The Flagpole

Exciting news for our exam classes in Years 11, Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth, is that Princethorpe has joined a new venture called ‘The VESPA Academy’.

This will build on our work using the ideas of Martin Griffin and Steve Oakes and their publications of ‘The GCSE Mindset’ and ‘The A-level Mindset’. Our pupils have been using the concepts of VESPA via their Learning Skills sessions with tutors, but now they will have the opportunity to create bespoke activities for themselves to support their study skills using the online package.

The five key principles of VESPA are: Vision, Effort, Systems, Practice and Attitude. Ensuring our pupils secure these principles for their studies are our main focus. The Vespa Academy will be launched to Year 11, Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth on 19 November 2020 and then they will be supported by their tutors on their journey of activities which will support their study and revision skills. 

For more information on 'The VESPA Academy please click here.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Monday 23 November 2019 – 6.00pm To 7.30pm

As part of our VESPA strategy, Princethorpe College will be holding a virtual, interactive GCSE revision evening, on Monday 23 November between 6.00pm and 7.30pm, for the parents and pupils in Year 11.

It will be hosted by Martin Griffin who has worked with more than sixty schools to develop effective character education systems using the VESPA model. During the session, Martin will explore the key principles of having a positive and proactive learning mindset and share tools and strategies for effective coaching and intervention with parents and equip parents and pupils with practical ideas and strategies to support their children throughout their GCSE courses. We do hope that Year 11 parents and pupils will be able to join us for what promises to be a very useful and informative evening.

All Year 11 parents will receive a letter shortly detailing more information about the event and also a booklet which has been written to support parents through the process of revision and exams.

If you wish to attend, please complete the form here.  

We look forward to you joining this event. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at lizpyne@princethorpe.co.uk

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Now we are in to the second half term, it is important to recognise the stresses and demands on our Lower Sixth students. You should have noticed the level of study has increased somewhat but be aware that this level of load can cause difficulties and anxieties. Here are some tips to support your youngster.

Encourage your youngster to ask for help when they need it – seeking out a teacher before stress starts to build up is essential. This could be as simple as finding the teacher before class, chatting to their tutor or sharing worries with friends.

Stay organised – consider how your youngster is scheduling their time and ensure that they are setting aside time for each subject throughout the week. Encourage them to start assignments early, set deadlines and make the most of study periods in the school day.

Mix up your study routine – talk to your youngster about staying focused and positive during their study time. It is important that they use a variety of study techniques from using flashcards or mind maps, writing summaries and watching online tutorials to getting a friend or family member to quiz them, completing practice tests under exam conditions and working through questions from the text book.

Take time to research your post-school options – get your youngster thinking about their future aspirations. Taking time to research and make plans for post-school life can provide a nice break from studies, while also helping them to stay motivated by reminding them of the bigger picture. This may include researching institutions and courses of interest, organising things for a gap year and putting together course applications.

Stay calm and keep things in perspective – Sixth Form studies are rewarding but also demanding. Your youngster’s mental health is a vital component to success. The current situation is difficult for many of our young people and the support of parents and the school is crucial.  Please do contact us if you have worries or concerns about your child at any time.

For more suggestions, please click on this link.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Thursday 12 November - 6.00pm to 8.30pm

Following the success of our virtual Year 8 Parents' Evening, we intend to hold our Lower Sixth A-level Information Evening in the same way. You are invited to attend a live Microsoft Teams talk by Dr Reddish explaining what the ALIS predictions are and how we can use them, and then a personal Teams meeting with your child’s tutor or member of the Sixth Form Team to discuss your child’s individual ALIS predictions, progress and future targets. The meetings will follow a very similar format to what would normally occur at our Academic Review Evenings on site. Further information and instructions on how to make your bookings have been sent by iSAMS.

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday 12 November.

Ben Collie, Head of Sixth Form
Dr Michael Reddish, Deputy Head - Academic

To support the progress of our Year 11, we will be offering Microsoft Teams meetings with your child’s tutor to discuss progress and future targets. The meetings will follow a very similar format to what would normally occur at our Academic Review Evenings on site.

Between Monday 2 November and Friday 6 December 2020, tutors will be in touch (by email) to make a convenient time for the meeting. During the meeting tutors will have information to share about current progress for your child.  It will be an opportunity for you to discuss all subjects and overall study skills. Importantly, targets will be made for further improvement and for the mock exams and therefore it is expected that pupils will also attend the meeting.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced that GCSE, AS and A-level exams will go ahead next summer but will start three weeks later – on 7 June and end on 2 July 2021 for almost all subjects. Additionally, there will be one Maths and one English GCSE before half term; we will notify you of exact dates when we have these. The full timetable will be made available on the Flagpole as soon as we have it. 

Results days will be Tuesday 24 August for A-levels and Friday 27 August for GCSEs.

Calendar Michaelmas Second Half Term 2020

23 November - GCSE Autumn Series exams end

27 November - Year 7 and Year 10 Progress Reports published

4 December - Year 8 Progress Report published

Subject Specifications

Pupils wishing to buy revision booklets or revise online may need to know the exam board and exact exam specification for each subject they are studying.

The A-level subject specifications for next summer (2021) are available to view here. 

Subject specifications for Lower School for next summer (2021), including GCSEs, are available here.

Shellagh Dodds
Examination and Assessment Manager

Tuesday 24 November 2020 - 6.00pm to 8.30pm

The Year 7 Parents’ Evening will take place on Tuesday 24 November 2020 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. It will be hosted virtually through of a series of Microsoft Teams meetings with your child's teachers. Meetings will be booked online in five-minute slots. Further details will follow on how to book the appointments.

Please be aware that for subjects where teachers teach more than one set, teachers may be in contact with you via email before the Parents’ Evening to update you as to your child's progress as there will be more pupils than available meetings.

You can find a list of your child's teachers under Teacher Contacts on MySchoolPortal.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic