accepting registrations for September 2024 onwards. If your child is turning two, get in touch and come and take a look around our Nursery or come along to our friendly Stay 'n' Play Toddler Group on Wednesday mornings in term time. 

Tuesday 12 March - 6.30pm

Come and experience the College Chapel in a new way as we reflect together on Jesus’s way of the cross - his journey into and out of darkness - through mime, music, singing and readings with Years 7 to Upper Sixth involved. Staff, pupils, parents and friends of the school are all very welcome to this special event, which last year was described as 'beautiful', 'stunning' and 'incredibly moving'. 

Donations are invited at the end to support persecuted and suffering Christians, through the work of Aid to the Church in Need and Kenilworth based charity Friends of the Holy Land.

Refreshments will be available afterwards in the Sixth Form Centre. 

Please use this form to request free tickets please click here.

Saturday 16 March - 12.00pm to 2.30pm 

Princethorpe College will be hosting its first Arts Festival on Saturday 16 March from 12.00pm to 2.30pm. All are welcome for a celebration of the arts and performing arts at Princethorpe, with displays of art, drama, music and more.

Entry is free; however, we would appreciate if you would book a ticket in advance of the event. Please click here.

We hope to see you there!

Saturday 16 March - 10.00am to 12.00pm

Crescent School, Princethorpe's prep school in Bilton, Rugby, is holding an Open Morning on Saturday 16 March. Come and find out why Crescent School has been judged 'Excellent' in all areas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. It's a great opportunity for prospective families considering Crescent School to come and have a look around and get a feel for the school. There will also be opportunities to speak to pupils, key members of staff and to meet Mr Thackway, Headmaster.

To find out more and to book your visit to Crescent School visit our website here.

There are a number of opportunities to visit the school during the course of the year. We encourage prospective parents and pupils to visit us both formally and informally to get a true flavour of the school.

Most of our pupils enter at Reception and at Year 3, though pupils are welcome at any age, dependent on a place being available. The school is proving popular so parents are being encouraged to apply early for places in Reception. 

Applications for places in the current Reception to Year 6 are treated on an individual basis. We are currently operating waiting groups in most year groups. Please get in touch with our Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley, regarding our availability for September 2024. 

We are now taking registrations for September 2025 entry to Reception and Year 3. 

Tuesday 19 March 2024 - 7.30pm to 10.00pm

Mrs Margaret-Louise O'Keeffe, former Deputy Head - Pastoral at the College, is delighted to join us once again to delve into the life of Gustave Caillebotte: Impressionism’s Mystery Man.

This talk, which will be her last, is specifically in honour of Alex Darkes who is retiring after 45 years of service at Princethorpe, and also in celebration of the Arts Society which he co-founded in 1995.

Who knows Caillebotte? Where does he come from? In what school was he trained? No one has been able to tell me. All I know is that Caillebotte is one of the most original painters to have come forward in some time, and I am not afraid I shall compromise myself by predicting that he will be famous before long.

So wrote the critic, Marius Chaumelin, after first seeing Caillebotte’s striking works in the Impressionist Exhibition of 1876. The prediction was correct for Caillebotte did become famous, not just as an artist but as an indispensable organiser, financier and publicist of other Impressionist Exhibitions and then also as a  patron and collector. As a wealthy man who never needed to work thanks to his family’s fortune, Caillebotte kept most his paintings or donated them to friends and, ironically, this led to a long period of neglect when his innovative cityscapes, portraits, still-lifes and landscapes were not on public view.

The dramatic purchase by the Art Institute of Chicago of his sensational Paris Street: Rainy Day in 1964 changed everything and led to a revaluation of his work. Before then, he was best known for the ultra-generous donation to the French state of major Impressionist works he had purchased, a donation which required his executors to negotiate patiently to persuade some intransigent officials to accept them.

This talk will illustrate the intriguing oeuvre of this unusual character, so aware of his own mortality, who died aged 45 in 1894.

Click here to book your place.

Summer Exam Season

All pupils have been given their personal exam statement of entry. Timetables and, nearer the time, allocated rooms can be viewed on the pupil and parent portals.

A few pupils have exam clashes, and will be contacted over the next couple of weeks to discuss a resolution. A clash of exams only occurs when two exams for different subjects are timetabled to start at the same time on the same day.

Where two exams for the same subject are timetabled to start at the same time on the same day, they will be taken one after the other. This applies to GCSE History, IGCSE French, IGCSE Spanish and A-level Maths.

Full reports for Year 10 will be published today, and will be available to view on My School Portal.

Year 11 Mock Exam Reports will be published on Friday 15 March 2024, and will be available to view on My School Portal.

The Year 11 Subject Progress and Sixth Form Admissions Q&A evening will take place in person, on Thursday 21 March 2024 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. Details of how to book appointments will be emailed during week commencing 11 March 2024.

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

• Monday 26 February - Year 9 - 9.40am-10.30am
• Tuesday 27 February - Year 10 - 9.40am-10.30am

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

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

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

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

Wednesday 19 June 2024

Can I please make our Year 11 parents aware that the Headmaster's Thanksgiving Service and Buffet Supper has changed date and will now be held on Wednesday 19 June 2024 at the later time of 7.00pm.  

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.      

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

We are delighted to invite our Year 11 pupils to the End of Year Celebration at Coombe Abbey on Friday 21 June 2024 from 7.00pm until 11.30pm. Tickets are now on sale, and we hope all our pupils will come to celebrate the end of their GCSE courses and exams before they make their transition to Sixth Form. 
 
If you haven't already done so could I ask you to please follow the link here to indicate if your child will be attending. This form also requires your permission and agreement to add the cost of £65 per person for this event to your next fee invoice together with any special dietary requirements for our pupils attending this celebration.

If you could complete this form by Friday 1 March 2024 it would be appreciated. 

Many thanks.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

Upper Sixth Mock Exam Reports will be published on Friday 8 March 2024 and will be available to view on My School Portal.

The Upper Sixth Subject Progress Evening will take place, in person, on Wednesday 13 March 2023 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. Details of how to book appointments will be emailed week commencing 4 March 2024.

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

This is a very busy and short half term and I am pleased to report that the Sixth Form are making the most of the time available. 

The Upper Sixth have worked hard on their second set of mock exams and we wish them the best of luck with their continuing preparations for the summer exams.

Key Dates

Tuesday 12 March - Out of Darkness

Friday 22 March - Sixth Form Leadership Inauguration and Award Ceremony

Saturday 23 March - Prefect Training

Sunday 7 April - 40 Mile Walk 

Sunday 12 May - 24/7 Mary's Meals Walk

Tuesday 2 July - Upper Sixth Leaver's Ball 

Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form 

We are currently running Book Bingo in the Library and already have lots of pupils taking part. If you would like to get involved in this reading house competition and explore reading different genres, please come to the Library and we will give you a bingo card.

The rules of the game are to choose a book from one of the nine genres on the bingo card, read the book then write a review of the book, which can be exchanged for a coloured token for your house pot, worth one point. When you have read a book from all nine genres and have a full bingo card you will get a gold token worth ten points for your house pot. The winning house with the most tokens will be revealed at the end of the term!

Any items of sports kit that require initialling during the Easter holidays can be brought into the school shop prior to Friday 22 March 2024 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 purchase 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 15 April 2024.

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

Barbara Bromwich
Foundation Shop Manager

Our PE and Games Department have created a helpful guide for pupils and parents ahead of the Lent Term 2023-24 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 me at leecassell@princethorpe.co.uk.

Lee Cassell
Foundation Director of Sport 

The process of organising the return visit of our Dutch hosts from October 2023 is now well under way. We are looking forward to reciprocating the fantastic experience our pupils received during our four night stay with the players from Hopbel Hockey Club. The return dates are from Saturday 20 April through to Wednesday 24 April. These dates are at the start of the Trinity Term to allow all year groups to host if they wish and it is before the Year 11s get into their examination window.  

The girls and boys are a variety of ages, between 12 and 16. This may be of interest if your child would like to participate in the Holland visit in October 2024 (current Year 9 boys and girls), however this invitation is open to all families. In order to help, we are looking for families who can offer to host a pair (or more) of Dutch visitors and are willing to entertain and involve them in your family life for either all, or some, of the four nights, we can look at visitors moving between families and are happy to discuss this further. 

We will organise an itinerary of fixtures and activities during the school days and a BBQ for our guests with their host families on Sunday 21 April. We will let you know who the other host families are so that you can organise other events together if you wish. We will supply bus tickets for the Dutch visitors should these be required but they will need to be picked up after fixtures each day from College.

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

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

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.

Are you interested in joining the PTA Committee?

Comprising a dedicated group of volunteer parents and guardians of Princethorpe students, the committee orchestrates and assists in various school events, including the immensely popular Summer Fête and Christmas Fair, aimed at raising funds for projects within the school that enrich the student experience and foster a sense of community.

If you are interested in offering your support or wish to become more actively involved in event planning by joining the committee and attending meetings, please don't hesitate to email us at ptassociation@princethorpe.co.uk.

Princethorpe PTA

Whilst the DofE Certificate Presentation Evening has taken place, there is still time to complete your award and receive your badge and certificate.

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 at 1.05pm in LG02.

Gold

Following our meeting please keep an eye on Teams as you will be added to a group and set an assignment to start off the expedition training.

The practice expedition meeting for all Lower Sixth Gold participants takes place Tuesday 5 March at Tutor Time in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre.

In the meantime, please check your expedition kit and get some training in to help you on the trip. You should also book your residential via the DofE opportunity finder: Opportunity Finder -participants - The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (dofe.org).

Silver

A few pupils still need to complete their programme planners and get started on the volunteering, physical and skills sections.

The Practice Expedition Meeting for pupils takes place on Wednesday 28 February at Tutor Time in the Clarkson theatre.

Bronze

Please could I encourage pupils with questions about the scheme to attend DofE clinic every Tuesday 1.05pm in LG02. Miss Harding and I are very keen to help all Year 9s get started on their award.

Now please continue logging your hours for the volunteering, physical and skills sections. The Practice Expedition Meeting for pupils takes place on Friday 1 March at Tutor Time in the Clarkson theatre. Following this information will be emailed out to parents.

Educational and co-curricular visits have always been a major part of life at Princethorpe. These experiences for pupils enrich their lives, enhance their learning and develop their understanding and appreciation of the world around them. 

We would like to remind you of the provisional major trips plan as it currently stands (this does not include academic department day trips or Duke of Edinburgh's Award). Please click here for the planned school trips.

Please also ensure that you read the information about individual trips with care when they are released, in particular in relation to consent, cancellation and insurance.

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head, Co-Curricular

We would like to remind parents of some useful contact details.

To report a pupil absence please do so on My School Portal.

For other enquiries please use the email addresses below:

Bus related queries - princethorpe@vectare.co.uk

School Shop - uniform@princethorpe.co.uk

Medical Centre - pcmatrons@princethorpe.co.uk

School fees -  accounts@princethorpe.co.uk

General enquiries - post@princethorpe.co.uk

Lost property - lostproperty@princethorpe.co.uk

Wisepay catering - cashless@princethorpe.co.uk

Email addresses for members of teaching staff can be found on My School Portal.

Please see below our current vacancy: 

Princethorpe Foundation

• Digital Transformation Leader

Princethorpe College

• Teacher of PE and Games
• Graduate Teaching Assistant
• Payroll Officer
• Minibus Driver

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.