The Flagpole

We had a landmark moment this week when the whole school - back on the same break time for the first time in two years – gathered for an assembly. The pupils of course were in non-uniform to raise funds for the children of Ukraine and the incoming and outgoing heads of school led us in prayer as we remembered all those who are less fortunate than ourselves. A huge thanks to all parents for your support with donations. The Ukrainian refugee crisis was raised this week at school council – if any families are thinking of sponsoring a family then please do let us know so we can see if there is anything we can do to support.

Sleep

As you may know, we are looking closely at the sleeping routines of our pupils and our staff and having conducted a recent pupil survey there are some interesting headline figures:

• 53% of pupils feel they are getting enough sleep
• 48% feel they get at least 8 hours sleep a night
• 35% report (worryingly) they are getting less than 7 hours per night
• 10% report (very worryingly) they generally average less than 6 hours per night
• 30% feel they regularly struggle to get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep is a highly complex and individual process, but health experts agree that getting enough sleep is critical for our physical and mental health and wellbeing and that for the average teenager the minimum healthy amount is around 8 hours per night.

We will be following the surveys up with more work in tutor time and assemblies, but I would ask that you raise the issue of sleep with your children at home and its importance. The Parent Toolkit presentation I did with Paula Greig, our Senior Matron, can still be accessed on the Parent Toolkit section of My School Portal here and goes through many of the key issues.

Vaping

Statistics show that over the last few years (possibly linked to COVID and lockdowns) vaping - the use of e-cigarettes - is, sadly increasing dramatically amongst teenagers across the country. Princethorpe pupils are not immune from this habit and I would ask all parents to be vigilant and talk to their children about this. Whilst some may see this as not as bad as smoking, there are serious health risks associated with vaping and it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase a vape pen or equipment.  Bringing a vape pen or vaping is absolutely forbidden in school with the sanction for breaking this rule being at least a suspension. If you have any concerns or would like support or guidance please do contact us directly at school.

Pupil Voice

There are many ways we get feedback from the pupils in school and it is good to see our school councils being a lively forum for discussion and school improvement. You may be aware that we recently undertook a massive pupil survey of their experiences from their lessons and tutor time. The questions range from how much they enjoy their lessons to the amount of homework they get, their relationships with their teachers and the impact of the BYOD (laptop) scheme on their learning. The results were overwhelmingly very positive and we will use this data to look at any areas where we think we can improve and support the pupils more effectively on a year, department, class or individual basis.

On a related theme, we are planning to do another comprehensive parental survey soon and will communicate further details of this within the next week or so.

COVID

Whilst the government have withdrawn the guidelines for those in educational settings to test twice weekly with a lateral flow test, we are still seeing a slight increase in Covid cases in school.

Common symptoms we are seeing in school include a headache, sore throat, a cough and tiredness. We are also noticing an increase in the number of individuals with symptoms having negative lateral flow tests but a positive PCR. PCR tests are still readily available for those who have symptoms.

Please remember, nobody should come to school if they feel unwell.

While we are no longer required by law to self-isolate if any pupil or staff member has COVID-19, they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. This helps reduce the chance of passing COVID-19 on to others. This can be for up to 10 days from when symptoms start.

We recommend taking a rapid lateral flow test from 5 days after symptoms started (or the day of the test if there are no symptoms) and another the next day. If both tests are negative and there is no high temperature, it is less likely that you will pass COVID-19 on to others and you can go back to your normal routine. If a test result is positive on day 5, you can carry on doing rapid lateral flow tests every day until you get 2 negative test results in a row.

Having announced our new prefect body today, see here, we are looking forward to the Prefect Inauguration on the last day of term which - all being well - will be the first occasion to get the whole school together inside in over two years. Another positive landmark we are looking forward to.

Lastly, to update you on the recruitment process for my successor, after a strong field of applications, this week we have been visited by a number of potential candidates. These visits which have included, tours of the school, interviews with the trustees and senior colleagues, time spent with a pupil panel and teaching of lessons, have gone very well indeed and we will be looking to invite candidates back for a final interview day next week. We will share news with you regarding this appointment as soon as possible.

With continued thanks for all your ongoing support,

Best wishes

Ed Hester

The Admissions Cycle for entry to the College in 2023 has officially been launched. We have just published our Admissions and Entrance Examinations Booklet for 2023 and our friendly Admissions Team are already busy answering enquiries from prospective families and taking bookings for our open events.

The Entrance Exams will take place on Saturday 5 November 2022 and with just over six months until the registration deadline, Friday 30 September 2022, you can now book onto our Summer Open Evening and Year 5 Taster Days.

Our Summer Open Evening will take place on Wednesday 8 June 2022, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. This event will give prospective families a chance to look around the school and to hear from Ed Hester, the Headmaster. So, families do not miss out, we are encouraging visitors to book their place and time slot. The headmaster talks will take place at 6.45pm and 7.30pm, allowing families to explore the College before and after. Please book your place via our website.

In May and June, our popular Year 5 Taster Experiences are back to their original format and are taking place on a normal working day. These events aim to give prospective pupils a taste of senior school life and typically involve four lessons, a question and answer session with some of our current pupils and the chance to talk to the Headmaster, Mr Hester. Those attending will experience many aspects of Princethorpe school life, including tasting the legendary Princethorpe cookie!

There are four Year 5 Taster Experience sessions, Wednesday 4 May, Tuesday 14 June, Thursday 16 June or Wednesday 22 June. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

The final opportunity to visit before the registration deadline for those wishing to join Years 7 to 10, is our Open Morning on Thursday 22 September from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Visitors will be able to look around the school on a normal working school day with our Year 8 and 9 pupils acting as tour guides.

If you are thinking of joining us for Sixth Form in 2023, we have a dedicated Sixth Form Open Evening on Wednesday 12 October 2022 from 6.30pm to 9.00pm. You will hear from Ed Hester, Headmaster and Head of Sixth Form, Ben Collie regarding key events and dates in the Sixth Form application process. You will also receive specific A-level subject information and advice provided by the Heads of Departments and general information on the Sixth Form experience at Princethorpe.

For more information and to book your place at any of our Open Events or Taster Days please click here or contact our friendly Admissions Team on 01926 634201/262/297 or email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk

Entrance Exams for 2023 entry will take place on Saturday 5 November 2022. All candidates must be registered by Friday 30 September 2022. For those wishing to join us for Sixth Form in September 2023 the registration deadline will be announced shortly.

On Thursday 20 January, three Upper Sixth Form students, Mathura Elamurugan, Robyn Field, and Tobias Lambe, took part in the Round One of the Chemistry Olympiad. Designed to challenge and inspire, the UK Chemistry Olympiad, organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry, provides enrichment and a unique opportunity for students to push themselves further and excel in the fascinating field of Chemistry.

The 2022 paper covered many timely scientific contexts. With questions on E10 petrol, a grade of petrol which contains up to 10% renewable ethanol (a biofuel), the quantitative chemistry in lateral flow tests and techniques which allows vaccines to be stored at room temperature. 

The College was delighted that all three students who took part this year received an award. Tobias Lambe was awarded a Gold certificate (putting him comfortably in the top 9% nationally) while Mathura and Robyn were awarded Bronze certificates (putting them in the top 32% of all the participants).

The three Chemists prepared themselves for the competition by taking part in the weekly Chemistry Olympiad co-curricular club to develop their critical problem-solving skills, creative thinking, and their ability to put their knowledge to the test in real-world situations. They faced tough competition in this prestigious Olympiad and we congratulate them all on their excellent results.

Many congratulations to Lizzie Caisey who is taking on the role of Head of More House with immediate effect.

Lizzie, who holds a degree in Sociology and Criminology from Lancaster University and a masters in Sociology from Warwick University, has taught at schools in Manchester and then more recently at North Leamington. She joined Princethorpe College in 2020 to teach Psychology and Sociology. She has been supporting the College’s pastoral tutor programme by working as a co-tutor for Fisher House.

She takes over the role from Simon Robertson, who has decided to step down as Head of More House. Simon has been a key pastoral leader at Princethorpe for twelve years, he was previously Head of Year 10 and Year 11 before taking on responsibility for More when the College moved to vertical tutoring. We thank Simon on behalf of the huge number of parents and children who have benefited from his support. Simon will continue as a Biology teacher.

Comments Headmaster, Ed Hester, “I know Lizzie will embrace this important role with energy and commitment. We congratulate her and wish her well.”

Lizzie added, "I feel immensely fortunate to be given the opportunity to support pupils as Head of More House. The ethic of care that runs throughout every part of Princethorpe College is one of the things I love most about our school community, and it will be a privilege to contribute to this in my new role.”

Princethorpe has been taking part in British Science Week, a national celebration of Science run by the British Science Association. 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 experiments investigating action and reaction by making and testing balloon rockets, exploring photosynthesis by applying a gentle vacuum to leaf disks in solution, and investigating how changing particle size affects the rate of a chemical reaction using rockets fuelled by alka-seltzer. It’s been fantastic, hands on, explosive fun.

Pupils have also been taking part in a national poster competition on the theme of ‘growth’ with the best entries submitted into the national competition. Science teacher, Rob Southern held science themed assemblies on the topic of growth.

In Tutor Time pupils from Years 7 to 11 have faced a design technology challenge, constructing the tallest tower from just paper and tape. They have also all participated in the inter-tutor Science Quiz which tested pupils’ knowledge across the science disciplines and beyond.

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 a new £8 million, 10 laboratory, dedicated Science Centre now under construction that will inspire generations of Princethorpe scientists for years to come.

Huge congratulations to the U18 Rugby Sevens team who finished as runners up in the ISA National Tournament on Wednesday 9 March.

The competition took place at St James Senior Boys School in Surrey with 11 teams from across the country taking part. Split into two groups for the first round, the boys remained unbeaten in their five group stage matches only conceding one try and scoring 178 points.

They progressed to the Cup final where they faced Finborough School. Despite another strong performance, the boys narrowly missed out, finishing as runners up overall and earning themselves a well-deserved silver medal.

Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, commented, “The whole team is to be commended, effort, attitude and teamwork were in abundance as was plenty of great match play.”

A superb result, well done boys.

The U18 ISA National Netball Tournament took place on Thursday 10 March at Nottingham University, an amazing facility with a large sports hall with four courts.

The beauty of an ISA National tournament, is that you play schools that you don't normally come up against, so the competition field is unknown; this was especially heightened post-covid where the College hadn't participated in an ISA tournament for two years. 

Split into two pools, the team was aiming to finish in the top two in order to qualify for the Cup competition in the afternoon - and that they did! The girls played some superb netball, where they showed their unit play but also the versatility that there is within the team. They started off the pool with four wins from four, but watching from afar and the other results in the pool, they knew that their toughest game was shaping up to be the last pool game V Queen Ethelburga's from York. They were amazing; their timing, vision and their height meant that Princethorpe's team would be really up against it, but the girls continued to communicate and play well and respond to the game infront of them. Despite losing 6-17, the way the team played and grew throughout that game was really impressive. 

The Pool results ensured the team finished 2nd in group:
V St Dominics Won 13-1
V Stafford Grammar Won 16-10
V Finborough School Won 13-1
V Leighton Park School Won 13-4
V Queen Ethelburga's Lost 6 - 17

This meant that Princethorpe had qualified for the Cup semi-final V Kings High, Warwick. Whilst the Queen Ethelburga's game was a great game to have played to prepare them, it had taken the legs out of the girls, and despite their efforts they lost 7-18. This set them up for the bronze medal match V Scarisbrick. Despite being up at half time 5-3, they couldn't squeeze out the victory and lost 6-9.

It's hard to have such a positive day, and then come home without a medal. The netball shown throughout the day was really pleasing, from a group of players where the season was an unknown as senior netball slowly comes back to 'normal'.

Team Coach, Louise Harrison, said, "This team amaze us with their tenacity and versatility, they have had a great season so far and 4th place in the ISA Nationals is a great achievement, one the girls should be very proud of."

Well done to the squad:
Hannah McBride, Lucia McCosker-New, Charlotte Lewington, Evie Phillips, Eve Farquharson, Mia Johnson, Amelie Hancock, Nell Johnston, Millie Giffin, Ruby Harris

The Lower Sixth have just had their second opportunity to take part in the British Physics Olympiad Senior Physics Challenge competition, a gruelling one hour written paper containing some of the toughest questions imaginable. Organisers state that the competition is designed to test the very best of the best and that pupils should be reminded that there really are no easy marks. Special mention goes to the Bronze certificate winners Alex, Oscar, Madoc, Joe, Josh and Tom - fantastic effort, boys, well done!

Dan Lee
Head of Physics

The ISA U13 and U14 Rugby Sevens took place on Thursday 10 March at St James Senior Boys’ School in Surrey. Drawing squads from across the country both Princethorpe teams played brilliantly taking the Cup and Plate respectively.

The U13 were the National Champions after a very strong performance. In the group stages they saw off Lingfield College 40-5, Scarisbrick Hall School 35-0 and Holme Grange School 30-0 and just went down to the hosts, St James Senior Boys’ School 20-25. That put them equal top of the group and having scored the most points they went through to the Cup final. There they saw off Finborough School to claim the overall title. The team’s discipline and power in defence blending well with skill and intelligence in attack.

The U14 also played very well. In the group stage they beat Quinton House School 29-0, Bowbrook House School 41-0, Reddam House 31-0, St James Senior Boys’ School 21-12 and just lost to Shebbear College 12-19. That meant they finished second in the group and qualified for the Plate final where they faced Claires Court School, there lots of effort and great teamwork helped them claimed a 17-5 win to take the Plate.

Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell commented, “Congratulations to both squads on a fantastic effort. All the boys performed brilliantly which is great news for both 15-a-side and 7-a-side rugby at Princethorpe.”

Back in February pupils from Princethorpe College took part in the 2022 UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Intermediate Challenge, a prestigious national problem-solving competition that recognises the best young mathematicians in the country. The Challenge involves answering multiple choice questions and is sat under normal school exam conditions. This year the challenge was taken on-line. The papers are then marked by UKMT and the best pupils in the country are awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold Certificates.

The competition is aimed at Years 9, 10 and 11 and 62 Princethorpe pupils were selected to take part. It is a demanding exercise designed to stretch and test pupils’ mathematical skills, so the College is delighted that this year, Princethorpe’s mathematicians achieved exceptional results.

Congratulations to Zach Hawkins in Year 9, who was awarded a Gold certificate, and took the award for best performing student in school. Zach Hawkins, Ed Twyman, Joseph Newborough, Noah Granfield, Sophie Nicolle and Dylan Williams all performed so well that they have qualified for the follow-on round, the Intermediate Kangaroo challenge.

Gold certificate: Zach Hawkins, Ed Twyman and Joseph Newborough

Silver certificate: Amy Hogg, Noah Granfield, Carys Nicolle, Roman Thearia, Rahul Samra, Daisy Southgate, Sophie Nicolle, Dylan Williams, Krystina Yuen, Radley Evans and Jack Grindal.

Bronze certificate: Freddie Knott, Ollie Hutton, Tom Hollis, Alexander Leret, Joel Simon, Jack Fleming, Natasha Thomas, Amelia Chard, Anna Johnson, Anjola Okusanya, Lauren Bach, Dominic Lee, Jamie Smith, Eden Chaplow, Samuel Divers, Luchia Oatridge, Emmi Parmenter and Daniel Taylor.

Well done all and many thanks to all the pupils who took part, we hope you enjoyed the challenge.

Theo Scoutas
Post 16 Mathematics Co-ordinator

The U13 Netball Girls have made excellent progress this academic year. They have been focusing on waiting for the change in order to give the safe ball. The girls have had a busy few weeks this half term, with their County Tournament the first week back and then their National ISA Tournament the following week. 

For their County Tournament, the girls worked hard throughout the afternoon and faced tough competition from Stratford Girls Grammar, Bilton Grange and King's High. They finished in second place overall, after securing a good win against King's High. 

At the National ISA Netball Tournament the girls played with resilience, drive and passion throughout the day. They finished 3rd in the Group stage which left them competing for the Plate in the afternoon. A determined team managed to secure wins in the quarter finals and semi-finals but this left the girls facing King's High once again in the final for the Plate. In a very tight match, the girls finished on a 6-6 draw. Following the tournament rules the girls had to play golden goal - the next goal wins. The girls secured the first centre pass and worked the ball straight into our attacking D to score within minutes.

Team coach, Hannah Carminati, said "We could not be prouder of how hard these girls have worked this season and of their achievements." 

Playing for the squad were: Amy Farquharson, Annabel Leigh (Capt), Rosie Moreton, Skye Rotheram, Ellie Stern, Lauren Tebbatt, Issy Thompson and Bella Ward

On Tuesday 8 March, enthusiastic and well-read pupils from Year 8 and Year 9 represented Princethorpe College in the West Midlands heat of the National Reading Champions Quiz. Organised by the National Literacy Trust and aimed at pupils aged between 10 and 14-years-old, the quiz included eight challenging rounds testing pupils’ general knowledge on books written for children and young adults.

Hosted online on Teams, the quiz master for the event was educational writer and performer Mr Dilly. Hundreds of schools had entered the national competition but in their regional heat, Princethorpe’s two teams faced 25 schools from across the West Midlands.

The competition was certainly challenging including rounds titled, Double or Nothing, Dystopian and Science Fiction, Comedy and Horror, Author Pictures, Heroes and Heroines, Pets!, Brainteasers and Watch Me Now!

Competing from Year 8 were Kathryn Flegg, Ariana Gray, Alexa Holland, Jess Johnson, Daniel Ovens Gibbs, Delilah Teeton, Megan Thandi and Ethan Wright and from Year 9 were Pip Evans, Jess Lane and Bea Moulé.

The rounds came thick and fast, and the pupils worked under pressure to answer the questions before the clock timed out. It was a fantastic fun for them all, and proved just how much the pupils knew about children and young people’s fiction. Both Princethorpe teams performed brilliantly, working independently they finished fourth and fifth, an absolutely super result.

Celia Scott, School Librarian, said, "Our pupils have been preparing for a number of weeks and they performed really well against the 25 schools who took part in the West Midlands heat. We had a super morning much enjoyed by our avid readers, who clearly all know a lot about books."

A huge well done to them all.

The Sister Boniface Mysteries, the spin-off of the popular Father Brown series, was released in the UK last week on UKTV’s Drama channel. There will be 12 episodes in the series which looks like it will run weekly on Friday evenings.

The new murder mystery was filmed at Princethorpe over the summer holidays and follows the adventures of Sr Boniface, a Vespa-driving, crime solving, Cotswold-dwelling nun.

UKTV Drama’s channel can be found on Freeview, youview, TalkTalk and BT on channel 20, on Sky on channel 143, on Virgin on channel 130 and on Freesat on channel 158.

The eagle eyed amongst you will spot glimpses of the Chapel, the corridors around it and the Sixth Form Lawn in the shots.

It was fantastic to see Princethorpe transported back in time.

The latest issue of The Pinnacle has just been published, showcasing yet more of our pupils' excellent work. It's another bumper edition with plenty to amaze and inspire you.

A double-sized Minnacle is included too, with equally impressive work by Crackley Hall pupils from Nursery to Junior 6 and Crescent pupils from Reception to Year 6. It's wonderful to celebrate their talents too!

Copies will be shared with parents shortly but if you can't wait then why not have a read of the online editions of the magazine here: The Pinnacle and The Minnacle.

On Sunday 20 March the 10.30am Mass will not be celebrated in the College Chapel. The parishioners of St Anne's will be taking their annual walk (postponed over the last two years due to Covid) from Princethorpe over the fields to Wappenbury. Mass will be celebrated in St Anne's at 11.45am with light refreshments afterwards.

This simple event commemorates the walk, in some small way, from the areas around Wappenbury that Catholics took to receive communion during the Reformation. All welcome to join in.

Fr Teddy O'Brien MSC also invites the Princethorpe Community to any or all of the Lenten and Easter services at either St Anne's, Wappenbury or the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels, Princethorpe College.

Thursday 14 April             
7.00pm  Mass of the Last Supper, Princethorpe College

Friday 15 April                 
3.00pm  Commemoration of the Passion of Christ, Princethorpe College

Saturday 16 April             
8.00pm Vigil Mass for Easter, St Anne's, Wappenbury
                                                            
Sunday 17 April               
8.30am  Easter Mass, St Anne's, Wappenbury
10.30am  Easter Mass, Princethorpe College

For an update on the weekly news in the parish bulletin please use the link here

Mass is celebrated every Sunday at 8.30am at St Anne's, Wappenbury and in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels, Princethorpe College at 10.30am.

 On the first Sunday of each month Mass is offered for the deceased members of our families. Please join us if you can.

Fr Teddy looks forward to meeting you all.

Tuesday 22 March 2022 - 6.30pm to 7.30pm

What can we expect from new cars in 2030? Electric motors will replace diesel and petrol engines. Cars will increasingly drive themselves for parts or all of the journey. When the driver is in control of the vehicle, the steering wheel and brake pedal will no longer be mechanically connected to the wheels – instead commands will be sent over a data-bus just like the driving simulator for a games console. Owning a car will be increasingly like owning a smart phone: with new car companies emerging and monthly subscriptions increasingly replacing car ownership. Comfort and features may become more important than raw performance, with electric suspension and noise cancellation making you feel more like you are sitting in a business-class lounge than a hassled commuter.

Sustainability and zero emissions will become the number one goal. Whilst cars will primarily be powered by batteries, goods vehicles and larger transport systems will increasingly rely on green hydrogen as their fuel source. With petrol and diesel fumes eliminated, the focus will be on eliminating brake dust and tyre dust pollution from the local environment, and reducing noise pollution.

Behind these revolutionary new trends, there are tens of thousands of engineers working hard to deliver safe, reliable and minimum-carbon solutions. This passionate team includes software, cybersecurity, magnetic, mechanical, electronics and design experts. If you have a love of science, design, and delivering creative solutions for the green economy, this may be a career for you.

Dr Connel Williams has spent 25 years working in the automotive and aerospace industries, developing smart actuators for cars, trucks, planes and helicopters. Before that he spent 5 years in academia, studying for a PhD in micromechanical engineering, designing micromotors and energy harvesters. He is now in charge of servodrive technology development globally for ZF, the third largest automotive supplier in the world.

He joins us on Tuesday 22 March 2022 from 6.30pm - 7.30pm for a STEAM talk on Engineering Cars of the Future. Sign up here to join us for what will be a fascinating insight into the future.

Dante created a remarkable body of work, including love poetry, linguistic and political treatises, and the monumental theological and philosophical Commedia, which is also a beautiful love story.

He wrote in Latin and Italian, advocating the vernacular as a fitting subject for serious subjects, and his writings had a profound influence on the course of Italian literature.

The talk will take place at 7.30pm on Tuesday 29 March 2022 in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre followed by wine and light refreshments in The Atrium.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door but advance notice helps catering, please. Princethorpe, Crackley Hall and Crescent School pupils free of charge.

To reserve a place for the Dante 3 presentation please use this link

We look forward to an excellent and informative evening - see you soon.

Wednesday 30 March 2022

The Witherslack Group is holding a virtual SEN conference for parents and carers on Wednesday 30 March on Autism: Creating Aspirational Futures.

For more information and to register for your free place please click here.

Lorna Prestage
Learning Support

Friday 1 April - 7.00pm

Our annual Spring Concert is returning!    

Three years since we were last able to celebrate this wonderful event, we will finally be holding our Spring Concert at Princethorpe again, and it will be taking place in the Sports Hall at 7.00pm on Friday 1 April.   

This is your opportunity to hear all the best items from the Music department across one exciting evening of entertainment. Choir, String Orchestra, Concert Band, and our amazing GCSE and A-level musicians, alongside small ensembles and solos will provide an unforgettable evening of musical entertainment, with food and wine to finish.   

Come and join us to get geared up for the Easter break! 

Tickets are available free of charge and you can book your place by filling in your details here.

Wednesday 27 April - 7.00pm

At our last meeting we discussed The Architect’s Apprentice by Elif Shafak. Views were divided on this. Certainly the narrative drive behind the book could have been stronger and the narrative pace was sometimes lost in a plethora of detail. Nevertheless the descriptions were often very evocative and the rich history of Istanbul viewed at least in part through its glorious architecture was rewarding to learn about. We will be meeting again next term on Wednesday 27 April when we shall be discussing Lily’s Promise – How I survived Auschwitz written by Lily Ebert in collaboration with her grandson Dov Forman. It is some time since we read any non-fiction and this comes recommended. We will also be looking at the award-winning short novel Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson. The meeting will be at 7.00pm in the library. Please join us whether or not you have read these books. It has been a pleasure to welcome new faces recently and we are always keen to sample new recommendations and fresh reading interests from others

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Wednesday 4 May,  Tuesday 14 June, Thursday 16 June or Wednesday 22 June 2022

Aimed at prospective pupils, our Year 5 Taster Days are a great way for your child to experience Princethorpe during a normal school day. Typically the day will involve four lessons, a question and answer session, with some of our current pupils, and the chance to talk to the Headmaster, Mr Hester. 

We have four dates available in May and June. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

• Wednesday 4 May
• Tuesday 14 June
• Thursday 16 June
• Wednesday 22 June

To attend please register your child here.

Crackley Hall and Crescent School Year 5 pupils have already been invited to school specific Taster Days in May.

Year 6 Taster Days will be available in September 2022.

Thursday 24 March 2022 - 6.00pm to 8.30pm

The Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening will take place on Thursday 24 March 2022 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm. As you will be aware, the pandemic forced schools into conducting Parents’ Evenings online and this has proved to be a successful approach which we are continuing. We are currently trialling an alternative platform for these events, delivered by SchoolCloud. This is widely used by many schools and should make the booking and appointment process simpler. We will send out detailed information in advance of events and will gladly listen to your feedback on the new system.

Meetings will still be booked online and further details will follow on how to book the appointments.

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

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Upper Sixth Mock Exam Reports will be published to the parent portal today, Friday 18 March 2022. Once published, you will receive an email notification advising that the reports are available to view on My School Portal.

There will be an opportunity for parents to discuss their child’s report at the forthcoming Upper Sixth Virtual Parents’ Evening on Thursday 24 March 2022.

We look forward to seeing you then.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head – Teaching and Learning

Exams January 2022

Results for the January Maths exams have been published and distributed to pupils, results for the January BTEC exams will be published and distributed on Thursday 24 March 2022.

The deadline for any enquiries about results for both subjects is Thursday 31 March 2022.

Exams Summer 2022

Individual exam timetables can now be viewed on My School Portal by parents and pupils under the heading Exam Timetable; room allocations will appear nearer the time.

Exam clashes have been adjusted for most pupils and these are now showing on the portals. For any questions about your summer exams please email examinations@princethorpe.co.uk or pupils can come and speak to the Exams Office staff in Room S38 on Upper Pugin.

Shellagh Dodds
Examination and Assessment Manager

Progress Reports for Lower Sixth will be published Friday 25 March 2022, and will be available to view on My School Portal.  

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

In the interests of well being and all round support we are now able to issue an iSAMS Well Being Notification to parents from the Medical Centre. If a pupil is attending regularly we will inform parents via the notification. In addition if a pupil has missed a lesson due to pastoral reasons we will be able to keep you informed.

There is a terrific amount of named and unnamed items in lost property at the Student Hub; please ask your child to check lost property even if they don’t think that they have mislaid anything.  All unclaimed items will be going to support a charity at the end of this term.  A member of staff is currently involved with a charity in Zimbabwe who are looking for clothing for children’s homes and clinics.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

We have several members of our community who have severe nut allergies. Whilst our kitchens operate a 'no nut' policy, we would like to remind parents who are sending in snacks or packed lunches, could they please not include items that may contain nuts or traces of nuts. Thank you for your help with this matter.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

The most recent Parent Toolkit webinar, entitled Online Safety took place on Tuesday 15 March. Mr Compton shared advice on how to talk to your children about their online activities as well as technical guidance on keeping home and mobile internet connections secure, managing your child’s device use and the dangers of online gaming and gambling and how to recognise issues in these areas and support your child with them. The recording of the webinar can be found on the Parent Toolkit section of My School Portal.

The next webinar, Eating Disorders And Poor Eating Habits, takes place on Wednesday 30 March at 6.30pm. The link to the webinar is here and the programme of all future webinars and links to access them, can be found on My School Portal here.

Please send any suggestions for future webinar topics that we have not already planned to cover to Mrs Beth Sharpe at BethSharpe@Princethorpe.co.uk

Andy Compton
Assistant Head - Director of Digital Strategy

It has been great to see the Sixth Form Centre and Sixth Form life returning to normal after the final set of mock exams for Year 11 and Upper Sixth.

Upper Sixth Mock Exams Feedback

We congratulate the Upper Sixth on all their hard work in preparation for the mocks and we hope they use the feedback from their teachers at Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening on Thursday 24 March wisely for their revision between now and the A-levels commencing on Monday 23 May.

Lower Sixth Progress Reports

The Lower Sixth will receive an update on their individual progress and performance in each of their subjects when the Lower Sixth reports are published on Friday 25 March.

Careers Update

Mrs Quinney, our Head of Careers, is in the process of giving individual careers interviews to all our Lower Sixth students, so when they come to start making their choices for their futures, they will be well informed.

We have our Lower Sixth Mock Interview Day coming up on Wednesday 11 May, when a wide range of interviewers from HR and business backgrounds generously give their time to put our students through their paces.

On Tuesday 5 July we will be holding our Lower Sixth UCAS Day when representatives from local universities will help guide our students with the application process and how to register on UCAS. This is always a very helpful and informative session.

Celebration of Achievement Awards

A regular feature of Sixth Form life is our Termly Celebration of Achievement Awards. Held on the last Thursday of term, Tutors nominate two of their tutees for awards and the Sixth Form Team and staff nominate students who have gone that extra mile for a special mention, all receive a treat. The next Achievement Awards will be held on Thursday 31 March.

Prefect and Subject Ambassador Update

Lower Sixth students have been interviewed over the last few weeks for Prefect roles and we have today been delighted to announce the names of our new Prefect Body, click here. Student Ambassadors will be named before the end of term. The Prefect Inauguration will take place on Tuesday 5 April and we will share photographs of the new Prefect Body and Subject Ambassadors in due course.

The new Prefect Body and Subject Ambassadors will take over the reins at the start of the Trinity Term and our thanks go to all the outgoing Prefects and Subject Ambassadors for all they have done over the past year in support of our community.

Care Home Visits

We are delighted that our popular and valued Care Home Visits are now able to take place again. A group of Lower Sixth students visit two local care homes weekly, much to the delight of the residents and students alike.

Social Update

The Lower Sixth are currently voting for a theme for their social on Friday 20 May and early next term we will be asking the Upper Sixth to choose their menu and music choices for the Leavers’ Ball on Wednesday 29 June.

On Tuesday 28 June Upper Sixth students and their parents are invited to the Upper Sixth Thanksgiving Service and Buffet and on Tuesday 5 July we will be hosting a BBQ for parents and students after the Lower Sixth UCAS Day.

Summer Sixth Form Common Room

From Monday 16 May to Tuesday 28 June when the public exams are underway, the Summer Sixth Form Common Room will be in operation in a marquee on the North Lawn.

In addition to picnic benches outside, a new outdoor tennis table will be provided for Sixth Form use and a programme of specialist food providers will be visiting.

Key Dates

Click here to see Lower Sixth Key Dates

Click here to see Upper Sixth Key Dates

More details about specific events will be sent out to parents in due course.

With best wishes.

Ben Collie
Head of Sixth Form

In May, PE teacher Ellie Callan will be walking the 100km Jurassic Coast Challenge in aid of the charity MIND. MIND is dedicated to supporting individuals who struggle with their mental health and wellbeing, and it is a charity that is close to Ellie’s heart.

Ellie will be walking with her friends Beth and Bex, and they will be walking the distance over two days in memory of their close friend Chris.

Ellie explains, “You don’t have to struggle in silence and yet so many do including Chris who we hold very close to our hearts. Chris was a happy, hardworking all-round beautiful person, and showed very few signs of struggles with his mental health. Unfortunately, he did suffer in silence and heartbreakingly, took his own life in January 2022.”

Their 100km challenge starts from Corfe Castle, and then heads to Swanage, along to Lulworth Cove, past Durdle Door, with ups and downs all the way to the Weymouth halfway point. The route then goes on past Portland Bill, along the western end of Chesil Beach to West Bay's famous cliffs (of TV's Broadchurch fame) - before finishing in Bridport.

Ellie continues, “Bex and I have the advantage of being PE teachers and avid exercisers. Beth on the other hand, well the thought of exercise makes her tired unless she’s legging it around the ward at work. However, one thing we all agree on is that the 48 hours of pain we are likely to endure will be nothing compared to the pain experienced by Chris and many others.”

If you would like to support Ellie’s 100km challenge, then visit her JustGiving fundraising page here.

Sunday 3 April 2022 

Bold Walkers take on 40 miles in a day!

Princethorpe College has not participated since 2019 in the Coventry Way Challenge, a 40-mile long distance countryside route, circumnavigating the city of Coventry. 

This year a courageous team of nine Upper Sixth students and three staff, plus a relay team of six staff and students are taking part, aiming to raise sponsorship to support our longstanding commitment to providing a daily meal in school to the 675 children at Makalanga School in Malawi. 

Please follow this link to support them in providing for this most basic of human needs - that also helps gain children an education https://giving.marysmeals.org/en_gb/projects/vt0p-princethorpe-5-makalanga

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

In the Trinity Term Year 9 pupils have the opportunity to take part in Princethorpe's popular Forensic Science Club.

Starting Monday 25 April until Monday 13 June, Mrs Curtis and Mr White will be running weekly lunchtime sessions teaching six different forensic techniques before pupils will be faced with applying their skills to a Princethorpe Crime Scene.

The club will run from 12.10pm to 12.35pm in G5 (accessed through G4's corridor) and the final crime scene challenge will take place on Thursday 16 June from 4.00pm to 6.00pm.

There are 5 spaces; please email samcurtis@princethorpe.co.uk or Teams message Sam Curtis to reserve a spot.

It is great to be able to share news of pupils' co-curricular successes outside of school.

Sophie Gray and Tilly Houghton (both Year 11 pupils) were selected to represented the U17 Warwickshire hockey team in the final end of year Midlands County Championships on Sunday 13 March in Beeston, Nottingham.

Their Warwickshire team won the tournament and are now the U17 Girls Midland County Champions, beating Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Derbyshire and Shropshire.

Fantastic work girls!

Lots of pupils show initiative and tenacity while working towards their Duke of Edinburgh's Awards, particularly when they are completing the volunteering section. For many this is the hardest element, especially for those pursuing their awards over the last two years. Three pupils who have shown particular initiative with their volunteering are Upper Sixth Former, Archie Hancock and Year 10 pupils, Charlotte Gledhill and Emily Slinger.

For his Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s award Archie has been volunteering as a Covid-19 vaccination volunteer at two local centres with the St John Ambulance. Volunteering as a Patient Carer, he has provided medical assistance, managed Infection Prevention Control, supported the check-in process, monitored patients after they have received their jab and supported nervous patients.

Archie commented, “It has been an incredible opportunity that I have really enjoyed. I’ve met lots of interesting people, both those involved in the vaccine roll out and the public. I’m grateful for the whole DoE experience in general and have really appreciated Mr Bower’s support and encouragement to take on this and the other opportunities. I know that I will carry the skills I have developed on through life.”

Both Charlotte Gledhill and Emily Slinger have received awards recognising their volunteering. Year 10, Charlotte was named Junior Volunteer Of The Year 2020/21 by the Nuneaton and Bedworth Sports Forum for her volunteering work as a swimming coach which she undertook while working towards her Bronze and Silver Awards. While fellow Year 10, Emily, raised £620 for the Intensive Care Society as part of DofE volunteering for her Bronze Award and was awarded an NHS Stars Award by the #ThanksKids team from her local NHS Children and Young Peoples Mental Health and Wellbeing Service.

Head of Outdoor Education, Will Bower, commented, “These young people have all shown initiative and a proactive approach towards completing their volunteering. This is just what the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award wishes to encourage. They are all great examples of what the volunteering section can be about, and all these pupils are all well on their way to completing their awards.”

Well done to all who have completed the programme planners and are logging hours for the volunteering, physical and skill sections. Some participants have even completed and signed off sections, a fantastic effort.

If you haven’t started yet, don’t worry, there is still time. Consider utilising the DofE temporary changes.  These options were created to help participants to complete despite the pandemic and are valid until December 2022 and are available to view here.

Bronze

Full information regarding the expeditions will be discussed at the upcoming assembly:

Practice Expedition Meeting – Thursday 24 March 2022 – Tutor Time – Clarkson Theatre

You have been sent a letter containing the following forms:

• Peak Medical Consent
• Princethorpe Code of Conduct
• Expedition kit list
• Kit request form

Please complete and return to the Student Hub by Monday 28 March 2022.

You will also receive an email confirming your group and the relevant dates.  Following the meeting on Thursday you will be sent the presentation containing all of the key details.

Silver

Well done on your efforts at the training and planning weekend in January.  Full final details regarding the expedition will be discussed at the upcoming assembly:

Practice Expedition Meeting – Thursday 31 March 2022 – Tutor Time – Clarkson Theatre

Following the meeting you will be sent the presentation confirming the plan.

Gold

Following our meeting this week please complete the training assignment by Monday 4 April 2022.  After the meeting, I will email all the final plan for the upcoming training day and practice expedition 6 – 10 April 2022.

Will Bower 
Head of Outdoor Education – DofE Manager 

Co-curricular trips and educational visits have always been a major part of life at Princethorpe. These experiences for pupils enrich their lives, enhance their learning and develop their understanding and appreciation of the world around. It has been great for us to be able to successfully run the Year 7 residential to Whitemoor Lakes and the Lower Sixth residential as year group bubble trips this year. Supporting the curriculum, we have had Maths Challenge to Warwick University, Geography field trips for Year 11 and Upper Sixth, as well at the Fashion and Design Technology trip to London.

We would like to update you with the provisional major trips and visits plans as they currently stand (this does not include academic department day trips or Duke of Edinburgh's Award). Please see here for the planned school trips in the coming years.

Please also ensure that you read the information about individual trips with care when they are released, in particular in relation to consent, cancellation and insurance.

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

Tuesday 22 March 2022

Princethorpe College are delighted to offer Year 10 the opportunity to attend the GCSE Science Live! event at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham. This event offers the pupils the chance to see and hear five of Britain’s top scientists, all working at the cutting edge of their specialisms, who were carefully chosen for their ability to communicate with GCSE pupils in a direct and exciting way. The presenters are Prof. Robert Winston, Prof. Andrea Sella, Prof. Jim Al-Khalili, Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Prof. Alice Roberts. The day will be fast-moving, exciting, thought-provoking and will give pupils the chance to raise issues with the scientists. 

In addition to the speaking scientists, pupils will also get the opportunity to: 

- strengthen GCSE results with top tips on examination success from an experienced science examiner.  

- see that science really does offer solutions for many of the world’s great problems. 

Each pupil will receive a well-produced booklet with details about each scientist, the lectures and some general articles about studying Science and working as scientists – as well as a number of pieces from an experienced chief examiner on success with Science GCSE. 

Pupils are required to wear full school uniform and to bring a packed lunch.

Information letters and consent requests have been emailed out through Evolve. 

We have had a good level of response to our request for feedback on the College bus services as part of our review in readiness for the 2022-23 academic year.

If you have yet to do so, whether a bus user or non-bus user, please go to the link below and have your say.

Click here to access the survey.

Click here to view the current bus services.

The aim of the review is to optimise the services we provide for families and where possible improve routes and journey times.

In addition to the feedback from current and incoming parents, Vectare will be analysing a variety of factors including demographic information, current usage and bus journey statistics and their representatives will travel on the services after Easter.

Once the review is completed Vectare will present their findings to the College and work on revised routes and timetables to be completed and published by early June.

Many thanks

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Please see below our current vacancies: 

• Compliance Manager - The Princethorpe Foundation
• Nursery Manager - Little Crackers
• Library Assistant - Princethorpe College
• Archivist - 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 these posts, please do share this information with them.

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 must be in writing, addressed to the Headmaster, via the Registrar, Mrs Rooney by the first day of term.

All letters are acknowledged within seven days; if you do not receive an acknowledgement then please contact the Registrar immediately. 

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Please note that half a term's notice is required if a pupil no longer needs to use the bus service provided by the school. 

This is particularly relevant for pupils in Year 11 and Upper Sixth who have exams in the Trinity term and for members of Upper Sixth who pass their driving test. For example, we need to be advised in writing before the start of the Trinity Term if the bus service is not required after half term in May. Parents wishing to give notice should write to Barbara Bromwich in the Bursary or email buses@princethorpe.co.uk.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Parents wishing to access their on-line billing account should visit https://parent.princethorpe.co.uk/api/homepage/.

At the top of your screen you will see a menu that allows you to see your invoices and your statement.

To view your invoices please click “School Fee Invoices”. This will provide you with a list of all invoices raised for all your children within the Foundation. To open an individual invoice, select the pdf icon from the download column and click to open. A box will appear on your screen, please click the box to view your invoice.

To view your statement please hover your curser over “School Fee Invoices”. A drop-down box will appear “Statement of Account”. Please click on this. This screen will enable you to see the date, account code and current balance. A list of the transactions made during any given month will appear (any brought forward balance from previous terms will appear under this section). To change the month you wish to view please click on the “v” to the right hand side of the box containing month and year.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

We have received complaints and concerns from parents, neighbours and the general public about lengthy queues on the drive backing down onto the Leamington Road. This seems to be a particular problem in the afternoon and more specifically on a Friday.

To help improve the situation we would ask that parents do not arrive at the College to pick up their children before 3.30pm. The playground gates are kept closed until this time for the safety and safeguarding of children and queuing traffic on the drive impedes normal traffic on site including visitors with appointments at the school. In emergencies and exceptional circumstances, the gates may need to open early or remain closed beyond 3.30pm to enable us to respond effectively to the situation.

The queues on the road cause a significant problem for local traffic and on occasions vehicles have been known to overtake dangerously in both directions simultaneously.

The College has worked for many years with the local authority and parish council regarding safety on this stretch of road and paid for the addition of double white lines a few years ago.

We want to do our utmost to avoid any accidents or indeed a situation where we are faced with sanctions being imposed on traffic near the College or the police becoming involved.

As an alternative to collecting your child you may wish to consider using the school bus service after school, individual tickets as well as pass bookings can be made using the Bus Services website here. There is currently good availability on all buses for the evening journeys. You need to create an account on the website before making your booking.

We will be monitoring the situation closely and would appreciate your co-operation in this most important matter.

In emergencies and for exceptional circumstances, the gates may open early or remain closed beyond 3:30pm to enable us to respond effectively to the situation.

Rob Heath
Director of Estates