The Flagpole

Attending the various carols services and concerts at this time reminds me what a very special and caring community we are all part of. So, as we approach the end of another very busy and successful year, I am writing to say a huge “thank you” for all your support and help over the last twelve months, it is hugely appreciated. 
 
A Special Invitation - Save the Date - Tuesday 28 January 2025 - 6.30pm to 7.30pm 
 
Early next term on Tuesday 28 January 2025 I will be hosting a special Foundation Parents’ Online Forum at which I will be outlining a key new initiative we will be launching to help prepare for the future and explaining how you can play a key role in supporting our schools’ continued growth and success. 
 
I will reveal all the details of this project at the Online Forum and discuss how you can get involved.  Please make sure to mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information coming your way in the New Year. We look forward to sharing this exciting new chapter with you! 
 
And finally…we say goodbye to a very special person 
 
As you may be aware, the end of this term also sees the retirement of our Foundation Bursar, Eddie Tolcher. Eddie and I have worked closely together over the past 15 years: he has played a pivotal role in ensuring that the Foundation has gone from strength to strength. 
 
Many thanks Eddie for all your hard work and for being an exceptional colleague and friend. 
 
Thank you again to all parents for your continued support, and I wish you and your families a peaceful and happy Christmas. 

Ed Hester

There was a definite skip in the step of pupils on Monday morning as they came past me while on duty. I know we say this every year, but this Christmas break is long overdue, and it was uplifting to experience the change in mood as we truly embrace the festive season. As ever, too much chocolate, mince pies, and other Christmas treats have been consumed during the past couple of weeks, however, it was deserved.

Looking back over the term, it is astonishing to see how much has gone on. We are a school that stands on the breadth of our offering and paging through our calendar shows just how broad and amazing the opportunities are that our pupils engage with. One of my favourite statistics is that every single pupil in Year 7 has represented the College in a competitive sports fixture, and this is just in the first term. This continues the trend from last year and is testimony to the attitude of our pupils and the environment my colleagues create. However, add Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, House Singing, the Care Home Christmas Lunch, Culture Week, Interfaith Week, mock exams, school trips, sport tours, 326 sport fixtures, Prize Giving, the Christmas Soiree and Carol Service, Cup competitions, amazing PTA events, academic competitions, the Talent Show, and various charity activities to the (non-exhaustive) list, and you will understand why we all need a break.

As you may be aware, we had a fantastic response to the parental questionnaire that went out earlier this term. Thank you to every parent who contributed and for all the constructive feedback. I have read every single comment and there is a lot of food for thought. I will write to you in the new year, outlining some specific areas we are addressing that were highlighted in the questionnaire. It is always good and necessary to identify things we can improve, so rest assured we are already hard at work. However, as the end of a term is a time to celebrate and to recognise the good that has happened, I thought it appropriate to share some of the positive outcomes and comments from the questionnaire. Again, this does not mean we are turning a blind eye to where we can do better, but it is important and necessary to build on positives and there were so many from our parents.

Please see the image gallery for a screenshot of the questions where our parents agreed or strongly agreed by 95% or more.

I hope you will agree that this is a strong endorsement of the College with the most important question relating to the happiness of our pupils. They enjoy coming to school and they enjoy learning – the quality of teaching was highlighted as one of our big strengths which is an outcome of the whole school Teaching and Learning drive we have been running for the past two years. This will not slow down as our bread and butter remains what happens in the classroom. I have previously said that it is our responsibility to help each pupil climb their Everest. Every pupil at Princethorpe will be on their own journey, facing their own challenges. Reading through the individual comments is such a positive experience as it provides a window into some of these journeys and what the College means to different families. I have selected a few (of the many) below which encapsulate the ethos of Princethorpe.

"Overall Princethorpe has been an amazing school for our eldest son in Year 10 and we hope it will be for our youngest now in Year 7."

"We feel like you know our children well and really do care about them in every aspect of their school life."

"Our youngest in Year 7 is really happy in himself at home and seems to be motivated which is encouraging as he has dyslexia etc."

"The excellent teaching stands out and has inspired our son to learn."

"Thank you and keep up all of the hard work! We notice how hard the Princethorpe team works and as a family, we are very grateful."

"We continue to be extremely grateful for the wonderful teachers and staff at Princethorpe. We value the nurturing environment the school provides for our son, together with the extra- curricular and sports programmes."

The good work we do, cannot happen without input from you as our parent body. A massive thank you for your commitment and support. The relationship between home and school forms the foundation of any good education and I believe we have something truly special.

This has been borne out by a visit from the Good Schools Guide in December, who returned to update their review of the College now that I am Headmaster. Their editor spent a full day with us, speaking to pupils and staff, touring the campus and taking in both the curricular and co-curricular life of the school.  She also spoke to a handful of parents representing pupils from across the school with a wide range of interests and passions. A huge thank you to all who supported the visit and shared what Princethorpe means to them.

I am pleased to say that the updated review is now live and we will share it in full with you in the New Year, but to give you a flavour of it now, here is their last word on the College, which I hope you agree makes for good reading!

Scratch beneath the surface of Princethorpe’s majestic façade and landscaped beauty, and you’ll find pastoral care is its beating heart. Imbuing all disciplines and endeavours, it pumps pupils with confidence as they develop and learn. A picture-perfect pastoral idyll.

I want to finish with an anecdote from a couple of weeks ago. One of our Year 7 pupils missed his bus stop and got off at the next stop, not knowing where he was or how to contact home as he didn’t have his phone with him. One of our Upper Sixth Formers and his parents came to his aid, driving him back to his stop and making sure he got home. I went to find the senior pupil to thank him for stepping in. His response was genuinely one of the highlights of the term - “No problem, Sir, it is what we do, we look after the family”. Ours is a Spirit of Family and the oldest looking after the youngest couldn’t be a better example of that.

I hope every Princethorpe family has a blessed Christmas with time to relax and to switch off. It is a time of hope which is so needed in our society. I hope this is the theme for your break. As we finish this term, we do so with gratitude for the many amazing things that have happened, but we also think of those members of our community for whom Christmas will be difficult due to various circumstances. January marks my second year at Princethorpe and I cannot be more excited for what next term will bring. 

With my warmest wishes,

Grove du Toit
Headmaster

It’s traditional at Christmas for the College to host a soiree to showcase pupils’ wonderful music and performance skills and this year’s joyous event took place on Thursday 12 December. Hosted by Director of Music, Gil Cowlishaw, the soiree took place in a chilly College Chapel but the wonderful acts soon warmed everyone’s hearts.

The soiree saw some 30 plus acts across a range of instruments and styles, modern and traditional, some serious, some silly, but all fabulously festive and accompanied by plenty of Christmas jumpers. A huge thank you to all of the pupils and staff taking part and all who invested so many hours preparing them. Our lovely informal musical soiree offered everyone a slice of something special this Christmas time.

Our annual Christmas card competition has two winners this year with the Foundation Principal, Ed Hester, and Headmaster, Grove du Toit, both choosing designs from the many stunning entries submitted by pupils.

For the College, Mr du Toit selected, Lower Sixth Former, Héloise Clark’s super drawing featuring the iconic Princethorpe tower on a dark Christmas night. While for his Christmas card, Mr Hester chose, Year 7, Flora Patey’s striking silhouette of Mary and Joseph approaching Princethorpe under the light of the stars.

Head of Art, Paul Hubball, commented, "We had a strong field of entries this year, with plenty of original ideas, bright colours and lots of attention to detail. Both designs were worthy winners and are great choices for this year's Christmas cards."

This year, the designs have been turned into eCards supporting the Foundation's drive for sustainability. We hope everyone enjoys the gif animations of the designs.

Our congratulations also go to the Highly Commended entries, whose designs feature as cameos on the reverse of the cards: for the College card; Year 8, Rosie Russell, Year 7 Flora Patey and Lower Sixth Former, Bea Taylor and for the Foundation card; Crackley Hall's Junior Six pupil Evie and Crescent School's Year 6 pupil Lewis.  

We hosted our Christmas Science Lecture at Princethorpe College on Tuesday 10 December.

As a warm-up, families 'mulled' over a Science and Christmas themed quiz with a glass of hot spiced wine and a mince pie, whilst our Lower Sixth Formers carried out close-up demonstrations that provided plenty of excitement. Congratulations to the Frith family who won the starter challenge.

The lecture itself explored 'the revolutionary science inside our bodies when we eat' and was based on this year’s Royal Institute's Christmas Lectures. Some highlights included how flammable different powdered foods are and the digestion simulation, where volunteers from the audience were involved as two mince pies were subjected to being broken down by physical and chemical processes inside the body.

The evening concluded with an audience participation online quiz which was closely contended and tested our guests on the content of the lecture. Well done to the Wilcox-Smith family who won the Kahoot challenge. Both our winning teams received edible prizes in line with this year's theme of food.

We would like to thank parents and pupils for attending the evening and the staff and STEAM Ambassadors, Evie, Emmi, Zach, Sam, Sophie, Alex, Nika, Isabel and Ruby, who made it possible.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Princethorpe College Science Department.

Princethorpe College’s Computer Science pupils, from Year 8 through to the Sixth Form, demonstrated their exceptional skills in the UK Bebras Computing Challenge, held at the beginning of November. The challenge, highly regarded for its emphasis on computational thinking, tasks participants with solving a variety of complex logic problems under timed conditions.

This year, an impressive 187 Princethorpe pupils from across the age groups earned recognition, with 46 achieving a ‘Merit’ and another 46 earning a ‘Distinction.’ A Princethorpe College record of 33 pupils ranked in the top 10% nationally, earning themselves a BEBRAS Gold Award, as well as an invitation to take part in the prestigious Oxford University Computing Challenge (OUCC) in March.

Additional recognition goes to Year 9 pupil, Dillon Horan, Year 11 pupil, Daniel Ovens Gibbs, and Lower Sixth student, Emile Gibrat, (pictured) who were each awarded ‘Best in School’ for their respective age groups.

Head of Computer Science, Ed Musson, shared his pride in the pupils’ achievements: “Well done to all who took part! These are superb results. This year, we entered many Year 8 pupils as well as all pupils opting for Computer Science from Year 9 onwards into the Bebras competition. We are delighted with the significant increase in the number of qualifiers for the OUCC. We’re excited to support pupils as they take on this next challenge in March.”

Our congratulations to all the participants and the best of luck to those competing in the OUCC.

The Christmas tree in the College Chapel has been lovingly decorated with carefully hand cut stars. In what has become an important Christmas tradition here at Princethorpe, the College community were invited to write the names of those who have touched their lives with love on a star. Each individual handwritten star was then carefully positioned on the tree.

The message of Christmas is one of love and the decorated Christmas tree in the Chapel is our College’s symbolic representation of that message. The many stars on the tree a testament to the presence of love in the world.

Standing outside the Chapel this year is our ‘Dove of Intergrity’ which has also been decorated beautifully with chains of brightly coloured paper Christmas trees. In their Advent Reflection, pupils in Year 7 and Year 8 were encouraged to share how they are living up to this year’s Chaplaincy theme of ‘Integrity’ by writing an example of how they have shown integrity on a miniature Christmas tree. Their thoughts were then joined together in a chain and displayed for all to see.

Our thanks go to our Year 7 pupils, including Sienna, Lucile and Sofia, who, alongside their peers, have helped with decorating our tree.

On Tuesday 10 December, the College celebrated Feast Day, honouring the date, 8 December 1854, when the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart was founded. This year is the 170th anniversary of the founding of the order so at Tutor Time pupils were treated to a legendary Princethorpe cookie. At lunchtime the school came together in the Sports Hall to give thanks and the assembly began with Father Alan Whelan MSC explaining the reasons why we observe Feast Day and reflecting on the history of the College.

That was followed by the presentation of awards for pupils receiving House Progress and Achievement Prizes for the last academic year. Then it was time for what has become an important Feast Day school tradition, the much-anticipated House Singing Competition. In turn the Houses rose to their feet to perform their House colours themed pieces. More House belted out Yellow, Benet delivered a lively Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, Austin sang Green Green Grass and Fisher sang Mr Blue Sky.

The competition was judged by OP John Dawkins (Class of 1998) and Founder Director of Various Artist Management. A huge well done to all the staff and pupils for wholeheartedly entering into the spirit of the day. The results were for Years 7 to 10: 1st Fisher, 2nd Benet, 3rd More and 4th Austin and for Years 11 to Upper Sixth: 1st More, 2nd Benet, 3rd Fisher and 4th Austin.

Many congratulations to Year 8 pupils Emily Divers and Chloe Iley, who competed in a hotly contested Springboard Futurechef Regional Final at the Heart of Worcester College on Wednesday 4 December.

Eight future chefs from across the Midlands had qualified for the event and were tasked with producing one course in 60 minutes for a budget of just £5. Both girls had prepared thoroughly and their finished dishes were of the highest standard and beautifully presented.

The competition was fierce, with the judges complimenting the contestants for the standard and talent demonstrated and we were delighted when Emily was announced as the winner.

A huge well done to Emily and to Chloe, we are very proud of you both.

The 2024 GCHQ National Language Competition (NLC) ran from Monday 18 to Friday 22 November and over 25 of our Year 9 Princethorpe linguists gave up their break and lunchtimes, keen to become the next generation of code breakers.

The NLC is a virtual competition where teams from around the UK compete against each other to solve language-based code breaking challenges.

Over 2,000 teams participated nationwide, and the competition was fierce with pupils really putting their language skills to the test. The College had some excellent results and the MFL department was really impressed by the teamwork and dedication shown by our Princethorpe pupils. Many congratulations to all who took part.

Three of our teams made it into the top 200 an amazing achievement. Special congratulations go to:

Finishing 126th nationally - Krishan Patel, Isaac Fowle, Noah Walker and Erik Windham
Finishing 175th - Dami Ajagunna, Martha Coburn and Lucas Ross
Finishing 182nd - Isaac Frith, Drew Ovens Gibbs and Arthur Reid

Also participating were: Evie Johnson, Olivia Burley, Charles Packe, Bohdan Nicholl, Kian Thandi, Noah Thompson, Oscar Rexton-Watts, George Wilcox, Charlie Leech, Nathan Oseji, Edward Evans, Sam Eynon-Hill, Jake Mainwaring, Jake Swords, Victor Ball and Lucas Pawlowicz.

Fancy taking on the challenge yourself? Then have a go at these puzzles from the last few years’ Christmas Challenge to see the sort of problems our Year 9 sleuths solved. The GCHQ Christmas Challenge - Archive - GCHQ.GOV.UK

We hosted a Christmas book swap at Princethorpe College in the first week of December in honour of the fabulous Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod, in which families all exchange books on Christmas Eve. It took place in the Limes foyer at lunchtime every day and there was a wide variety of pre-loved books to choose from.

In return for donating a book, pupils were allowed to choose a new one and the book swap proved very popular. In fact, the books just flew off the table as pupils jumped at the opportunity of taking a new book home for Christmas. The books that were left over will now be donated to the Children’s Ward at Coventry Hospital.

Many thanks to all who swapped and to our Library volunteers who manned the stand. We hope you enjoy your reading everyone.

Our 2025 Princethorpe College Calendar, featuring 12 superb images of the College and its grounds is available to purchase through our online shop.

Priced at £7.50, visit Princethorpe Connect to get your order in today and enjoy fabulous photos of Princethorpe throughout 2025.

Fr Teddy O'Brien MSC, the Parish Priest for St Anne's Catholic Church, Wappenbury, CV33 9DW and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels, Princethorpe College, CV23 9PX, warmly invites you to attend any or all of the services over the Christmas season at the churches indicated below:

Sunday 22 December 2024
8.30am       Mass - St Anne's, Wappenbury
10.30am     Mass - St Anne's, Wappenbury

For any further information or to read the Parish newsletter please visit the link to St Anne's website here

Thank you
 
 

Thursday 9 January 2025 – 6.15pm to 8.00pm

External candidates and their parents interested in finding out more about Princethorpe’s Year 9 to 11 Curriculum are invited to a dedicated Curriculum Insights Evening on Thursday 9 January 2025 from 6.15pm to 8.00pm.

Aimed at pupils currently in Years 8 and 9, the event will run in parallel to the College’s Year 9 Options Evening for current pupils and will give visitors an overview of the Key Stage 4 curriculum at Princethorpe, the core GCSE subjects, the GCSE and BTEC options available, the College’s ethos and wider opportunities at the school. Information will also be provided on the mid-year admissions process, our vertical tutoring system and the academic and pastoral support given to pupils moving into Year 9 or 10 to ensure a smooth transition.

After a brief introductory presentation from key staff, visitors will be guided around their choice of the GCSE/BTEC option departments and at the end of the evening there will be the opportunity to ask questions of the Senior Leadership and Admissions Teams

Light refreshments will be served.

Please share information about this event with any friends or family who might be interested, places are very limited.

To sign up to attend the Curriculum Insights Event please click here.

Tuesday 14 January 2025 - 9.00am to 5.00pm

For those of you who have children in Year 11 who are not currently studying at Princethorpe or who have friends with Year 11 children, our upcoming Sixth Form Taster Day for external candidates may be of interest. 

The Sixth Form Taster Day is an opportunity for a small group of prospective Sixth Formers to visit the College for a selection of A-level and BTEC subject taster lessons, a Q&A session with current Sixth Formers and Year 11, lunch, a tour of school and a chance to meet the Headmaster and Head of Sixth Form.

The day will run from 9.00am to 4.15pm, when parents are invited back to join an informal Sixth Form information session which will finish around 5.00pm.

The Sixth Form at Princethorpe offers great choice, quality teaching in small classes, a vast array of sporting, co-curricular, leadership and service opportunities coupled with excellent pastoral care and careers guidance, tailored to the needs of today’s young adults. Our staff give outstanding individual support to all students and this remains an essential feature of Sixth Form life.

This event is for external candidates who are interested in attending Princethorpe College Sixth Form. Places are limited. To register your interest in attending our upcoming Sixth Form Taster Day at Princethorpe College, please click here. If you cannot make the Taster Day date, but are interested in finding out more, please speak to the Registrars who will discuss your options, email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634201/297.

The deadline for external candidates to register for the Sixth Form for September 2025 entry and to apply for scholarships or bursaries is Monday 20 January.

For more information on Sixth Form admissions please contact the Registrars on 01926 634201 or email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

• Subject areas: Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology and Project Management 
• Target pupils: Those interested in pursuing a career in Science based subjects, healthcare, chemical industry or further research in Year 10 only
• Sign up: Pupils are to sign up via their Science teacher (message via Teams or email) 
• About RBT: RBT is a global developer, formulator and manufacturer of hygiene and infection control products. Their products are equally as effective as harsh chemicals but are biodegradable, alcohol-free and water based. Based locally, they work with distributors across the globe to distribute their products for a range of uses across human and animal health. For more information please click here.

Friday 24 January 2025 – 4.15pm to 6.00pm

In the New Year, the Admissions Team will be starting to turn its attention to Year 7 entry to the College in September 2026. 

The first opportunity for Year 5 prospective candidates to visit is on Friday 24 January, when there is an afternoon of free tag rugby training for boys and girls on our astro, learning new skills and making friends before a mini tournament. Beginners welcome. Light refreshments will be available for spectators.

This event is aimed at girls and boys who do not attend a Foundation prep school. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. 

Please click here to book a place. 

The December Challenge Calendar is live for pupils to access on the Whole School Team - Challenge Curriculum Channel, or can be accessed here. I hope pupils enjoy the Christmas themed activities available to them!

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas Season!

Three exciting essay competitions are open and links are available to pupils on the Challenge Curriculum Team.

The Year 9 Competition is run by the Perse school, Cambridge, and is open to any student in Year 9. The Aristotelian Award is open to pupils to submit an essay of 1500 words on one of the 10 essay titles; Five are science based and five are humanities  questions. The deadline for submissions is 5.00pm on Monday 13 January. Entries should be submitted on their website which can be accessed by pupils via the links below.

The Young Minds competitions are open to anyone. The Under 14 competition has three possible questions: Should technology have limits? What role should young people play in shaping the future of climate action? Is a world without borders possible, and should it be pursued?

The Senior competition is aimed at Lower Sixth students, but they will accept submissions from other year groups. There are 17 different subjects and each has a choice of three questions. These are particularly good for students who want to pursue one or more of these subjects at university. The deadline for entries in these competitions is 3 March 2025.

Pupils wishing to enter these competitions can see Mrs Lindsay for more details, or the competition websites, also in the links below.

Year 9 Competition

Lower School Competition (Years 7-9)

Senior Competition (Years 10-12)

Please find below details regarding homework expectations over the Christmas break. Christmas is a very important family time, and it follows a long and demanding term. All pupils should make time to rest and recuperate with their family but be prepared for the new year.

Years 7, 8 and 9
No formal homework will be set for completion over the holiday.

Year 10
Homework may be set for all subjects if needed. Pupils may catch up on any missed or incomplete work and sort any files or folders if desired.

Year 11
As pupils have just taken their mock exams, it is important that they have some time to recover and reset. Suggested revision may be set by teachers to support those pupils who wish to undertake some revision. Pupils may catch up on any missed or incomplete work and sort any files or folders if desired. 

Sixth Form - Lower Sixth
Homework may be set for all subjects if needed. Students may catch up on any missed or incomplete work and sort any files or folders if desired.

Sixth Form - Upper Sixth
As students have just taken their mock exams, it is important that they have some time to recover and reset. Suggested revision may be set by teachers to support those students who wish to undertake some revision. Pupils may catch up on any missed or incomplete work and sort any files or folders if desired. 

Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Christmas and a healthy and successful 2025.

Full reports for Year 7 will be published on Friday 17 January 2025, and will be available to view on My School Portal.

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

As part of Princethorpe College’s commitment to enhancing literacy and supporting students' vocabulary development, we have partnered with Bedrock Learning, a leading digital literacy platform. 

Bedrock Learning is designed by former English teachers and helps learners expand their vocabulary and grammar skills through a rich selection of fiction and non-fiction texts. 

By incorporating Bedrock Learning into our Year 8 curriculum, we aim to equip our students with the vocabulary and grammatical understanding necessary for success across all subjects. 

Why your support is important:

Parental engagement plays a crucial role in a child's educational success. By actively supporting your child’s learning with Bedrock, you can:

•   Reinforce the vocabulary and grammar skills they’re learning in school
•   Encourage a positive attitude towards reading and literacy
•   Track their progress and make learning a collaborative experience

By working together, we can maximise your child’s potential and set them up for success.

How can you get involved:

As Year 8 parents/guardians, you can now access your own Bedrock parent account, which allows you to track and support your child’s progress. Through this account, you can:

•   View your child’s weekly engagement and the language they are learning
•   Receive weekly email reports outlining your child’s progress
•   Gain valuable insights into how your child’s language knowledge is improving

What do you need to do:

To get started and create your Bedrock Learning Parent Account, follow these simple steps:

1.        Visit app.bedrocklearning.org

2.       Click on the ‘Guardian sign-up’ button and select ‘School access code’

3.       Complete the Guardian sign-up form and enter your child’s access code (this has been sent in an e-mail to you)

4.       Check your email for a password to log in. (Please check your spam/junk folder if the email doesn’t arrive)

For further details about Bedrock Learning and how it supports literacy development, please visit bedrocklearning.org.

We are excited to be working with you to support your child’s literacy development through Bedrock Learning and look forward to seeing their vocabulary grow!

Kind regards,

Tuesday 14 January 2025

Before choosing GCSE Options next year, Year 8 pupils have the opportunity to make some choices about which subjects they study in Year 9. On Tuesday 14 January, we invite all parents of Year 8 to attend a short presentation about this process. This will be held both in person and online simultaneously and should last no more than 30 minutes.

Booking details will be forwarded week commencing Monday 6 January.

Progress Reports for Year 8 will be published on Friday 24 January 2025, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

Wednesday 29 January 2025 – 5.00pm-8.30pm

The Year 8 Subject Progress Evening will take place on Wednesday 29 January 2025 from 5.00pm to 8.30pm. The evening will be conducted online using SchoolCloud. Details of how to book appointments will be emailed week commencing 20 January 2025.

Thursday 9 January 2025

We warmly invite all parents of Year 9 pupils to join us at Princethorpe for our GCSE Options Evening on Thursday 9 January 2025. This event will be held in person in the main College building and will run from 6.00pm to 8.00pm. Further details will be emailed out just before the start of the Lent Term.

There will be a presentation to explain the options process, in the Clarkson Theatre; this will run at 6.00pm and again at 7.00pm and will last approximately 25 minutes, with time for questions. We request that all parents attend one of these presentations. Please book onto one of these talks using the following links:

● 6.00pm Presentation

● 7.00pm Presentation

Optional subjects will be based in nearby classrooms and will deliver short presentations and answer questions throughout the evening. Parents and pupils are advised to visit as many departments as possible in order to explore the available options. Senior staff will also be on hand in the Sixth Form Centre to answer any queries, alongside refreshments.

Fr Alan Whelan MSC and Mrs Mary Benham

Friday 20 June 2025

The Year 11 End of Year Celebration will be held on Friday 20 June 2025 at Walton Hall near Wellesbourne, Warwickshire.

Please save the date.

Further information will be sent out to all Year 11 parents in the New Year.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

Please can you remind your child over the Christmas holiday of the mobile phone expectations in school as outlined below:

Mobile phones must be put away as soon as a pupil arrives on site.

• Year 7 – Year 9 must put their mobile phones in their locker and are not allowed to have them on their person.
  
  
• Year 10 – Year 11 are allowed phones on their person, but they must be on silent, out of sight, and only used with permission from a member of staff.
  
  
• Sixth Form are allowed to use their phones in the Sixth Form Centre, however, as soon as they move into the rest of the site, their phones must be on silent, out of sight, and only used with permission from a member of staff.
  
  
• No earphones are allowed unless required for educational purposes and with permission from staff. Sixth Form pupils may use earphones in the Sixth Form Centre.
  
  
• Pupils are allowed to access their phones freely at the end of the school day. In Prep, phones will be put away at 4.20pm.
  
  
• Phones are allowed on trips and visits, but their use will be determined by the member of staff leading the activity.

Thank you for your continued support.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

Can I ask parents to read and fully appraise themselves of the uniform expectations for our pupils and Sixth Form students over the Christmas holiday please. A copy can be found here under Parents' Documentation - 2024-2025 Key Documents.

Our uniform expectations do continue to be enforced throughout the school year. If we do have any concerns with a pupil's uniform we will contact you directly to resolve any arising matters.

Should you need to replace any items of uniform for the coming term then please contact the school shop by emailing uniform@princethorpe.co.uk with your request.

Thank you for your continued support. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

We kindly remind you of the importance of adhering to the set parking arrangements during drop-off and pick-up times.

Recently, we have received concerns from parents, staff, and pupils regarding parking practices, including reports of parental aggression.

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone:

• Drop-off and pick-up must only take place in the designated playground area. The staff car park is not to be used for this purpose until after 4.10pm and then it is reserved for collection from Prep.
• The speed limit is 10 miles per hour within the school grounds. This is crucial to protect the safety of all children and staff. Please do not exceed this limit.
• We expect all interactions to be conducted respectfully. Aggressive or rude behaviour will not be tolerated.
• Could we ask that your consideration is also extended to the residents of Princethorpe when you drive through Princethorpe village

Thank you for your understanding and co-operation in fostering a safe and respectful school environment for everyone.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

As the festive season approaches, we wanted to take a moment to extend our warmest wishes to you and your families. This term has been a bustling period filled with academic pursuits, extra-curricular activities, and personal growth for our Sixth Form students. Your support and encouragement has been invaluable, and we are grateful for your partnership in fostering their development.

The holidays are a perfect opportunity for everyone to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate. We hope you and your children take full advantage of this break to relax and spend quality time with loved ones. Whether you're enjoying festive traditions, travelling, or simply unwinding at home, may this season bring joy, peace, and memorable moments to you all.

Looking ahead to the new year, we are excited about the upcoming events and opportunities that await our students in the next term. From career workshops and university preparation session, there is much to look forward to. These activities are designed to not only enhance their academic experience but also support their personal and professional growth.

We are committed to providing a nurturing environment where each student can thrive and achieve their full potential. As we welcome 2025, we remain dedicated to fostering a community of learning, curiosity, and resilience.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the holidays be filled with warmth, happiness and plenty of rest.

We also have several exciting events planned for the new year.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) - Saturday 18 and 25 January 2025

An accredited course offering students the chance to travel the world and gain new experiences by teaching in schools, universities, businesses, Non-Governmental Organisations or private tuition. For further details please contact us or visit the TEFL website here.

Interview Skills Morning - Tuesday 28 January 2025

An opportunity for our Lower Sixth students to submit their CVs and be interviewed by external interviewers from local companies and businesses.

Freshers Fair - Monday 10 February 2025

An opportunity for the Sixth Form to promote their subjects to our Year 11 pupils.

Blue Day - Friday 14 February 2025

Dress in blue to suppport prostrate cancer awareness.

Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form

Thursday 16 January 2025

The Lower Sixth Subject Progress Evening will take place, in person, on Thursday 16 January 2025 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. Details of how to book appointments will be emailed week commencing 6 January 2025.

Did you know you can support the Princethorpe PTA online?

Follow, like, and share our social media posts to help us reach a wider audience. The more people who are aware of our fundraising events, the greater impact we can make for the school community! Please see below the links to our social media pages:

Facebook: PTA Princethorpe

Instagram: @princethorpepta

Thank you for all your support this year. 

Princethorpe PTA

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.

Please click on the link here for a copy of the Christmas Reading Times, a Christmas TV guide that is created each year by the Librarian at Eckington School in Sheffield. It contains TV programmes and films that are showing over the Christmas period that originally started out as a book!

At the start of the academic year our school photographers, Gillman and Soame, with whom we have an excellent and longstanding relationship, came to school to take the start of year photographs.

Photographs were taken of pupils in Years 7, 10, 11 and Lower Sixth, as well as all pupils new to the College in Years 8 and 9. 

If you haven't already, you will still be able to create an online account with Gillman and Soame, which will allow you to view and order prints directly online, with email notifications when new photos are available to view. 

Please refer to the link sent to you earlier in the term via iSAMS by Louise Eaton (Foundation Data Manager) and register as soon as possible if you would like to purchase your child's photograph. If you have any problems registering your child’s account, please email action@gillmanandsoame.co.uk and they will be happy to assist you. 

The Day is an online daily newspaper for young people.

It publishes analysis of the news that provides context for debates that explore the deeper currents shaping our world. All resources are created by a team of journalists to help schools teach critical thinking, real-world knowledge and civic engagement. 

Articles are available in five different reading levels for children between the ages of five and eighteen. It is interactive and has voting on hot topics where pupils can share their own views.

It is an excellent resource that can be used in school or at home. There are lots of articles that support all parts of the curriculum and provide additional reading around topics that are studied here at the College.

Pupils can find the link to The Day via the School Portal in the Library section.

Princethorpe Library subscribe to the JSTOR. This is a digital library containing academic journals, books and primary sources, in many formats and disciplines. It includes current issues of journals in the humanities and social sciences and supports further reading around subjects and research.

There are over 2300 full text journals, more than 100,00 ebooks from academic publishers, images that are contributed from institutions such as universities, museums and private collection as well as audio content. It is an excellent resource that pupils can use in school, or at home for research. 

Pupils can access JSTOR via the School Portal in the Library section.

The MS Team for Bronze, Silver, and Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award participants for 2024-25 is working well. Please check in with your participant to ensure they are making full use of the support on offer. There is lots of information under the 'Files' tab including a document with links to free online courses that would count towards the Skill or Volunteering sections. 

Participants are encouraged to use Teams chats with their Young Leader or individually with Tamsin Frost, Natalie Hardy or Sion Murphy for any extra help.

The presentation, expedition dates and other useful information including the links to online courses is still live on My School Portal under the Co-curricular - Princethorpe page. Link here.

The Duke of Edinburgh's staff team have been aiding last year's participants to sign off their awards this half term. Participants have been contacted on Teams highlighting the areas that needed completion by the Christmas deadline.

For any Duke of Edinburgh's enquires please use the dedicated email dofe@princethorpe.co.uk with the subject DofE-B, S or G-Surname.

Parents will have received a Registration email this week from IRIS ParentMail, which allows them to register for their +Pay account. +Pay is the new cashless catering payments system, replacing WisePay from 19 December.

The registration email will come from IRIS ParentMail, from the email address info@parentmail.co.uk. If you have not received this, please check your junk/spam folders. 

From your email, please click on the registration link 

The majority of parents will be new to +Pay, and should follow the steps below: 

1. Click on I do not have an account 

2. Confirm the Date of Birth of the child named on the screen and click Verify now 

3. Confirm your contact details 

4. Create and confirm a password to use with +Pay. We would advise using a strong, unique password. 

5. Select I have read and accept the Terms and Conditions, then select Complete Registration. 

Once the steps above are completed your account has been registered. We would also advise you to download the IRIS ParentMail app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign into the app with your new account. Search for IRIS Parentmail in your app store to find this. 

To access +Pay in the future, you can use the app or go to https://pmx.parentmail.co.uk. This link will also be added to My School Portal once the system is live. 

Please note that you will not be able to see your linked children or add any payments to the account at this point. Once we switch payments to +Pay on 19 December, you will see your children and be able to make catering payments in the ‘Accounts’ section of +Pay. 

You should still top-up your child’s Wisepay account for catering payments required until the end of term. 

Please see below some FAQs relating to the move to +Pay: 

What if I already have a ParentMail or +Pay account for a child at a different school? 

If you already have a +Pay account for a child at a different school, you can click ‘I already have an account’. You will then be prompted to sign into your account and confirm the Date of Birth of your Princethorpe child. This will then link them to your account. 

What happens if my child still has money in Wisepay at the end of term? 

Balances will be transferred from Wisepay to +Pay on 19 December. As such, any money still in the Wisepay account will be transferred to the +Pay account. 

What if I owe money on the Wisepay account? 

If money is owed, this will also be transferred on 19 December, and you can use +Pay to add money to cover this.  

If I have more than one child at Princethorpe, will I receive multiple emails? 

No, you will have a single +Pay account which will have all your children at Princethorpe linked to it, allowing you to make payments for all children through the same account. As such, you will only receive a single registration email. 

Also, please note that when you register, you will only need to input the DOB of one child (your eldest child). Even though only one DOB is used for registration, your account will still be linked to all of your children. 

Will both parents receive an email for +Pay and need to register? 

If both parents have separate email addresses registered with the College, you will both receive an account registration email and can register separately for +Pay. Should you wish for only one parent to register, that is fine, as long as one parent has registered and is able to make catering payments. 

When do I need to register my account by? 

We would appreciate it if you could register your account by the end of term - Wednesday 18 December. However, if required you can still register after this date. Please ensure you register before the start of the Lent Term on Tuesday 7 January, so your child can make catering payments.  

What if I have a problem with registration? 

If you don’t receive the registration email, please check your spam/junk email. If you do not have the email in spam/junk, please email andycompton@princethorpe.co.uk. 

You can find more help and support on using +Pay here: ParentMail Help 

Specific registration help is available here: How do I register an IRIS ParentMail account? 

Is ParentMail/+Pay GDPR compliant? 

The College has undertaken Data Protection assessments for IRIS Parentmail, and has a legal basis to communicate information about your child and accept payments. However, if you do have concerns about your data being used, please refer to ParentMail’s data protection overview to read more on what data they take and how this is used. The IRIS privacy policy can be found here: Privacy policy

Please find below the Term Dates for 2024-25 and 2025-26.

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

2025-2026 (two page document) - revised Sixth Form Open Evening and Christmas Fair dates. Updated December 2024

Please note that the School Shop will be closed from 2.00pm on Wednesday 18 December 2024 and will re-open at the beginning of the Lent Term on Tuesday 7 January 2025.

The school shop is open for pupils during both break and lunch time and after school for pupils and parents on Mondays and Wednesdays 3.30pm - 4.30pm, term time only. 

When ordered items are ready for collection, the pupil with be messaged on Teams and informed that they can collect from the shop during the opening times.

If you need to contact the School Shop, please email in the first instance to uniform@princethorpe.co.uk.

Barbara Bromwich
Foundation Shop Manager

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.