The Flagpole

Tonight is one of the most important events in the Princethorpe calendar. Our Prize Giving Ceremony takes place in the Warwick Arts Centre, where we as a community come together to celebrate every Year 11 pupil and Upper Sixth student who completed their public examinations during the 2023-24 academic year. We also award our top subject and school prizes to pupils who have achieved in many areas during their time at the College. Parents and pupils, all comment on the uplifting nature of the evening as it is a moment to pause and to acknowledge the effort and commitment required to succeed in public examinations. During the evening, we will read every name in those two year groups as every pupil deserves their individual journey celebrated. It is also an exciting evening where we will see our former Upper Sixth students (now Old Princethorpians) for the first time since they embarked on their various next steps. I have no doubt we will hear great stories of forays into cooking and laundry, budgeting, and how great it is to be back home for a weekend. We will publish all the prize winners in our next Flagpole.

Our current Year 11 pupils and Upper Sixth students are very much at the other end of their journey. Mock exams took place this week and end next Wednesday, and there was a real change in the atmosphere around school. I have no doubt lessons will be learnt, and clear targets will be set to ensure progress moving forward. They are nearing the home straight and we wish them good luck with the results and hard work that now follows. It is also a good challenge to the rest of the school. This half-term is already in its third week, and we must not forget that academic success requires a sustained effort. We have reminded pupils of the importance of being a good Princethorpe Learner and how we all have a responsibility to contribute to a positive learning environment. As per previous communications, we continue to expect and maintain the highest standards, especially where a pupil may be disrupting the learning of others.

On Monday 11 November, we had a poignant Remembrance Service. The world faces uncertain times and remembering previous sacrifices is more important than ever. The highlight was several of our pupils reading various parts of the service and prayers in different languages. The service coincided with Interfaith Week which was very well led by Mrs Tallis. Our community consists of different faiths. Therefore, creating time to acknowledge, explore, and listen to different religions is crucial to building on our values of tolerance and understanding as a Catholic school. We are continuing the theme of diversity with Culture Week starting on Monday. This has been organised by our prefects and will see us raise awareness about all the different cultures and nationalities that attend the College. On Friday, we will be hosting a fair and pupils are encouraged to attend school wearing clothing that reflects their background – you may see me proudly wearing my South African rugby shirt for obvious reasons.

As a Headmaster, I encounter unpredictable situations every day. However, last Thursday I was sitting in front of an audience in The Clackson, with a folded playing card in my mouth, being bamboozled by a young magician in our House Talent Show – this was definitely not on the cards (see what I did there) when planning my day. The evening was a brilliant showcase for the talent that walks our corridors. Our pupils were confident, creative, and full of energy. Performing Arts at Princethorpe is alive and well and the evening was evidence of that. We are looking forward to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory being performed next week and urge you to book your tickets before they sell out. I am also aware that rehearsals for School of Rock are in full swing for its run next term.

You may have noticed a flurry of visiting younger pupils in different uniforms during the past week coming in for scholarship interviews. We are nearing the end of our main entrance exam session and once again, we have been blown away by the abilities and character of all who have applied to join Princethorpe. I have met some incredible young people, which bodes well for next year’s intake. We do continue to offer admissions opportunities throughout the year, limited places are available, so please do spread the word with any interested friends or family. Our Registrars are only too happy to talk families through the process.

When you ask my colleagues for a “main theme” that is most relevant when our pupils get it wrong, I am certain all would say technology. As a school we spend a lot of our time, educating pupils on positive use of technology, as well as the dangers involved when you step into the online world. For example, last week we hosted a whole school digital assembly on Snap Chat. Unfortunately, our audience is teenagers who sometimes engage with risky behaviour, and make decisions that sometimes have very negative outcomes. The pastoral team have had to manage a range of incidents involving online behaviour and activity since our return from half-term, hence my mentioning this subject. The world on the other side of a screen can be an incredible place, but when it goes wrong, it has the potential to cause irreparable damage. My plea is for you as parents to be as involved with your child’s online life as you are with their weekly activities and school. It is crucial that your wi-fi settings, home mobile phone rules, social media app discussions, transparency in what is accessed, and a full awareness of what your child is doing when they go online forms part of regular family discussions. We have locked down Princethorpe in terms of ensuring our pupils are safe online. However, when they leave site, parental controls take over and I cannot stress enough how important an active role is. We are always on hand to offer help and guidance so please do reach out. We also offer tools such as Schools Mobile to assist with managing devices – here’s the link to our recent Schools Mobile webinar on Vimeo and main page – please get in touch if you have any questions. As a community, it is our responsibility to keep all our pupils safe. Therefore, if ever you were to notice activity or behaviour that causes concern beyond just your child, let us know as swift action always leads to better outcomes.

Finally, as we are moving into the second half of this half-term, can I issue my normal request of taking some time to read through the various updates and notices in this and upcoming editions of The Flagpole? Our PTA has various excellent activities and initiatives which I hope you will wholeheartedly support. I have also sent out a letter regarding catering that requires your attention please. Princethorpe is busy and our pupils will be working hard in lessons – let's make sure it is a smooth run-up to Chr ... (not yet)!

With my very best wishes,

Grove du Toit
Headmaster