The Flagpole

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind parents of Year 11 pupils that the deadline for internal Sixth Form Scholarship applications from both current Scholarship holders and new applicants is fast approaching on Monday 3 February 2020.

All of our Year 11s are able to apply for Sixth Form Scholarships - Academic, Art, Music, Drama and Sport. To do so they must complete a Sixth Form Scholarship Application Form and write a 'personal statement' outlining their achievements to date and why they feel they would make an excellent candidate for the scholarship (maximum 500 words).

Those pupils who currently have a scholarship, will normally retain their award for Sixth Form, but must also complete a Sixth Form Scholarship Application Form to re-apply for the scholarship.

The deadline for this application is Monday 3 February 2020. Applications should be marked for the attention of the Registrar, Mrs Vanessa Rooney.

Depending on the scholarship, prospective award holders may be interviewed and/or take part in a scholarship assessment in March.

Details of any awards will be confirmed when the Sixth Form Offer letters are sent out in writing during week commencing Monday 23 March 2020. Some awards may be dependent on final GCSE grades.

The criteria for each of the scholarships can be found on our website here. It is essential that pupils and parents look through this in detail before making an application. Sixth Form Application Forms for current award holders can be found here, and for new applicants can be found here.

We hope that this will be another motivational factor for our Year 11s as they focus on their studies and revision in the build up to the exam season.

Ed Hester
Headmaster

Plans for the College’s Careers Fair on Saturday 21 March are taking shape with the announcement that Dr Charlotte Cowie, Head of Medicine at the Football Association has kindly agreed to be the keynote speaker for the 2020 event.

Comments Head of Careers, Jacqui Quinney, "We are delighted to have Dr Cowie on board to open the event and set the tone for the day. She has forged an amazing career in elite and professional sport medicine spanning almost 30 years and covering many sports. She has attended three Olympic Games with Team GB and was the first female doctor to work in the English Football Leagues, before taking on her strategic role at the FA, her presentation promises to be one not to miss.”

The bi-annual event is open to Year 10 to Sixth Form pupils and their parents. It provides a ‘one stop careers shop’ with a wide range of speakers and organisations on hand to offer advice and guidance.

The Careers Fair will run from 10.00am to 1.00pm and, as well as the keynote speech, attendees will be able to attend up to three workshops depending on their personal interests and visit an exhibition zone, with stalls from many well-known companies, charities, institutions, universities and gap year organisations.

Mrs Quinney continues, “Registrations will open in February and there will be plenty to interest and inform our pupils and their parents."

Click here for more information on Dr Cowie.

Saturday 28 March 2020 - Arrive from 6.30pm - Walk from 9.00pm 
 
You can join hundreds of fundraisers supporting this amazing local charity in what Myton Hospice is describing as its biggest and best Glow fundraiser ever.  And if you sign up by Wednesday 5 February you will pay the early bird registration price of just £15 for adults and £10 for children to participate.  
 
Princethorpe is hosting this major fundraising event for the charity Myton Hospice on Saturday 28 March 2020 and we are asking our wonderful Princethorpe Community to get involved.  Glow For Myton - Around The World In 5km is a night walk that will wind its way through the beautiful grounds of the College campus, taking in the sights and sounds of some of the world’s best celebrations along the way. 
 
The walk will start and finish in the Orchard where there will be entertainment and food available. Following a Zumba warm up, the walkers will head off around the College grounds. There will be plenty of volunteer marshals to cheer them on and along the way will be exciting zones showcasing festivals and cultural celebrations from around the world including Oktoberfest, Chinese New Year, Full Moon Party and the Holi Colour Festival. The event isn’t timed, instead it is all about enjoying the experience and the sights and sounds laid on for the event. 
 
Comments Rebecca Richards, Myton’s Assistant Events Manager, “We are hoping to raise £60,000 from this event and are really looking forward to holding it at Princethorpe.” 
 
The event is sure to be great fun for a good cause so we are really hoping lots of families and friends of the Foundation will get involved. 
 
Glow For Myton - Around The World In 5km is open to all, and pupils, parents, staff, OPs, friends and neighbours are all encouraged to sign up for the event on the charity’s website here. 
 
Children of all ages are welcome but under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. After Wednesday 5 February the registration fee will increase to £20 for adults and £15 for children. 

Princethorpe College school heat winners, Year 8, Rosie Reeve, and Year 7, Francesca Kelly, took part in the Springboard Futurechef Local Finals on Monday 13 January. The competition was hosted by Caludon Castle School in Coventry and saw ten school heat qualifiers battling for a place in the Midlands Regional Final which will take place on Monday 10 February at Coventry College.

The competitors were challenged to cook a two-course meal, a main and a dessert, for two people in 90 minutes for a budget of up to £7, under the scrutiny of two professional chefs who were the judges for the competition.

Rosie’s menu featured a main course of her own home-reared lamb in a redcurrant and red wine jus served with fondant potatoes, accompanied by a rich chocolate tartlet with vanilla cream quenelle and sesame crisp. Whilst Francesca chose a menu of salmon and dill fish cakes with pea puree followed by a dessert of shortcake stack with raspberry and vanilla cream.

Both girls were nervous but had put a lot of effort into practising to prepare for the competition. They produced beautiful dishes against strong competition from their fellow finalists including older pupils from Year 10.  As a Year 7, Francesca was by far the youngest competitor taking part.

The organisers of the competition, Springboard, provide opportunities for young people aged 12-16 to explore food and develop their culinary skills.  Each year over 8,000 young chefs take part in their national competition.

Announcing the winners, the judges commented that they were impressed with the talent shown throughout the morning. They praised the contestants for the high standard of the dishes produced and agreed that the competitors had displayed good technique and execution.

Princethorpe’s Rosie cooked up a storm and was judged the overall winner.  She will now go forward to represent Coventry and Warwickshire at the Regional Final in Coventry next month.  Rosie was delighted to be presented with a certificate and a cookbook.

Rosie said, “The standard of the other competitors was amazing. I was so pleased to be given the opportunity to take part and never expected to win”.

Princethorpe’s Food and Nutrition Teacher, Jacqui Scott, commented, “I was extremely proud of both of our Princethorpe competitors who put a lot of time and effort into menu planning and practising. The food they produced was of the highest standard and was beautifully presented. Both meals could have been served at a restaurant table. They were calm and collected throughout the tense 90 minutes and the professional chefs gave very positive feedback saying it was a very difficult decision. It was such a great experience for our pupils and I am really delighted that we won the Local Final and that one of our Year 8 pupils has taken the title for the second year running.”

A Princethorpe College teacher is to claim international honours after being selected for the Scottish Hockey Senior Women’s Indoor Squad.

Rachael Mack will represent Scotland this weekend at the European Indoor Hockey Championships in Zagreb, Croatia where she will face elite players from countries including Wales, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Lithuania and Croatia.

Rachael, who plays for Leicester Hockey Club, came through a series of rigorous selection camps to seal her place in the squad and is delighted to have been selected for the Senior Women’s Indoor Squad.

She has worked at Princethorpe College since 2014, where she teaches English and Games and coaches the Girls 1st XI and the U15 Boys Hockey teams.

Rachael said, “It has been a dream for as long as I can remember to play for my country and I feel incredibly proud to have been selected to play in the European Championships.  I’m very grateful to everyone who has helped me get here and to my colleagues for their support whilst I am away.”

Princethorpe’s first Taste of Teaching event took place on Thursday 23 January.  Unprecedented interest saw the College welcoming 70 prospective applicants into the school, a reflection of the strength of the College’s reputation.

The visitors had the chance to take a tour of the College campus and facilities with Sixth Formers, meet with the Heads of Department and listen to a presentation from the Headmaster, Ed Hester.  There was also the chance to ask questions and to engage with existing staff and to get a feel for what makes Princethorpe such a special place to work.  

Feedback from the event was incredibly positive and we are looking forward to receiving applications for the opportunities currently on offer.

We will be holding our next Taste of Teaching event on Wednesday 4 March.  If you would like to find out more about current vacancies and future events please visit the school website here.

On Tuesday 14 January the U14 Boys Hockey Team travelled to Bablake School to play in the Warwickshire Schools’ County Championships.

Playing against teams from schools that included Rugby School, Warwick School, Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School and King Edward’s School Birmingham, the boys played a confident game, with plenty of excellent passing and accurate shooting.   

In the first-round group stage Princethorpe started steadily, holding Warwick to a 1-1 draw before securing a good 2-1 win against KES Birmingham.  That put them top of the group and qualified them for the semi-finals where in a tight match the boys slickly dispatched Bishop Vesey’s 1-0.

The final proved to be a tougher challenge and despite the team holding their own against Solihull they eventually went down 0-2 to finish County Championship runners-up overall.

Head of Outdoor Education and PE Teacher, Will Bower, commented, “Well done to the boys, this was a great finish for the team, and has qualified them for the Regional Finals.  We had some superb hockey played and James Hawkins was on fire with three shots on goal finding the back of the net.”

Playing for Princethorpe were: Will Antrobus, Thomas Becker, Jamie Carr, George Downey, William Elms, Radley Evans, James Hawkins, Tom Hollis, Harry Kelly, James Robinson, Rahul Samra, Luc Sen-Gupta, Jamie Smith and Akaash Verma.

The Warwickshire Schools County Cross Country Championships took place on Saturday 18 January 2020 at Kineton High School.  It was a bright but chilly morning for our 38 Princethorpe runners, who were drawn from Years 7 to 13. They were competing against some of the best runners in the County, from 29 Warwickshire schools.  All the early morning cross country training paid dividends with another excellent set of individual and team results for the College; team placings are based on the positions of the first four runners from a school.

The Minor Girls, Junior Girls A, Inter Boys and Senior Boys teams all placed first overall claiming the County Cross Country Championship titles.  The Junior Girls B and the Junior Boys teams also ran well to come third with the Minor Boys placing fifth.

The Minor Girls and Minor Boys ran 2.3km, the Junior Girls 3.25km, the Junior Boys and Inter Girls 3.85km and the Inter Boys 5.2km.

For the Minor Girls an excellent team effort saw Hannah Wildey come home first (7th), followed by Martina Grace (8th), Olivia Bacon (15th) and Pip Evans (22nd) to claim the County title.

In a superb run Year 8, Kate Pomerleau finished first overall in the Junior Girls race, with Grace Darcy hot on her heels (2nd), Ava Farren (4th) and Julia Loftus (11th) helping the Princethorpe A team take first place. Jess Evans (12th), Kaena Wasley (13th), Emma Sarkies (23rd) and Emma Dunkley (33rd) helped the Princethorpe B team to a pleasing third place.

A steady team performance allowed Toby Collett (18th), Ollie Bench (19th), Archie Hancock (20th) and Sam Allen (21st) to claim first place for the Inter Boys.

Whilst for the Senior Boys Tom Crowfoot finished third with brother Will Crowfoot just behind in fourth and Luke Palmer (9th), they also took the team title.

For the Minor Boys, Jesse Esler was first across the line (15th) followed by Jamie Capelett (18th) Andre Barnett (35th) and Sean Birtley(36th). 

Molly Minshull and Erin Darcy ran their nearly 4km course confidently to place (15th) and (18th) respectively for the Inter Girls.

Princethorpe’s runners’ excellent individual placings mean that many will now be considered for selection to represent the Midlands in the English Schools Athletics Association (ESAA) Cross Country Cup later this year.

Head of Outdoor Education and PE Teacher, Will Bower commented, "It was good to see the College so well represented at the County Championships.  Well done to all of our competitors, we saw some excellent personal performances in tough races. I am delighted with the overall team results, not least placing first in four of the age groups we entered."

Running for Princethorpe were: Hannah Wildey, Martina Grace, Olivia Bacon, Pip Evans, Anna Johnson, Kate Pomerleau, Grace Darcy, Ava Farren, Julia Loftus, Jess Evans, Kaena Wasley, Emma Sarkies, Emma Dunkley, Alex Bonsall, Rosie Reeve, Molly Minshull, Erin Darcy, Jesse Esler, Jamie Capelett, Andre Barnett, Sean Birtley, Ned Roach, Zac Johnson, Oscar Reynolds, Albert Jackson-Bettles, Timothe Peyret, Thomas Windley, Luc Sen-Gupta, Ed Twyman, Toby Collett, Ollie Bench, Archie Hancock, Sam Allen, Ben Scares, Dan Webb, Tom Crowfoot, Will Crowfoot and Luke Palmer.

The Year 11s Freshers’ Fair took place on Thursday 23 January and offered another opportunity for Year 11 to consider their A-level subject choices and explore life in the College’s popular Sixth Form.

Set out in the Sixth Form Centre Atrium were a host of subject stalls with vivid displays, models and informative handouts, all manned by enthusiastic Sixth Form Subject Ambassadors and teachers.  Pupils had the chance to wander freely, to visit the different stalls for the subjects they are considering studying and to ask any questions they might have.  There was also the opportunity to attend a talk on the new Business Studies BTEC qualification.

The Year 11s were also given the chance to visit the Sixth Form Resource Centre and Common Room to get a feel for some of the wider Sixth Form facilities.  Sixth Form pupils and staff gave presentations on what life was like in the Sixth Form including information on the many enrichment and leadership opportunities available and the different sorts of support.

Orchestrated by Head of Sixth Form, Ben Collie, the fair will have helped facilitate Year 11s decision making process.

Commented Ben Collie, “Some Year 11s already know what subjects they want to study at A-level but others are less sure.  The Freshers’ Fair was an opportunity for pupils to speak with students already studying the subjects, as well as a chance for them all to come into the Sixth Form Centre on a busy school day.”

On Wednesday 15 January 31 Sixth Form Art and Photography students visited the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Home to the largest collection of portraits in the world, the National Portrait Gallery provided the students with a unique opportunity to develop their ideas and inspirations as they start to prepare for their summer A-level examinations. With some 1,400 portraits on display, and exhibitions that included the Pre-Raphaelite Sisters and the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, there was no shortage of inspiration for the aspiring artists.

After the trip Upper Sixth Former Lillian Robinson, commented, “Our trip to the National Portrait Gallery was inspiring. The Taylor Wessing exhibition was particularly significant as it demonstrated how professional photography can be judged and compared.  The day developed my appreciation of photographic originality and supported me in my plans for my A-Level exam.”

Fellow Upper Sixth Former, Dominic Turner-Burr, added, “The highlight of the trip for me was seeing the new photo entries for the Taylor Wessing photo competition. I saw some amazing pieces of work from photographers like Enda Bowe and Jack Taylor Gotch. I also found the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition fascinating, in particular how meticulous the artists were in portraying the subjects.”

Head of Art, Paul Hubball added, “It was a great productive day out for the students, they enjoyed three uninterrupted hours in the gallery. The trip was stimulating and inspiring and really useful preparation for their A-level exam.”    

100 Year 9, Year 10, Year 11 and Lower Sixth Drama and Theatre Studies pupils enjoyed a trip to the Curve Theatre in Leicester on Tuesday 21 January to see Woman In Black.

Based on Susan Hill’s acclaimed ghost story this long running play tells of a lawyer obsessed with a curse that has been cast over his family by a ghost.

It proved to be a terrifying, spine-chilling evening out but provided invaluable support and preparation for the live theatre elements of pupils’ studies and for the creation of their own scripted and devising work.

Joint Head of Drama, Aileen Cefaliello, said “It was a night of chilling suspense and gothic haunting that will have helped pupils appreciate how sound, lighting and acting combine to create tension.”

It was an excellent performance, a really gripping evening but a very late night – there were more than a few bleary eyes in school next morning!

Some 70 young singers from local primary schools enjoyed a super day of singing when they joined Princethorpe's Director of Music, Gil Cowlishaw, Music Teacher, Alison Wakeley, Peripatetic Music Co-ordinator, Felicity Coulson, and members of the Princethorpe College Choir for a fabulous Choral Fun Day.

The Year 5 and 6 pupils tackled a variety of choral pieces from popular favourites such as Bruno Mars' Count on Me, traditional works such as Siyahamba and Canon, to the inspirational High Hopes by Panic at the Disco.

As well as rehearsing furiously, the visiting children took part in a musical team scavenger hunt and enjoyed lunch in the Refectory.

The day culminated in an impressive gala performance of their newly learnt pieces in front of an enthusiastic capacity audience of family and friends in the College's Clarkson theatre, followed by afternoon tea for all.

Commenting on the day, Gil Cowlishaw said, "We were really impressed by the children. They achieved such a lot in just a few hours, learning so many songs and then taking to the stage to perform in front of an audience is no mean feat, a huge well done to them all!”

And a special thank you to all of the fantastic Princethorpe pupils and staff who came along to support the Choral Fun Day.