The Flagpole

As you will be well aware the situation regarding COVID-19 continues to develop apace and we are now moving into the government’s ‘delay’ phase of the action plan for the virus.

Latest Government Advice

The most up to date advice from the Government can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

Parents, pupils and staff need to follow the latest government advice which is to:

Stay at home for 7 days if you have either:

• a high temperature
• a new continuous cough

This will help to protect others in your community while you are infectious.

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

You do not need to contact NHS 111 to tell them you’re staying at home.

The government will not be testing people who are self-isolating with mild symptoms.

Detailed information and advice for the public about what they should do can be found here on the NHS.uk website (and will be regularly updated). There is some new Stay at Home guidance, which can be found on the same link.

People do not need to phone NHS 111 if their symptoms are mild but should do if their symptoms worsen/if they need medical care, or if symptoms do not get better after 7 days. There is also a 111 online service that people are being asked to use in the first instance.

Self-Isolation

Please alert school if you are self-isolating, so we can monitor the situation closely.

We have a small number of pupils and staff who are self-isolating at the current time and one pupil being tested for the virus, though we have had no confirmed cases of the virus within the community to date.

Isolation at school

In the event of a pupil becoming unwell and displaying Coronavirus symptoms at school we have made provision for an isolation room to be available.  We would contact parents with immediate effect and ask that you collect your child as a matter of urgency.

Additional measures

In the light of the latest information we have decided to take the following additional precautionary measures:

• Only essential visitors will be allowed onto the school site and will need to follow our COVID-19 Guidelines for Visitors
  
  
• All trips are cancelled until further notice (with the exception of DofE Gold which is still under review)
  
  
• All assemblies will be cancelled until further notice
  
  
• All sporting fixtures will be cancelled from after school today until further notice, Games and PE lessons will continue as normal
  
  
• All major school calendar events (with the exception of the parents’ evenings below) are cancelled or postponed
  
  
• The after-school sporting and non-sporting programme is continuing (with the exception of Rugby)
  
  
• The Prefect Inauguration at the end of term will be rescheduled to the Trinity Term

Parents’ Evenings

The Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening on Tuesday 17 March will go ahead but will now be conducted over the telephone. Subject teachers will contact parents alphabetically by surname over the course of the evening, using parents’ mobile numbers. Please make yourselves available for these calls. We will send further details of this on Monday.

The Year 11 Parents’ Q and A on Thursday 26 March will go ahead as an online event. More details will be sent to parents nearer the time.

Austrian Ski Trip Cancelled

The Austrian Ski Trip is now cancelled following the government’s announcement yesterday that schools are advised against taking trips abroad. The resort we were due to ski in has also announced that it is to close for the season from this Saturday. We are in liaison with the travel company and our insurers and a separate communication will be sent to all Ski Trip participants when more information is available.

GCSE and A-Level Exams

We recognise that pupils and parents will be concerned about the possible impact of coronavirus on the 2020 summer exam season. Our and Ofqual’s advice at this time is for pupils to continue to prepare for exams and other assessments as normal.

We continue to liaise closely with the exam boards, Ofqual and the Department for Education and will advise as more information becomes available.

Latest Government Advice Regarding Travel – please note this is liable to change before the Easter Holidays

Foreign & Commonwealth Office travel advice is constantly under review, so that it reflects their latest assessment of risks to British people.

In response to coronavirus measures they are advising against all and all but essential travel to some countries, cities and regions. They advise that you should check the travel advice for your destination and it is also possible to sign up for email alerts for your destination.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus#foreign--commonwealth-office-fco-travel-advice

If you are planning an overseas trip over the Easter holidays, we request that you alert us to any concerns, particularly should you need to self-isolate following a trip, so we can best advise you and discuss your child’s return to school.

Pupil social contact and sharing

We are asking that parents consider their child’s social interaction in and out of school to help slow down the spread of the virus. The government’s advice is that close contact (less than 2 metres) for 15 minutes or more significantly increases the risk of infection, therefore here are some things to consider for your children (and yourselves!):

• Avoiding attending non-essential events eg. parties, cinema etc
• Avoiding hosting sleepovers or group study sessions in your home
• Avoiding sharing equipment and resources eg. sports equipment and clothing
• Avoiding close contact activities, such as rugby

We also ask that pupils refrain from sharing drinks bottles, food and stationery with others, please ensure your child is self-sufficient when they come to school to avoid the need to borrow resources.

Home Learning

We are continuing to develop our planning and strategies and will shortly be issuing more information and advice for parents and pupils about Home Learning should that become a necessity.

Once again, many thanks for your understanding and co-operation at this time, it is hugely appreciated.

Ed Hester

The admissions process for Sixth Form entry in September 2020 is nearing its completion.  

The Headmaster and Head of Sixth Form have been interviewing potential scholars and existing scholarship holders over the last few weeks and assessments have taken place for Sixth Form Art, Drama, Music and Sport Scholarships.

Comments Ed Hester, ""It has been an absolute pleasure interviewing our Year 11s, there are many fine internal candidates and together with some excellent external candidates they promise to be an excellent Lower Sixth group going forward."

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

Those wishing to accept their place in Sixth Form need take no action, other than to check that their subjects are correct and let us know if there are any changes.  Those not wishing to take up the place have until Wednesday 22 April to inform the Headmaster, copying in the Registrar. 

Princethorpe has been taking part in British Science Week, a national celebration of Science run by the British Science Association. Encompassing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, throughout the week pupils from across the school have been enjoying entertaining and interesting activities designed to highlight the importance of Science and inspire and engage the next generation of scientists.

Pupils in Year’s 7, 8 and 9 have taken part in Biology, Chemistry and Physics lessons that have included bath bomb making and testing, meal worm choice chamber investigations and bridge building and testing. All of the lessons have combined hands on practical investigations and experiments with key scientific skills such as recording observations.

In Tutor Time pupils from Years 7 to 11 have faced design technology challenges, such as making the tallest spaghetti and marshmallow tower or constructing a balloon chair. They have also all participated in the inter-tutor Science Quiz which tested pupils’ knowledge across the science disciplines and beyond. 

Year 8 pupils also enjoyed a trip to the British Motor Museum where they participated in a series of science shows and activities with programmable RVR Robots, LEGO Gears workshops, Land Rover art activities and also explored the museum’ superb collection.

Science teacher, Rob Southern has held a series of science themed assemblies featuring an electric car, an amazing original Sinclair C5 from 1985, and Sixth Form Physics and Design Technology students have even had the chance to drive it.

Within the school pupils have had the chance to take part in a STEAM themed inter-house public speaking competition. Talking for three minutes on a topic related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Design or Maths to win points for their House. Finally, pupils have been producing posters on the theme of ‘Our Diverse Planet’ for a British Science Week competition.

Comments, Head of Science, Emma Cooper, "British Science Week has really allowed us to shine a spotlight on Science and provide a platform to engage pupils. They have enjoyed a wide range of fascinating and fun activities running alongside their normal day-to-day lessons."

The College is committed to providing the best science teaching and learning in the region, with plans presently at the detailed design phase for a new £8 million 10 laboratory dedicated Science Centre that will inspire generations of Princethorpe scientists for years to come.

Princethorpe’s Development Team is looking to recruit a talented team of telephone fundraisers for our summer campaign to raise money for our Science+ Campaign, to take place between 17 – 31 August (inclusive).

These roles are ideally suited to current Upper Sixth students and recent leavers and calling will take place on site at Princethorpe.

We fundraise in many ways already, but none of these are able to contact a large number of alumni and parents in a personal manner in the same way as a telephone campaign.

Our current Upper Sixth students are ideally placed to undertake this work as they will have the special Princethorpe link with those that they will be speaking to and will end up having many good conversations.

The calls aim to build and strengthen relationships, raise awareness, bring alumni back to the school and seek donations. This isn’t ‘cold calling’ - everyone that will be called will be sent a letter outlining that we are planning on contacting them, and are also given an option to choose not to receive a call. On average 40-50 per cent of those called will donate and the remainder will have enjoyed their conversations.

This is a fantastic, paid opportunity to gain some hands-on work experience in the field of fundraising. Full training (also paid) will be given. If you have a child in Upper Sixth who is a good communicator, is confident on the telephone, able to work well as part of a team and has the ability to deal with confidential information in a discrete and tactful manner, please ask them to apply by using the below link before 1 April;

https://buffalofc.formstack.com/forms/princethorpetelephonecampaign2020

The pay is £8.61/hr (including holiday pay) which equates to approximately £500 for the two-week campaign. Calling takes place evenings Monday – Friday and day times on Saturdays and Sundays. Callers must be available for the duration of the campaign. More information, including working hours, is available as part of the application pack, accessible via the above link.

For more information please speak to our Development Director on 01926 634265 or makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk.

Last Sunday 8 March, 91 walkers from Princethorpe College trudged just over 2,000 miles to raise money for the charity Mary’s Meals.  For the twelfth consecutive year Sixth Formers and staff laced up their walking boots and took on the challenge of walking 24 miles in seven hours.

The route followed a big loop around the side of Coventry from Ryton to Meridian, taking in varying terrain. This year’s relentless rain made for waterlogged conditions underfoot but thankfully the weather remained clement on the day.

Luke Brotherton, Ellis Chaplow, Louis Coleby, Thomas Crowfoot, William Crowfoot, Siôn Murphy and Tomas Wilcox crossed the finish line first completing the course in 6 hours and 41 minutes.

They were followed home by a procession of jubilant finishers with the final walker completing the challenge at 6.16pm.

Organiser of the event and Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Mr Rod Isaacs, commented, “As always there was a wonderful spirit of camaraderie along the route. Everyone was helping each other and keeping focused on the aim to raise as much money as possible for impoverished children around the world.”

However, the fundraising doesn’t stop there because on Sunday 5 April a team of walkers will attempt the Coventry Way Challenge, a 40-mile circular walk.

Through the College’s fundraising, 622 children at Makalanga Primary School, in Malawi, are already receiving a daily meal in school for the first time.

There is still plenty of time to support our Sixth Form walkers, who would appreciate your support.  They are aiming to beat last year’s total and raise over £10,000.

If you would like to donate, please visit:

www.marysmeals.org.uk/princethorpe-4-makalanga

Following a rigorous selection process Princethorpe College is delighted to announce that next year’s senior prefects have been chosen.  Our congratulations go to Abbie O’Carroll-Bailey and Jack Neale who will be Princethorpe’s new Head Girl and Head Boy.

Abbie and Jack were appointed following a pupil and staff vote and a final interview with Headmaster, Ed Hester.

The position of Head Boy and Head Girl are extremely important ones, they are the most senior student roles in the school, they are the leaders of our pupil community and an important link between pupils and staff.

Working closely alongside Abbie and Jack will be Lauren Mason, Grace McGrory, James Gallagher and Prajeet Prabakaran who have all been chosen as Deputies.

All of our senior Prefects play an ambassadorial role within the school and at high profile public events such as open days and Entrance Exams. They act as role models for the wider school community and together with the wider team of Prefects they play an important role at school events and activities.

The Old Princethorpians’ Pub Meet at Inside the 22 in Rugby on Friday 6 March, was the association's most popular pub meet ever with well over 50 OPs and Old Crescentians in attendance, including current and former members of staff.

There was a lovely friendly atmosphere as OPs from across the decades socialised and caught up with each other's news over drinks and a delicious buffet. The leavers of 2014 were once again out in force including former Head Boy, Paddy Mills and Head Girl Hannah Brindley, plus strong contingents from the Cahill, Lowe, Hedderwick, Hilditch and Lea families.

Our next gathering is the London Pub Meet at Balthazar, Covent Garden on Friday 15 May. Visit the events page at Princethorpe Connect to let us know if you would like to attend.

To see further pictures from the evening login to Princethorpe Connect here.

Princethorpe College was delighted to welcome world-famous British Jaguar car designer, Ian Callum CBE, owner and Director of Design at CALLUM, and Phil Popham, CEO of Lotus Cars, to the College on Tuesday 3 March 2020.  Mr Callum and Mr Popham visited the school to find out more about the College’s development plans for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) subjects.

On their visit Ian Callum and Phil Popham toured the school and grounds, taking in the Design and Technology workshops and the Art studios as well as the wider campus buildings and grounds. They also visited the site of the new Science building, heard about the school’s plans for improvements across the campus and the work underway to drive the Science+ fundraising campaign forward.

Ian Callum and Phil Popham were impressed by Princethorpe College’s strong design heritage commenting, “This school has got it right, the creative design and STEM subjects are hugely important for all our futures. It will be down to the young people of today to address the challenges and schools should be equipping them with the skills to do so. The design work on show here at the College is just amazing.”

During the tour Ian and Phil met with Sixth Form Product Design students and took time to answer their questions on a wide range of topics that ranged from their route into the design world and the process of design through to the challenges facing designers today.

Our Director of Development, said, “It’s been a privilege to welcome Ian and Phil to Princethorpe and showcase all of the fantastic work our pupils and staff are doing. We’re situated right in the heart of the UK automotive industry here in the West Midlands, and it has been incredibly valuable to hear from two giants of the car industry that we are getting things right here at Princethorpe with our STEAM agenda. Our Science+ Campaign, which includes the building of a brand-new, 10 laboratory Science Centre embodies our STEAM agenda, which will not only transform our teaching and learning of Science, but also hugely upgrade our Art department.”

On Tuesday 3 March the U13A Girls Netball team took part in the ISA Midlands Netball Tournament in Loughborough. Taking part were seven teams from across the Midlands region and the competition kicked off with a round robin tournament.

Princethorpe started with a good win, 12-1, against Tettenhall College. Bedstone College were next and in a close match against a strong team the girls were disappointed to go down 8-10. They then played tournament hosts, Loughborough Amherst School and claimed an excellent 15-0 win.  In three further fast-paced matches the girls beat Stafford Grammar School 11-7, St Dominic’s Grammar School 16-4 and RGS Dodderhill 12-6.  That put them through to the semi-finals.

In the semi-final the team faced RGS Dodderhill again and another strong team performance helped them to another 15-4 win.

The final was against Bedstone College, so the girls knew they had a challenge on their hands. They worked extremely hard, putting into practise all their training; providing plenty of passing options, marking tight to force turnovers, protecting and maintaining possession of the ball which provided plenty of scoring opportunities. It was a very close match but the girls never gave up and were able to force two crucial turnovers in the last 30 seconds of the game to win 12-11.

Team Coach, Ellie Callan, was delighted and commented, “We had an excellent day and the girls gave 100% showing high levels of grit, determination and perseverance in every game. They made progress in each match and it was great to see the team grow in confidence throughout the tournament. The girls communicated well, were composed when in possession of the ball and put great amounts of pressure on their opposition forcing several crucial turnovers. The highlight of the day has to be the final game, where the girls played some of the best netball I have seen them play this season. A fantastic performance by all involved.”

Playing for Princethorpe College were Year 8s: Sammie Borland, Georgia Dowling, Abigail Gillard, Emily Hennegan, Honor-Mae Minshull, Anna Reay, Rosie Reeve, Mia Samra, Liv Sarkies and Sage Westbury (Captain).

Congratulations to the U13A netball team they were worthy winners of this year’s ISA Midlands Tournament.  Onward to the Nationals now! 

The College's GCSE and A-level pupils mesmerised their audience on Tuesday 3 March with a stunning evening of devised and scripted work. 

Year 10s' original creations Liese, Everyman and Vi Rose portrayed powerful and emotive visions of the Holocaust, dystopian rebellions and cyber bullying. Whilst Year 11s gave a variety of beautifully observed and convincing portrayals of characters from plays such as Blink, Tissue and Art.

The evening ended with a mature and highly topical expressionistic piece entitled This is not a moment - It is a Movement, performed by Charlotte Fitzpatrick and Elsa Isaacs with a maturity and vigour beyond their years.

Joint Head of Drama, Aileen Cefaliello, said, “Congratulations and well done to all the pupils involved and a huge thank you to our audience for supporting the performance and especially for all the astute and critical feedback.”

Click on the attachment below to download the latest ‘In the News’ posters featuring some of the Foundation's recent media coverage.

In the News

In the last few months we have had stories in the local press including the Leamington Courier, Kenilworth News, Rugby Advertiser, Rugby and Lutterworth Observer, and the Stratford Herald.  The Foundation has also been featured in the Catholic Universe and the Independent Schools’ magazine Attain.

Four Warwickshire primary school teams took part in Princethorpe College’s High 5 Netball Tournament. Welford-on-Avon Primary School was joined by Ettington Church of England Primary School, Radford Semele Church of England Primary School and Claverdon Primary School.

The competition took place on Tuesday 10 March on the College’s outside netball courts and the teams had the chance to test their skills against their opponents in a round robin of matches playing to England Netball High 5 netball rules; a popular entry format of the traditional game that has players rotating positions and ensures the ball keeps moving. With vocal support from the side-lines, the children threw themselves enthusiastically into the matches clearly enjoying the competitive nature of the tournament.

Umpired by Princethorpe’s Young Sports Leaders, you could see the children’s skills developing game by game as they took on board feedback and suggestions. Each team played three 10-minute matches.

After completing the first round the teams all played one further match to decide the final placings. Claverdon faced Radford Semele in a fast-paced final, both teams played with flair and enthusiasm but Claverdon just clinched the title 1-0 with a super shot on goal.

Presenting the certificates, PE Teacher and Primary Schools Sports Liaison, Hannah Carminati, said, “It was great to welcome all the teams to Princethorpe and to be able to offer these young players the chance to play in a netball tournament.  All the pupils were so enthusiastic; I saw great ball work, tremendous teamwork and plenty of energy on court today.”

Well done to all of the players and thanks also to Princethorpe’s umpires, Mia Darling, Maddie Glasspool, Mia Hornett, Nell Johnston and Emelia Tubb, for officiating all the games.

The latest edition of the College's Admissions Update e-newsletter has just been published. This issue is packed with news to give prospective parents and pupils a feel for College life, information on forthcoming open days and events and helpful advice about the admissions process, particularly for those who are looking at entry in September 2021.

The newsletter is issued twice a year to coincide with key admissions periods, the next edition will be published in Autumn 2020, just prior to our Entrance Exams on Saturday 7 November 2020.

Click here to go to the Admissions Update newsletter.

Or if you have any queries relating to admissions please feel free to email the team at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634201.

With the fast-changing situation regarding COVID-19 it is with regret that we have decided to cancel or postpone all major school calendar events (with the exception of parent's evenings see below) until further notice.

In addition:

• All trips are cancelled until further notice (with the exception of DofE Gold which is still under review)
• All sporting fixtures will be cancelled from after school today until further notice, Games and PE lessons will continue as normal
• The after-school sporting and non-sporting programme is continuing (with the exception of Rugby)
• The Prefect Inauguration at the end of term will be rescheduled to the Trinity Term

Parents’ Evenings

The Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening on Tuesday 17 March will go ahead but will now be conducted over the telephone. Subject teachers will contact parents alphabetically by surname over the course of the evening, using parents’ mobile numbers. Please make yourselves available for these calls. We will send further details of this on Monday.

The Year 11 Parents’ Q and A on Thursday 26 March will go ahead as an online event. More details will be sent to parents nearer the time.

We apologise for any disappointment or inconvenience this may cause.

It is our intention is to reschedule the Careers Fair, which was due to take place on Saturday 21 March, to next year on Saturday 20 March 2021.

We hope that you will be able to put this date in your diary now and in the New Year we will firm up the programme and alert parents and pupils to the registration process. 

Year 11 and Upper Sixth Mock Exam Reports will be published to the parent portals today, Friday 13 March 2020.  Once published, you will receive an email notification advising that the reports are available to view on My School Portal.

For Upper Sixth parents, there will be an opportunity to discuss your child’s report at the forthcoming Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening on Tuesday 17 March 2020.

We look forward to seeing you then.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic

The Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening on Tuesday 17 March will go ahead but will now be conducted over the telephone. Subject teachers will contact parents alphabetically by surname over the course of the evening, using parents’ mobile numbers. Please make yourselves available for these calls. We will send further details of this on Monday. 

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head – Teaching and Learning

Reports for Year 8 will be posted out on Friday 20 March 2020.  They will also be available to view on My School Portal.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic
 

Progress Reports for Year 9 and Lower Sixth will be published on Friday 20 March 2020, and will be available to view on My School Portal.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic 

We are now well and truly in the final ‘sprint’ towards our external and internal exams.  

Achieving confidence with exam questions is now vital. One way of achieving this it to have a go at the Working Smarter idea from the Mindset books by Griffin and Oakes.  Please find attached here an article on Working Smarter to Ensure Effective Revision.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Please click for here the Easter holiday homework expectations.

Thank you 

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Year 11 Exams - Important Dates

Formal lessons end for Year 11 on Friday 1 May 2020 and the GCSE exam period runs from Monday 11 May 2020 until Wednesday 24 June 2020. Please read the notice from Shellagh Dodds, our Examinations and Assessments Manager, very carefully. It gives important information regarding exam timetables and the need for all pupils to be available up to and including Wednesday 24 June.

Year 11 Exams - Study Period Arrangements 

Following the end of their formal lessons on Friday 1 May, Year 11 pupils may revise at home and come in only for their timetabled exams. Year 11 teachers will follow their usual timetable and be available to help pupils for the following week, 4 to 7 May. Any pupils wishing to come in to take advantage of that assistance must follow their full timetable for the days that they come in that week. Any pupils wishing to continue their independent study in school from Monday 11 May must report to one of the allocated study rooms and remain there for the day. Year 11 will have break, tutor time and lunch as per our normal school timetable.

Maintaining an accurate record of who has come in to study and where they are is of course essential from a Health and Safety perspective. Pupils who come into school must make sure to sign in and be registered either in their timetabled lessons initially or in their specific allocated study base from then on. Any pupils who do not follow those rules will have to revise at home.

Thank you for your support.

May I take this opportunity to wish all of Year 11 the very best of luck for their GCSEs. They have been working very hard and we have been delighted with the progress that the vast majority of pupils have already made between their first and second mock exams. They are on the home straight now. I am sure that they will reflect carefully on their mocks and take full advantage of the revision guidance they have received and the time they have left to prepare.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic

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

13 March       Year 11 and Upper Sixth Mock Reports published

16 March       CeFS exam resit - Part B written exam at 9.00am

18 March       January 2020, BTEC exam results published

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

20 April         CeFS resit results published

External Examinations

Personalised exam timetables are available to view on the Pupil and Parent Portals under the heading: Exam Timetable. A copy of the Candidate Booklet for Written Exams can be downloaded here. It’s important that pupils read this booklet as it contains the rules and regulations they must abide by as well as a lot of other useful information.

All pupils with an exam clash have been notified of the change to their timetable. If anyone has not received this information please come to The Exams Office in Room S38. IGCSE Language Exams: all languages show both the Listening exam and the Reading and Writing exam starting at the same time. This is not a clash; the Listening exam will take place at the time shown and the Reading and Writing exam will follow. GCSE History Exams: on both dates the timetable shows 2 papers with a different option code and no duration. The scheduled duration for each History exam is 2 hours.

Shellagh Dodds
Examinations and Assessment Manager

I hope you were able to attend the Year 9 and 10 Academic Review Evening on Monday 2 March and that you found it informative and helpful.

Presentations from the Academic Review Evening are available below:

Making the Most of Online Resources for Revision

Find Out More - Princethorpe's Science+ Campaign

A Taste of Sixth Form at Princethorpe

Learning Skills

Dr Liz Pyne 
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Please note that the Year 8 and 9 immunisations are being postponed.  We will contact all parents when we have the new date.

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

Paula Greig
Senior Matron

Members of the Upper Sixth Form should only drive and park on school premises with the permission of the school.  This is so the school can discharge its responsibilities to everyone including pedestrians and drivers on the campus as well as to the driver. The school has received complaints from both pupils and parents about unauthorised parking.

Sixth Formers who have passed their driving test may complete the required paperwork and leave it with Nicola Browne, the Foundation Shop Manager. As soon as we think we can cope with more cars then we will issue permits to those on the waiting list.

To receive permission the Sixth Former must:

• have the consent of their parents and the Head of Sixth Form;
• provide their full driving licence and their current insurance certificate;
• have a briefing from the Head of Sixth form on safe driving and required behaviour on campus;
• agree to abide by the required Code of Conduct.

There is an administration fee of £30 for the provision of a parking permit which provides access to parking, an electronic fob and a parking permit. The charge for lost fobs is £10 and for lost discs £5.

The forms to apply for a permit are on the VLE and are also available from the School Shop. When completed, including the signature of a parent and the Head of Sixth Form, the Sixth Former should take them, together with their full driving licence (both the card and the paper section) and current insurance certificate to the School Shop.

If the contract is broken then the permission to drive to school will be withdrawn by the school. Please note that Sixth Formers park at their own risk and that the school does not accept liability for accidents, damage or loss incurred.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

The British Red Cross is looking to recruit volunteers to support the work of the Portuguese Red Cross for 12 month placements in and around Braga and to support the work of the French Red Cross for 12 month placements in different areas across France (September 2020 - August 2021). As part of the European Solidarity Corps (EuSC) scheme, all IYVP placements have a community focus, spanning a wide range of different services. All of the placements are fully funded, with travel, accommodation, health insurance costs all covered and volunteers receive a small monthly allowance to cover additional expenses.

Volunteers will be working in local communities to support a range of vulnerable groups and to help reduce social isolation. This is the perfect opportunity for those interested in gaining valuable skills, having new experiences and giving back to the community. Experience and fluency in the language are not requirements, although the placements can be challenging and require adaptability and resilience. 

These roles are open to all UK residents aged 18-30 years. Please apply via their website – the closing date is 15 March 2020. 

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

Student Finance applications for students starting their university study later this year are open now.

Please see below some top application tips.

Gather together the right information
To apply, students will need to gather the following information:

·         Passport (or original birth/adoption certificate)

·         University and course details

·         National Insurance number

·         Bank details

Parents who are supporting the application may find it helpful to have their P60 for 2017/18 and any other income information to hand.

Apply early
Students should apply as soon as they can by 

Apply early (before the end of May) to ensure that you receive your loan payments in time for the start of the university term. You can do this by visiting www.gov.uk/student-finance

If you are planning to take a gap year, then you don’t need to apply now; you will need to make your application at this time next year.

Apply even if you don’t have a confirmed place
It doesn’t matter if you haven't yet decided where it is you want to study. Just apply using your current first choice and this can be updated easily later through your online account.

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers

Many congratulations to Princethorpe College pupils, Year 11, Paddy Grace and Lower Sixth Former, Cameron Taylor, who played for Warwickshire U17s in their match against Oxfordshire on Sunday 1 March.

Both boys gave their all and Paddy scored two tries to help the team to an excellent 27-10 win. It really is fantastic to have so many pupils that play at County level.  Their experiences can only benefit the College’s squads.

As the Lent term draws to a close, we start moving our thoughts to the Trinity term and cricket season.  The cricket kit is not compulsory, however, for those who will be representing the College and those who would like to be wearing the kit we offer a cricket shirt, trousers and sleeveless slipover.  As a general guide we normally run an A and a B team for U12 through to U15’s and as such the team must be wearing the school kit.

All orders must be placed before the end of the school day on Tuesday 17 March 2020 using the order form here and they will be available to collect from the school shop from the start of the Trinity term on, Monday 20 April 2020 subject to availability.

A set of kit is available in the School Shop for you to try on for size, although the white PE Polo is a good size guide.

If you need any help with your order please contact Nicola Browne on 01926 634272.

Nicola Browne
Foundation Shop Manager

Any items of sports kit that require initialling during the Easter break can be brought into the school shop prior to Thursday 26 March 2020. Please note all articles of clothing must be new or freshly laundered if they are to be sent to the embroiderers.  Items will be ready for collection from the school shop when school reopens on Monday 20 April 2020.

Nicola Browne
Foundation Shop Manager

As you will be aware from the Headmaster's email and message in today's Flagpole we have decided to cancel or postpone all trips until further notice (with the exception of DofE Gold which is still under review) as a precautionary measure given the current situation with Coronavirus. We are sorry to disappoint pupils, however we hope you and they understand our caution at attending large scale events and public venues at this moment in time:

We will continue to follow Public Health England guidelines closely and will contact parents at the earliest opportunity via EVOLVE, should the situation change. 

Austrian Ski Trip Cancelled

The Austrian Ski Trip is now cancelled following the government’s announcement yesterday that schools are advised against taking trips abroad. The resort we were due to ski in has also announced that it is to close for the season from this Saturday. We are in liaison with the travel company and our insurers and a separate communication will be sent to all Ski Trip participants when more information is available.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me on neilmccollin@princethorpe.co.uk. Thank you for your patience and understanding at this time. 

Mr Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

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

A term’s notice is required if a pupil will not be returning to the school. Notice has to be received by the first day of term, Monday 20 April 2020 but for parents of pupils in Year 11 notice must be received by Wednesday 22 April 2020.  Notice must be in writing, addressed to the Headmaster and copying in Vanessa Rooney, the Registrar at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.  

All letters are acknowledged within seven days; if you do not receive an acknowledgement then please contact the Registrars immediately at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Please see below our current vacancies:

• Teacher of Physics
• Electrician
• Learning Support Teacher - Crackley Hall
• Teacher - KS2 - Crackley Hall
• Teaching Assistant - KS1 - Crescent School

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.

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

2019-20 (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 (two page document)

Cyber-crime – please be vigilant

Parents are asked to be vigilant when reading emails relating to the payment of school fees and any other items to the Foundation.

We continue to receive reports regarding spam emails being sent to parents of independent schools asking them to pay future fees to a ‘new’ school bank account.

Please be advised there has been no change to the bank details of either Princethorpe College, Crackley Hall or Crescent and there is no intention to make any changes in the foreseeable future. Any electronic notification that appears to be from any of the Foundation schools changing these details may be fraudulent.

Our bank details are available on the Parent Bills, the Online Payment Portal and for Princethorpe in the Princethorpe College Information Booklet 2019 – 2020, and only those details should be used.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or my colleagues in the Bursary if you are have any doubts about the correct details or indeed if anything appears suspicious.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar