The Flagpole

After the significant rise in COVID cases amongst the pupils in the first few weeks of term, I am pleased to be able to report that the number of cases has continued to fall this week. As a result, we are removing the requirement for pupils to wear a face mask in the classroom from Monday 4 October. We will still ask pupils to wear face masks in the corridors as they move around the campus and on the school buses unless they have an exemption.

Whilst the number of cases has dropped, we clearly need to remain vigilant and I would ask you all to continue to support the regular twice weekly home testing please.

We are delighted that we now have all year groups fully back on competitive sports fixtures and it was really good to see the U12 C, D and E teams representing the College this afternoon in glorious sunshine against the Coventry Schools Foundation – for many this was their very first game. Sadly, I fear tomorrow’s fixtures will be played in torrential rain if the forecast is correct.

Today we also saw the Lower Sixth depart on their outward bound trip to Dearne Valley in the North East – I hope the weather is kind to them. I’m sure it will be a really enjoyable and valuable experience as was the trip to Whitemoor Lakes for the Year 7s last weekend. I echo the thanks of many parents to all the staff who are giving up their weekends to enable these opportunities for pupils across the school.

Finally, a reminder to any parent with a child aged 12-15 who wishes to take up the NHS offer for them to receive a Covid vaccination, the deadline for giving consent via the NHS portal is 12 noon on Thursday 7 October. Information was emailed to you earlier this week and is repeated in the Pastoral Section on today’s Flagpole.

With best wishes to you all for a relaxing weekend, 

E D Hester
Headmaster 

We wish the very best of luck to all the London Marathon runners who will be pounding the streets of London this coming Sunday. We are all behind you and your amazing charities.

And excitingly, this year there are some ‘Princethorpe’ runners who deserve our extra special support.

Two staff members are taking on the marathon challenge this weekend:

Assistant Head - Director of Digital Strategy, Andy Compton, is running for the UK Sepsis Trust in memory of his good friend Rich, you can find out more and support him here.

Head of MFL, Stella Keenan, who missed out on running when last year’s event was cancelled, is asking people to support her by donating to the school’s fundraising for Mary’s Meals, you can support her here.

Then there are also two Old Princethorpian runners this year:

Imo Butler (Class of 2018) who is rising to the challenge of this year’s test of endurance for Sarcoma UK. Imogen is running in memory of a family friend Ellen, who sadly lost her battle with sarcoma cancer last year. You can find out more and support her here.

Rich Sibbick (Class of 1994) ran the virtual 2020 London marathon last year and is taking the challenge on for real this time on behalf of the NSPCC, you can find out more and support him here. 

We hope it all goes well for everyone – just remember to start steadily and keep going! We have huge admiration for you all.

Four Princethorpe pupils represented Warwickshire in the English Schools’ Athletics Association Combined Events Championships at Bedford International Athletic Stadium on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September 2021. The boys had qualified for the event back in June and were the only County team participating with all the athletes from the same school.

Year 10 pupils, Anjola Okusanya, Vincent McNevin and Ben Smith and Year 9, André Onyekwe, competed in the Junior Boys Pentathlon that included five different events – the 80m Hurdles, Shot, Long Jump, High Jump and 800m.

The team finished in a very respectable seventh place overall against competitors from 18 County teams. On the day the boys all ran personal bests in the 800m, a superb achievement, and Vincent delivered personal bests in every event.

Their individual finishes were as follows:

• André Onyekwe 20th
• Vincent McNevin 24th
• Ben Smith 28th
• Anjola Okusanya 36th

Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, commented, “It was a fantastic effort from the boys, they did brilliantly. They have been training hard with limited opportunities to compete. They faced the best athletes from across the country and really rose to the challenge. It was an impressive performance from them all, and they are already looking forward to the athletics season next year.”

Congratulations to them all but especially to Ben who discovered subsequent to the event that he had competed all day with a broken metatarsal but still managed to deliver his best.

Princethorpe College Lower Sixth Former, Molly Wincott-Thomas, has been reselected for the Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) U18 Girls National Squad.

As part of the ISFA U18 Squad, during the 2021/22 season, Molly will take part in a programme of development camps, first in Cambridge over the October half term and then at the English FA’s national football centre, St George’s Park in December, before representing England in ISFA fixtures in early 2022.

Molly started playing football with Rugby Town Girls when she was four years old. She also played for Leicester City Ladies Development Centre Junior teams for three years and now plays for Birmingham City Football Club’s Academy. She first qualified for the ISFA teams back in 2019 and is delighted to have been re-selected.

Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, comments, “We are delighted for Molly this is great recognition for her, it’s a real achievement.”

Molly Wincott-Thomas said, “Although, unfortunately I was unable to attend the selection trials last weekend due to injury, I’m really glad I was still selected based on my performance the previous season. It’s an amazing to be picked out by the selectors and have the opportunity to play in the national squad.”

Year 9 pupil, André Onyekwe, along with five of his teammates from Leamington Swimming Club, has been selected for the Swim England National Development Programme. His training is about to increase as he also moves into the performance squad at his local club.

André has been on form, at the West Midlands Region Festival of Swimming in July, André swam long course personal bests in the 100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly and in the 100m Backstroke.

Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, comments, “We are very proud of André and how he manages his academic and sporting endeavours. We were absolutely delighted to hear this exciting news and will continue to support him as his training schedule moves to the commitment of daily training.”

A fantastic achievement, good luck to André!

Princethorpe College pupils and staff have marked the start of the new academic year by participating in an online Assembly led by Father Alan Whelan MSC. Over the last two weeks, in their Tutor groups, pupils have paused to consider and reflect on this year’s whole school Chaplaincy theme of ‘Hope’.

Father Alan explained that hope is a powerful force for good and one that is especially appropriate in these pandemic times. It is the belief that things will work out, especially when it might seem otherwise. The theme for this year is symbolised by an anchor, a sign of strength and security and in his prayers Father Alan reminded pupils that ‘Lord you are our hope, our anchor and our harbour of safety’.

All pupils were invited to complete a card to record their own personal hopes for the year and the cards have been collected and put on display just outside the College Chapel. Surrounding the anchor and pegged individually by the Chaplaincy prefects they make a powerful visual representation of the hopes of the College community.

The theme of Hope is one that will be revisited across the school year.

Year 8 have a new addition to the curriculum this year, Outdoor Education. Led by Head of Outdoor Education, Will Bower, ably supported by Foundation Grounds Manager, Edd Robertson, pupils have been enjoying getting outside in the early autumnal weather and participating in different conservation activities. Whether maintaining the orienteering course, installing a new seating area by the beehives or cutting back overgrown brambles, it’s been a great opportunity to discover and explore Princethorpe’s own wild places. In their Outdoor Education lessons, Year 8 are working towards the John Muir Award, a recognised scheme that encourages awareness and responsibility for the natural environment. They will complete the Discovery Award this year. It's been great to see them out in the fresh air doing good while having fun – well done Year 8!

Year 7 were lucky with the weather last weekend as they enjoyed a wonderful three-day programme at Whitemoor Lakes Outdoor Residential Centre.

128 pupils took part in an itinerary that included fencing, canoeing, climbing, high ropes and problem solving. In small groups they rotated around the different activities, working together to complete the challenges they were set. In the evenings they enjoyed team games and dancing at the fabulous Saturday night disco. With no mobiles, Year 7 were off the grid and had time for plenty of old-fashioned fun.

There were lots of opportunities for pupils to develop their team working skills and the activities all helped to encourage initiative and develop resilience and social awareness. Over the weekend Year 7 all grew in confidence having approached new challenges with determination and enthusiasm and enjoyed a memorable three days.

Deputy Head – Pastoral, Beth Sharpe said, “This was a fantastic opportunity for our Year 7 pupils to bond together as a year group. They had an amazing time and were really supportive of one another as they worked together.  I know they have come back into school with new friends and better able to work together as a team.”

Well done to everyone and a big thank you to all the staff and sixth formers who supported the trip.

Year 7 begin their RS studies at Princethorpe with an introduction to the origins of the College and its predecessor, the catholic community of St Mary’s Priory. Exploring the College’s history gives an excellent insight into the school and its ethos and is a really great way to bring pupils’ initial RS studies vividly to life.

In their first few lessons pupils tour the school exploring the Chapel, the Cloisters and even the Nuns’ cemetery. They also all take part in one of the must dos for pupils and staff at Princethorpe College, a climb to the top of the Tower. It can be seen from miles around, is integral to the College’s identity and even features on the school crest.

The Foundation’s archivist, Janette Ratcliffe, also leads a lesson sharing the story of the Benedictine nuns’ journey from Montargis in France, to England and their travels until they eventually settle at Princethorpe in 1835. Her fascinating potted history of the College includes the key figures involved in the construction of the buildings the school community uses today, as well as insights into the daily lives of the people who lived here. Pupils even get to handle some of the intriguing items held in the College’s archives including the ceremonial mallet used to lay the first stone for Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, presented by the builders who constructed the Chapel for the occasion.

Year 7 have found it all fascinating and have asked plenty of interesting questions but it’s their turn now to add to the College’s unique history.

You can find more on the College's history on the OPs Page of our website here.

In the UK four out of five adults regret not having learned another language, but that is something no Princethorpe pupil will ever be able to say. At the College there are many opportunities to get excited about languages and celebrating European Day Of Languages is always a popular activity every year. Originally set up by the Council of Europe in 2001, Journée Européenne Des Langues promotes the importance of language learning and takes place every year on 26 September.

This year the MFL and House teams have once again challenged staff and pupils to take part in fun language-based activities. Staff were challenged to use a foreign language in their lessons, either speaking it or including it in the lesson activity with pupils acting as judges and completing feedback forms, the results will be announced next week.

Pupils gathered excitedly outside at break time to answer a wide range of language-based questions in a trivia quiz. Every correct answer won a point for their House, with Benet claiming victory excitedly. It was fast and furious and very competitive, all a lot of fun while helping to inspire all our pupils too!

In the third week of term, across two days, 35 Upper Sixth Formers visited Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve to take part in an essential field trip.

The students each spent a day on the reserve collecting data and writing up two core ecology practicals. The first investigated the effect of an abiotic factor (light) on the distribution of plant growth (grass, moss, bramble). The second investigated the effect of sampling technique on estimating plant density (silver birch saplings, bramble, thistle). Both investigations involved collecting raw data, drawing kite diagrams and box and whisker plots and statistical analysis on data.

Located just north of Princethorpe, Brandon Marsh is a hidden gem and well worth a visit. The Sixth Formers made the most of the experience, as they carried out their practical work, the weather was gorgeous, and the students were happy to be outside working hard, and they also enjoyed their lunch!

Princethorpe’s primary schools' sports programme kicked off early this year with the U10s football tournament in only the third week of term. Taking part were four teams from local primary schools, who were all more than delighted to get out in the glorious autumn sunshine and enjoy the chance to play football on the College’s playing fields.

Princethorpe’s Primary School Sport Liaison Teacher, Hannah Carminati, masterminded the event and had the teams straight out on to two pitches playing 10 minute, each-way matches. Refereed by Princethorpe Sixth Form Sports Leaders, the mixed teams of girls and boys threw themselves into each game enjoying the opportunity to put their skills to the test in a competitive environment.

The coaches gave good side-line support, shouting advice to their players whose enthusiasm was clear to see. Matches were fast paced, and the teams focused. The ball was moved skilfully up and down the pitch and there were plenty of shots at goal.

Congratulations go to overall winners St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, who were delighted to go one better than last time and take the title, and to St Lawrence Primary School who came second.

Miss Carminati enjoyed seeing all the talent on display commenting, “We had lots of positive feedback and the event was a real success. It was lovely to see the children having so much fun; they all deserve huge congratulations for their energy and enthusiasm. It was fantastic to have teams visiting us again and to see everyone with a smile on their face.”

Our thanks go to all of the staff and pupils involved in the organising and running of the tournament and to the many parents who turned up to support the children.

Thursday 7 October 2020 - 10.00am to 3.00pm

Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery, in Kenilworth, are opening their doors for an Open Day on Thursday 7 October from 10.00am - 3.00pm by appointment only. There are just a few places left, so please contact Mrs Jenny Vaughan, Admissions Secretary, at admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk if you are interested in attending. 

A Nursery and Reception Open Evening will also take place at the school on Thursday 19 November between 7.00pm and 8.00pm. This is aimed at giving parents an insight into the Early Years at Crackley Hall and Little Crackers. Mrs Susan Glen-Roots, the Assistant Head for Early Years, will be on hand, as well as the rest of the Reception and Little Crackers Team. This event will also be by appointment only.

To book your place please click here

For more information please contact our Admissions Secretary, Mrs Jenny Vaughan on 01926 514410 or by email admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk or visit the school's website www.crackleyhall.co.uk.

Friday 8 October 2021 - 6.30pm to 10.30pm

The OPs eagerly-awaited London Meet takes place next Friday 8 October. The event is our first face to face function since March 2020 when we had a bumper turnout in Rugby.

This event is proving equally popular as we have had such a lot of interest, that we have had to move from Le Petit to Le Grand Salon Prive on the first floor of French Restaurant, Balthazar, in London’s Covent Garden.

The Old Princethorpians Committee will be laying on some delicious, complimentary food and of course a welcome drink for all those attending.

There is still time for OPs to book their place via Princethorpe Connect, to do so please visit this link by 6.00pm on Monday 4 October.

We’re really looking forward to seeing everyone and catching up!

Friday 8 October 2021 - 10.00am to 3.00pm

The Crescent School, the Foundation's junior school for 4 to 11 year olds in Bilton, Rugby, is opening its doors for an Open Day on Friday 8 October from 10.00am - 3.00pm by appointment only.

This is an opportunity to look around the school on a normal working day and to meet the school's Headmaster, Joe Thackway.

The school is now accepting registrations for Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 for September 2022 entry. 

The early bird deadline for September 2022 admission is Friday 15 October 2021.

The Crescent is also planning to hold a Reception Open Evening on Tuesday 16 November between 7.00pm and 8.00pm, which will give parents an insight into the Early Years at Crescent and the firm foundation the school gives children for their future learning. Once again this will be an appointment only event.

To book your place please click here

For more information please contact the Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley on 01788 523851 or by email at admissions@crescentschool.co.uk or visit the school's website  www.crescentschool.co.uk.

Wednesday 13 October 2021

Parents of Year 11 pupils have been emailed with the following information about our upcoming Sixth Form Open Evening.

The evening will focus on the Route to Sixth Form for 2022 including key dates, milestones and scholarships, specific A-level and BTEC subject information and advice provided by the Heads of Departments, together with information on the vast array of sporting, co-curricular, leadership and service opportunities available.

The evening will be split into two sessions, one from 6.30pm to 8.00pm and one from 7.30pm to 9.00pm, please indicate your intention to attend and select your preferred session by clicking on this link by Wednesday 6 October 2021.

The evening will include brief talks by Ed Hester, the Headmaster, and current Sixth Formers in the Sports Hall and there will also be the opportunity to speak to Ben Collie, our Head of Sixth Form and the Sixth Form Team. In addition, all of the A-level and BTEC departments will be open for you to visit, with short presentations, course details and the opportunity to talk to staff and current students.

Please find a link to the electronic version of the Sixth Form Admissions 2022 Information Booklet here, hard copies will be available on the evening. We recommend you refer to this prior to your visit to help you choose which departments to visit on the evening.

External candidates should register via this link and if you have any questions please do contact the Admissions Team via email at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Thursday 14 October 7.00pm

It has been great to be able to launch the Parents’ Reading Group again this year and it was good to see both old and new faces this month. Our next meeting will be on Thursday 14 October in the Library at 7.00 pm. We will be discussing The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, which comes highly recommended by those who have read it and covers issues to do with mental health. We are a group of readers who get together each month to discuss a book we have previously agreed upon. We are very eclectic in our tastes and always welcome new members so please come if you are able to join us whether or not you have read this particular book. 

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Friday 19 November - 7.30pm

Plans are well advanced for our annual Prize Giving ceremony which will take place on Friday 19 November. The ceremony will be held at Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, commencing at 7.30pm.

Traditionally, the vast majority of last year’s Upper Sixth return to collect their A-level examination certificates. Most will have embarked on their first year at university, apprenticeship or employment and this is a good opportunity for them to catch up.

GCSE examination certificates will be presented to last year’s Year 11, as well as a number of other awards and prizes, including our most prestigious, The Princethorpe Shield. The Year 7 Chorus will be singing, and the String Orchestra and Concert Band performing. 

Attendance at Prize Giving is by invitation only and invitations will be posted out shortly along with instructions on how to RSVP.

Shellagh Dodds
Examinations and Assessment Manager

Monday 22 November 2021 – 6.30pm To 8.00pm

As part of our VESPA strategy, Princethorpe College will be holding a virtual, interactive GCSE revision evening, on Monday 22 November between 6.30pm and 8.00pm, for the parents and pupils in Year 11.

It will be hosted by Martin Griffin and Steve Oakes who have worked with more than sixty schools to develop effective character education systems using the VESPA model. During the session, Martin and Steve 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.

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

Thursday 25 to Saturday 27 November 2021 - 7.30pm

We will warm your hearts with a little help of the heat from the Texan desert in the cold dark November nights....Princethorpe's Drama Department will be presenting a wonderful creative adaptation of Louis Sachar's Holes.

The Story  

Stanley Yelnats is in the wrong place at the wrong time….. 

When a pair of sneakers fall from the sky, Stanley is convicted through the juvenile courts and sent to Camp Green Lake. 

Camp Green Lake is a boys’ juvenile detention centre in Texas.

There is no lake there.  

The boys spend each day digging five-foot holes in the dried up lakebed.  

Stanley believes his bad luck is because of a curse placed on his family after his great-great-grandfather, Elya Yelnats, stole a pig from a gypsy, Madame Zeroni. 

The action transports us from New York City to Texas and Latvia of old in this wonderful creative adaptation by our Key Stage 3 cast and creative team.

Performances will take place on Thursday 25 November, Friday 26 November and Saturday 27 November at 7.00pm in the Clarkson Theatre here at Princethorpe College and tickets will be available soon.  

We do hope you can join us for this event.

We wanted to write to you early in the year to give you some key messages and information as your child embarks on this important year.

Year 10 marks the start of the formal GCSE cycle and, as such, is a critical stage in your child's school career. Last week, we delivered an assembly to Year 10 on the importance of getting into the right work habits and behaviours to make the best start and strike a healthy balance. The message was very much that the GCSE years are a marathon and not a sprint; pacing is vital. A recording of this assembly can be found by following this link.

Assembly Video

We hope that, in comparison to the last two academic years, Year 10 will enjoy a more stable and settled GCSE experience. However, if the last two years have taught us anything it is that we must be prepared for all eventualities. Please rest assured that no matter how the national Covid situation evolves we will ensure that the Year 10s are very well cared for and fully supported in their learning.

To this end, we thought it would be helpful for you to see some of the key events ahead at this stage so you can note them in your diaries and get a sense of how the bigger picture is likely to unfold, please see the attachment here. We went through these with the pupils in their assembly last week – do please talk to your children over the weekend about the year ahead and any concerns they have.

More detailed information regarding specific events such as the 360 Evening with tutors and the Year 10 Parents’ Evening will be emailed out in due course.

We hope you find this information useful and thank you in advance for your support for the year ahead.

 Ed Hester                              
 Headmaster                         

The Year 8 Parents’ Evenings takes place on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 October. These will be hosted virtually through a series of Microsoft Teams meetings with your child's teachers. Meetings will be booked online in five-minute slots and parents will have received details this week of how to book.

It is hoped that all parents will be successful gaining an appointment, however if this is not possible teachers may contact you via email to update you about your child’s progress.

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

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head (Teaching and Learning)

Progress Reports for Year 11 and Upper Sixth will be published on Friday 8 October 2021, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Deputy Head (Academic) 

Some degree courses require students to take an admissions test as part of their application. It will be stated in the entry requirements for the course and Upper Sixth students can check with their tutor or member of the Sixth Form Leadership Team.

These tests take place in school on either Wednesday 3 November or Thursday 4 November depending on the subject.

To be entered for a course please complete the attached form here and return to the examinations office before the deadline.

Shellagh Dodds
Examination and Assessment Manager

We have now had confirmation from the local Immunisation and Vaccination Service that they will be visiting the College on Tuesday 12 October 2021 to offer Covid vaccinations to those of our pupils aged 12 to 15 years whose parents have given consent.

Please see the attached letter to access further information and the link to the online consent form. The deadline for completing the form is 12 noon on Thursday 7 October 2021, when the link will close.

Appointment times will only be offered to pupils for whom parental consent has been given.

If you have more than one child at the school in this age group, you will need to complete separate consent forms for each of them.

Please also see attached the FAQs about the Vaccination Programme for this age group.

The vaccination programme will be entirely run and administered by the NHS. The Immunisation team is responsible for, and will deal with, all queries including those with regards to consent. Please note that as a school we do not have access to the consent portal and will not be able to check if your form has been submitted.

The vaccinations will take place in the Sports Hall and we will organise the day to minimise any disruption to lessons. We hope that this will prove convenient for those parents who wish to opt for the vaccination for their child.

If you have any further questions that are not answered within the documents attached please contact the Immunisation team directly at CWPTSchoolCovidVaccinations@covwarkpt.nhs.uk.

Over the course of the academic year, all pupils will receive Relationship and Sex Education lessons (RSE). Princethorpe College follows an RSE programme called Life To The Full, created by TenTen, who are an award-winning resource provider to Catholic Schools.

One of the key principles of Catholic Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) is working in partnership with parents. As such, TenTen have created a parent portal to provide the following:

·         An overview of the programme, Life to the Full;

·         Guidance for parents on the content of lessons;

·         Activities that can be undertaken at home to support the delivery of the programme.

To access the parent portal, please go to tentenresources. You will then be asked for a username (opp-princethorpe-23) and password (rse-parent-black). Once in the portal, you will then be able to read an overview of the course and also access details about many of the individual sessions. (The Year 11 details are still being finalised and will be updated fully soon).

For pupils in Years 7 to 9, RSE will be covered in their RS lessons later in the academic year and further details will be communicated at that time. Pupils in Years 10 to 11 began their RSE lessons in REAL Time this week. Year 10 pupils completed the session called Authentic Freedom, and Year 11 pupils completed the session called Self Worth.

The TenTen resources are also used in Sixth Form as part of our RSE and PSHCE provision, in particular parts of the Year 11 programme which covers issues such as self-worth, drugs, eating disorders and pornography. 

Please do take some time to read and explore these resources, and to talk to your children about these important but sometimes challenging topics. If you have any queries, please contact Mrs Beth Sharpe, Deputy Head (Pastoral).

At the start of the academic year our school photographers, Gillman and Soame, with whom we have an excellent and longstanding relationship, came to school to take the start of year photographs. Photographs were taken of pupils in Years 7, 10, 11 and Lower Sixth, as well as of all pupils new to the College in Years 8 and 9. Further photographs will be taken by Gillman and Soame later in the year, including a whole school photograph in the Trinity Term. 

Rather than proof cards being printed and sent home with the pupils, there is an exciting change this year to the way you will be notified when your child’s photographs are available for you to view and purchase. You are now able to create an online account with Gillman and Soame, which will allow you to view and order prints directly online, with email notifications when new photos are available to view. You can click on the link below to go to the registration form to be notified by email about photographs of your child. 

Click here

Once you have successfully registered, and whenever additional photographs of your child become available to view, you will receive an email, to your registered email address(es), with a link to log in and view them online. This will encompass Portraiture, Sports Groups, House Groups, Complete School Groups, indeed everything that Gillman and Soame capture on behalf of Princethorpe College. Please note that you may not receive an email immediately if your child's photo was not taken at the start of the year, as notifications will only be sent when photographs have been captured, processed, and are ready to view online. However, we would strongly advise you to sign up now so that you automatically receive emails regarding future photographs of your child when these are taken in the future. 

We have moved to this way of proofing as Gillman and Soame have devised an approach which is designed to eliminate proof cards from the process. Instead, they will notify you electronically – direct to your email address. There are a number of important advantages to this. The new approach is more efficient and convenient, not only for the school, but also for busy parents: 

• No more proof cards to get mislaid on their way home to parents 
• Streamlined administration and more efficient processes 
• More convenient and time-saving for parents to click, view and select their photographs 

We are convinced that this new approach represents a much more efficient, modern alternative to proofing, and is more in line with the school’s aims to reduce waste and save energy. The new approach vastly reduces the carbon footprint of photography proofing, by eliminating: 

• Use of chemicals 
• Use of packaging
• Printing 
• Use of photographic paper
• Courier delivery to the College
• Use of fuel and energy for all of the above 

To participate in this new approach to proofing, simply click on the unique link above to be taken to the registration area of the Gillman & Soame website, and then follow the online instructions. As a convenience, you will also be able to register more than one email address.  

Please complete as soon as possible to ensure you receive your child’s photographs. 

If you have any problems with registering your child’s account, please email action@gillmanandsoame.co.uk and they will be happy to assist you. 

This year we are still managing our detention system in the same way as last year. 

Detentions will be held daily as follows

Year 11 Monday P4L1 in G21

Year 7 Tuesday P4L1 in G21

Year 8 Wednesday P4L1 in G21

Year 9 Thursday P4L1 in G21

Year 10 Friday P4L2 in G11

Detentions will be set if a pupil receives three LLCs (which includes late to lessons, uniform and mobile phone violations) or one HLC.

Three detentions equals a Saturday morning detention. Parents will be notified in advance if their child is expected to attend an after school detention via an isams email message.

Please can we take this opportunity to ask parents to remind their children of the importance of good conduct and organisation in school. Pupils failing to comply with the Princethorpe College Code of Conduct may put themselves and others as risk of harm.

Mrs Beth Sharpe  
Deputy Head - Pastoral

Inspired and led by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) - a part of GCHQ, girls in Year 8 and Year 9 in England and Wales can join free cyber security development days running this October.

The Cyber First Girls' Development Days initiative is designed to increase understanding of the different specialisms within cyber security and equip girls with valuable, in-demand skills.

There is a series of fun, interactive face-to-face one-day courses as well as virtual courses which are split over two days, to choose from. There will also be guest speakers and inspiring videos from inspirational female role models working in the industry.

On the day, the girls will be role playing as cyber security experts working for a fictitious app company, Sirius Cyberworks. Unfortunately, disaster has struck and there has been a serious breach of the company network - a new flagship app has been leaked.

The challenge is to work through four different parts of the company, uncovering how the leak happened whilst learning new cyber skills along the way. 

Places are limited, so if you are interested please register here.

Allied Healthcare Mentor is offering a completely unique experience for Year 10 pupils and above. 

You will be given the opportunity to follow multiple patients over a 6-month period, as they go from their initial injury to recovery. This incredible opportunity showcases a variety of professionals in one day. It gives students a chance to see them in action in various settings from the ward to the community. It is also a fantastic opportunity to see them work together in a multidisciplinary team.

During the work experience day, students will follow two patients from their initial presentation to recovery. Students will observe the healthcare professionals as they interact with the patients and also each other. 

Each work experience day is completely different and students will be able to build on their knowledge of NHS careers as they see different patient cases and their healthcare professionals work in a variety of settings, such as hospital and community. For this reason we recommend that students attend one work experience a month for six months to not only gain a deeper knowledge of multidisciplinary teams in general but also their chosen careers.

You can register and find out more here. 

Creative Futures in Leamington Spa is offering a morning packed with lots of information on the different jobs in the Games Industry.

The event is taking place on Saturday 16 October from 9.30am to 12.30pm and will be hosted by Jordan Webber, resident gaming expert on Channel 5's The Gadget Show.

Entrance is free of charge and the event is supported by the University of Warwick. If you are interested in attending please contact Mrs Quinney at jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk directly for tickets.

Global accountancy firm, MHA MacIntyre Hudson, is hosting a virtual insight evening on Tuesday 5 October 2021.

This is a good opportunity to find out more about this forward-thinking and dynamic, top 12 independent accountancy firm and their school leaver and graduate programmes.

Register here for the event.

We are still hoping that Year 11 pupils can undertake some work experience this year.

I know that this is a very challenging time, and that getting some work experience could be less easy for the next few months, but as things start to open up, it could be possible.

Placements can be undertaken during the early part of Lower Sixth, for example October half term 2021.

I would also suggest looking at the website Springpod which offers a virtual work experience programme which has been highly recommended by our Careers Advisor.

Many thanks to those who already have managed to help their son/daughter obtain a placement; in the meantime please could you let me know if you have managed to arrange something by emailing miketaylor@princethorpe.co.uk

Mike Taylor
Work Experience Co-ordinator

13 Years Lucky!

Having raised a whopping £11,658.98 including Gift Aid last year for Mary's Meals, we are keen to improve on our current total of £330.74 towards this year's target of £10,401.76. Yes, it sounds a lot, but that will provide a daily meal in school for every child at Makalanga School in Malawi in the current academic year (675 are now on roll, up from 622 last year). It still costs just £15.90 to feed a child for a year. Click here for our fundraising site if you would like to donate. 

You can also find our Mary's Meal fundraising page by visiting giving.marysmeals.org/en_gb/projects and then searching ‘Princethorpe’ in the search box.

We are now in our 13th year of fundraising and we are proud to be continuing our tradition of World Porridge Day and our Welly Wanging Competition in school. This year it takes place on Wednesday 6 October. Porridge will be on sale at break time with funds going to Mary's Meals. Cash donations for all those participating in the welly wanging. 33 metres is the distance to beat, a record set by Ben Wardman back in 2012.

Meanwhile, Mary's Meals has just passed an extraordinary landmark - they are now providing a daily meal in school for 2 million children. See their website for more on their amazing work. 

Pink Day will be taking place on Friday 15 October - this is our annual fundraiser for breast cancer charities. Please bring in £2 for the charity pot for the pleasure of a non-uniform day, and dress to impress in Pink. 

The Chaplaincy is again supporting the St Anne's Parish Shoe Box Appeal, to provide gifts for children who would not otherwise receive a Christmas present. This year the boxes are being distributed by Teams4U who operate around the world supporting community initiatives aiming to improve the lives of children through education, healthcare, training, financial assistance, and delivering shoeboxes.

Each shoebox will be given to a vulnerable child, or family, through schools, nurseries, hospitals and orphanages.

The aim of T4U is that each box is given in relationship with the local community as part of a long-term commitment to these children. This includes financing pre-school programmes to support their education and development.

We are encouraging everyone to bring one item.

What these children need most are educational and hygiene supplies, e.g.

•           Toothbrush and toothpaste

•           Hairbrush/comb

•           Facecloth and soap

•           Stationery/pens/pencils/paper

Please also include a few small gifts, e.g.

•           A soft toy, ball, game, puzzle, stickers, balloons

•           Gloves/hats/scarves

Homecare Family Shoe Boxes

•           Cooking utensils (no knives), candles, hairbrush plastic utensils (plates, bowls, cutlery)

•           Soap, small Christmas decorations, small decorative items, small saucepans

•           T-towels (preferably quite decorative), plastic containers, washing line pegs

•           Washing up cloths

All items may be left in G12a or at the Student Hub by 5 October 2021.

Mary Benham
Chaplaincy Co-ordinator

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. 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 amount last year.....

Many thanks

Rod Isaacs
Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Any items of sports kit that require initialling during the half-term break can be brought into the school shop prior to Friday 15 October 2021 in a clearly named bag with a completed form attached. Please note all articles of clothing must be new or freshly laundered and dry, if they are to be sent to the embroiderers. 

Items will be ready for collection from the school shop when school re-opens on Monday 1 November 2021.

If you have any queries please contact the school shop on 01926 634272 or email uniform@princethorpe.co.uk

Barbara Bromwich
Foundation Shop Manager

Please find attached here a letter regarding Rugby this term at Princethorpe and a useful guide to concussion here.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at peterbucknall@princethorpe.co.uk

Mr Bucknall
Head of Rugby

Please don’t forget that Princethorpe College PTA is registered with easyfundraising. So, although we’ve been unable to get together and hold fundraising events in person for a while, we can continue to raise free funds, at no extra cost to you.

When you shop via the easyfundraising website or app, with over 4,100 of your favourite retailers, including John Lewis & Partners, eBay, Amazon and many more, you will raise FREE donations for the school.  

If you’re not already registered, please visit our easyfundraising page here:

This will really make a difference to our school! Thank you for your support.

Our friendly PTA here at Princethorpe College are keen to welcome new members. 

By joining our PTA community, you are not committing to volunteer, but just to joining our community and if you do wish to volunteer you will receive emails when we require help to run our events.

For more information about the PTA and how to join please email pta@princethorpe.co.uk

Princethorpe PTA

It always impresses us just how much our pupils achieve in addition to their academic studies. So many regularly take part in co-curricular activities, managing the demands of training, competing, performing or even fundraising in addition to their busy school lives.

The College is always keen to hear of pupils’ endeavours so that we can celebrate their commitment and dedication, so do please continue to share their news.

The latest co-curricular news includes:

Year 7, William Harvey has been selected for the Warwickshire county tennis squad, he attended his first training this September having achieved a national ranking of 63. Over the summer he took part in the Leamington Grade 3 U11 Open winning both the singles and doubles and more recently took the U12 and U14 titles at the Rugby Lawn Tennis Club Championships. All very exciting. 

Year 7, Thomas Zanyi, is a budding sailor, and is a member of Draycote Water Sailing Club's youth section. He was awarded a Special Award for Resilience at the Sailing Club’s Annual Youth and Junior Championships that took place on Saturday 11 September. Well done Thomas.

Year 9, Olivia Monk competed in 21 separate athletics competitions over the course of the 2021 athletics season, including Opens, Midlands Counties Athletics Association events and Warwickshire Schools County Championships. Competing in the U15 classes, she had a great season, consistently improving her personal bests in track and field. Olivia even achieved gold and silver medals at the Charnwood Athletics Club Stars of the Future meet at Loughborough. Olivia’s commitment to athletics is commendable and is clearly paying dividends. We can’t wait to see what her next season brings.

Year 11, Thomas Phillips has made it through from the Worcester Developing Player Programme to the Worcester Academy. A fantastic achievement.

Year 11 , Erika Zanyi recently took part in the English Symphony Orchestra Youth's Advanced Summer Residential. The four-day course included all day rehearsals and a fantastic concert in the grounds of Bromsgrove School. Erika played a repertoire that included Johannes Brahms: Academic Festival Overture and Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 7. An amazing opportunity that she really enjoyed.

We congratulate them all.

Princethorpe College is offering pupils the opportunity to take part in the Salters’ Institute Chemistry Club, an online, interactive learning platform for 11-14-year-olds. The Chemistry Club aims to demystify chemistry and showcase the breadth and depth of chemistry as a subject and future career.

Providing daily new and engaging content on topics that involve chemistry including: Medicine, Cosmetics, Emotions, Oceans and the Environment, the platform offers pupils the opportunity to grow their independent knowledge and interest in the subject.

Teacher of Chemistry, Jo Smith, comments, "The Salters’ Chemistry Club aims to increase the accessibility of chemistry for young learners at the start of their secondary education, a time when chemistry is perhaps not on their radar. It is a great tool that promotes independent learning and offers additional subject knowledge and support in a fun and engaging way. We will be introducing the club to pupils in the classroom and through our STEAM initiative."

Anyone interested in finding out more should visit https://salterschemistryclub.co.uk/register to register.

The Co-curricular calendar has started very well this term, so many thanks to all the pupils who are attending the activities and the parents who are supporting this; staff are thrilled to have the numbers. We have had to make some further tweaks to the programme so please find attached here the most up to date Co-curricular programme. This version now supersedes the printed version in the calendar and is also available on the MySchoolPortal Princethorpe - Co-curricular page. The major changes are: 

• Beginners Archery is now full with new places being available in the Trinity term; 
• Photography will start after half-term with Miss Plenderleith;
• After no climbing last year, this club has been inundated with interest. If pupils wish to be added to the rota please see Mr Bower as he is organising a 6 week rotation of sessions for pupils to join;
• Table tennis will start in the Lent term; 

Following Mr Hester's letter in Friday 10 September, you will be aware that Year 8 and 10 have had to pause their competitive fixtures against other schools. This has now been extended to Year 9 as well. This will be reviewed at regular intervals and an internal programme will be put in place until we are able to continue with our competitive fixture list for these age groups.

For all sporting information, please use www.princethorpesport.co.uk or MySchoolPortal to know when the fixtures are, their venues and whether pupils have been selected. This term pupils must continue to arrive in school in full Princethorpe sports kit on the days when they have their Games afternoons.  

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

Please continue to prioritise signing off your volunteering, physical and skill sections.  Many have already completed their award in full.  Guidance can be found on a DofE Completion email sent to you and your parents, the advice documents below are also available on MySchoolPortal.

For help, please refer to this eDofE Completion Guide and the Electronic Assessor Report Guide. You may also find it useful to refer to the Temporary Changes Summary or Gold Temporary Changes Summary documents.

The Y10 Bronze eDofE lunchtime drop-in clinic continues this week on Thursday 13.05 in LG01.  The Y11 Silver clinic takes place on Tuesday 13.05 in LG01.  The Certificate Presentation Evening will take place on Tuesday 18 January 2022.  However, the final deadline for completion for those aiming to move from bronze to silver is October half term, for those stopping at bronze it is Christmas.

Will Bower 
Head of Outdoor Education – DofE Manager 

Please click on this link to view the DofE Parents’ Information Evening video, information booklet and enrolment form on MySchoolPortal.

The deadline for enrolment is Friday 15 October (half term).  Please complete the form and submit the £50 deposit as soon as possible. Instructions regarding payment of the deposit can be found at the back of the Information Booklet. I will be in contact after half term to explain the next steps and hand out course materials.

Here is a reminder of the eligibility criteria: 

Award Stage        Age Requirement 
Bronze                  Year 9 
Silver                    Year 10 
Gold                     16 years old (must be in the Sixth Form) 

Will Bower 
Head of Outdoor Education – DofE Manager 

The Administration Team welcomes Hayley Chaplow as their new Administrator\Receptionist. Hayley previously worked at Rugby School for 15 years within their Admissions Department and is looking forward to working at Princethorpe College, where her daughter currently attends. She has a son who attended the College for seven years who has now just begun a course studying Multi-Media Sports Journalism at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) in Manchester. In her spare time Hayley enjoys going to the gym, running, yoga and spending time with her family and friends. She lives in Rugby with her children and looks forward to meeting everyone and welcoming visitors in Reception.

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

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

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

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

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

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar 

Please note that the school shop will be closed during the half term break.  If you have any uniform requests please email uniform@princethorpe.co.uk.  All requests will be dealt with when the shop reopens on Monday 2 November 2021.

Barbara Bromwich
Foundation Shop Manager

Please see below our current vacancies:

• IT Service Team Leader - Princethorpe College
• After School Care Leader - Crackley Hall School 
• Reception Teacher - Crackley Hall School 
• Caretaker - Crescent School
• Casual Estates Assistant - Princethorpe College

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

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

The College takes the safety of pupils, staff and visitors very seriously and we have taken various measures to minimise the risk of an accident involving a vehicle. Please take care when driving on campus particularly at busy times such as the start and end of the business day.

The start of term is exceptionally busy and we recommend that new pupils use the bus service from the first day of term.  For busy times we usually have staff managing traffic on site and all drivers are asked to cooperate and to follow instructions.  Our aim is to make it safe and as easy as possible for everyone.

The College has updated its risk assessment on the management of traffic on site to ensure the safety of pedestrians and vehicles which you will find here.  Parents are asked to review this document and to discuss with their children how to keep safe.

Campus changes: we now have two locations for buses to park on arrival at the College.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar