Following what feels like a “proper summer” for a change, I am delighted to welcome all families, old and new, to this academic year. I have caught up with some of our pupils and it sounds as if there were a lot of lie ins and rest. I have no doubt the first few early mornings will be an adjustment, but we cannot wait to have everyone back on site on Tuesday. As a staff body, we have been preparing for the start of term, and all my colleagues are excited to get going. 

This excitement started with our A-level and GCSE exam results published during the past fortnight. At A-level we have improved on the excellent results from last year with 67% of all grades being A*-B and 36% of all grades being A*-A. Only a couple of pupils were not placed with their choice of next step at the end of Results Day, and our pupils are once again off to every corner of the UK and beyond to continue their journeys. Universities, employment, apprenticeships, gap years, and even Norland Nannies all feature and we cannot wait to hear how our pupils get on – we are extremely proud. Not to be outdone, our GCSE cohort went one step better and celebrated the best GCSE results ever achieved by the College. 53% of all grades were grades 7-9 (A*-A) and 77% of all grades were 6-9 (A*-B). 30% of the cohort achieved 8 or more grade 7-9s. It is an exceptional effort by the whole group and there was an incredible atmosphere around school on results day. However, it is important to note that individual stories of success can very easily disappear when we just quote statistics. For example, one pupil improved their average grade by two and a half grades from their first mock exam back in November, and even though they may not be a top achiever, what they managed to do through hard work and determination is typical of so many pupils who call Princethorpe their home. With more than 20 new pupils joining the Lower Sixth, our Sixth Form is continuing to be a special place with a real buzz, and we will be watching with great anticipation how this group develops.

In my Flagpole article back in July, we said farewell to some colleagues who are off to pastures new. It is now also my pleasure to welcome some new staff who will be adding to the strong staff body here at Princethorpe.

• Phill Challinor joins as Head of Latin
• Lauren Cook joins the Science Department as Teacher of Physics
• Alan Elliott joins the English Department as Teacher of English
• Aiyana Kowal joins the Religious Studies Department as Teacher of RS
• Lee Reed joins the Business and Economics Department as Teacher of Business Studies
• Chris Wilde joins Modern Foreign Languages as Teacher of MFL

In addition, we welcome our new Graduate Teaching Assistants, Harriet Lawrence and Lindsey Stewart, who I am sure you will meet when you collect your child from Prep. Chloe Johnson, Duxshana Sivanesvaran, and Nick High also join the College in various roles across the support functions. Most importantly, we have 177 new pupils joining us across all year groups and we wish them nothing but the very best as they begin the first chapter of their Princethorpe story.

As you come onto site this term, it may not be obvious at first, however, our Estates Team has been working very hard over the summer break. Key highlights include refurbished facilities in the Sixth Form Centre, roof and window replacements, carpet and flooring replacements, painting and decoration across the site including classrooms, and creating new office spaces to better accommodate departments. We have also upgraded our minibus fleet and there are further upgrades planned for specific academic departments throughout the year. The Annual Fund has enabled some of this work and I want to thank parents once again for your support. Please rest assured that every pupil will have a better experience in school because of your contributions. Finally, we are looking forward to a complete resurfacing and refurbishment of the Astro next summer with more details to follow. Princethorpe offers fantastic facilities, and we will continue to invest as is necessary and responsible to ensure this continues to be the case.

This year sees the launch of our new Teaching and Learning cycle where the focus will be “Challenge and Curiosity, a Thinking Classroom”. I cannot place enough emphasis on what happens in the classroom and as teachers we will continue our drive to be experts in our fields and in our practice. Please expect and support high standards and expectations when it comes to lessons and homework. I read a great article written by Daisy Christodoulou where she urges schools to be ‘gymnasiums of the mind’. It is our responsibility to teach our young people how to think and to teach them the skills to thrive when they go down the drive for the final time. Society is very much geared towards shortcuts and AI has accelerated this process exponentially. As a school we must ensure the basics are sound to prevent pupils having all the answers without an idea of how they got there. We will continue to review our use of technology to ensure it is a tool to support teaching when and where it is appropriate. When at school, one of my Headmasters used a phrase I often quote: “school needs to make your brain hurt in a good way”. This year will be very much about our pupils thinking hard and being brave in lessons.

It is important that we set the right tone from day one. Therefore, can I issue my normal plea of ensuring uniform expectations are met and that pupils have all the correct and required kit. The last thing we want to do on the first day is address non-compliance when we’d much rather welcome pupils back for the academic year. Staff will remind pupils about behaviour – being kind and doing your best. Can I please request parental support in ensuring we don’t need to worry about the little things. We have seen the outcomes of positive engagement and working to the best of your ability with our results this year – that is the atmosphere we have at the College, and we expect every pupil to positively contribute. Our mobile phone policy remains unchanged, and I want to urge parents again to be involved with your child’s online life. Social media leads to the most pastoral issues and sanctions every year. Handing a phone to your teenager and hoping all will be OK is not responsible. We have various platforms and resources that can provide guidance or help in managing what your child does online. Please reach out to your child’s tutor or Head of House for further information.

Crucial to a Princethorpe education is the variety of co-curricular clubs and activities available every day. This is an everchanging picture and I suggest you take some time to browse all that is on offer. For example, this year we have added a Pony Club as an option which I know will be very popular. Our Prefects will be running an Activity Fair early on to showcase all that pupils can get involved with. To support families with specifically after school commitments, I want to remind you again that we are now offering a late bus service, departing at 5.45pm, that drops off at selected hubs. We really hope this makes a difference and look forward to any feedback. I also want to remind parents that selection for any Princethorpe team is an honour and privilege. Representing the College in any sport or event comes with great responsibility as you are an ambassador through your actions and behaviour. We expect both parents as spectators and pupils as participants to exhibit nothing but the highest standard of conduct. We win and lose with dignity and respect towards the opposition, officials, and spectators. Every year we receive praise from other schools about what a pleasure it is to host us. It is important that we maintain that reputation. The South Africa Sports Tour that took place earlier this summer, once again showed the quality of our pupils when they wear a Princethorpe shirt – they were exemplary in how they conducted themselves and did us very proud. Can I also request if your child is selected for a team, they get in touch with staff as soon as possible if they cannot take part. Not showing up without early notice is never acceptable. 

Last year my letter finished with a mention of VAT and the challenges we were facing. This year I am happy to report that we are in really good shape and that the worries of last year are not the glasses being worn for the start of this term. We are thankful for being in such a positive position given the news of numerous independent schools having to close at short notice. Our numbers are strong and growing, supported by excellent results. We are also excited as this year promises to bring more highlights than ever before, especially as it leads us into our Diamond Jubilee Year in 2026. The College will be 60 years old, and we are planning BIG celebrations. Being part of the Princethorpe family is special and third generation Princethorpians joining us now is becoming a regular occurrence. I cannot wait for our first fourth generation joiner... Every year we grow and there is a real buzz about the school. Obviously, without your support none of this would be possible and we cannot thank you enough.

I look forward to catching up with parents, old and new, throughout the term, starting with the OP vs College Sports Day taking place tomorrow. Please do come and say hello and remember our door is always open.

With my very best wishes,

Grove du Toit

Princethorpe College is celebrating another year of excellent exam results.

108 students sat A-level and BTEC examinations and completed the Extended Project Qualification this summer and, continuing the strong performances of previous cohorts, two thirds of all grades awarded were A*- B, with more than a third being A*- A. Impressively, 16 students achieved three or more A* or A grades and the overwhelming majority, 95%, moved on to their first choice of next step.

At GCSE, Princethorpe had its best ever results. From a cohort of 113 pupils, more than half of all entries were the coveted 9, 8 or 7 grades, with a quarter of pupils achieving nine or more 9, 8 or 7 grades. This year’s results also show superb progress, with pupils in Year 11 achieving on average almost a grade higher than would be expected from their individual starting points.

Grove du Toit, Headmaster, commented, "We are delighted with the excellent results that our Sixth Form students and Year 11 pupils have achieved. They have worked incredibly hard and deserve these results. It was wonderful to see all their happy faces on their results days, and we congratulate them all on their well-deserved success. We are thrilled that our pupils have received such good grades but also, more importantly, that the overwhelming majority are moving on to their first choice of next step."

He continued, "We are proud of their academic achievements, but all these pupils have many other fine qualities: kindness, respect and a strong sense of right and wrong, which will be tremendously important for them in the next phase of their lives. We wish them all the very best."

College athletes Grace McCollin, Olivia Monk, Marisa Lumani and Dami Ajagunna competed for Warwickshire at the English Schools Athletics Track & Field Championships at the Alexandra Stadium in Birmingham at the start of the summer holidays.

It was a fantastic achievement for these pupils to have been selected for this prestigious national event and to have four pupils reaching the standard was super exciting for us all here at Princethorpe College.

Our young athletes competed in the Hurdles, Mixed Relay, 100m, High Jump and Shot. Grace ran an outstanding race to take the Silver medal in 11.18s in the Inter Girls 80m Hurdles and claimed another Silver as part of the Warwickshire team in the Mixed 4x100m Relay. Marisa won a Silver medal with an outstanding 12.09m throw in the Junior Girls Shot. Dami jumped an incredible 1.59m to finish 6th in the Junior Girls High Jump while Olivia ran 12.57s in the Senior Girls 100m heats.

We are hugely impressed by these pupils' commitment and dedication to their sports and are incredibly proud of them all.

Princethorpe College is delighted to have been shortlisted for the ‘Independent School of the Year for Student Careers’ category in the 2025 Independent Schools of the Year Awards. 

The Awards Scheme celebrates the independent education sector, showcasing excellence in student experience and recognising the varied and imaginative way in which independent schools prepare young people for their future lives. Now in its eighth year, the College is pleased to have been selected ahead of a record number of entries from independent schools across the UK.

Grove du Toit, Headmaster, comments, “We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for this award. It is a really wonderful accolade and is testament to the incredible work our Careers team and College staff do here at Princethorpe and to our Curriculum for Life which fosters personal development alongside academic excellence.”

The award recognises the College’s forward-looking Careers Programme that starts from Year 7 and concentrates on identifying aptitudes, developing competencies, delivering experiences and providing tailored guidance and support to pupils as they move through school and out into the world. The programme includes our biennial flagship Career Insights event, that this year welcomed nearly sixty speakers, the majority Old Princethorpians, to present on a wide variety of careers and professions. It provided a host of advice to listen to, lessons to be learnt, questions to be asked and connections to be made and a truly inspirational keynote speech from guest speaker and Old Princethorpian, Tunde Olanrewaju, Senior Partner with global management consultancy, McKinsey & Co.

The award finalists are due to be announced in September with the winners revealed in October.

At the start of the summer holidays the College enjoyed a successful 16-day sports tour to South Africa. Taking a squad of 95 pupils and 12 staff, playing four sports, Rugby, Football, Netball and Hockey, the tour travelled to Cape Town, then on to Johannesburg, Pretoria and Pilanesberg for a fortnight full of keenly contested matches and spectacular sight-seeing.

The Rugby, Football, Netball and boys’ and girls’ Hockey teams participated in six days of good spirited and competitive training and matches against school and club teams. Our South African hosts were so hospitable, and the training and matches were great experiences for all, with valuable lessons learnt both on and off the field.

Away from the sports field, the tour offered participants the chance to broaden their horizons with sightseeing and educational experiences that included the history of South Africa with tours of Soweto and the Apartheid Museum. Pupils also took part in an eye-opening tour of Cape Town’s oldest back township and got up close and personal with the wildlife in game drives at Pilanesberg Game Reserve. The tour party all enjoyed the spectacular scenery of Table Mountain in Cape Town and the Cape Peninsular including the charming costal town of Hout Bay.

Lee Cassell, Foundation Director of Sport, and leader of the tour, said, “South Africa is a truly stunning country, passionate and fiercely competitive in their sport. We had another excellent trip and played some inspiring matches and I know that our Princethorpe pupils will have returned home with plenty of wonderful memories.”

Our thanks go to all the staff involved in putting together and running the South Africa Sports Tour. We look forward to the experiences translating into positive results on the pitches over the coming season.

We were excited to welcome Ken Burkett, Debbie Brennan and, former College Director of Sport, Gwil Price, from the English School’s Athletics Association to Princethorpe College in early August to start the planning for the 44th ESAA Cross Country Cup Final which will take place on the Princethorpe estate on Saturday 6 December.

The ESAA representatives met with Foundation Director of Facilities, Rob Heath, and Foundation Grounds Manager, Ed Robertson.

This will be the fourth time the College has hosted the finals of the English Schools' Cross Country Cup., the event  was last held here back in 2011 and before that in 1993 and 1989. It's a prestigious event that attracts the best young athletes from across the country. Indeed the incredible Paula Radcliffe won bronze here at Princethorpe College back in 1989 in the ESAA Junior Girls Cross Country, running on the same fields and muddy paths that  Princethorpe's cross country teams train on today.

In December, we are looking forward to welcoming up to 900 competitors and their managers and supporters for what will be the final event of the ESAA’s 100th anniversary year. 

Congratulations to our Year 8 and Year 9 High Performance Learners and Academic Scholars who have achieved fantastic results in their Project Qualifications this year. The Projects are completely independently researched and produced as an Academic Co-Curricular option; it takes dedication and builds resilience as they respond to feedback and evaluate their own performance as part of the qualification. 

The Year 8 pupils taking the Foundation projects achieved 100% A*/A grades and the Year 9 pupils completing the Higher Project 88% A*/A. 

Three pupils passed this qualification achieving full marks: Dami Ajagunna with her artefact project creating a poem on the Little Rock 9, Krishan Patel's essay on "Should the voting age should be lowered to 16?", and Erik Winham's essay on "Should Euthanasia be legalised?" 

Mrs Lindsay said " I am extremely proud of the achievements of the pupils taking these qualifications, the Projects are worth half a GCSE in which our Year 8 and 9 High Performance Learners are encouraged to participate. Each pupil has overcome challenges in managing their time and juggling their academic and other co-curricular commitments to achieve of their best."

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

Princethorpe College is welcoming plenty of new faces this Michaelmas Term, as in addition to all its new pupils, the school also has a number of new staff members joining the school.

Pictured here on their Induction Day, our new staff have enjoyed an informative and busy start to their time at Princethorpe. Together they bring a wealth of new experience to the school and we extend a very warm welcome to them all.

Joining the College's teaching staff are:

Phill Challinor - Head of Latin
Lauren Cook - Teacher of Physics
Alan Elliott - Teacher of English
Aiyana Kowal - Teacher of Religious Studies
Lee Reed - Teacher of Business Studies
Chris Wilde - Teacher of MFL

Joining as trainee teachers are:
Melissa Coates - Trainee Teacher PE
Ella Colorado (OP) - Trainee Teacher Art
Despina Coursari - Trainee Teacher Chemistry
Jasmin Dulai - Trainee Teacher English
Henrietta Green - Trainee Teacher PE
Elyse Hyland (OP) - Trainee Teacher Biology
Sion Murphy (OP) - Trainee Teacher PE

Joining the College's support staff are:
Marike du Toit - Foundation Data Assistant
Jessica Hart - Foundation Office PA
Nick High - Estate Operative
Chloe Johnson - Science Technician
Harriet Lawrence - Graduate Teaching Assistant
Duxshana Sivanesvaran – Learning Support Assistant
Lindsey Stewart - Graduate Teaching Assistant

As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, the Princethorpe Foundation Facilities team have replaced their old diesel vans with a new fully electric van. In addition, all Foundation vehicles, including the ride-on mowers, have now made the switch to biofuel helping to reduce emissions and lower the Foundation’s carbon footprint.

This summer, the Foundation has also added a new Euro 6 Minibus to its minibus fleet to support with co-curricular provision across the Foundation. With its larger capacity, the minibus will also support the College’s daily bus service and, with their distinctive Foundation For Life livery, parents and the wider community will find it easy to spot both new vehicles as they go about their work.

In addition, all diesel/petrol hand-held equipment across the Foundation, including mowers, blowers and strimmers etc have now been replaced with electric versions. Not only are these emission free, they are also quieter reducing noise pollution.

Foundation Director of Facilities, Rob Heath, comments, “I am delighted with the progress we continue to make against our sustainability and efficiency targets. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels comes with a range of benefits and will remain a key focus for us as we enter the new academic year.”

Little Crackers Nursery in Kenilworth has announced some exciting changes to its provision from September 2025. 

The popular nursery, which is based at Crackley Hall School on the Coventry Road, will offer the full government 30-hour funding to eligible families. It will also offer only year-round (51-week) places and by January 2026 it will take babies from 9-months-old.

Comments Headmaster, Rob Duigan, “We have recently reviewed our provision in the light of strong demand for nursery places locally and the changes to Government funding from September. The changes mean that children can start their exciting journey into learning with us even sooner and parents can fully benefit from the funding and year-round support available.”

Work will take place over the October half term, and by January the nursery will be able to accommodate children from 9 months to pre-school in its forest-themed Ladybirds, Dormice, Hedgehogs and Badgers Rooms.  

Situated at the heart of Crackley Hall School, the light and natural nursery rooms and outdoor spaces, including Windmill Wood, are designed to give children a blank canvas to experiment, create, explore and learn. A wide variety of activities are on offer and the children are supported by a friendly and caring Nursery Team, a qualified Early Years Teacher and specialist teachers for Music, Drama, PE and Games, Forest School and French. Sessions are flexible with the nursery day running from 7.45pm to 6.00pm and mornings, afternoons, long days and full weeks available.

A recent survey of current parents rated the overall provision at Little Crackers as 4.7 out of 5, with parents particularly valuing the high standards of care, the learning and progress made by their children and the friendly and welcoming staff.

The new Ladybirds Room will be able to accommodate nine babies. Places for all ages are limited and interested families should contact Jenny Vaughan, Registrar, by email admissions@littlecrackers.co.uk or call 01926 514410 to discuss availability and book their child’s place. 

We welcomed expert educationalist, Hywel Roberts, to Princethorpe College this morning, to deliver an exciting session on captivating pupils in the classroom. Hywel stressed the importance of enthusiasm, engagement, imagination and storytelling when teaching, and on how that delivers motivation amongst pupils.

Teachers left the lecture buzzing with excitement with plenty of ideas on how to refresh their professional practice.

His session was part of the College’s ongoing investment in teaching and learning led by, Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning, Dr Pyne, the results of which can be seen in the progress made by pupils across the school.

Many thanks to Hywel Roberts for joining us today.

Saturday 30 August 2025 - New timing - 10.30am to 3.00pm

We are looking forward to this weekend's fun, family-friendly event, which is a great way to kick off the new academic year and a great opportunity for the Class of 2025 to meet other members of the Old Princethorpian community, of which they are now a part.

Unfortunately, for safety reasons due to the firmness of the rugby pitches, we have had to cancel the OPs rugby match which was due to start at 2.00pm.

The rest of the programme, where teams compete for the Alex Wallis Memorial Shield, remains as planned, see the revised format of the day below.

Rugby players are more than welcome to come and participate in the other sports or come along to support, catch up with friends and enjoy the refreshments. We do hope those of you who had expected to play rugby will still come and enjoy the day with us.

There will be music, a BBQ, an ice cream van, and subsidised bar (serving cold beers and prosecco, plus our recently launched Cloister Pale!). Players will receive a voucher for a complimentary food and drink item, with over-18s receiving a voucher for an optional alcoholic beverage.

We are keen to have as many leavers of 2025, along with OPs from previous years, playing against the College teams as possible, so please encourage the OPs you know to get involved. They simply come along on the day and make themselves known to one of the sports coaches.

Parents, students and staff are particularly welcome to spectate, support the teams and enjoy the refreshments.

Revised format of the day:

10.30am to 11.45am Football: OPs vs Staff

11.45am to 12.45pm Hockey: Princethorpe College Mixed Team vs OPs XI

12.45pm to 1.45pm Netball: Princethorpe College 1st VII Girls vs OPs VII

2.15pm: After-match Awards by the BBQ

If you have any other queries please contact Caroline Spencer, Alumni Relations and Development Officer, at oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk.

We hope to see you there!

Tuesday 9 September - 6.30pm to 7.30pm

The College's Admissions Team will be holding an Online Parents' Q&A session on Tuesday 9 September from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

The event will be a live streamed Q&A session with Grove du Toit (Headmaster), Michael Spencer (Deputy Head - Academic) and Catherine Rogers (Registrar).

This is a chance for parents interested in Year 7 to 10 entry to the College in September 2026 to ask our Admissions Team questions relating to the admissions process and Entrance Examinations Day in an informal forum before the registration deadline of Friday 26 September.

If you would like to attend please click on this link where you will also be able to submit any questions in advance.

Wednesday 10 September 2025 - The Refectory - 7.00pm

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to all new and returning families! The Princethorpe Parent Teacher Association works to support our school community by fundraising, organising events, and helping to create special experiences for the children.

Our Annual General Meeting will be held in the Princethorpe College Refectory on Wednesday 10 September at 7.00pm. This is the point where you can join the committee, hear more about what we do, and have your say in shaping the year ahead. Everyone is welcome, whether you’d like to become a committee member, join the PTA more informally, or simply come along to listen.

We are always looking for extra hands to help with events throughout the year — whether it’s setting up, helping at one of the bars at events run by school, running a stall at our seasonal events, or just giving a bit of time when you can. Even small contributions make a big difference!

We’d love to see as many of you as possible at the AGM and at our upcoming events. Together we can make this a fantastic year for the children.

Sunday 14 September 2025 - 2.00pm to 5.00pm

Princethorpe will be holding its annual Open Afternoon on Sunday 14 September from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. All are welcome to visit the College and for younger visitors, there will be many fun subject related activities organised by the departments.

The Headmaster will address visitors in the Chapel during the afternoon and refreshments will be available. 

To book your place please click here.

Year 6 Taster Days - Wednesday 10, Tuesday 16, and Thursday 18 September 2025.

Our Year 6 Taster Days are aimed at Year 6 pupils who wish to join the College in September 2026 and who have not already attended a Year 5 Taster Day. 

Taster Days are available on:

• Wednesday 10 September 2025
• Tuesday 16 September 2025
• Thursday 18 September 2025

Taster Days typically involve lessons, a question and answer session with some of our current pupils and a chance to talk to the Headmaster, Mr du Toit. They run from 9.30am to 3.00pm. Snacks and lunch are provided and there is no charge for the day.

To book your place click here.

Friday 19 September 7.00pm – 9.00pm

We are delighted to invite parents of new pupils to our Quiz and Curry Evening, which will take place on Friday 19 September from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. Tickets for the Parents’ Quiz are available on a first come, first served basis, including the curry supper, and are £10 per head. Payment for tickets will be charged to the Lent Term school fees.

The PTA will be running a pay bar and Mr du Toit’s Quiz will hopefully not be too testing! 

It should be a very enjoyable evening for all and enable you to meet and socialise with fellow parents, as well as some staff and members of the PTA.  

If you would like to reserve your place, and to enable us to plan our catering, please click here to complete and submit a brief form by 9.00am, Monday 15 September.

Year 7 Social

At the same time, there will also be a Year 7 Disco organised by the PTA, staff and school prefects. 

Tickets for the Year 7 Disco are free of charge, but you do need to reserve a place; to do so, please follow the link above. Children can attend the Year 7 Disco without their parents attending the Quiz, however parents are required to sign them in and sign them out. Drop off is at 7.00pm and collection no later than 9.00pm.

We recommend children bring approximately £3 pocket money with them to purchase drinks and treats. Children should have eaten their evening meal before attending. 

We very much hope you are able to attend and we look forward to seeing you on Friday 19 September.

Sunday 21 September 2025 - 1.30pm to 4.00pm

Princethorpe College will be opening its doors again in partnership with Heritage Open Days to share and celebrate the rich history of the school with the wider community.

Heritage Open Days is England's largest community-led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history. Stories are told, traditions explored and histories brought to life. It’s the nation's chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and it’s all free!

Our Archivist, Jo Wong, is looking forward to sharing the rich history of our iconic setting with visitors.

Built in 1832, St Mary's Priory was one of the first Catholic buildings in England after the reformation. Visitors will tour the magnificent building and discover its history, including the routes and connections that made it the place it is today.

Guided tours will take place at 1.30pm, 2.15pm and 3.00pm.  All three tours are now fully booked but if you would be interested in coming along please email archives@princethorpe.co.uk to go on the waiting list.

Further information is available here.

Thursday 25 September 2025 - 6.00pm to 8.00pm

Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery in Kenilworth, are hosting a dedicated Nursery, Reception and Year 3 Open Evening on Thursday 25 September from 6.00pm.

This Open Evening is aimed at prospective families looking at entry in September 2026 and beyond. 

This is a perfect opportunity to visit the Nursery and School, and to talk to key members of staff who will be teaching and supporting your child.  

The Nursery has just announced that it will be taking babies aged 9-months + from January 2026 in its new Ladybirds Room, visit to find out more.

To book your place, please click here. 

The Early Bird Deadline for Reception registrations for 2026 entry is Friday 17 October 2025.

If you can't make the Open Evening but would like to look around the school, you can now book a personal tour here or call our Registrar, Mrs Jenny Vaughan on 01926 514410 or email admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk and come on a day to suit you.

For more information visit www.crackleyhall.co.uk

Friday 26 September 2025 - 6.00pm to 10.30pm, Mulberry Bush, 89 Upper Ground, Southbank, London, SE1 9PP

We invite all alumni, past parents and former members of staff to join us at this popular, relaxed and sociable event.

Tucked away behind Gabriel’s Warf, and close to London’s best tourist attractions such as the National Theatre, Royal Festival Hall and the London Eye, the Mulberry Bush is right in between Waterloo and Blackfriars stations, making it the perfect City pub in central London.

The Green Room is an ideal setting for our London Meet, with gorgeous decor and double doors out to the balcony for an al fresco feeling. Just head up the spiral staircase when you arrive, to relax for the evening in our own private room!

As ever, Foundation staff will greet you warmly with a complimentary Welcome Drink or two, courtesy of the Old Princethorpians Committee. Included in the ticket price* will be a tasty spread catering to various dietary requirements, our own private bar and dedicated service from the friendly staff.

If you would like to attend, please click here to sign up on Princethorpe Connect by Friday 19 September 2025, indicating any special dietary requirements to help us cater accordingly.

Our London Meets are always popular, sociable affairs, with OPs from across the generations mixing and networking happily together. We hope you will be able to join us, and as we sadly do not hold email addresses for all our alumni, we encourage you to spread the word to any OPs you are in contact with.

*We will require a small donation in support of bursaries upon booking. Bursaries are vital in providing financial support to pupils who demonstrate both academic promise and financial need. By fostering an inclusive educational environment, these bursaries ensure that every pupil has the opportunity to thrive and succeed. Click here for more details.

Tuesday 30 September 2025 - 7.00pm to 8.00pm

The Crescent School, in Bilton, Rugby, is opening its doors for a dedicated Reception and Year 3 Open Evening on Tuesday 30 September 2025 from 7.00pm.

This Open Evening is aimed at prospective families wishing to join Reception or Year 3 in September 2026 and beyond. Limited places are also available in other years, speak to our Registar, Becky Witcomb, for availability.

The evening will have presentations highlighting key admissions information as well as what school life is like in Reception and Year 3. There will also be opportunities to look around the school and visit the Reception and Year 3 classrooms, as well as speak to key members of staff. Joe Thackway, Headmaster, will also be available to answer any of your questions you may have about the school.  

To book your place please click here.

The Early Bird Deadline for Reception and Year 3 registrations for 2026 entry is Friday 17 October 2025.

If you can't make the Open Evening but would like to visit the school, you can now book a personal tour here, or please call our Registrar, Mrs Becky Witcomb on 01788 521595 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk and come on a day to suit you.

For more information visit www.crescentschool.co.uk

Wednesday 1 October 2025 - 6.00pm to 7.30pm

Year 7 pupils and their parents are invited to compete in our annual 'Science Family Challenge'. 

Each team will carry out a range of hands-on science practical work, competing against other pairs to win the coveted Science Family Challenge trophy.

We can only accommodate one parent per pupil and a maximum of 36 teams, so sign up as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.

We can't wait to share our enthusiasm for science and give parents the opportunity to experience a taste of science education at Princethorpe College. 

If you have any questions, please get in touch via email at danlee@princethorpe.co.uk

Please sign-up via the link here.

Dan Lee
Head of Physics and STEAM co-ordinator

We are excited to announce that My School Portal have released a new Guardian mobile app, which is now available for download. The new app makes it even easier for parents and guardians to access key information, such as timetables, reports, homework, attendance information, and rewards and conduct information, as well as documents, school communications and useful links. Once signed in, you can also setup biometric or PIN login to make accessing My School Portal even easier.

Parents and Guardians can download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now, by searching for Access My School Portal, or by using one of the links below:

iOS: Access My School Portal on the App Store

Android: Access My School Portal – Apps on Google Play

Once downloaded, simply search for Princethorpe on the 'Find your school' screen, and then sign in with your current My School Portal account details. Once signed in, you will be prompted to allow the app to use your phone's biometrics or PIN to sign in.

A quick video showing you how to download, sign into and use the app can be found here: My School Parent Guadian App walkthrough video

You can also still sign into My School Portal via a browser, at https://princethorpe.myschoolportal.co.uk 

If you have any suggestions on improving the navigation or use of the app, please email Andy Compton at andycompton@princethorpe.co.uk

Andy Compton
Foundation Director of Digital Strategy

Medical Centre staff are looking forward to seeing everyone back at school after the summer break.

Can we ask that if there have been any changes to a pupil’s health over the summer please let us know so that we can fully support our pupils in school.

If you do have any concerns or queries please contact pcmatrons@princethorpe.co.uk.

Many thanks

Paula Greig
Senior Matron 

A warm welcome back to school after the summer break, I hope you have had an enjoyable time.

Can I please remind parents to read and fully appraise themselves of the information in the Parents and Pupils Information Booklet  that was emailed out to you in readiness for the start of the new school year. A copy can also be found here under Parents' Documentation - 2025-2026 Key Documents.

Thank you for your continued support and best wishes for the term ahead. 

Louisa Fielding
Acting Assistant Head - Pastoral

Please be aware our procedure of reporting a pupil absence. Parents must inform the school via the online absence form on My School Portal if they know their child will not be in school for either the whole day or any part thereof. For unplanned absence, parents must complete the Absence Form. This can be found on the dashboard or in the My Children section of My School Portal.

If a pupil has a pre-planned appointment e.g. medical, please inform the school in advance on the Requesting Student Absence: Planned Form, which can be found within the My Children section of My School Portal. This can then be pre-coded on our attendance system. Having alerted the school for any reason of absence it is not necessary to follow up the absence with a written note.

Thank you in advance for your co-operation.

Louisa Fielding
Acting Assistant Head - Pastoral

Please be aware that individual portrait photographs will be taken on Tuesday 2 September for all of Years 7, 10, 11, Lower Sixth and other pupils new to Princethorpe College.

Biometric fingerprinting will also take place for pupils new to Princethorpe College (with parental consent for this) to enable them to use the cashless catering service.

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-curricular and Operations

Thursday 18 September - 6.00pm to 8.00pm

We would like to invite all parents of Year 11 pupils to a 360 Review Evening with their child’s Form Tutor. This will include a 15-minute face-to-face appointment to discuss key priorities for the coming year. Senior staff will also share an overview of Year 11 and advice to support preparations for the forthcoming mock examinations.

Booking details will be issued the week before this event.

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic

Pupils will be able to see their new timetable for the academic year in My School Portal from the morning of Friday 29 August. They should bring in appropriate books and equipment for Tuesday’s lessons from Period three onwards. Year 7 pupils do not require any books, but those timetabled to have PE should bring their kit.

When arriving at school on Tuesday pupils should go to their tutor room for the beginning of Period one.

Michael Spencer
Deputy Head - Academic 

Please see the link here for the equipment pupils will be expected to have for the start of term.

Kind regards,

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Following the distribution of exam results, the period for making enquiries about results continues until 5.00pm, on Wednesday 24 September. The options still available are a review of marking and/or requesting a copy of the exam script. 

To request a copy of an exam script, please complete the online form here. For a review of marking please complete the form enclosed in your results envelope, and a copy is here for reference. Completed forms should be emailed to examinations@princethorpe.co.uk. 

Please note that all fees are per candidate, per component/paper/unit. If the exam taken had more than one written paper pupils must make clear which paper, they wish to have reviewed.

Sarah Tsang
Examinations Officer

The September Challenge Calendar is now live on the Whole School Team, for pupils.  Please click here to view.

There are two competitions this month. The first is the National Geography Photo Competition; pupils should use the link to enter and send a copy of their photo entry to me and Mrs Baker. The Writing Challenge competition entries should be sent directly to me on Teams.

Looking ahead there are also some opportunities for pupils to look out for outside of school, including booking for the Stratford Literary Festival over half term; there are lots of interesting talks and activities - follow this link to see what's on Stratford Literary Festival | Stratford Literary Festival. There are also links to some local theatres for opportunities for more cultural capital.

Julia Lindsay
Challenge Curriculum Co-ordinator

The College Library is open to all our pupils from 8.00am to 4.00pm daily. We have a wonderful welcoming space for all of our pupils with lots to do. It is a great space to meet new people, get involved in our activities that happen at break time and lunchtime. We have some fabulous new books that were delivered just before the summer and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for all the latest news and events @princethorpelibrary. 

Please click here  for our current What’s On poster for our weekly activities and look out for additional events that are happening this term.

Please see here our Literacy Road for Michaelmas Term, showing all the events we will be recognising and celebrating.

As we begin a brand-new academic year at Princethorpe, we warmly welcome all members of our community; students, staff, parents and friends, back to College. A particular welcome goes to our new Lower Sixth students and families who are joining us for the first time; we look forward to getting to know you and to the many opportunities the year ahead will bring.

Each new academic year is a chance for fresh beginnings, new challenges and exciting opportunities. Alongside our continued commitment to academic excellence, there will be many co-curricular activities, trips and events to enjoy, all of which help make life at Princethorpe so vibrant and memorable.

We would also like to congratulate our new Lower Sixth on their outstanding GCSE results, which secured them their places in the Sixth Form. They should be very proud of all they have achieved. Equally, we celebrate the success of our departing Upper Sixth, whose hard work and determination were rewarded with excellent A-level results. We are immensely proud of them and wish them every success as they take their next steps.

Here's a snapshot of what is coming up this term.

• Lower Sixth Induction Day - Monday 1 September 2025
• Lower Sixth Team Building Trip - Wednesday 3 September 2025
• Upper Sixth Family BBQ and 360 Review Evening - Wednesday 24 September 2025
• Lower Sixth Family BBQ and 360 Review Evening - Thursday 2 October 2025

I wish our community a very happy and positive start to the new academic year.

Ben Collie 
Head of Sixth Form

We thought we would take this opportunity to remind you of what we do and where we can be found. Our office is in F43 on Lower Pugin, and Kerry Low and I welcome visits from pupils and staff with queries and questions. 

Here is reminder of what we aim to do.

For pupils

For all year groups we can talk about pupils choices and options for subjects and careers. We offer each pupil a one-to-one guidance interview in Year 10 and Year 11 and again in Lower Sixth. Pupils are also welcome to message me on Teams to arrange a chat which could be at lunch, tutor or breaktime for further help. We also contribute to the careers curriculum that runs from Year 7 to Upper Sixth in PSHE and provide information for all the choices the pupils will need to make at the appropriate time.

For parents

Parents can contact the careers team with any queries via email jacquiquinney@Princethorpe.co.uk and one of us will get in touch. 

Jacqui Quinney   
Head of Careers

 

This term your child will be taking part in rugby and hockey and following national governing body and school guidelines, it is compulsory that your child wears a mouthguard during these sports. 

Therefore, in the interest of your child’s safety, we have invited OPRO, who specialise in the provision of custom made mouthguards, to visit the school on Thursday 4 September from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. 

On that day the OPRO dental team will take impressions of all pupils who want to be fitted and the finished mouthguards will then be delivered back to your home address approximately seven working days later. 

Prices start from £41.99 and our exclusive school design mouthguards are priced at £46.99. Please click here to view. 

OPRO offer a number of benefits with their service:

• Buy one mouthguard and get a second mouthguard for half the price
• Your child will receive a complimentary Snap-Fit mouthguard at the dental visit so they have something to use whilst they wait for their custom mouthguard to be delivered
• Each mouthguard comes with a dental warranty which covers up to £22,500
• Your child’s name and the school name will be included on the mouthguard and case
• OPRO store all of the models in case a replacement is required
• All mouthguards carry the CE mark

If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity and have your child fitted, please place an order with OPRO by Tuesday 2 September. If you have any questions about the products or OPRO’s service please contact their customer care team directly on 01442 430690 or email info@oprogroup.com. 

Once all the bookings have been confirmed we will inform you of the time slot for your child's fitting.

Pupils do not need a custom made mouth guard to participate in sport. They can use mouthguards that can be purchased from the school shop or any sports shop. 

Many thanks 

Lee Cassell 
Director of Sport 

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

Year 10, Issey Cleary competed in the GB Aquatics Summer Championships in Sheffield in July and claimed a Gold medal in the 100m breaststroke and was crowned British champion after swimming the distance in a personal best of 1:13:05 minutes. She also qualified for the 200m final as third fastest, but on the day finished in seventh place.

Year 9s, Ellie Gane and Ava Sheppard were selected from around 150 hockey players across the Midlands to represent Mercian Marauders at the regional U13 hockey tournament in Nottingham in July. Despite the sweltering weather they played six matches over the weekend, playing teams from across the UK. They both played fantastically well, helping their team to be crowned overall Champions!
 

Welcome to the start of the new academic year and we are extremely excited about the pupils who have chosen to take individual Music and LAMDA lessons with our fantastic peripatetic staff. May I take this opportunity to thank Felicity Coulson, who is leaving the role of Peripatetic Co-ordinator for Music and LAMDA at Princethorpe, for her hard work and dedication and we are most grateful that Felicity will still be continuing at the College as a Peripatetic Teacher of Woodwind. Please can I welcome Gemma Tilley in her role as Performing Arts Administrator, who will now be your point of contact should you have any queries regarding individual lessons. Gemma can be contacted via email at gemmatilley@princethorpe.co.uk.

All peripatetic tuition will commence week beginning Monday 8 September and the finalised timetables and other relevant documentation that might need to be signed and returned will be issued to parents during the first week of term. Your child’s individual teacher will also contact parents next week to confirm the day of your child's first lesson, as well as attaching some accompanying documents. Most peripatetic lessons will be taught in the Music and LAMDA teaching area on the Upper Pugin Corridor and please be advised that all musical instruments should be clearly named on both the case and instrument.

It is well known that one of the very best ways of supporting music and LAMDA lessons, and ensuring great progress, is regularly taking part in musical groups.  So make sure you have a look at the co-curricular calendar with your child and see if one of our many and varied clubs would fit into their school schedule.  All music and drama clubs start in the first week of term.

We look forward to welcoming your child to their individual Music and LAMDA lessons.

Gil Cowlishaw
Director of Music

Please find attached the link here to the new Co-curricular Calendar for the Michaelmas Term 2025. 

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-curricular and Operations

Tuesday 16 September - 6.15pm (Online)

Information regarding the Year 7 Trip to Whitemoor Lakes, which departs on Friday 3 October and returns on Sunday 5 October will be available at the Parents' Information Evening (online) on Tuesday 16 September at 6.15pm. 

We will email you a link to access this online event in advance of the meeting. This meeting will give parents and pupils an insight into activities and arrangements. This will be a fantastic weekend which will give our new Year 7s an opportunity to make new friends and have fun.

Parents will receive an email via Evolve in the first week of term asking for consent for this trip and a request for further information. Please could you send the information by Monday 8 September. 

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-curricular and Operations

Tuesday 7 October 2025 6.15pm-7.00pm

The Year 8 and 9 South Coast Tour Parents' Information Evening will take place online at 6.15pm on Tuesday 7 October. 

A link for the evening will be sent to parents of those pupils invited on the Tour on Monday 6 October. 

Monday 29 September 2025 6.15pm-7.00pm

The Hopbel Hockey Parents' Information Evening will take place online at 6.15pm on Monday 29 September.

A link for the evening will be sent to parents of those pupils invited in advance of the meeting. 

Tuesday 30 September 2025 6.15pm - 7.00pm

The Performing Arts Trip to New York Parents' Information Evening will take place online at 6.15pm on Tuesday 30 September.

A link for the evening will be sent to parents of those pupils attending on Monday 29 September.  

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

Yes it’s true, if you sign up to Princethorpe College Easyfundraising, when you shop online the retailer will give us a percentage of your spend at no extra cost to you. It is a reward and thank you for shopping with the retailer and free money in the PTA pot to spend on the much needed extras in the school.

It is incredibly easy! If you are not already registered, please visit the link here or search for Easyfundraising and find Princethorpe PTA. Once registered you can set automatic tracking or go through the Easyfundraising App to purchase and the PTA will receive a percentage of what you spend!

We are hoping 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.

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.

To help families new to the school, and as a reminder for all, here are some top tips for navigating the College's e-newsletter, The Flagpole, on your mobile phone.

You will receive an email when the newsletter is published that contains links to the key news, events and information. Below the edition date is a link to read the full newsletter. That takes you to a menu page where you can navigate to the sections that interest you.

The best way to read the newsletter and to ensure you don’t miss important content, is to start with the Foundation Principal's and Headmaster’s Message and then just use the next button to quickly run through the content, stopping to read relevant articles along the way.

Moving around the newsletter is easy, just use the menu button (three horizontal lines) to access the menu, select a section and then scroll down to choose an article to read. From this same menu button, you can also access previous editions of the newsletter and see any key dates. There is also an index which lists all of the content in one place, it can be found on the menu button or through the link at the top right of the main newsletter home page.

You can read the newsletter on your laptop if you prefer, with the menu button working in just the same way.

The Flagpole is one of the College's main communication tools and is always a good first place to look for information and news. Bookmarking  https://flagpole.princethorpe.co.uk/ will allow you to get to the newsletter quickly.

Did you know that Princethorpe College is on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, X and LinkedIn? We use social media to share all that goes on, day in day out, in our school, posting regularly to keep you up to date with school news and school life. We love sharing the amazing activities and wonderful work our fantastic pupils do.

If you engage with social media, why not check out our pages and be sure to follow us so that you never miss a post.

Princethorpe College accounts:

Facebook: @princethorpecollege

Instagram: @princethorpecollege

Tik Tok: @princethorpecoll

X: @PrincethorpeCol

LinkedIn: @princethorpe-college

Please find below the Term Dates for 2025-26 and 2026-27.

 2025-2026 - with updated Key Dates

2026-2027

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

We hope you that you have had a great summer and pupils are looking forward to the new academic term! We have lots of new offers and promotional days for pupils to look out for over the coming months.  Details will be shared on the remote televisions around the school, and also during pupil briefing during tutor time.  Feel free to talk to the catering team who will also update you on these days and events.

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

As a Foundation we take IT Security very seriously, for the benefit of all stakeholders including pupils, parents, and staff. As we move into the new school year we wanted to remind you of our IT Security Incident Reporting Policy and highlight once more some key elements of this, in the unlikely case that you encounter anything that could constitute a possible security incident in your use of Foundation systems such as My School Portal, or receive any suspicious emails that pertain to be from the Foundation.

IT Security incidents are any incidents which may risk compromise of personal data, attempts to imitate Foundation IT Systems or unauthorised access to Foundation IT Systems. This could include incorrect communication of information, for example via email, information being available publicly, unauthorised access to Foundation IT Systems such as My School Portal through password cracking or sharing, or the theft/loss of portable media such as unencrypted USB drives or laptops.

Should you or your children become aware of any of the above incidents, or similar, please contact either itservicedeskparents@princethorpe.co.uk or a member of staff at the school attended by your child/children. The Incident Management Procedure will then be initiated.

Pupils will also be informed of the need to tell a member of staff, such as their tutor or teacher if they suspect any IT security incident such as those above, and staff are also made aware of this.

Of course, we hope this will never be necessary, but felt it important to inform you of the correct procedure if you do encounter any IT Security Incidents relating to Foundation systems.

Andy Compton

Foundation Director of Digital Strategy

A reminder that ad-hoc bookings are now open for our Bus Services for 2025-26, along with any final bookings for single or return passes. There have been changes to the routes and some timings, so please do familiarise yourself with the service your child is going to use. 

In addition, from September, as publicised we will be introducing three late bus routes, Leamington/Stratford, Coventry/North Rugby and South Rugby/Southam stopping at a limited number of hub stops from Monday to Thursday. To visit the 2025-26 bus website click here.

Should you have any queries please email princethorpe@vectare.co.uk.