The Flagpole

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