The Flagpole

Plans for the College’s new Science Centre are entering the next exciting stage of development, having concluded the RIBA ‘developed design’ stage on schedule at the end of January.

During February and March, the College’s Science Working Group and professional advisors will be working on a revised cost plan and undertaking a period of value engineering to see where savings can be made on the project, before entering the ‘technical design’ stage.

The team now have at their disposal a virtual 3D model enabling them to effectively walk around the building from a computer keyboard, in order to refine their plans. They are fine-tuning elements including visual displays, laboratory layouts and details such as arrangements for services in the state-of-the-art £8 million building.

Comments, Ed Hester, Headmaster, “We are moving forward apace with the project. There is still a huge amount of work to do but if all goes to plan we should be in a position to go to tender at the end of August, with construction starting early in 2021 and completion in summer 2022. To bring the project to life for pupils, parents and staff a scale model of the building has been commissioned and will be put on display in school shortly after half term.”

The fundraising campaign launched to work hand in hand with the delivery of the project has been well received by stakeholders. Early responses to the Development Team’s mailing of the new Science Campaign Plus brochure and attendance at school events such as Parents’ Evenings has seen good levels of interest expressed in both sponsored periodic table elements and engraved granite floor pavers.

16 of the 118 elements on the giant Periodic Table that will be displayed in the new building have already been provisionally reserved (see image) and the engraved pavers which will be laid at the front of the building are proving popular too.

The next phase of the fundraising will include a two-week summer Phonathon campaign involving young Old Princethorpians, who will be contacting the wider Princethorpe community to raise the profile of the campaign and secure further donations.

Our Director of Development, comments, “Fundraising is vital in making our vision for Science Plus a reality and bringing it to fruition as soon as possible. We would welcome the opportunity to talk to parents, staff and pupils about the Campaign and the broader work of the Development Office.”

For more information on the Science Plus Campaign and to register your interest in the Menu of Giving, which also features regular giving and corporate and personal naming opportunities click here.

Alternatively, you can email makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634265

Three recent Princethorpe College Sixth Formers are thrilled to have received unconditional offers for places at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Former Head Girl, Lizzie Carr, 19, will be reading English Language and Literature at Christ Church College, Oxford, she will be joined by Amy Field, 18, who has an Open Offer to read History there too, and Daisy Vucevic, 19, will read Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion at Selwyn College, Cambridge.

The high-flying girls all received outstanding A-level results last summer and on the back of that success made the decision to apply to the UK’s two most prestigious universities.

Oxbridge places are highly oversubscribed and increasingly competitive, the talented trio faced a tough selection process consisting of pre-tests, intensive scrutiny of their academic and personal achievements and rigorous interviews before receiving the good news. Throughout the process they were supported and encouraged by the Sixth Form team, Oxbridge Co-ordinator, Mrs Hester and their Princethorpe subject teachers, who provided individual guidance over the past few months.

Princethorpe College Head of Sixth Form, Ben Collie, commented, “These three girls have earned this outstanding success. During their time at Princethorpe College they applied themselves not only to their academic studies, but also to developing themselves as confident and mature young people. Applying to Oxbridge is an extremely rigorous and character-testing experience that seems to get tougher every year.  We were delighted to support them with their applications and are exceptionally proud of all their achievements.”

More Year 9 places are to be made available at the College for September 2020 entry, following a significant increase in demand.

Headmaster, Ed Hester comments, "Our current Year 8 has been full for some time and we have been looking at ways to accommodate a few more good children into the Year Group. Interest has grown sufficiently now to make providing more places a viable option for the start of the next academic year."

He continues, "To facilitate this we will add another teaching group into the year. This will reduce the average class sizes and give us more opportunities to fine-tune the teaching groups and setting. It also helps us to maintain a broad curriculum and provides better timetable options for all the pupils in the year group which will have further benefits as we move towards GCSEs."

A further Entrance Exams session will take place on Tuesday 31 March aimed at children currently in Year 8, who would like to join the College in September 2020. The registration deadline will be Friday 20 March, three days after our Open Morning on Tuesday 17 March, giving candidates and their families the opportunity to visit and be toured round the school by our Year 7 and 8 pupils.

Offers will be made on Friday 1 May, with an acceptance deadline of Friday 15 May 2020.

For more information please contact the Registrars at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634201.

14 Princethorpe runners have qualified for the National ISA Cross Country Championships after competing in the Midlands regional competition at Bedstone College, Shropshire on Wednesday 5 February. In addition the U15 Boys, U15 Girls, U13 Boys and U13 Girls teams all placed first, the icing on the cake for the College.

Princethorpe College runners have a long tradition of success at this competition, many have competed at Bedstone before, so hopes were high as they set off to do battle for a place at the National competition.

Both the U13 Girls' and Boys' teams ran well and with so many College pupils finishing in the top 20, both Princethorpe teams bagged the top spot and the team trophy for their age group. Qualifying for the Nationals for the U13 Girls were Kate Pomerleau, Ava Farren and Hannah Wildey who ran superbly to come 1st, 3rd and 5th position respectively. For the U13 Boys Ben Smith, Oscar Reynolds and Ollie Farquharson were just as determined to qualify, finishing their race in 3rd, 5th and 9th.

For the U15 Girls Grace Darcy and Jess Evans had excellent runs to finish in 3rd and 6th place. Whilst for the U15 Boys Zac Johnson, Toby Collett and Jamie Smith came home in quick succession in 5th, 6th and 7th place. They all qualified for the Nationals too.

The U18 Boys team ran swiftly with the Crowfoot twins in excellent form, Tom finished 1st and brother Will 2nd, reversing the results of last year, both qualify for the Nationals, and with a solid team performance the U18 Boys also claimed second position overall for their age group.

In the U18 Girls, Molly Minshull had an excellent race taking 3rd place in a competitive field, she qualified for the Nationals too.

Head of Outdoor Education and PE Teacher, Will Bower, said, “It was a fantastic team performance and I am delighted with the results. You never quite know what you’re going to get with cross country as conditions can be difficult, but today we had red vest after red vest crossing the line at the front of the field; our runners took on the arduous terrain and did very well.”

Our qualifying runners will now compete in the ISA National Cross-Country championships that will take place at Worksop College on Friday 20 March.

Congratulations to all who took part.

Running for Princethorpe were: Hannah Wildey, Martina Grace, Olivia Bacon, Pip Evans, Kate Pomerleau, Grace Darcy, Ava Farren, Julia Loftus, Jess Evans, Kaena Wasley, Emma Sarkies, Ella Dunkley, Lottie O’Connor, Amelie Hancock, Rosie Reeve, Caitlin Horan, Olivia Sarkies, Molly Minshull, Jesse Esler, Jamie Capelett, Ben Smith, Ollie Farquharson, Eddie Arkesden, Finn Knight-Gray, Zac Johnson, Jamie Smith, Will Antrobus, Oscar Reynolds, Albert Jackson-Bettles, Thomas Windley, Ed Twyman, Toby Collett, Ollie Bench, Sam Allen, Dan Webb, Tom Crowfoot, Will Crowfoot, Luke Palmer and Fred Self.

Upper Sixth Formers Anthony Lock, Samuel Wycherley and Oscar Doyle impressed the judges to finish as runners up in this year’s local Youth Speaks, the Rotary Club’s annual public speaking challenge. In the competition, which took place on Thursday 6 February at the Northgate Methodist Church in Warwick, the Princethorpe College students faced teams of pupils from local schools.

Youth Speaks requires a team of three students to stand up and deliver a speech on a subject of their choice. It provides a great opportunity for young people to develop the ability to speak on a public platform, carry out research and formulate ideas, improve their self-confidence and presentation skills, and work together as a team.

Each competing team comprises of a Chairman, a Proposer and an Opposer. The Chairman introduces the debate and the Proposer and Opposer then speak for and against the motion. The structure of the event makes for an entertaining and diverting session where the students not only have to present clearly, but also spontaneously respond.

Competing in the Senior section, the team debated the motion ‘Positive discrimination is never justified’, Anthony Lock introduced the debate as Chairman, Samuel Wycherley spoke in favour of the motion and Oscar Doyle spoke against. The students were eloquent and convincing. Their speech was very well received with the audience engaged throughout.

The students had worked hard to prepare thoroughly. They were helped and supported by Head of English, Chris Kerrigan who commented, “Anthony, Samuel and Oscar were an absolute pleasure to work with. They put a lot of effort into researching the subject and were commended on the quality of their ideas and their speeches. It was an excellent result and they should be proud to have finished as runners up in what is always a tightly fought competition. It really was an outstanding effort and performance.”

The boys, who narrowly missed out on first place to an experienced team from Myton School, thoroughly enjoyed the evening and learned a lot from listening to the other teams who took part.

What a kinda magic the opening night of this year’s College production We Will Rock You was. Featuring a hilarious script, thrilling storyline and the Greatest Hits of Queen, the cast surpassed themselves as We Will Rock You Schools Edition blew our minds!

Set in a scarily accurate future, the production tells the story of two revolutionaries as they try to save Rock in a post-apocalyptic world. It is packed full of much-loved classic Queen favourites including Another One Bites the Dust, Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, We Will Rock You, Somebody To Love, We Are The Champions, Don’t Stop Me Now to name just a few. Songs and melodies that parents and relatives grew up listening to and that are back in the limelight now following the success of the film Bohemian Rhapsody.

As always, audiences were treated to a spectacular evening of rocking entertainment and if the first night is anything to go by, you’ll all be tap tapping along and whistling the hits long after you leave.

Some tickets are still available for the performance tonight, Friday 7 February at 7.00pm and there are just a few now remaining for Saturday 8 February at 7.00pm, the Saturday matinee is fully booked. They are priced at £5.00 each and £3.00 for children. Please follow the links to book them, please note there are limited seats and tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Wishing the best of luck to everyone involved for the remaining shows - you are the champions and we hope you have a great run!

Princethorpe College's U14 Boys Football team have finished as runners up after a sensational performance at the Independent Schools Association (ISA) National Football Championships.

The six-a-side competition took place on Tuesday 28 January at Nottingham University. 20 teams had travelled from across the country to take part in the prestigious event.

The boys stormed through the group stages finishing top of their pool without conceding a single goal. Their opening match was played against Lucton School and confident play led to an easy 1-0 win. They then faced Trinity School Teignmouth, who were dispatched just as quickly 2-0. Next came Huddersfield Grammar School who put up more of a fight, the match was fast paced but Princethorpe’s boys held on for a 0-0 draw.  They finished the initial round with another good 2-0 win against Leighton Park School.

In the semi-final the team faced Red House School but Princethorpe’s boys capitalised on every opportunity.  Superb goals from Dawson Barnett (2) and Joseph Bird ensured the match finished in a fantastic 3-0 win.

In the final Princethorpe went up against a strong and experienced team from the Priory School.  It was a much tougher game, both sides played well and the U14s were unlucky to lose out just going down 0-2 at the end.

Assistant Head of Co-curricular, Neil McCollin, was delighted and commented, "The boys played fantastic football today and the silver medal is a brilliant reward for their commitment and tenacity on the pitch. I am very proud of them all, they were incredible."

Playing for Princethorpe were Year 9 pupils: Joseph Bird, Dawson Barnett, Radley Evans, Alexander Hammond, Barnaby Hammond (Captain), Ben Putt, Jamie Robinson, Rahul Samra and Luc Sen-Gupta.

We are pleased to announce that registrations for the Careers Fair on Saturday 21 March from 9.30am to 1.00pm will open on Friday 14 February when all parents with pupils in Year 10 and above will be sent a link to the online registration page.

As well as a keynote presentation by Dr Charlotte Cowie, Head of Medicine at the Football Association, attendees will be able to attend up to three workshops depending on their personal interests and visit an exhibition zone.

Please do make sure that this date is in your diary as this year's fair is set to be the biggest yet with a whole wealth of speakers and exhibitors. There will be talks on a wide variety of career areas, from accountancy and cyber-security to law and fashion. Many employers will be both speaking and exhibiting including the Armed Forces, Rolls Royce, Severn Trent Water, IBM, JLR and Ernst and Young.

We also have over a dozen universities attending, several of whom will be talking about the opportunities they offer. For those considering a gap year, there will be organisations offering life-changing opportunities.

We look forward to seeing you there.

On Wednesday 22 January 28 GCSE Fine Art pupils visited the Pitt Rivers and Ashmolean Museums in Oxford. The trip offered an opportunity to take photos and produce drawings and sketches from first hand observation, all of which could then be used as stimulus for their coursework portfolios.

Full of atmospheric galleries and artefacts from all corners of the world, the complex and diverse collections offered pupils plenty of choice. All worked exceptionally hard and came away with plenty of valuable inspiration.

Year 11 pupil, Hannah McBride, commented, “In the Pitt Rivers Museum, we saw many archaeological and ethnographic objects from all parts of the world. The Ashmolean Museum displays a range of ancient and modern art and antiquities covering world civilisations, plus fine and applied arts. This trip was very beneficial and enjoyable, because we were able to take many photos and gain inspiration from what we saw, to influence our GCSE exams. Due to the unfortunate weather, we enjoyed our lunch sheltered on the steps of the Ashmolean, but it didn’t dampen our spirits!”

Head of Art, Paul Hubball, added, “It was a thoroughly enjoyable trip and the group were a pleasure to take out.”

Last year the Foundation introduced a new Use of Images Policy. Parents are reminded that from around the age of 12 and upwards, the law recognises children’s own rights to have a say in how their personal information is used – including their images. 

Parents of pupils who are in Year 7 will have completed a Use of Images consent form as part of the joining pack.

Parents of pupils in older years should be aware that all pupils now in Year 8, and pupils in older years who have joined the school in the last year, will be given the opportunity to express their preference. 

To gather responses from our Year 8 pupils and from pupils in older years who have joined the school since we last sought consent we will shortly be distributing consent forms in tutor time.

You can find the Use of Images Policy here. Please take time to discuss this with your child.

In summary:

Use of Images - The Foundation makes various uses of images of pupils during their time with us. Where these are necessary for administration and the safety of pupils, such as CCTV and for security ID, the Foundation does not require consent.

Images are also used for marketing and promotional purposes, to celebrate the achievements of pupils, promote the work of the Foundation and the education it provides.

The Foundation does require consent for these purposes and we hope that parents and pupils as appropriate will feel able to support the Foundation in using pupil images in this way.

Images generally will not have pupil names against them. Names will be used with images when, for instance, celebrating a specific pupil’s, team’s or group’s achievement.

Additional specific consent will be sought for instances when a single pupil is the main focus of a press release or on billboard or bus adverts.

Pupils and parents may withdraw consent for use of images at any time in the future by writing to the Registrar at the College.

Please be aware that it may not be possible to change printed publications, such as a Foundation magazine or prospectus, or third-party publications (for example where we have placed an advert or provided an image to a newspaper).

Princethorpe College wove a magical spell on muggles and wannabe wizards who came to the school's Saturday Morning Cinema showing of Happy Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The special screening for Year 6 pupils who have been offered places for entry to Year 7 in September 2020 took place on Saturday 1 February. The College was delighted to welcome the children into school for an early introduction to the magic of Princethorpe or perhaps just for that morning, after the reported sightings of owls on the campus, we could say Princewarts.

Next year's new starters will come from many different primary schools, so the morning was one of a number of opportunities the College organises where future pupils can start to become a little more familiar with the College site and potential new friends.

The spellbinding entertainment began with a warm welcome from our very own ‘Albus Dumbledore’, Headmaster, Ed Hester. He spoke to the children about starting a new school, a theme reflected in the film, and about the College's house system.

Midway through the screening there was an interval when the children visited the College's dining room to stock up on popcorn and even a sip of polyjuice!

At the end of the morning the children were joined by their families and after more refreshments everyone went home having thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The College looks forward to welcoming them back as pupils later in the year – although we do hope they won't be too disappointed when they find out that their new timetables will be limited to more traditional subjects rather than lessons in Potions, Transfigurations and Defence Against The Dark Arts!

Pupils from Years 10 to 12 studying Drama and Theatre Studies were lucky enough to have Gen from Splendid Theatre visit yesterday. Splendid create challenging and vibrant productions and have visited the College on previous occasions with their touring performances of Woyzeck and Dr Faustus amongst others.

The pupils were thrown into a workshop of epic proportions as they explored the practical nature of Brecht's theatre.  All theatre in some way comes from this German 20th Century practitioner whose theory includes montage, song and gestus in creating the verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect).

During the day pupils bounced and babbled with shock, disgust and delight as Gen kept a sharp eye on their choral work and urged them to 'push their smiles down' and exaggerate attitude and physicality.

Joint Head of Drama, Aileen Cefaliello said, “Gen’s wonderful wit and idiosyncrasies charmed and disarmed our pupils in equal measure as she drove them to discover the spass (fun) in their work.  Her parting words were ‘add a little tap and tickle, otherwise it's just too earnest.’ ”

Year 11 pupil, Greg Burford commented, "The day was brilliant, Gen's infectious nature really benefitted our work and has inspired us all to be braver."

Year 5 and Year 6 pupils from local primary schools enjoyed a fun introduction to the sport of Rugby when they took part in Princethorpe's Try Tag Rugby event.  The after-school session took place on Friday 24 January and was organised by the College's PE team out on a cold but dry all-weather pitch.

Working in small groups, led by Sixth Form Games Prefects and coaching staff, the children began with energetic warm up activities. They were then split into groups depending on their experience for a series of skill building drills. There was plenty of quick, agile passing and slick ball handling from the young players as they got to grips with this fast-paced sport. The session finished with a mini tournament played in front of an enthusiastic crowd of parents and siblings.  The youngsters then wended their way home clutching certificates and munching one of our legendary Princethorpe cookies.

Princethorpe College Primary School Sport Liaison Teacher, Hannah Carminati, was impressed at how well the children took to the sport commenting, “It was great to have so many enthusiastic boys and girls here on a Friday afternoon. They had lots of fun getting to grips with Tag Rugby, quickly mastering the game and it was great to see everyone enjoying playing together. They progressed enormously and the standard of Rugby played in the mini-tournament was really very good.”

Feedback from parents was great too with one commenting, “A huge thank you for the fantastic time my son had at Tag Rugby, he was full of enthusiasm after the event.”

The successful workshop was just one of a series of activities and opportunities the College organises for prospective pupils to introduce and familiarise the youngsters with the school. Next up on the sporting front is Princethorpe’s Say Hello to Hockey event for Year 4 and 5 children which takes place in the Trinity Term on Saturday 2 May.

Monday 10 February 2020 - 7.00pm to 8.30pm

Our world depends on Science, Technology (including Computing), Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) and Princethorpe College is committed to helping our pupils have the aspiration, knowledge and skills to thrive, with more progressing into STEAM-related careers.

We are pleased to announce that our STEAM Presentation Evening on Monday 10 February is now fully booked.

We are still looking for STEAM Ambassadors though and if any parents have expertise in this area and would like to consider becoming a STEAM Ambassador for Princethorpe, please do email Helen Pascoe-Williams, our da Vinci Project Co-ordinator at helenpascoe-williams@princethorpe.co.uk.  An Ambassador would be someone willing for us to call on to represent the world of STEAM if ever we were looking for a guest speaker or for advice from an expert in the field to support the college’s STEAM initiatives going forward.  We are keen for you to help ignite an interest in STEAM subjects, to help our students explore STEAM subjects in innovative and inventive ways outside the curriculum, and to provide a platform to extend our pupils’ learning.

We are also very pleased to be hosting a lecture on Exo-planets by Dr Dimitri Veras on the 11 March.  Further details are available in the article below.

Wednesday 12 February 2020 at 7.30pm

It must be said that our last read was a bit of a disappointment.  The concept behind Mark Haddon’s The Porpoise seemed intriguing, but we struggled to find characters to connect with and the links between the present and the mythical world didn’t seem to lead anywhere.  We will be meeting in February on Wednesday 12 February in the library at 7.30pm. 

For this occasion we aim to read Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.  I must say I absolutely loved this book and I hope you do too.  If you enjoy this author, you might also like to try her latest which is Olive, Again.  She writes very poignantly about the small tragedies of everyday life – yet there is a warmth and humour about her writing too.  Please join us whether or not you have read these books.  We enjoy recommendations from new members and you can be sure of a warm welcome.

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Tuesday 18 February 2020

Venue - Princethorpe College, Sixth Form Centre, Rugby CV23 9PX

Why are there so few women artists before the 20th century? Were they less talented, less inspired, less able than men? The background to this fascinating subject will be explored by looking at the policies of the teaching academies in the 18th century and at the women who succeeded despite the obstacles. Artists will include Artemisia Gentileschi, Angelica Kauffman, Vigée LeBrun and nearer our own time, Berthe Morisot, Gwen John, Georgia O’Keeffe and Paula Rego. The discussion suggests how recent sexual equality and equal opportunities may have enabled women to achieve artistic recognition.

We welcome back Vivien Heffernan who spoke memorably at our 2019 Princethorpe lecture on Breughel to Hockney. She is a former Teacher and Head of Art, and has worked at Essex and Cambridge Universities, as well as other colleges and adult education organisations. She is a long-standing lecturer with the Open University on art history courses ranging from the early Renaissance to the 20th century. 

Timetable: 10.00am Coffee; 10.30am Talk; 12.00pm Close

Cost: Includes tea/biscuits on arrival, £16 per AFW member/£19 per non-Member

Contact: Susan Yeomans, 07831 513039, 7 Mallory Drive, Warwick CV34 4UD

Email: sue@artfriendswarks.uk

Payment dated 25 January 2020 Cheque – payable to Art Friends Warwickshire

Online - Lloyds Ac 36633668 Sort Code 309090 Art Friends Warwickshire Reference: Women

Friday 28 February - 7.30pm to 10.00pm

Tickets for the quiz, including a fish and chip supper followed by an infamous Princethorpe Cookie, are £8.00 per head.  The PTA will be running a paying bar on the night and the quiz will be hosted by our very own quizmaster, Ed Hester.

It will be an enjoyable evening for all and a great opportunity to test your wits and to meet more Princethorpe parents.

You are welcome to put together your own team, 6 people maximum, but this is not essential as they can be created on the night.   

To purchase/reserve tickets please click here to complete the form and return to the Student Hub for the attention of Anne O’Rourke, PTA Treasurer, via your child, by Monday 24 February in order to enable us to plan our catering.  

Whilst tickets must be reserved in advance for catering purposes, payment can be made on the night or by sending cash or cheques (payable to Princethorpe College PTA) into school for the attention of Anne O'Rourke, PTA Treasurer.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Tuesday 3 March 2020 - 6.00pm

We warmly welcome you to an informal evening of scripted and devised work from KS4 and KS5 Drama and Theatre Studies pupils.

Our Year 11s are busy in the throes of preparing their two extracts for their GCSE exam the week after and Year 10 and Lower Sixth will be presenting their original devised pieces.

Please come and support them as they would love to hear your feedback.

Please note that this evening is recommended for 14+ as there are themes and language of strong content.

Tickets are not required for this event, but to help us cater efficiently please reserve places by clicking here no later than Thursday 27 February.

Aileen Cefaleillo and Vicky Roberts
Joint Heads of Drama

Friday 6 March 2020 - 6.30pm to 10.30pm

The OPs annual Pub Meet will take place at Inside the 22, on Lawrence Sheriff Street in Rugby.

The OPs Commitee will be laying on a delicious, complimentary hot and cold buffet and welcome drink, so do let us know if you can join us by visiting Princethorpe Connect or email us at oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk. 

Partners and friends are most welcome. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Spring Open Morning
Saturday 7 March 2020 - 10.30am to 12.30pm

Crackley Hall and Little Crackers, Princethorpe's junior school and nursery in Kenilworth, is opening its doors for a Spring Open Morning on Saturday 7 March from 10.30am to 12.30pm. 

This is a great chance to look around the school and nursery at the weekend and to chat to staff and pupils. Junior 5 and 6 pupils will act as tour guides and there will be music and sport activities on display. Light refreshments will be available.

Registrations are now being taken for Nursery and Reception. Limited places are available in other Year groups. The nursery is open 51 weeks a year and is carefully structured for two-year olds, three-year olds and pre-school.

All are welcome to look round the school, and to meet staff and pupils. No need to book.

Please email Mrs Jenny Vaughan, Admissions Secretary at jennyvaughan@crackleyhall.co.uk or call her on 01926 514410 for more information on the Open Morning and admissions process.

For more information visit www.crackleyhall.co.uk.

Wednesday 11 March 7.00pm - 8.30pm

Princethorpe College is pleased to be hosting a lecture on Exo-planets by Dr Dimitri Veras in the Clarkson theatre.  Please click here if you would like to attend.

The field of exo-planetary science is now a quarter of a century old, and its prominence was heightened last year with the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physics to two pioneers in this subject. In this talk, Dr Veras will provide an overview of the mounting discoveries of these exo-planets, their smaller cousins exo-asteroids and exo-comets, and the theories which explain their formation, evolution and fate. He will highlight noteworthy exo-planets which, for example, may harbour life or are in the process of breaking up and will conclude by detailing how both the UK and West Midlands will provide significant contributions to this field in the upcoming decades.

Dr Dimitri Veras

Dimitri Veras is an Astrophysicist in the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick who researches the contents of exo-planetary systems in a wide variety of contexts, across both time and space. He has published academic articles about forming, destroying and evolving exo-planets, exo-asteroids, exo-moons and exo-comets while they interact with their parent star or stars. His most significant current research focus is on the future and fate of exo-asteroids, exo-comets, exo-moons and exo-planets: how they traverse the violent giant branch stellar evolution phases and “pollute” their host stars after they become “white dwarfs”.

Thursday 12 March 2020 - 12.15pm

On behalf of Benet House, it is my pleasure to invite you to our House Eucharist, which takes place on Thursday 12 March in the College Chapel.

The service will be a celebration of our House community and will begin at 12.15pm.  If you are able to join us, I would recommend you aim to arrive at midday to be seated in the Chapel before the arrival of the pupils.

There will be signage to indicate where to park on the day.

We would be delighted if you could also stay at College after the service to join us for lunch. So that we can cater efficiently, please reserve places by completing the form here no later than Tuesday 10 March 2020.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Ms Lisa Challinor
Head of House – Benet

Friday 13 March 2020 

Mental health awareness has never been greater, and as a society, we are beginning to feel more confident in seeking help when we’re struggling in our lives. However while around 25% of the population will experience mental health issues at some point, studies have shown that autistic people are three times more likely to be affected, with stress, anxiety and depression common place.

Growing up is hard enough if you’re neurotypical but for autistic children, the school years, adolescence and the transition into adulthood is a particularly vulnerable time. Their communication and social interaction difficulties, can both contribute to, and cloak, a decline in mental health.

This learning day will equip parents, family carers and professionals with the tools to maintain good mental health in autistic children and young adults. Plus the knowledge to recognise and deal with any difficulties as soon as they arise.  We would encourage parents of children with ASD and anyone else who is interested to attend.  There are reduced tickets available for parents/families.

Click here for further information and to book tickets.

Lorna Prestage
Learning Support

Saturday 14 March - 7.30pm onwards

Don’t miss this fabulous night out in support of our Malawi 2020 project with an Irish dancing display, live Ceilidh band and auction. There will be a two course meal and drink included in the ticket price. Early bird tickets are still available for £25 per person or a table of ten for £220.

Amazing raffle with superb prizes and cash bar all evening. 

Please reserve tickets with Marion Mitchell at marionmitchell@princethorpe.co.uk

See our JustGiving page to find out more about the Classrooms for Malawi project at Lauderdale School here.

Tuesday 17 March 2020 - 10.30am to 12.30pm

The College will be holding a Spring Open Morning on Tuesday 17 March from 10.30am to 12.30pm. All are welcome to visit the College and younger visitors are encouraged to participate in the many fun subject related activities around the various departments.

The Headmaster will address visitors during the morning and refreshments will be available.

As usual we'll be looking for help from pupils to help around school, talking to visitors and taking part in activities around the various departments.

For more information on admissions and entry to the College please visit our website or speak to the Admissions Team on 01926 634201/634262.

Saturday 21 March 2020 - 9.30am to 1.00pm

Plans for the College’s Careers Fair on Saturday 21 March are well underway. 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 9.30am to 1.00pm and, as well as a keynote presentation, 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.

Head of Careers, Jacqui Quinney comments, “Do put Saturday 21 March in your diary, registrations will open in mid February and there will be plenty to interest and inform our pupils and their parents."

We are delighted to announce that Princethorpe College has recently invested in GCSEPod, the award-winning digital content and revision provider used by over 1,250 schools worldwide.  GCSEPod is primarily aimed at pupils in years 10 and 11, but is accessible by all pupils within the school.

As a subscriber, your child now has access to GCSEPod’s library of over 6,000 ‘Pods,’ 3-5 minute videos designed to deliver knowledge in short bursts. GCSEPod makes learning and revision much more manageable; every Pod is mapped to an exam board, and contains all the right facts, quotes, keywords, dates and annotated diagrams that your child needs for GCSE success – all neatly organised into topics and exam playlists. Watch this short video for a quick introduction.

One of the best things about GCSEPod is that your child can download any Pod to their mobile device, and then they can watch them at any time, in any place, with or without internet. It’s like they’re carrying a whole set of textbooks in their pocket. Make sure they download the GCSEPod app from the App Store (Apple and Android are supported) to access this feature.

For more ways to support your child using GCSEPod, please visit www.gcsepod.com/parents where you’ll find lots more information and resources, and a flyer is attached for your reference here too.

GCSEPod has been launched to year 11 today in an assembly, showing them the benefits of using GCSEPod, the key features of the platform, how to use it successfully for revision and how to activate their account and log in. This can be a great extra revision tool for the lead up to the second set of mock exams after half-term, as well as all the way up to the GCSEs themselves.

Your child has already been registered with GCSEPod, so all they need to do is activate their account by following the instructions below. If your child has already activated but can’t remember their username and password, please ask them to contact a member of staff. They will also shortly be able to login using the Sign on with Office 365 button, using their school email address and password.

1)      Go to www.gcsepod.com and click Login in the top right-hand corner

2)      Click New here? Get started

3)      Select Student

4)      Enter their name, date of birth and the school name

5)      Create a username, password, and a password hint to help them remember the password

If you have any questions regarding GCSEPod please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Andy Compton
Assistant Head - Director of Digital Strategy

Need help with choosing GCSE options?  Click here to see the golden questions to ask yourself.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Key dates in the reporting and examinations cycle for this half term are shown below.

Calendar Lent Second Half Term 2020

6 March -       Year 7 Full Reports

11 March -     CeFS exam resit - Part A onscreen test at 12:15pm

13 March -     Year 11 and Upper Sixth Mock Reports

16 March -     CeFS exam resit - Part B written exam at 9 am

20 March -     Year 8 Full Reports
                     Year 9 and Lower Sixth Progress Reports

External Examinations Timetables

The Summer 2020 exam timetable is now confirmed and pupils have checked their individual entries and been issued with personalised examination timetables.  Timetables will be available to view on the Pupil and Parent Portals after half term.

Pupils have also been issued with a Public Examinations Candidate Booklet for Written Exams, a copy of which is attached here.

After half term we will be looking at exam clashes and will contact pupils to advise of the rescheduled times.  Anyone involved in a clash will be supervised between exams.

Shellagh Dodds
Examinations and Assessment Manager

Reports for Year 10 will be posted out today, Friday 7 February 2020. They will also be available to view on My School Portal.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic

Thursday 13 February 2020

On Thursday 13 February, the GCSE Options Information Evening is being held in the Sports Hall at 7.00pm. The evening comprises a series of short presentations on the options process followed by an opportunity for parents to meet with subject staff. Light refreshments will be available.

The purpose of the GCSE Options Information Evening is to provide parents with sufficient information regarding the options process so that they can help their son or daughter decide their GCSE options. You will also be provided with a hard copy of the GCSE Options Booklet, a pdf copy can be viewed by clicking here.

This follows on from the Year 9 Parents’ Evening that was held on Tuesday 4 February. Then, after half term, on Monday 2 March 2020, the Year 9 and 10 Academic Review Evening will provide you the opportunity to meet with your child's tutor and discuss the next steps.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

The second set of mock exams for Year 11 and Upper Sixth will take place in the week commencing 24 February.  For Year 11 they will take place over five days as per the January mocks.  For the Upper Sixth, this second set of mocks will be over seven days to allow for more papers and the most realistic examination experience.  Timetables have been emailed to both parents and pupils and we are pleased to have been able to include Wednesday afternoon Games for both year groups which should provide a welcome mid-week break from their exams.

This is a final opportunity for both Year 11 and Upper Sixth to really test themselves and learn from their successes and difficulties, supported by their teachers, before sitting the real exams in the summer. 

As per the instructions on the timetables emailed this week, please remind them to make sure that they have exam-compliant water bottles, pencil cases, etc.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic

Monday 2 March 2020 - 6.00pm to 8.30pm

The Year 9 and 10 Academic Review Evening will take place on Monday, 2 March between 6.00pm and 8.30pm.  The appointments will last for 15 minutes and parents will be emailed with a booking link next week.  Appointment slots will be available from 6.00pm to 8.15pm and appointments will be held in the Sports Hall.

An important part of these Academic Review Evenings will be the additional information sessions. These sessions are designed specifically for Year 9 and 10 parents and pupils and will run continuously in alternating slots throughout the evening. They will operate on a drop-in basis and will not need to be booked in advance. We recommend them to you and we hope that you will be able to attend some, both before and after your appointment. The information sessions will all be held in the Limes classrooms. Refreshments will be available and served from the Limes atrium.  

The start times of the fifteen minute workshop sessions are show below:

LG01   Making the Most of Online Resources for Revision - Andy Compton: 6.00pm; 6.40pm; 7.20pm; 8.00pm
LG01   Learning Skills - Helen Pascoe-Williams: 6.20pm; 7.00pm; 7.40pm
LG02   Making Career Choices - Jacqui Quinney:  6.00pm; 6.40pm; 7.20pm
LG02   A Taste of Sixth Form - Ben Collie: 6.20pm; 7.00pm; 7.40pm
LG03   Exam Access Arrangements for Pupils with Identified Needs - Lorna Prestage: 6.00pm; 6.40pm; 7.20pm; 8.00pm
LG03   Find Out More - Princethorpe's Science+ Campaign - Development Director: 6.20pm; 7.00pm; 7.40pm
LG04   Film Room - for siblings if required

Senior staff will be available to answer additional questions you may have during the evening and front of house admin staff will also be available to update any changes to family details.

We look forward to seeing you and we hope that you find the Academic Review Meetings and information sessions both informative and helpful.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Fr Teddy O'Brien MSC would like to invite you to participate in any or all of the services that will take place during the season of Lent.

Wednesday 26 February   
Ash Wednesday Mass            7.00pm St Anne's, Wappenbury

Thursday 9 April               
Maunday Thursday Mass       7.00pm Princethorpe College

Friday 10 April                 
Good Friday Service             3.00pm Princethorpe College

Saturday 11 April           
Easter Vigil Mass                  8.00pm St Anne's, Wappenbury

Sunday 12 April             
First Mass of Easter              8.30am St Anne's, Wappenbury
Mass of the Day                   10.15am Princethorpe College

If you would like further information about St Anne's, Wappenbury please use the link here.

Friday 14 February 2020 is a non-uniform day. Participation is not compulsory, but pupils are asked to contribute £2.00 if they choose to wear non-uniform clothes. The criteria for what is acceptable as non-uniform is clearly set out in the homework diary.

It is a Blue Day for our Sixth Formers who are supporting Prostate and Testicular Cancer Charities.

The College is also supporting Father Hudson’s Care and CAFOD.

Father Hudson’s Care is the Social Care Agency of the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham. Their aim is to offer help and support to people in need and improve their quality of life. Each year, during Lent, Father Hudson’s care, run an appeal known as ‘The Good Shepherd Appeal’ to help raise vital money to support their work. All Catholic schools within the Archdiocese are invited to take part.

CAFOD, is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development and we are supporting their Lenten appeal ‘Defend the Defenders’ helping families living in the Amazon Rain Forest where an area the size of a football pitch is destroyed every minute.

Mary Benham
Chaplaincy Co-ordinator

The Immunisation team will be in school on Monday 16 March to offer all Year 9 pupils a booster of the Diptheria/Tetanus and Polio vaccine, this will complete the course they started as babies.

In addition the Meningitis ACWY vaccine will be offered.

As part of a national MMR (Measles, mumps, rubella) catch up programme Year 8 pupils who have not received the full course of MMR will be invited to receive the vaccine on this day. Information packs and consent forms will be sent home with pupils nearer the time.

Further changes to the UK routine Immunisation schedule mean that for the first time Year 8 boys as well as girls are now being invited to receive the HPV vaccine (Humanpapilloma Virus) – this will take place in school on the 15 and 16 June. Again further information and consent forms will be sent home nearer the time.

Further information can be found using the following links:

https://www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/mmr-catch-up-campaign-targets-a-million-children/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/hpv-human-papillomavirus-vaccine/

If you have any concerns or queries please contact Mrs Paula Greig Senior Matron at paulagreig@princethorpe.co.uk

Paula Greig
Senior Matron

We are starting work on the production of our Year 11 Class of 2020 Yearbook.  It is a beautiful keepsake and is received at the final Thanksgiving Service held for Year 11 in the summer.  Each pupil has their own entry where they document their best times here at Princethorpe and where they hope to be in the future.  Pupils have been emailed a form where they are asked to complete their biography - please could you check that your child has done this. The deadline for completion is Friday 7 February, but we will leave the form open over the weekend so that your child can complete it if they haven't already done so. 

Year 11 parents should have received an email with a link to a My School Portal form which asks you to confirm whether or not you would like to purchase a Yearbook (£19).  The deadline for completion of this form is by 7 February but if you haven't completed it already, we will leave the form open over the weekend to give you extra time to complete it. 

If you have any queries, please contact Mrs Houghton or Mrs Boon in the Pastoral Office.  

Please also be reminded that the Year 11 Prom will be held on Monday 22 June at Coombe Abbey; more details to follow nearer the time. 

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral 

By gaining work experience at Jaguar Land Rover, you will be a part of the future of the UK’s largest luxury automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques.

Their work experience programme runs over specific weeks during February, June and July each year.

The  application process for June and July 2020 work experience placements for young people aged 14-18 who are interested in careers at Jaguar Land Rover is now open. The process will close on Friday 28 February.

Placements include traditional work experience in the business, as well as careers activities. The programme has been developed to provide young people with an understanding of careers at Jaguar Land Rover as well as increasing their interest in pursuing STEM subjects.

If you are interested, please click here to view the placement weeks and locations. 

Do you want to get an insight into a working day in the NHS and what it is like to be an NHS worker/professional?

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust is holding a Taster Week from 6 to 10 July 2020. The programme includes pathology, sterile services, theatres, surgical training, air ambulance and much more.

If you are interested then please email the NHS directly for more information. 

InvestIN is delighted to host a range of programmes which will immerse pupils and students aged 15-18 into the exciting world of STEM-related careers.

The programmes, running throughout March and April, inlcude opportunities to learn more about becoming a doctor, investment banker, engineer, computer scientist, architect and psychologist.

Programme highlights and specific dates are available to view here.

If you are in Year 11 or Lower Sixth and are interested in Oxbridge or Medicine, you and your parents are very welcome to attend an Information Evening in the Clarkson theatre starting at 6.00pm on Wednesday 26 February. 

Guidance will be given on the process of application, advice on preparation and information on the support available in school. So, if you are aiming high, want to know more and are planning to come along please reply here by Thursday 13 February.

This year, Work Experience Placements at Princethorpe College, as part of our Careers programme, will take place at the end of the summer term for both Year 10 and Year 11.  We believe that all pupils can gain immeasurable benefits from their placements; not only can a good placement teach a pupil a lot about an area of work that he or she may be interested in, but it can also develop communication skills, self-confidence, initiative and teamwork.

Many thanks to all Year 10 and 11 parents for helping your son/daughter to find a work placement, in anticipation and if you already have done so.  It can be done at any time after the last GCSE exams for Year 11 and the week beginning 29 June for Year 10. We normally expect at least one week, although historically we have had many undertake more than this, often in more than one placement. Such experience is invaluable for considering a future career path, getting used to the world of work, and for references.

So that we can action the necessary paperwork, including references, we would be grateful if you could complete the form that have already been sent out for both year groups.

Queries relating to work experience should be sent as follows:

Year 10 – Mrs Quinney at jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk

Year 11 – Mr Taylor at miketaylor@princethorpe.co.uk

Sunday 8 March and Sunday 5 April 2020

This year we are going the extra mile for Mary’s Meals with two sponsored events. The 24 mile walk will take place on Sunday 8 March 2020 and the 40 mile walk takes place on Sunday 5 April. The 40 mile walk is with the official Coventry Way Association event featuring 250 competitors. Both challenges are in support of Makalanga School, in Malawi so that each of the 500 children can receive a daily meal in school.

These walks are a major challenge for all taking part but they could not be for a more worthy cause. Mary’s Meals was founded back in 2002 with a small project to feed 200 children in a school in Malawi and now feeds 1,101,206 children each day in 12 countries, across four continents.  

Why not support our intrepid walkers by sponsoring one or more children at a cost of only £13.90 for an entire year of school meals for one child.  You can make a donation via the on-line page, simply click here to make your pledge.  We are also looking for willing volunteers to help at the various checkpoints along the walk on Sunday 10 March, and will be in touch again soon to request your help.

We’ve already raised over £2,500 this academic year but we are looking to raise £8,841 in total so as to feed every child in Makalanga school.

Between now and 1 March 2020 Mary's Meals are running a 'Double The Love' campaign and will match donations up to a total of £1.9million. Simply click here to 'Double the Love'.

This simple initiative has helped children all over the world receive a daily meal in school and since 2007 Princethorpe College has been a part of that, raising in excess of £90,000.

Thank you for your support.

Rod Isaacs
Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Have you been away over Christmas? Maybe you have some left over foreign currency? Maybe there are a few old coins or notes lurking in the back of a drawer, a pocket or a handbag? Why not round them up and put them to good use? All donations would be gratefully received and all money raised will be split between UK projects of the SVP (St Vincent de Paul Society), including support for the homeless, elderly, handicapped and those coming out of prison and an overseas SVP project helping to fund secondary school education children - especially girls - in India. 'One to one befriending'  is at the heart of SVP work and the society made nearly half a million visits last year bringing financial support, material help and real friendship to those in need. Click here to discover what the SVP organisation is about and how your donation can help.

The money can be current or out of date, British or foreign; anything is welcome. We already have 8kg, but we need more.

Click here and watch the video to see how cash4coins works. This is what you can donate:

All foreign coins and banknotes
Current UK coins and banknotes
Any old British and Irish money
Even obsolete currency
Please send in money in a strong envelope labelled ‘Rod Isaacs - Cash4Coins’.

We raised a spectacular £231.85 last year.

Many thanks

Rod Isaacs
Assistant Head of Sixth Form

We are in the throws of planning the return visit of our Dutch hosts from Hopbel Hockey Club last autumn. We are looking forward to reciprocating the fantastic experience which our pupils received during their visit. The return dates are from the evening of Saturday 25 April 2020 through to the morning of Wednesday 29 April 2020.

We are expecting girls and boys (mainly girls) of a variety of ages, between 12 and 15 and are asking for host families.  This may be of interest if your child would like to attend the Holland visit in October 2020, however this invitation is open to all families and we appreciate all help offered.  In order to host, we are looking for families who can offer accommodation for two (or more) Dutch visitors and are willing to entertain and involve them in your family life for the four nights. We will organise an itinerary of fixtures, activities during the school day and a BBQ for our guests with their host families on the final evening. We will let you know who the other host families are so that you can organise other events together if you wish. Transport to school will be through the normal way your child comes to school (we will supply the bus tickets for the Dutch visitors) but they will need to be picked up after fixtures each day from College.

Due to requisite safeguarding checks, all adults within the household must hold a DBS certificate sent for by the Princethorpe Foundation, even if they currently have a DBS certificate from another employer or have a DBS from the exchange last year. If they have subscribed to the DBS Update Service, please do let us know. To allow plenty of time for the DBS certificates to be received before the tour, we need to apply for them in February. Each adult over the age of 18, not in full time education, in the household will need to apply. Please complete this form indicating your availability to come in and apply, preferably during Half Term, 17 to 21 February 2020 or there are some appointments the week after, 24 to 28 February 2020. It should only take 15 minutes per person to apply for the DBS certificates. Please see the attached entitled Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for the documentation required. 

Once we have confirmed the host families we will liaise with families on further information, such as pets and bus routes so that we can appropriately match host families and Dutch visitors. 

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

Neil McCollin
Foundation Director of Sport

Our PE and Games Department have created a helpful guide for the Lent Term 2020 (click here) which includes: 

• A list of team coaches and how you may contact them
• Instructions on how to access the Princethorpe Sport app
• Information about fixtures, including selection and cancellations
• Postcodes for away fixtures (which can also be found in the Lent Term calendar)

If you have any questions, please direct them to your son/daughter's team coach or email Mr Turns (Acting Head of Boys' Games) or Ms Law (Head of Girls' Games). 

Neil McCollin
Foundation Director of Sport 

Many congratulations to Princethorpe College’s Equestrian team who competed in the School Equestrian Games Arena Eventing at Weston Lawns on Sunday 26 January.

Grace Paybody and Claudia Newman rode in the 80cm class with Grace securing a fantastic second place on Extravagent Edition.

Harriet Boyd, Lucy Watts and Lottie Paybody represented the school in the 90cm team competition and together secured 6th place.

We are really proud of their achievements but also and more importantly their sportsmanship as this wet winter is requiring real dedication to keep horses fit and in training.

Thanks also to the very committed parents who have to be drivers, grooms and coaches at the competitions.

We are keen to increase our awareness of different sporting activities pupils are taking part in outside of school. If you are a keen golfer, sailor, martial artist or clay pigeon shooter, we would love to hear more. Please email Neil McCollin, Foundation Director for Sport, at neilmccollin@princethorpe.co.uk to share your experiences. In particular, he would like to hear from any pupils who are interested in or play American Football. 

The DofE Certificate Presentation Evening will take place on Tuesday 11 February 2020 from 6.30pm-8.30pm. The event will start with light refreshments in the Limes Atrium followed by the presentation in the Sports Hall. Our guest speaker is mountaineer Jon Gupta. 

Invitations have been sent out to all who have completed everything on the eDofE website.

The dress code for pupils is full school uniform.

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education

We are keen to acknowledge and celebrate pupils’ co-curricular achievements outside of school and would like to invite parents to submit this information to us via My School Portal. If your son or daughter has won a competition, is performing in a show or competing at a high level with a sporting team outside of school, we would love to hear more. Do keep us updated so we might celebrate these achievements in school too! 

We would like to congratulate the following pupils on their recent achievements: 

André Onyekwe (Year 7) - Awarded a Merit in his Grade 2 Piano Exam. 

Dina Parmenter (Year 9) - Awarded a Merit in her Grade 5 Violin Exam. Dina also plays violin with the Silverbrooke Strings group, who raise money each Christmas for Rugby Christmas Cracker (see here for more information).

Tom Hollis (Year 9) - Selection for Warwickshire U14 Boys' County Hockey. 

Darcey Heritage (Year 9) - Third consecutive year playing County Netball for Northamptonshire, recently selected to play for Northants Storm, a performance club competing in the regional league.

James McLean (Year 10) - Lead role in the production of Shrek the Musical, Stagecoach

Joe Glover (Year 10) - Selection for the South Warwickshire District Rugby Squad.

George Landreth (Year 10) - Won Man of the Match in the final of the adult league 20/20 Cricket last Summer, with impressive bowling figures. 

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

Wednesday 11 March 2020

All Year 7 pupils are invited to join the Science Department for a voyage of discovery on Wednesday 11 March 2020 exploring virtual reality, medicine, marine biology, film and TV, space exploration, explosive chemistry, crime-solving, robots, computer coding, microscopic bugs, giant trucks and more at the NEC’s Big Bang Fair.

Pupils will have the opportunity to see how what they learn at schools is used by real people in real jobs. They will get the chance to hear from inspiring engineers and scientists from some of the UK’s biggest companies and find out about the opportunities available in science and engineering.

We will leave Princethorpe College by coach at 9.00am and return by 3.30pm in time for bus services home. Pupils are expected to wear full school uniform and to bring a packed lunch. There are refreshment stands at the NEC, so pupils are permitted to bring a small amount of money. The cost of the trip is £5.00 to cover transportation costs (entry tickets are free). This fee will be added to your Trinity term bill.

Joanne Smith
Teacher of Science

Please could you send me any outstanding photos of passports and EHIC cards which must be valid for the duration of the trip. All tour hoodys should now be ordered from the snowunion website www.snowunion.co.uk.  The hoodys will be initialled and sent into school shortly before our departure date. Hired ski clothing will also be delivered to school for collection a few weeks before departure. I will email the collection date when available.

The Ackers practice trip, for those who have already consented, is on Wednesday 12 February 2020, 3.45pm-8.30pm. Pupils should bring warm waterproof winter clothing, ski gloves and ski socks. A packed tea and plenty to drink is also required (please note that there are very limited refreshments available for purchase at the venue).

The second parents' meeting is on Thursday 27 February 2020 at 6.00pm-7.00pm in the Clarkson theatre. Final trip details will be provided including confirmed departure and return times. A representative from ‘IBT’, our tour company, will give a presentation and be on hand to answer questions. It is expected that a representative parent attends and pupils are also welcome.

Lockwoods Ski Shop in Leamington have kindly offered all pupils on the trip a 10% discount, valid until 30 April 2020, on all products. To take advantage of this offer, please print this voucher and show it at the till or use the online voucher code.

Please contact me at catherinewarne@princethorpe.co.uk if you have any questions regarding the trip.

Catherine Warne

Please see here for the planned school trips in the coming years. This document will be updated each term, but it should allow you to make an informed decision when deciding on trips for your child to attend.  For any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

Thank you to all the parents who turn off their engines when they are waiting for pupils to come out of school. As a community we are striving to reduce the impact that we have on our world and turning of engines reduces our carbon impact and the emission of smelly exhaust fumes.

Eddie Tolcher 
Foundation Bursar

Please see below our current vacancies:

• Invigilators

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

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

We are mindful that there will be a number of parents and pupils who will be concerned about the situation regarding the Coronavirus.

The health and wellbeing of our community is of paramount importance to the Foundation and we are closely monitoring the situation and are following advice from Public Health England (PHE) and the Department for Education.

We have received the following advice from the Department for Education which we have been asked to share with staff, parents and pupils.

The government is closely monitoring the spread of the Coronavirus and is taking action at home and abroad.

The overall risk of Coronavirus to the UK remains moderate. Latest information and advice can also be found at:

•          https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

However, we understand that people may be concerned where there are children, students or staff returning from or visiting China.

Public Health England and the Foreign Office have issued advice for anyone travelling to the area.

This can be found at:

•          https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china

•          https://www.gov.uk/government/news/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-and-avian-flu-advice-for-travel-to-china

Advice for parents/guardians
You should not be unduly worried about the possibility of your children catching the Coronavirus. There is no reason why your children should not continue to attend their early years, school or further education setting as normal.

We recognise that some families or children may be planning to travel to China during the forthcoming half term period. If so, please refer to the FCO’s latest travel advice via the link above.

Please help to support the campaign which promotes basic hygiene practices, such as regularly washing hands and always sneezing into a tissue, to stem the spread of viruses.

We will continue to keep you informed if the situation and official advice changes. Should you wish to discuss any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact school.

Please note that the School Shop will close from 4.30pm on Friday 14 February 2020 and reopen at 10.30am on Monday 24 Februrary 2020.

Shop opening hours during term time are Monday to Friday during the following times:
      For pupils - break and lunch break
      For parents - 3.30pm until 4.30pm 

Remember you can email orders for uniform and bus tickets to nicolabrowne@princethorpe.co.uk  or call direct on 01926 634272.

If your child would like to try on any uniform before purchasing, then please contact the school shop to give permission for them to do so. Items can be paid for in cash, by cheque, card or added to the school bill.

Nicola Browne
Uniform and School Shop Manager

Please note that half a term's notice is required if a pupil no longer needs to use the bus service provided by the school. This is particularly relevant for pupils in Year 11 and Upper Sixth who have exams in the Trinity term and for members of Upper Sixth who pass their driving test. For example, we need to be advised in writing before the start of the Trinity term if the bus service is not required after half term in May. Parents wishing to give notice should write to Barbara Bromwich in the Bursary or email buses@princethorpe.co.uk.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Please find below our updated Term Dates and Key Dates document for 2019-20, along with the dates for 2020-2021.

2019-20 - updated (two-page document)

(Updated showing that the May bank holiday in 2020 has been moved from Monday 4 May to Friday 8 May to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day)

2020-21 - updated (two page document)