The Flagpole

The sun finally arrived last week, and it was great to see our cricket and athletics teams having an opportunity to compete in drier conditions. We have hosted a few visitors during the past week and the first impressions of Princethorpe in the sunshine never fails to impress – the cows and sheep up the drive definitely helped!

On Monday night, Ed Hester hosted a Foundation Online Parents’ Form. During the presentation he covered various strategic aspects related to the Foundation. However, he also spoke about the “headwinds” we may be facing next year as an independent school. The feedback we have received thus far has been very good and I suggest you have a look at the recording if you have not done so already. As ever, we welcome any feedback or questions you may have.

Next week is internal exam week when the rest of the College will have an opportunity to take stock of their work throughout the year. I always remind pupils and parents that these exams are important as they are a measure we can use to mark progress, identify areas that may need improvement, refine help or support already in place, and further inform future subject choices for example. However, they are not the only measure of success, and they should not be seen as an end goal. They serve a purpose in various ways, and we do not view them as simply having a pass or fail outcome. We expect every pupil to do their very best and ask for nothing more. As with most things in life, effort matters a lot more, as it ensures good habits and a work ethic needed for when the formal external exams arrive.

Part of what makes Princethorpe stand out is the broad range of trips and visits on offer. I am amazed at all the destinations we visit, and I have no doubt of the value it adds to the experiences and development of our pupils. When planning trips, we must consider a multitude of factors which include staff availability, timings, wider impact on lessons, availability of venues, educational impact, accessibility to the pupils, and cost. Unfortunately, this does narrow down the optimum windows for trips to October half term and Easter. The IAD days at the end of the academic year also work very well for trips. Because of this, we will have several trips going out at the same time which may be open to the same year group. It is not possible or expected of any pupil to be able to attend all trips on offer which means they will need to make a choice at some point which will be hard. Please rest assured that we do spend hours in planning the calendar and scheduling trips – every visit is scheduled to ensure it is as accessible as possible. We are going to change how parents sign up for trips to prevent the “6.00pm opening rush” and disappointment. We are also changing our trips to accommodate as many pupils as possible. Again, this may not always be possible, and disappointment will be part of the experience. Recently, a few parents have reached out about the clash of trips hence my explanation. If you do have any comments or questions, please get in touch and I would be happy to discuss.

Finally, I won’t be writing to you again before half-term, so I wish you a good break before we hit the home stretch. We will be hosting our annual National Schools' Two Day Equestrian Event next weekend and everyone is welcome to enter or spectate – it is always a wonderful event.

With best wishes

Grove du Toit
Headmaster