Challenging times for the Independent School Sector 

It has recently come to light that Department for Education (DfE) figures show that 77 independent schools in the UK have closed or announced closure since October 2023 when the Labour Party revealed that they would impose 20% VAT on school fees within their first year in power. A stark figure that sadly seems to grow by the day. 

What is less publicised is the number of mergers between schools currently taking place due to schools struggling to survive on their own. I would not be surprised if we see more of this over the coming months. 

So, how is the Foundation faring? 

In January 2025 when the Government implemented its plans, the average rise for parents to the cost of school fees across the UK, due to VAT being added, was 14% (source Daily Telegraph).  

As you will be aware, our strategy was to ensure that we focused on affordability, minimising the impact for parents so we could continue to retain and recruit pupils, keeping a tight control on our costs by maximising efficiencies, whilst ensuring we maintain the highest quality education provision. I would like to thank all parents who contacted us and gave such positive feedback about our approach and the subsequent 5% increase. 

There is no doubt that the government’s policies have made life difficult for all schools, but we are delighted with the way our strategy is going so far. A key factor is that we have been able to retain virtually all our families and recruitment has been exceptionally strong with optimum pupil numbers looking highly likely for September 2025 despite the challenging climate.  

Indeed, we are experiencing unusually high levels of additional late interest for September entry, with strong numbers of prospective families expected at Open Events taking place in the next week or so at all our schools. We do have a small number of places still potentially available, so if you are aware of any family or friends thinking about moving to any of our schools in September, please let them know that the small number of places are likely to be filled before Easter, so we would advise them to get in touch with the appropriate Registrar as soon as possible. 

In the case of the College, we will be holding a Spring Entrance Examinations session on Friday 21 March, for interested candidates still looking for a place in Years 7 to 10 for September. The Admissions Panel will meet the week after the Entrance Exams and families will be notified of the results at the beginning of April to facilitate a smooth transition. 

Contact details for the Registrars can be found by going to the Admissions pages of our websites below: 

Princethorpe College 

Crackley Hall School 

Crescent School 

As far as our strategy is concerned, we will absolutely continue to focus on keeping our fee levels as affordable as we can, and I hope to update you on this before the end of the term. 

Annual Fund 

Thank you to those parents who have already committed to donating through the Annual Fund. I hope you are fully aware of the significant tax advantages to donating as a way of supporting our schools – if not please do read Steve Kowal's update article in this newsletter. I can promise that all contributions will make a really significant impact. 

A time to reflect 

As we are now in both the periods of Lent and Ramadan, it is a good time for us all to reflect on the values we hold most dear and what we can do to help others. On this theme I want to pass on the sad news that one of our former trustees, Sr Jude Bogie, recently died. Sr Jude was a great supporter of the Foundation and of me personally and we will miss her very much. 

With the sun showing its face this week, spring and all the new life and growth it brings, are very tangible. Best wishes to all families for the remainder of term and many thanks to all parents for your continued support. 

Ed Hester
Foundation Principal 

We have had plenty of good feedback on the new school newsletter but a number of parents have told us that they missed the one page overview. So in response to that feedback we have now introduced a new index page.

The new index can be found at the bottom of the pop out menu accessed through the menu button. There is also a direct link to it from the welcome message on the newsletter homepage. 

This change should make the newsletter easier to navigate if you were missing the old overview.

Please do get in touch with the school office if you have any questions on or need any assistance with the school newsletter.

Following a rigorous selection process Princethorpe College is delighted to announce that next year’s senior prefects have been chosen. Our congratulations go to Frankie Kelly and Will Gower who will be Princethorpe’s new Heads of School. Working closely alongside them, will be Pip Evans, Anna Johnson, Joe McCullough and Amelia du Toit, who have all been appointed as Deputies.

Reacting to the news of their appointment, the Senior Prefects said, "We are all thrilled and look forward to serving and representing the student body to the greatest of our abilities."

The full Prefect team will be announced shortly, the Prefect Inauguration will take place on Wednesday 2 April and our new student leaders will begin their roles after the Easter break.

All our Sixth Formers play an ambassadorial role within the school and at high profile public events such as Open Days and Entrance Exams, led by the Prefect team they act as important role models for the wider school community.

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 Shield has been fantastic to watch and culminated in an exciting semi-final at home against The King’s School, Chester, on Wednesday 5 March. 

Despite plenty of exciting play, and great encouragement from the sidelines, the boys struggled to find the net and eventually went down 3-0. 

To reach the last four in the country in this competition, for the second year on the run, 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. It’s time to focus on the league campaign now.

We wish the very best of luck to The King’s School as they head on to the final!
 

As Director of Development, my role is to grow non-fee income through philanthropic support, ensuring we can continue to invest in the pupil experience, provide financial assistance where it is most needed, and support the future development of all our schools. One of the most important ways we do this is through the Annual Fund, which provides a sustainable source of funding that allows us to plan with confidence and invest in the areas that matter most.

Since we launched the Annual Fund appeal with you at the end of January, your generosity has been truly incredible. Thanks to your support, we have now raised over £300,000 - a fantastic achievement, and I sincerely thank everyone who has contributed so far. This generosity lays a strong foundation, but to ensure we make the greatest and most immediate impact, we need a sustained effort. By coming together as a community and supporting the Annual Fund each year, we can build a consistent and viable source of non-fee income that strengthens our schools and enhances opportunities for all pupils.

Where Support is Needed

We continue to seek support for the following areas:

• Hardship and Bursaries – Ensuring that talented and deserving pupils can access or continue their education, regardless of financial circumstances.
• Crackley Hall – Greatest Need and Capital Projects – Investing in key school improvements, enhancing learning spaces, and upgrading facilities for all pupils.
• Crescent School – Greatest Need and Capital Projects – Supporting educational enrichment, facility upgrades, and extracurricular opportunities.
• Princethorpe College – Greatest Need and Capital Projects – Funding facility development, academic resources, and pupil well-being initiatives to ensure a thriving school environment.

By strengthening the overall finances of the Foundation, regular giving to the Annual Fund enables us to plan more effectively for the future while directing support to the areas that make the biggest impact on our pupils - your children. A reliable stream of philanthropic income provides greater financial stability in an increasingly challenging landscape and ensures we can continue to invest in our schools for years to come.

Tax-Efficient Giving – Making Your Gift Go Further

For UK taxpayers, donations can go even further with Gift Aid. By signing a Gift Aid declaration, the Foundation can claim an additional 25% on your donation at no extra cost to you—meaning a £100 gift becomes £125.

If you are a higher-rate taxpayer, you may also be able to claim tax relief on your donation, reducing the overall cost of giving while increasing your impact. For example, a £1,000 donation could cost as little as £687.50 after tax relief.

To learn more about how to make your giving as tax-efficient as possible, please visit our Annual Fund webpages or get in touch with me directly.

How You Can Help – Be Part of This Movement

This is where we need your help. If every family contributes just a small, manageable amount each month, the collective impact will be transformational for all our pupils. We cannot rely on a handful of donors alone - we need everyone to play their part.

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to give, I would ask you to please consider making a donation today. Every gift - no matter the size - can add up to something truly significant.

Donate today

Or contact me directly at stevekowal@princethorpe.co.uk or 01926 634265.

Thank You – Let’s Build This Together

Thank you again to those who have already contributed - your generosity is already making a difference and shaping the future of our schools. Together, we can build something extraordinary. Let’s make this happen.

Steve Kowal
Director of Development

In school this week, Princethorpe College has celebrated 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 Years 7 and 8 took on Biology, Chemistry and Physics challenges in their Science lessons, getting hands on with practical experiments to explore this year’s Science Week theme of ‘Adapt and Change’. They created Straw Rockets powered by balloon pumps and evaluated their designs in Physics, explored alchemy by successfully turning copper coins into silver (by electroplating) and then gold (by forming an alloy of brass) and investigated the conditions meal worms prefer, using Choice Chambers in Biology.

Pupils in the lower school also took part in a national poster competition on the theme of ‘Adapt and Change’ with the best entries submitted to the national competition. There was also a special Science assembly delivered by the College’s STEAM ambassadors.

In Tutor Time, pupils from Years 7 to 11 faced a Science challenge, to build the tallest tower from just paper cups and craft sticks, adapting and changing their ideas along the way. 

Comments, Head of Science, Emma Cooper, "British Science Week really allowed us to shine a spotlight on Science and provide the perfect platform for engaging and inspiring our pupils."

Staff and pupils had a great time celebrating World Book Day. One of the English department and Library highlights of the year, it is always a great opportunity to share the joy of books. We had World Book Day activities taking place all week with the Library running three competitions, 'Who’s Coming To Dinner?', 'Murder In The Library' and the 'Staff Badge Hunt'. There have also been fun activities for all at break and lunchtimes including the 'Book Wordsearch Challenge' and the 'Emoji Quiz'. Then there was 'The Big Book Trail' to follow around school and our weekly Tutor Group House Quiz was all about books. The Library team made the most of the opportunity to give away free books and across school, in lessons, staff and pupils made time to talk about and read books.

Of course, here at Princethorpe the book fun never stops so why not follow @princethorpelibrary on Instagram and get involved. The College has a regular pupils’ book club that meets to swap stories and share news of their favourite authors. Then there is the Library’s Book of the Month, providing a regular insight into different authors.  Parents can even get in on the act by coming along to, Ms Newborough’s Parents’ Reading Group. 

We know reading matters and we hope everyone enjoyed World Book Day.
 

David Hopwood from Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE) visited the College on Thursday 6 March to talk to our A-level Textiles and Product Design students. 

The visit was arranged by our Fashion Design Prefect Amaanya Bose and began with David sharing his experiences in the industry and his journey to his dream job working on automotive design. 

David spoke about emotional connection with design and gave a detailed insight into MADE’s design philosophy which centres around responsible design, with products being manufactured from recycled materials and being designed to be recyclable. He discussed and presented a range of sustainable materials and explained how these are implemented into the BE6, the new car under design from Mahindra.

The session offered excellent insights into career opportunities in the industry and provided plenty of real-world examples that the students can use in their exam answers. The visit rounded off with a set of challenging questions from our A-level designers.

Many thanks to David for taking the time to talk to our students and for providing such a fascinating insight into the world of automotive design.

The termly Celebration of Achievement Lunch recognises pupils from across the College for contributions, commitment and achievement. This Lent Term, 88 pupils from across the year groups were nominated by members of staff and invited to the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre by Assistant Head (Co-Curricular), Neil McCollin, for an informal, celebratory lunch.

All of the pupils had risen to the challenge of the College’s ethos; they had done their best in many different ways, both in and outside of school. Some had been nominated for academic perseverance; others invited along for their contribution to sport, drama or music; a number for voluntary and charity work and some for their dedication and contribution to school life. Headmaster, Mr du Toit congratulated every one of them and thanked them for the many ways that they enrich the College community. As always, the pupils seemed surprised by the attention they received and were modest when praised for their commitment, motivation and tenacity of effort - all qualities that the Celebration of Achievement Lunch recognises and rewards.

You can find out who was nominated and why here.

Congratulations to May Reynolds, from Year 7,  who is the winner of the Short Story Competition from the February Challenge Calendar! 

May's story was read by the librarians who commented on the poignancy and pathos she was able to create in her short Story about love. Her story "John" is set during World War II and captures love, loss, and grief and is an astounding piece of writing. 

You can read her story here.

Julia Lindsay
Challenge Curriculum Co-ordinator (KS3 and KS4)

Debbie McLaughlin, the artist behind the beautiful Soaring Redbrick Tower painting on our A3 and A2 prints and greetings cards, has created a stunning new piece entitled 'Princethorpe Heritage Buildings Trio'. The painting is in the artist’s favoured urban sketching style and it features the Roundhouse, the Tower of Our Lady's of the Angels Chapel and the original Chapel with its clocktower, that together form such a unique vista at the top of the College drive.

We will be selling copies of her painting as an A3 Print and also as a Greetings Card. You can order your choice of these items now by visiting the online shop on Princethorpe Connect.

Debbie has a long association with the College, having worked closely with the Marketing Department on all its design work for the past 18 years. She grew up in the small village of Offchurch and has been drawing from an early age. She always wanted to have a career in the creative industry and went to Exeter College of Art & Design to do a degree in Graphic Design. Although she also loves painting portraits, she started sketching her favourite subject - buildings - when she worked in London, and always has pen and paper to hand in case she gets inspired.

Debbie told us, "I love architecture and buildings and like to give them character rather than producing a straight copy. I run my own business, Dam Design Creative, and enjoy working with the Marketing Department at Princethorpe College; I really feel part of the team. When driving up to meetings at Princethorpe, I have always been in awe of the beautiful buildings, so was thrilled to have the chance to paint them."

The high-quality, fine art giclée prints have been reproduced from the original painting using 11 lightfast inks to provide a gamut of colour and printed on 285gsm, 100% cotton rag white portrait paper. The A3 print is priced £25 (plus P&P) and the greetings cards are available for £3.25 each (plus P&P).

All profits from sales will support The Princethorpe Foundation Annual Fund campaign.

As always, we have plenty of gift ideas for the OPs in your life, or why not just treat yourself? All items are available to order online from Princethorpe Connect. To see the full range of items, and to place your order, please click here.

Crescent School is delighted to have passed an Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) Inspection with the school judged to have fully met the standards in every area following a visit in December 2024.

The report, which has just been published, follows a new framework which examines standards relating to five key areas:

• leadership and management and governance
• the quality of education, training and recreation
• pupils’ physical and mental health and emotional well being
• pupils’ social and economic education and contribution to society
• safeguarding

As well as fully meeting all the standards, Crescent School has been judged as having ‘a significant strength’ regarding its ‘inclusive and highly effective focus and provision with regard to PE, sport and healthy living’, which the report details ‘impacts positively on pupils’ performance in class’ and ‘has a very positive impact on pupils’ self-confidence and self-esteem'.  Fewer than ten per cent of schools inspected by the ISI across the UK achieve a coveted ‘significant strength’ recognition.

A team of three inspectors visited the school over three days; they observed lessons and scrutinised pupils’ work. During their rigorous inspection, they spoke with pupils, teachers, senior staff and the Chair of Trustees. Inspectors observed extra-curricular activities, attended assemblies and scrutinised the premises and documentation and records provided by the school. In addition, they reviewed all the responses of parents, pupils and staff to pre-inspection questionnaires.

Other key highlights recognised by the report include:

• Leaders and staff model the school’s core values of kindness, tolerance and respect so that pupils reflect these in their behaviour.
• The school provides a broad and engaging curriculum that covers all required areas and a wide range of subjects, including art, design technology, music, drama, Latin and modern foreign languages.
• Teaching staff create a purposeful and calm learning environment.
• Well planned teaching utilises a variety of strategies to develop pupils’ ability to think for themselves and enable them to make good progress.
• Pupils work collaboratively to support each other and treat each other with respect.
• The recreational activities on offer allow pupils to follow their interests and develop their knowledge, skills and confidence in areas such as sport, music, drama, cookery and chess.

Headmaster, Joe Thackway, comments “We are delighted to have achieved a full clean bill of health from the ISI. The report is a really positive endorsement of everything we do here at Crescent School and reflects a huge team effort. The report shows that we are delivering on our commitment to providing our pupils with an outstanding all-round education, instilling in our children life-long learning skills while fostering the qualities of kindness, tolerance and mutual respect.”

Mr Thackway continues, “It is particularly pleasing to have our PE, Sport and Healthy Living provision recognised as a significant strength of the school, as this undoubtedly has a long-term positive impact on our pupils lives both inside and outside the classroom. My thanks go to the outstanding staff here at Crescent, our wonderful pupils and hugely supportive parent body; all of whom have played a part in this successful inspection.”

Foundation Principal, Ed Hester, added, “As a Foundation we are committed to making our schools environments where every child can thrive, both academically and personally and it is affirming to have this recognised by the ISI. A huge well done to Joe and all the team at Crescent School.”  

A copy of the report is available to read here and will shortly be available on the ISI’s website.

The ISI is the Government-approved body responsible for the inspection of independent schools. 

Friday 7 March 2025 - 6.00pm to 10.30pm

We are looking forward to an evening of good company, great conversation and tasty food tonight, at this year's OPs Local Meet, taking place at Leamington's cosy and quirky venue, The Micro Pug.

A good number of OPs have signed up to let us know they're coming, but we have capacity for a few more if you've not yet done so, and we would love to see as many former pupils, parents and staff as possible.

We will be meeting in the 'secret' downstairs room, accessed through a Smeg fridge door, which has its own bar, private garden area, and even a pinball machine!

Why not come along, any time from 6.00pm, and be warmly greeted with the customary welcome drink, or two, courtesy of the OPs Committee? Included in the ticket price will be a delicious buffet and dedicated bar service. Alumni of all our Foundation schools, with their partners and friends, are most welcome.

Click here to sign up and let us know you're coming.

Saturday 8 March - 10.30am to 12.30pm

Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery, are holding an Open Morning on Saturday 8 March. The Open Morning is a great opportunity for prospective families considering Crackley Hall School or Little Crackers Nursery to come and have a look around and get a feel for the school and Nursery. There will also be opportunities to speak to pupils, key members of staff and to meet Mr Duigan, Headmaster.

Booking has now closed, however, please still come along and we can register you on arrival.

Most of our pupils enter at Nursery and Reception, though pupils are welcome at any age, dependent on a place being available. We are still accepting registrations for entry to Reception in September 2025 and have 2, 3 and 4-year-old places available in Nursery. 

Applications for places in the current Reception to Junior 6 are treated on an individual basis as places are limited. Click here to find out more about mid-year and mid-term admissions. 

If your child is turning two, get in touch and come and take a look around our Nursery or come along to our friendly Stay 'n' Play Toddler Group on Wednesday mornings in term time. Click here to find out more. 

Princethorpe College’s Performing Arts Week takes place Monday 10 to Friday 14 March.

Our celebration of the arts will include workshops for acting, dance, photography and theatre lighting/sound.

There will be an immersive sound experience all week in the Nun’s Library and live music each break and lunchtime in the Limes Atrium. All styles and genres are welcome to perform in our  busking style event The Spotlight. In addition, we also have our Danceathon on the Friday after school!

Pupils can find out more details from the weekly Pupil Briefing or speak to our Performing Arts Prefect, Eleanor Alphonso. Everyone is encouraged to get involved.

Tuesday 11 March - 4.30pm-6.30pm
Please come and support the Drama Department's evening of pupil's scripted and devised exam work. 

We warmly invite our audience to give feedback to our acting candidates on the 11^th hour of their process - your critique as ever is invaluable to us!  

Please be aware there are highly emotive themes and strong language in the evening's work, therefore we recommend the evening for Year 9 (14+) and above. We strongly encourage attendance by future GCSE and A-level Drama pupils however.

Tickets are not required for this event, but to help us cater efficiently please reserve places by clicking here to book through My School Portal, no later than Friday 7 March.

Aileen Cefaleillo and Vicky Roberts
Joint Heads of Drama

Wednesday 12 March - 1.25pm

Next week, The Princethorpe Foundation will be taking part in the first ever UK School Archives Day. We are excited to be joining other schools around the country in celebrating our wonderful heritage and all that our archive collections have to offer.

On Wednesday 12 March, pupils are invited to a lunchtime talk at 1.25pm in the Library. Foundation Archivist Jo Wong will be sharing some of the strange and intriguing stories from Princethorpe’s past (and there will be free doughnuts to enjoy!)

Our School Archives Day display will also continue to be in the Cloisters until the end of Lent term, for pupils, staff and visitors to see some of the fascinating items held in the Foundation Archive collections and to learn more about the work of our archivist.

Look out for #SchoolArchivesDay posts on our social media channels too – we are looking forward to sharing the celebrations with everyone! 

Thursday 13 March - 6.30pm to 8.00pm

We would like to invite you to share in a performance evening of a range of LAMDA disciplines and talents, including acting, verse, prose, and musical theatre, on Thursday 13 March. The evening will begin at 6.15pm in the Clarkson Theatre and should finish at around 8.00pm, when light refreshments will be available. Please click here to book tickets. 

If you have any access or dietary requirements, please email post@princethorpe.co.uk.

Friday 14 March - 4.15pm to 8.15pm

Princethorpe College is holding its first ever charity Danceathon on Friday 14 March in the Sports Hall, with choreographers leading a variety of dance styles including Zumba, Line-Dancing, and Ballroom. There's no preparation required and pupils are encouraged to sign up, take part in their house tops and gain sponsorship from family and friends. There will also be some performances by our talented pupils throughout the evening.

Parents, please don’t worry, you are included too! We would like to invite parents, carers, family and friends to support our pupils, community and charity endeavours by attending as a spectator from 6.15pm, with the opportunity to join in if you are willing and able.  Refreshments will be available throughout the evening.

All proceeds go to The National Youth Arts Trust. Please find attached here a sponsorship form for pupils to use, they will be rewarded for their participation and contributions to the event. 

Please register here if you going to come along even if only to spectate - participation on the day is completely voluntary but we hope you will get involved. 

All are welcome so get your dancing shoes ready and the date in your diary now!

Rachel Fox
Course Leader for Dance

Saturday 15 March - 10.00am to 12.00pm

Crescent School, Princethorpe's prep school in Bilton, Rugby, is holding an Open Morning on Saturday 15 March. It's a great opportunity for prospective families considering Crescent School to have a look around and get a feel for the school. There will also be opportunities to see sport and music in action, speak to pupils, key members of staff and to meet Mr Thackway, Headmaster.

The school will have two Reception Classes in September 2025 and is still accepting registrations for the last few places.

To find out more and to book your visit to Crescent School visit our website here.

Applications for places in the current Reception to Year 6 are treated on an individual basis as there are limited places. Please get in touch with our Registrar, Mrs Becky Witcomb, at admissions@crescentschool.co.uk, regarding availability for September 2025.  To find out more about mid-year and mid-term admissions click here. 

We are now also taking registrations for September 2026 entry to Reception and Year 3. 

Wednesday 19 March 2025 - 2.00pm to 5.00pm

We cordially invite all former St Joseph's and Crackley Hall pupils, parents and former staff, to join us for a special St Joseph's Day Mass and Open House.

Mass will commence at 2.00pm, and guests are encouraged to stay afterwards for refreshments, when there will be time to chat, view artefacts and photographs from the archives, and an opportunity to take a tour of the school at 4.00pm.

You are welcome to come for some or all of the event, and can indicate your intentions on the event sign up page. It is a lovely opportunity to return to the site of St Joseph's Convent School and catch up with other former pupils and long-serving members of staff. Several former St Joseph's pupils, from across the decades, have signed up already, so it promises to be a very special occasion.

If you would like to attend as a former pupil, parent or member of staff, please sign up on Princethorpe Connect here to let us know you're coming.

Final details will be shared with all those signed up, in the days before the event takes place.

Wednesday 26 March - 7.00pm

As the nights are getting lighter and Spring is in the air, the PTA would like to invite you, your friends and family to their latest fundraising event, a Spring Flower Arranging Workshop on Wednesday 26 March at 7.00pm at Princethorpe College. 

The night starts with a welcome drink and deli boat, then moves onto creating a fabulous spring flower arrangement to take home. Tickets cost £30 per person, and upon buying your ticket you can select diet preferences which includes a vegetarian option. A bar will be open to purchase additional drinks.

Please click on the link here to purchase tickets.

We look forward to welcoming you! 

Princethorpe PTA 

Our Careers Insights takes place on Saturday 29 March from 9.30am to 1.00pm. Open to all Princethorpe pupils from Year 10 to Sixth Form and their parents, this year's fair is set to provide a wealth of information so make sure you don’t miss out.

Careers Insights will commence with a talk by our keynote speaker, OP Tunde Olanrewaju, Senior Partner with McKinsey & Co in London. His session will be followed by a series of workshops from a wide range of speakers and organisations offering advice and guidance on different careers and universities. More information on Careers Insights and an overview of the speakers is available here.

Pupils and their families should register in advance here.

The registration deadline has been extended to Monday 10 March, don’t miss this very useful and informative event.
 

Wednesday 2 April 2025

Parents of pupils elected to serve on the Prefect Body, for the term of office which commences at the start of the Trinity Term 2025,  can expect to receive an invitation from the Headmaster inviting them to attend the Prefect Inauguration, after 20 March 2025. 

The ceremony takes place on Wednesday 2 April 2025 at 2.35pm, in the Sports Hall, as part of our final assembly of the term, and will be followed by afternoon tea and light refreshments in the Sixth Form Centre. 

Replies will be due in by Wednesday 26 March. 

Team Super Sports are back at Princethorpe College during the Easter Holidays with an action-packed three weeks for children aged 5 to 16 years. From Monday 7 April to Friday 25 April (excluding bank holidays), the Holiday Camps will run from 8.00am to 5.00pm.

Children aged 7 to 16 can choose from a variety of sports to create their own personalised sports camp! For our younger campers (ages 5 to 7), along with sport we’ve got arts, crafts, and dance activities to keep them engaged and having a blast!

Why Team Super Sports? They’re experts in sport and multi-activity holiday camps, providing top-level coaching for all abilities.

Click here to visit the Team Super Sports website to secure your child’s spot.

Camps are priced at £38 per day. Book before Sunday 16 March to receive an extra 10% off for early booking!

Sibling discounts and flexible booking options available!

Wednesday 9 April, 2.30pm and 4.00pm and Thursday 10 April, 2.30pm and  4.00pm

As part of the Foundation's drive to increase non-fee income, our Commercial Enterprise Team are delighted to be hosting LOL Theatre Company's lovingly adapted production of The Tale of Peter Rabbit in The Clarkson Theatre in the run up to Easter.

When young Peter Rabbit disobeys his mother and enters the forbidden garden belonging to Mr McGreggor, he indulges himself with lettuce, green beans and radishes, however he soon starts to feel sick and goes in search of some parsley to soothe his stomach ache. Who does he encounter when he ventures further into the vegetable patch? None other than Mr McGreggor himself! After a frantic chase, he loses his clothes and his sense of direction. Will Peter Rabbit escape Mr McGreggor's clutches and return home unharmed? More importantly, will he learn his lesson and listen to his mother's warnings next time? Let's hope so!

This 45 minute family friendly production is based on the classic short story by Beatrix Potter and teaches about the importance of listening to warnings, doing the right thing and facing the consequences of your actions. Recommended for ages 4 and above.

This enchanting theatre show brings Beatrix Potter’s beloved characters to life! This is a public performance and all are welcome.

Tickets

• Adult ticket - £10
• Child ticket - £5
• Under 4s go FREE

Click here to book your seats.

Summer Exam Season

All pupils have been given their personal exam statement of entry. Timetables and, nearer the time, allocated rooms can be viewed on the pupil and parent portals.

A few pupils have exam clashes, and have been contacted through Teams with a resolution. A clash of exams only occurs when two exams for different subjects are timetabled to start at the same time on the same day.

Where two exams for the same subject are timetabled to start at the same time on the same day, they will be taken one after the other. This applies to IGCSE French, IGCSE Spanish and A-level Maths.

Sarah Tsang 
Examinations Officer

Year 11 Mock Exam Reports will be published on Friday 21 March 2025, and will be available to view on My School Portal.

Michael Spencer 
Deputy Head - Academic

The Year 11 Subject Progress Evening will take place in person, on Thursday 27 March 2025 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. Details of how to book appointments will be emailed out in the week commencing 17 March 2025.

Michael Spencer 
Deputy Head - Academic

The Spring Hemingway writing competition is now open - this is to create a six word short story. Further details are available on their website here: The Hemingway Contest | International Writing Competition for Students.

The deadline for entries is 31 March 2025.

Julia Lindsay
Challenge Curriculum Co-ordinator

Please click here to view the Challenge Calendar for March. The theme is linked to International Women's History Month. 

As usual, there are range of activities based on a wide range of subjects so there is something for everyone. Any pupil who creates a response to any of the activities should send it to me via Teams or email.

Outstanding work will be rewarded and may also be published in the next edition of the Pinnacle.

Julia Lindsay
Challenge Curriculum Co-ordinator

We are delighted to invite all our Year 11 pupils to the End of Year Celebration at Walton Hall Hotel on Friday 20 June 2025. Tickets are now on sale, and we hope all our pupils will come to celebrate the end of their GCSE courses and exams before they make their transition to Sixth Form.

This celebration will be held on the evening of Friday 20 June 2025 from 7.00pm until 11.00pm and the venue will be the stunning Walton Hall Hotel in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire. This is a special occasion, and the formal evening wear dress code will reflect that - dress to impress is certainly the order of the day!

The cost of the event is £55.00 per person, which includes soft drinks, the hire of the venue, an evening meal, and a disco. A photographer and photobooth will be on hand to record the event for posterity. Photographs will be available to purchase on the evening, so pupils attending will require a payment card or other cashless payment method available to them.

We would like to encourage our Year 11 pupils to attend, as we feel this will be a memorable evening for all involved and it will offer pupils an opportunity to celebrate the end of exams with all of their peers.

If your child does wish to attend this event then we do require your permission and agreement that the cost can be added to your next fee invoice.  We also need to know of any special dietary requirements, both of which can be done by clicking this link here. 

Could we ask that this form is completed and submitted by Friday 14 March 2025 please.  

If you have any queries regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Beth Sharpe 
Deputy Head Pastoral

I would like to remind Parents about the importance of regular attendance in school. We expect attendance to be 95% or more, your child's attendance can be monitored on My School Portal.

Regular attendance ensures that students do not miss out on important lessons and activities, which can significantly impact their understanding and academic success. Being present in school helps students develop essential social skills as they learn to interact with peers, work in teams, and build friendships, which are important for their overall development. In addition, regular attendance helps in maintaining a routine, which is important for developing discipline and time management skills. We also have high expectations regarding being punctual to all lessons throughout the day.  This means, while in school, we can provide a supportive environment where students can receive help from teachers and access resources that may not be available at home.

I appreciate your support in this matter. 

Beth Sharpe 
Deputy Head Pastoral

Well done to our Upper Sixth students!

A huge well done to all our Upper Sixth students for completing their mock exams. Your hard work and dedication are truly commendable and we hope you take the time to reflect on your progress as you prepare for the final stretch towards your A-levels.

Lower Sixth BBQ

We are looking for contributions we can use as prizes for our Lower Sixth Charity BBQ event. If you are able to donate, please do get in touch.

Summer Term Events

A letter with details of the exciting events planned for the Trinity Term will be sent out soon.

Visiting Speaker - Shaun Attwood

Our Upper Sixth Sociology and Psychology students will get the opportunity to attend a workshop with Shaun Attwood on Monday 10 March during tutor time and break. The session will explore different types of crime, why people commit crime,  and effective ways of reducing crime by looking at our judicial system.

Off Games Procedure

If a student is unable to participate in Games for medical reasons, parents must complete the Off Games form on My School Portal by 10.00am on the day of the Games lesson. On the day, students must still collect an Off Games slip from the medical centre at break or lunch and then register with Games staff at the start of period 5. Sixth Form students excused from Games should not wear sports kit to school but attend wearing smart business attire as per the Sixth Form Dress Code.

Sixth Form Inauguration and Award Ceremony - Wednesday 2 April 2025

Parents of students elected to serve on the Prefect Body, from the start of the Trinity Term,  will receive an invitation from the Headmaster to attend this special event. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday 2 April at 2.35pm in the Sports Hall, as part of our final assembly of the term. This will be followed by afternoon tea and light refreshments in the Sixth Form Centre.

Careers Insights Event - Saturday 29 March 2025

The biennial Careers Insights Event is open to Year 10 to Sixth Form pupils and their parents. It provides a ‘one stop careers shop’ with speakers representing a wide range of careers and professions, along with universities on hand to offer advice and guidance. The deadline to register has been extended to Monday 10 March, click here to register.

40 Mile Walk - Sunday 6 April 2025

"The Coventry Way" is a 40 mile long distance countryside route, circumnavigating the city of Coventry. This annual challenge provides our students with the opportunity to navigate the whole 40-mile route non-stop in one day whilst raising money for Mary's Meals.

Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form

Upper Sixth Mock Exam Reports will be published on Friday 14 March 2025 and will be available to view on My School Portal.

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

The Upper Sixth Subject Progress Evening will take place, in person, on Wednesday 19 March 2025 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. 

Details of how to book appointments will be emailed out in the week commencing 10 March 2025.

Michael Spencer 
Deputy Head - Academic

Mike Kobylak joined the Princethorpe Foundation in December, to take on a new role as Foundation Head of Estates and Sustainability. His appointment strengthening the Foundation’s efforts in embedding sustainability into our schools’ operations. Working with key stakeholders, including Foundation Principal, Ed Hester, and Foundation Director of Facilities, Rob Heath, and as part of the Foundation’s Environmental Sustainability Advisory Board, he is focused on delivering on opportunities that align with our sustainability agenda as detailed in our Environmental Sustainability Plan published in March 2024.

Mike brings a wealth of experience to his role having a degree in Environmental Science and having been Head of Property at Four Seasons Healthcare and Property Risk Manager at Warwickshire County Council. He has worked closely with schools in both Property and Health and Safety related disciplines for fifteen years and brings valuable knowledge and insights into the challenge of embedding sustainability into organisations and the procurement process.

Mike has spent his first three months getting to know the Foundation’s schools and is now ready to move the Foundation’s sustainability agenda forward focusing particularly on the key areas of Energy Reduction and Waste Management.

We are delighted to have Mike on board and look forward to working with him to deliver on initiatives that advance our sustainability ambitions.

Next term, Princethorpe's four Houses will be taking part in a ‘yarn bombing’ challenge.

The goal is for each House to yarn bomb one of the trees that line the driveway leading into the school. Each tree will feature a variety of colours, with a predominant focus on the House colour of that team.

We are seeking donations of wool to help us get started with knitting and crocheting. Additionally, if you would like to contribute a Granny square or knitted square, we would be very grateful.

Please send your wool donations to the Pupil Hub, addressed to Mrs Nelson.

Thank you for your support!

Kati Nelson
Teacher in charge of Textiles

The process of organising the return visit of our Dutch hosts from October 2024 is now well under way. We are looking forward to reciprocating the fantastic experience our pupils received during our four night stay with the players from Hopbel Hockey Club. 

The return dates are from Saturday 26 April through to Wednesday 30 April 2025. These dates are at the start of the Trinity Term to allow all year groups to host if they wish. 

The girls and boys are a variety of ages, between 13 and 16. This may be of interest if your child would like to participate in the Holland visit in October 2025 (current Year 9 boys and girls), however this invitation is open to all families. In order to help, we are looking for families who can offer to host a pair (or more) of Dutch visitors and are willing to entertain and involve them in your family life for either all, or some, of the four nights, we can look at visitors moving between families and are happy to discuss this further.

We will organise an itinerary of fixtures and activities during the school days and a BBQ for our guests with their host families on Sunday 27 April.  Please see the following provisional draft itinerary. We will let you know who the other host families are so that you can organise other events together if you wish. We will supply bus tickets for the Dutch visitors should these be required but they will need to be picked up after fixtures each day from College.

Due to the requisite safeguarding checks, all adults (members of the family over 18-years-old) within the household must hold an enhanced DBS certificate, to be sent for by the Princethorpe Foundation, even if they currently have a DBS certificate from another employer. If you are subscribed to the DBS Update Service, please do let us know. 

Please use our online system here to book an appointment. The DBS check has to be done within the three months prior to the visit. It will only take 15 minutes per person to apply for the DBS certificates, and one person from the household can bring the documentation on behalf of everyone in the household. 

One booking is usually long enough for two applications, if there are more people within  the household requiring checks, please book multiple slots.

If you have any questions, or cannot make any of the allocated appointment slots please do contact Claire Wildsmith or Suz Jeffery on 01926 634269 or by email to recruitment@princethorpe.co.uk 

Bringing the correct documentation is critical to the application process, please see the attached document entitled 'Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks’ for the ID documentation required.

Many thanks for your continued support of Princethorpe Sport and we hope that you can continue this by hosting some Dutch guests in April.

The Bronze, Silver and Gold 2024-2025 participants have been added to Evolve for their upcoming practice expeditions. Mr Stapleton will be in school on Wednesday 26 March to help participants with any questions and meal preparations.  

Participants are reminded to check their Teams messages. 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.

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

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head (Co-curricular and Operations)

It is always great to be able to share news of pupils' co-curricular achievements outside of school.

Lower Sixth Former, Emily and her horse Coco, have just returned from representing Great Britain in an FEI international showjumping competition in Spain, called the Andalucía Sunshine Tour. 

Emily and Coco competed against professional show jumpers from across the world including riders that rode in last year’s Olympics. She faced technical courses and speed classes where she had to ride against the clock.

Emily and Coco did brilliantly placing in the top 10 in four of their competitions, including two fourth places and an amazing second place.

It was an amazing opportunity for Emily, a huge well done from us all here at Princethorpe!

This week has been an exciting one in school with pupils completing their selection for IAD 2025. The process was released to pupils on 15 January and since then they have completed a practice form and given feedback on the types of activities that they would like to be on the programme which has been instrumental in guiding the options which staff have put forward for the final selections. The activity list for each age group were:  

Year 10:  Cliff Lakes and Water Experience, DofE Silver Expedition, Fishing, Go Adventures, Golf Experience, RAF Experience, Work Experience, Game Coding, Dungeons and Dragons, Literature Experience 

Year 9: Board Games and Escape Room, Cliff Lakes and Water Experience, Dungeons and Dragons, Fishing, Football Experience (St George's Park), Go Adventures, Golf Experience, Harry Potter Studios Experience,  Literature Experience, Murder Mystery, RAF Experience, Spanish Experience (UK) 

Year 8: Activ8, Board Games and Escape Room, Cricket Experience, Fishing, Football Experience (St George's Park), Go Adventures, Harry Potter Studios experience, Manchester City Football Academy Experience, Murder Mystery, Netball Experience, Sailing Trip, Spanish Trip (Abroad) 

Year 7: Activ8, Board Games and Escape Room, Cricket Experience, Dungeons and Dragons, Football Experience (St George's Park), Game Coding, Go Adventures, Harry Potter Studios Experience, Manchester City Football Academy Experience, Murder Mystery, Netball Experience, Literature Experience, Sailing trip, Spanish Trip (Abroad) 

We are now collating the information, and this will be followed by an Evolve email to parents with the details of the two days of activities.  

Please note that on Monday 30 June and Tuesday 1 July the College buses will depart Princethorpe at 16.30. If pupils are onsite, they may be picked up from 15.45 as normal. 

Many thanks go to the staff who are leading these activities and to Mrs Gemma Tilley who has been working hard behind the scenes to make this amazing opportunity happen.

The PTA support the school with many events throughout the year and we are currently looking for volunteers to help. 

If you can spare some time, please fill in the form linked here.  Any help you can offer would be gratefully received. 

Our PTA secretary, Melanie Flegg, will email you closer to the time with further details of events we need help at.

Please feel free to share this plea for help with any other members of the school community  that may also be able to volunteer. 

Our upcoming events that we need help at are:

Peter Rabbit performances:

Wednesday 9 April - 1.30pm

Wednesday 9 April - 4.00pm

Thursday 10 April - 1.30pm

Thursday 10  April - 4.00pm

Princethorpe College Summer Musical Theatre production (times to be confirmed): 

Thursday 12 June

Friday 13 June

Saturday 14 June

Summer Fest (time to be confirmed):

Sunday 29 June 

Thank you in advance for your support. 

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 your support. 

Princethorpe PTA

The 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 are not already registered, please visit our Easyfundraising page here.

We are hoping with to buy a 3D printer for the Technology Department with the money raised via Easyfundraising. This will really make a difference to the department and students! 

Thank you for your support.

Thank you to the 250+ families who took the time to complete our recent feasibility survey on Late Buses. The response was overwhelmingly positive and demonstrated a high level of support for an 'express' late bus service, serving town centre hubs. 

We have been working closely with Vectare over recent months to review the sustainability and efficiency of the service and have already explored a number of scenarios. Your valuable feedback has enabled us to refine the plans further and we will now finalise a proposal in the hope of starting a service in the new academic year. Our current thinking is that any late buses would run as part of the overall bus service, using the Vectare booking system and the same ticketing process. 

To finalise our consultative process, I will be hosting drop-in sessions in The Bourse at the dates and times below. This is an opportunity for parents to view the proposals and provide any other feedback before our final plan is produced and published.

Tuesday 25 March, Wednesday 26 March and Thursday 27 March from 5.15pm to 5.45pm 

Please do drop in and give us your feedback on the suggested routes.

Rob Heath
Director of Facilities

Parents are advised that there is a new email address to use if IT support is required for you or your child.

For support with school accounts, devices or queries, parents should email  ITServiceDeskParents@princethorpe.co.uk.

Pupils can access IT support via the IT self-service portal or going to the IT Service Desk in G21.

Parents can also find information on the College's Digital Device Scheme on My School Portal here.

Andy Compton
Foundation Director of Digital Strategy

The College's new cashless catering payment system, +Pay, has been live since the start of term, allowing parents to pay via mobile app and also via Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Parents can also see an itemised breakdown of all their child's purchases in +Pay, helping them to track spending and support their child with making healthy choices.

If you want to see what your child has purchased each day, follow the below instructions.

1. Log into +Pay
2. Open 'Accounts'
3. Click on Dinner Topup
4. Click on 'Statements' (at the bottom of the screen)
5. Click on the month to see how much has been spent each day
6. Click on a specific date to see the items purchased on that date

Did you know you can also setup Automatic Top-up, so that +Pay automatically takes a payment when the balance drops below a certain value, saving you the time and effort of logging in and topping up the account? More information on this can be found here:  Automatic Top-ups

Should you have any further questions regarding +Pay, or require any assistance, please email cashless@princethorpe.co.uk.

Andy Compton
Foundation Director of Digital Strategy

Our next themed catering promotion Proper Burger Pop Up will be available for pupils to purchase on Friday 14 March!  For further details, please click here.

Andrew Williams
Catering Manager

Please click here to view a copy of the current catering menus. 

If you have any questions regarding the selection of food we have on offer here at Princethorpe College, especially if related to any allergies or specific food requirements, please feel free to email andrewwilliams@princethorpe.co.uk as we aim to cater for all needs.

Andrew Williams
Catering 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

+Pay catering - cashless@princethorpe.co.uk

Email addresses for members of teaching staff can be found on My School Portal.

Parents are reminded of the notice requirements according to our terms and conditions.

A term's notice is required if a pupil will not be returning to the school. Notice must be in writing, addressed to the Headmaster, via the Registrar, Mrs Rogers by the first day of term.

All letters are acknowledged within seven days; if you do not receive an acknowledgement then please contact the Registrar immediately. 

Claire Alcock
Foundation Director of Finance

Sixth Form offer letters, including scholarships, will be issued week commencing Monday 31 March 2025. To assist us with our planning of teaching sets and timetabling, please could you let us know in writing to Mr du Toit, via the Registrar, Mrs Rogers by Wednesday 30 April 2025, if you do not wish to take up the offered Sixth Form place. 

This would meet the term’s notice of withdrawal as set out in our terms and conditions.

Parents are reminded that if a decision is made subsequently not to take up the offered Sixth Form place and a term’s notice has not been given, you would be liable for the term's fees.

Claire Alcock
Foundation Director of Finance

Please see below our current vacancies:

Princethorpe College

• Attendance and Pupil Support Officer
• Graduate Teaching Assistant
• Graduate Sports Coach

Full details and how to apply are available via the following link: Join Us

Should you know anyone who might be interested in this post, please do share this information with them.