The Flagpole

As Princethorpe looks forward to welcoming its new pupils to the College in September, the Admissions Team has now turned its attention to entry for 2025.

Entrance Examinations, for entry to the school in September 2025, will take place on Saturday 9 November 2024 and we are already busy accepting registrations.

For 2025 entry there are a range of scholarships available for particularly able or talented candidates, from Academic, Art and Performing Arts (Choral, Drama, Music, Musical Theatre including Dance) to Sport.

In addition, exceptional candidates who are both academically able and gifted and talented across a number of areas may be considered for an All-Rounder Scholarship, which would be awarded at the discretion of the Headmaster. Means-tested Bursaries are also available, along with The Thomas More Scholarship a means-tested scholarship for Catholic children, who attend a Catholic state primary school.

There are plenty of opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the College before the Entrance Exams take place; including the Year 5 Taster Day for Crackley pupils on Tuesday 30 April, our Open Morning in April, Summer Open Evening in June and Open Afternoon in September.

Comments Melanie Butler, Assistant Head, Marketing, Admissions and Communications, "Parents and pupils will have plenty of time to prepare and opportunities to visit the College in the run up to the registration deadline on Friday 27 September."

Following the Entrance Exams, offer letters will be sent out on Thursday 28 November 2024 and the acceptance deadlines will be Monday 9 December 2024 for Years 8, 9 and 10 and Tuesday 4 March 2025 for Year 7. The acceptance deadline for Year 7 places is, by a nationally agreed code of practice, the same for all independent schools, allowing parents and children time to review all their options, including those from the maintained sector, before making a final decision.

To download a copy of our new 2025 Admissions and Entrance Examinations Booklet click here.

If you have any questions about the admissions process please contact the Registrar, Catherine Rogers and Assistant Registrar, Marie Holt, on 01926 634201/297 or email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

To read the latest edition of the Princethorpe Admissions Update newsletter click here.

The new Princethorpe College Prefect Body for 2024-2025 was formally inaugurated into office at an end of term ceremony on Friday 22 March. Parents of the new prefects were invited to College to watch the afternoon’s formal ceremony.

Head of Sixth Form, Ben Collie, introduced the incoming prefects who were presented with their prefect badges by Grove du Toit, Headmaster. Outgoing Heads of School, Natalya Elden and Izzy Wright, formally handed over the keys of office to the incoming Heads of School, Seb Bainbridge and Megan Shipton. 

Mr du Toit took inspiration from the gospel as he shared his thoughts on the importance of leadership and the qualities of a good leader. 

The College extends warm thanks to the outgoing prefect body and subject ambassadors for all their hard work and unstinting service this last year.

We wish the new prefects well as they take up their duties.

The full list of appointments can be found here.

Princethorpe College has been marking the bi-centenary of the birth of Jules Chevalier MSC, founder of the religious order that established Princethorpe College. Across the school, pupils and staff have taken part in special assemblies, activities and themed lessons to remember and celebrate his legacy.

Foundation Principal, Ed Hester and Fr Alan Whelan MSC led assemblies sharing the history of the formation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) and Chevalier’s enduring message of ‘Love One Another’ (John 13:34). At the end of the assembly Fr Alan introduced pupils to a new prayer, that will be a focus for our Eucharist in the Trinity Term.

Across their lessons, pupils have explored the legacy of the MSCs and Jules Chevalier’s message of love in many different ways: writing letters to pen pals at fellow MSC schools in English, planning journeys to and exploring the site of Issoudon (where the MSCs were first founded) in Geography, creating ‘This Is Your Life’ posters and booklets on Jules Chevalier in History, exploring and celebrating the number 200 in Maths, designing and making hearts and crosses or producing French food in DT, producing fact files and completing comprehension tasks on Jules Chevalier in MFL, reflecting on the work of the MSCs in RS and adding Jules Chevalier’s birth date to timelines of the universe in Science.

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 have also completed a ‘What will you put your heart into’ activity with the Chaplaincy team and their ideas are now on display outside the Chapel. Along the Cloister Corridor there is an exhibition of archive material, showing the history of the College and its longstanding connections to the MSCs.

Then to officially mark the bi-centenary, on Friday 15 March, Jules Chevalier’s birth date, the whole school community enjoyed a slice of cake.

Jules Chevalier’s message of love continues to inspire our community’s ethos and values and remains at the heart of all we do.

I am thrilled to share with you an exciting new initiative that is taking root within our school community: the Smallholding Project. As Development Director, it is my pleasure to introduce this transformative project, which promises to enrich the educational experience of our pupils and wider community and strengthen our connection to the land.

What exactly is a smallholding? Simply put, it is a small-scale farm located on our school grounds, designed to provide hands-on learning opportunities in agriculture, environmental science, and sustainability. Picture our pupils actively tending to crops, caring for animals, and immersing themselves in the wonders of nature right here at Princethorpe.

At the heart of this project lies our commitment to experiential learning and holistic education. By engaging pupils in the cultivation of crops and the care of animals, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of where our food comes from and the importance of sustainable farming practices. Moreover, the smallholding will serve as an outdoor classroom, offering endless opportunities for exploration, discovery, and hands-on learning.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Smallholding Project is its integration with our current curriculum. Subjects such as Sciences, Geography, Food Technology and Business Studies will have the opportunity to utilise the smallholding as an outdoor classroom, thereby providing tangible, real-world applications for classroom learning. Additionally, we are exploring the potential for new courses in the future, which will further enrich our educational offerings and provide our pupils with unparalleled learning experiences.

However, it is crucial to acknowledge that the success of the Smallholding Project hinges on the collective support of our community. While we have made significant strides, we are still in need of additional support to bring this vision to fruition. Every contribution plays an invaluable role in propelling this initiative forward.

As we embark on this exciting journey, I extend a heartfelt invitation to each and every one of you to join us in cultivating growth and nurturing the next generation of stewards of the land. Together, let us sow the seeds of knowledge, curiosity, and community spirit, as we cultivate a brighter future for our school, our Foundation, and our planet.

You can support the Smallholding project here. 

Steve Kowal
Development Director

Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes ventured into the classroom for probably the last time on Wednesday 20 March when he took over Deputy Head (Academic), Michael Spencer’s Year 10 Physics lesson on electricity. Alex was the Foundation’s lead on the College’s new Science Centre. Taking it from concept through design and construction and all the way to the official handover at the start of this school year. As a Physics teacher himself, it seemed only fitting that before he retires, he had the chance to teach in one of the new Physics laboratories and inspire the latest generation of Princethorpians with his love of physics and science.

On Saturday 16 March, three Princethorpe College runners competed for Warwickshire against hundreds of runners in the English Schools Cross Country Championships at Pontefract Racecourse. Competing against county teams from across the country on a fast, undulating and muddy course, the pupils all ran superbly for the county team.

Representing Warwickshire from Princethorpe were Grace Darcy in the U18 Senior Girls, Ben Smith in the U18 Senior Boys, and Will Smith in the U14 Junior Boys. Taking part were hundreds of competitors, the best school athletes from across the country.

Upper Sixth Former, Grace Darcy finished in 52nd place, the best ever result in the College’s history at this event and a brilliant reward for her efforts in the sport.

Head of Outdoor Learning, Will Bower, said, “Grace has done a fantastic job as Cross Country Captain this year. Over the last seven years she has been the most loyal servant to Princethorpe College running: intelligent, kind and nurturing, determined and disciplined Grace combines this with excelling in so many other areas in and outside of school. Her commitment is outstanding, and she has been a driving force behind the most successful period of results in cross country in the schools’ history.”

Lower Sixth Former, Ben Smith, finished 136th, and Year 9, Will Smith 259th.

Will Bower, continued, “A huge well done to them all, on a really fantastic effort at a prestigious event.”

The U13 Netball Girls have made excellent progress this year. March has been a busy month for netball, with the team finishing as runners up in the Midlands ISA Tournament just last week. That qualified the girls for the ISA Netball Nationals which took place on Wednesday 20 March at King’s High School.

24 teams had qualified for the Nationals and Princethorpe’s girls were superb. They played with resilience, pace and passion, earning praise from their coach. After the tournament, Head of Girls’ Games, Carly Walton, said, "We could not be prouder of how hard these girls have worked this season and of their achievement today. We had an incredible day of netball. Finishing as runners up nationally is a superb result. Congratulations to them all."

The girls finished top of the table in the Group stage after a run of super results. After warming up with a 4-4 draw against Holme Grange School, the girls’ confidence and the scorelines just grew and grew. They beat Ipswich High School 8-5, Shoreham College 11-3, Abbot’s Hill School 10-9 and Abbey Gate College 15-3.

That took them through to the Cup where the team confidently saw off Lingfield College 15-4 in the semi-final. They faced Scarisbrick Hall in the final, who were a much tougher test. It was a very tight match where despite their determination, it wasn’t to be. The girls came away as runners up bringing home the Silver medal.

Princethorpe College took part in British Science Week, a national celebration of Science run by the British Science Association. Pupils enjoyed entertaining and interesting activities designed to highlight the importance of Science and inspire and engage the next generation of scientists.

Pupils in Year’s 7 and 8 took on Biology, Chemistry and Physics challenges in their Science lessons, getting hands on with experiments to explore this year’s Science Week theme of 'Time'. They created timelines of the universe in Physics, tested for blood sugar in Biology and completed with great success the iodine clock reaction in Chemistry.

Comments, Head of Science, Emma Cooper, "British Science Week really allowed us to shine a spotlight on Science and provide a platform to engage pupils."

It was marvellous to be able to celebrate British Science Week in the College’s fantastic new Science Centre that opened at the start of this school year.

Princethorpe College is leading the way in pupil and community medical emergency safety as well as sustainable thinking, by installing a wind and solar powered defib and bleed control cabinet out on the College’s sports fields.

The College has partnered with the OurJay Foundation – which fundraises and campaigns for publicly accessible defibrillators and trains and educates on CPR and the use of defibs, local company Share Haulage Ltd and the school’s Princethorpe PTA, who have each funded one-third of the costs. The emergency medical equipment will serve the local community and the school and has been provided by Turtle Engineering Ltd.

Grove du Toit, Headmaster at Princethorpe College, said: “It’s a real honour to be leading the way on the installation of this new defib technology. We understand that the first seven minutes are crucial when dealing with a cardiac arrest, so having the equipment close to hand and easily accessible to both our pupils and the public will be a major factor in potentially saving lives.”

You can read the full story on our website here.

Although the result did not go their way, we could not be any prouder of our 1st XI Football team who have had an incredible season. Their progression through the ISFA U18 Trophy has been fantastic to watch and culminated in a nail-biting semi-final against The Grammar School at Leeds on Saturday 9 March. 

Despite plenty of exciting play, excellent goals from Alastair Forinton and Luc Sen-Gupta, coming from behind to at one point lead 2-1, the match eventually finished as a draw. Extra time proved a very cagey affair, so the game went penalties where cruelly the Princethorpe boys did not come out on top.

To reach the last four in the country in this competition is a truly outstanding feat, and a testament to the hard work and commitment this team has shown this season. Well done to each and every player, we could not have asked for any more from you. 

On Thursday 7 March, staff and pupils had a great time celebrating World Book Day. One of the English department and Library's highlights of the year, it is always a great opportunity to share the joy of books.

Across school, we had World Book Day activities taking place, with the Library running events all week. Pupils had three competitions to enjoy, as well as a free book give-aways and a host of other fun activities for pupils to enjoy. The three competitions ran throughout the week.

Murder In The Library involved pupils solving the clues to work out which book characters were involved – who was the victim, who was the witness, what was the murder weapon and most importantly who did it?  Isaac in Year 8 successfully solved the clues and added a mini story of why this dastardly deed happened. George, also Year 8, was the runner up again solving the clues and using his imagination to create a motive.

There was a Treasure Hunt which took place around the Library, pupils had to follow the clues and answer questions as they went along. Year 7, Emilia Novissimo-Richards was the only one to get everything correct. Finally, College staff were wearing badges all week which promoted books, pupils had to go round and list as many they could fine. The winner was, Year 7, Isla Chadwick with an amazing 40 badges. 

Each competition winner received a £10 Amazon gift card and a brand new book of their choice, with the runner up receiving a book. These were presented, along with a certificate by Mr du Toit.

Across school, in lessons, staff and pupils made time to talk about and read books. Year 7 and 8 enjoyed themed science lessons recreating practical experiments based on Roald Dahl’s famous book George’s Marvellous Medicine. English had pupils creating ‘Shelfie Selfies’ generating lots of discussion about both the books pupils had read and the books they wanted to read. In Geography lessons pupils explored travel books, creating their own amazing descriptive travel write ups. In MFL, pupils translated or matched children's book titles while in Textiles, Year 7 discussed each other's books while working on their felt hats. Then in the Food Technology suite Ms Scott made Guernsey Literary Society Potato and Leek soup for staff to enjoy.

Princethorpe certainly enjoyed celebrating World Book Day.

The Drama department proudly presented their Key Stage 4 and 5 exam and NEA work to a packed audience on Tuesday 5 March.

Pupils delivered a variety of scripted and devised work for family and friends and received perceptive feedback on their performance work. A wide range of plays were covered by pupils in Year 11 and the Upper Sixth, from Phil Porter's black comedy Blink to Sarah Kane's bleak and brutal 4.48 Psychosis. While Year 10 and the Lower Sixth's pieces were contemplative and provocative - inspired by the crisis in the NHS and the notion of 'Memento Mori'.

Mrs Cefaliello and Miss Roberts wish pupils all the luck as they perform their final practical pieces for examiners.

After school on Tuesday, our Upper Sixth Leavers took on staff teams in friendly netball matches. It was a great way to celebrate the students' time at the College and to see just how good the coaching staff are. Staff from across the school took part including Mr du Toit, Mrs Sharpe and Mr Spencer as well as Games legends Mr McCollin, Mr Cassell, Mr Jackson and Miss Walton.

It was all great fun, played with fabulous competitive spirit and a great atmosphere amongst the supporters courtside. Our Upper Sixth leavers came away with two well earned victories, the 1st team edging ahead just when it counted to win 19-18, the 2nd team winning comfortably 16-13.

We look forward to welcoming our Leavers back for more friendly competitive sport at our OP vs College Sports Day which will take place this year on Saturday 31 August.

The College welcomed nine Warwickshire primary school teams to Princethorpe’s High 5 Netball Tournament on Tuesday 5 March. Playing were teams from Barford St Peters CE Primary School, Claverdon Primary School, Milverton Primary School, Grange Farm Primary School, St Marys Catholic School, Cawston Grange Primary School and The Croft Prep School.

The competition took place in warm spring sunshine outside on netball courts and the teams had the chance to test their skills against their opponents in a round robin of matches playing to England Netball High 5 netball rules; a popular entry format of the traditional game that has players rotating positions and ensures the ball keeps moving. With vocal support from parents on the side-lines, the children threw themselves enthusiastically into the matches clearly enjoying the competitive nature of the tournament.

Umpired by Princethorpe’s Sports Leaders and staff, you could see the children’s skills developing game by game as they gained match experience and took on board feedback and suggestions.

Congratulations to The Croft who were the overall winners of the tournament. Well done also to Milverton and Grange Farm who came second and third.

Acting Primary Schools Sports Liaison, Ellie Callan, said, “It was great to welcome all the teams to Princethorpe and to be able to offer these young players the chance to play in a fun and friendly netball tournament. All the pupils were so enthusiastic; I saw great ball work, tremendous teamwork and plenty of energy on the courts today.”

A huge well done to all the players and many thanks to the College pupils and staff who organised and officiated all the games.