The Flagpole

Firstly many thanks for your overwhelming support of our new policy on mobile phones in school. It has already made a hugely positive difference around the campus and in the way that many of the children interact with each other.

As you will be aware, last week as part of our Digital Citizenship programme, we had an expert guest speaker, Paul Hay, in school to talk to the children and staff on a variety of aspects of the internet and e-safety. I hope you have had the opportunity to discuss some of the things that were discussed with your children. We also had about 120 parents attend the evening talk which was specifically aimed at parents giving some excellent advice and pointers as to how to manage technology and e-safety issues in the home.

A number of parents informed us that they would have liked to attend but other events made it impossible, so we filmed the talk and it is available to all parents (not pupils) by clicking on the link here. I thoroughly recommend this talk to all parents (you can skip the first three minutes, which is my introduction) as it is full of wise, practical advice.

Paul also very kindly took time after he left to answer some of the specific questions that parents had posed – these questions and answers can be found here. He also offered to answer further questions or give advice to parents; his website which contains useful resources and links can be found here and his email address should you wish to contact him is paul.hay@pclstraining.com

Again, many thanks for all your support in these key areas and please do contact us at school if you have any concerns. 

Ed Hester

It's wedding night in the palace of King Shahrayar. By morning, the new queen, Shahrazad, is to be put to death like a thousand young brides before her. She has the one gift that can save her: the gift of storytelling. With a mischievous imagination and silver tongue, Queen Shahrazad paints a dazzling array of stories and characters, summoned forth from strange and magical worlds populated by talking birds, singing trees and crafty thieves. Can the power of storytelling save her life?

So begins Dominic Cooke’s adaption of Arabian Nights, directed by Aileen Cefaliello, supported by Vicky Roberts and performed with verve and passion by our wonderful troupe of players. Over three nights this week, captivated audiences are being transported to a colourful world of larger than life characters, tall stories and Eastern promise, what better way to combat this long cold winter we have had.

As an added treat on Saturday 10 February, we will be welcoming Old Princethorpian and professional actor, Emilio Doorgasingh, back to the College to officially open the Clarkson Theatre at the beginning of the final sell-out performance.

A number of tickets are still available for tonight's (Friday 9 February - 7.00pm) performance, they will be allocated on a first come, first served basis to those who have not booked tickets and the cost will be added to next term's bill.

A big 'break a leg' to all the cast and behind the scenes team for the last two performances!

View gallery to get a sneak preview of the tales....

The admissions deadline for acceptance of places for September 2018 entry to the College is fast approaching and a good number of acceptances have been coming in over the last few weeks. Those parents wishing to accept a place need to send their signed confirmation and £300 deposit back to Mrs Vanessa Rooney, the Registrar, by Monday 5 March 2018 please, to secure the place.

As we finish one year's admissions cycle, another one begins and we are now accepting registrations for September 2019 entry. The Entrance Exams for 2019 will take place on Saturday 10 November 2018.  There will be plenty of opportunities for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the College before then, including our new spring Open Morning on Tuesday 20 March from 10.30am to 12.30pm, our summer Open Evening on Wednesday 7 June from 6.00pm to 8.30pm and taster days for Year 5 children in May and June.

If you have any questions about the admissions process please contact the Registrar, Vanessa Rooney, on 01926 634201 or email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Congratulations to Head Girl, Miriam Isaacs, who has been awarded a Grade 8 Gold Medal in Acting by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

LAMDA examinations in Acting are designed to develop the skills necessary to communicate dramatic text to an audience.  For her Gold Medal exam Miriam had to prepare three monologue speeches of between four and five minutes each from published plays.  Her varied repertoire included ‘Antigone’ by Sophocles, ‘St Joan’ By George Bernard Shaw and ‘Our Country’s Good’ by Timberlake Wertenbaker. The extracts demonstrated her ability to convey period and style using contrasting pieces of comedy and drama.

Gold is the highest medal awarded by LAMDA; Miriam, who began studying LAMDA when she was in Year 8, has consistently achieved high marks as she progressed through the grades.

Miriam explained, “I am planning to read English Literature at university and studying for the LAMDA examinations and the Gold Medal has given me a deeper understanding and appreciation of different texts, which has been really valuable preparation for my UCAS application."

Congratulating Miriam LAMDA teacher, Mary MacDonald said, “I am delighted that Miriam has achieved this result.  It is the culmination of five years LAMDA study which has included acting, mime, and public speaking.  Miriam has had consistently high marks in her examinations, a direct result of her diligence, ownership and mature understanding of the tasks involved.  She has had to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the acting process and characters portrayed.  She has also studied major drama practitioners and their influence on the acting process as well as the playwrights and the context of their work. 

She continued, “I am sure that Miriam will also have found this process of great value, giving her the skills and confidence she needs in the future.  The Grade 8 Gold Medal also earns her 30 UCAS points and supports her application for university.  Well done Miriam.”    

This latest achievement follows on from Miriam’s success earlier in the academic year in the National Catenians Public Speaking Competition for young people, when she was awarded first place. 

A team of nine swimmers represented the Princethorpe Foundation at the National Independent Schools Association’s Swimming Championships at the London Aquatics Centre, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Sunday 21 January 2018.  Representing the Midlands and up against tough competition, our swimmers competed against national qualifiers from regions across the UK including East Anglia, the North, London South, London West, London North and the South West.

Over the course of the day some 400 swimmers took part in 83 races with the Midlands region finishing impressively in 1st place in the Seniors, 5th in the Juniors and 4th overall.

Princethorpe College Director of Sport, Neil McCollin, commented, “Our swimmers have traditionally done well in the ISA Swimming Championships and they have had another successful outing this year.  Well done to everyone who competed in both the National Championships and in the qualifying regional competitions, it’s good to see so many pupils from all three of the Foundation’s schools representing the Midlands, we are delighted with their performance.” 

Year 8 pupil Jess Mackenzie swam superbly to finish in a time of 28.74 taking a gold medal and setting a new record for the Year 8 Girls 50 metre freestyle.  Mackenzie just missed a second medal later in the day when she finished in 4th place in a time of 32.69, in a very close race in the Year 8 Girls 50 metre butterfly.

Year 11 Caitlin Newport swam powerfully to take a silver medal in the Year 11/13 Girls’ 100 metre breast stroke.  In a challenging dual against a familiar rival, Leah Hamilton swimming for London South, she finished the race in 1.23.29.   

Lucia McCosker-New also took silver in the Year 9/10 Girls 100 metre freestyle just missing the gold by 0.29 of a second in what was an exciting, nail biting finish.

Year 10 Evie Nicholas finished 5th in the Year 9/10 100 metre backstroke in 1.22.47 and fellow Year 10 Toby Rigg also finished 5th in the Year 9/10 Boys 100 metre freestyle in 1.06.18.  

Crackley Hall’s Junior 6 Eva Plevin competed in the Year 6 Girls 50m butterfly finishing in 43.43 and Junior 4 Lily Carroll had her first outing at the competition in the Year 4 Girls 50 metre backstroke, finishing in 52.54.

This year for the first time the Crescent School had swimmers competing at the National Championships, with two boys competing in 200 metre freestyle relay races.  Marco Rodriguez Hernandez’s Year 4 team finished comfortably in 1st place and Year 5 Jamie Capelett swam his leg blisteringly fast to bring his relay team from 3rd place up to 1st place. Sadly both results were disallowed due to faulty change overs by other members of the relay teams.  All part of the high pressure of this major event and part of the learning for next year’s competition.

Well done to all our swimmers.

Over 30 Princethorpe pupils, plus their parents and staff enjoyed a dedicated talk from Computer Games industry expert Roisi Proven on Thursday 25 January.

Roisi has spent over seven years working in the Computer Games industry both in Quality Assurance and Design, and is now Head of Product Delivery for a media company. She was invited in to the College to speak on her experience of working in the industry and technology sector generally, and her talk covered topics as diverse as the different games she has worked on, why there aren’t more women in the industry, why having people skills is so vital, the role of creativity, psychology and intuition in creating games, and the different routes available into the sector.

Roisi also spent time in her career as an Agile Project Manager and in the lead up to her talk, pupils spent the afternoon undertaking team challenges and considering the ways in which they could apply Agile Project Management techniques when working. Agile Project Management focuses on tools and techniques to help organisations and teams focus on continuous improvement, flexibility and team input to ensure delivery of essential quality products. Pupils were then given the task of creating their own computer game concepts and presenting their final ideas to Roisi later in the evening.

Year 10 pupil James Lee commented, “The afternoon session was really useful. We had to think about how to communicate with each other well and assign roles to reach our end goals.”

He continued, “Roisi’s talk was great too. It was interesting to find out that there are people who studied different subjects such as Engineering and Maths who work in the sector as well.”

Fellow Year 10 pupil Oliver Lyons added, “It was fascinating finding out about Roisi’s experiences and how important the effort you put in to your job, and your own willpower can be.”

Head of ICT and Computer Science Adam Depledge concluded, “We’re hugely grateful to Roisi for taking the time to visit us in January. It’s brilliant that we can provide pupils with opportunities like these and help them to consider the different skills needed for career paths in the sector, and beyond.”  

Eight Princethorpe runners have qualified for the National ISA Cross Country Championships following the Midlands event which took place on Wednesday 31 January at Bedstone College in Shropshire.  The ‘great eight’ were part of a 34-strong squad who took on the challenging course in tricky conditions.

Princethorpe College’s runners have a tradition of success at this competition, many have competed at Bedstone before, and after recent County cross country success hopes were high as the plucky runners battled for one of the coveted top ten National qualifying places.

Both the U14 Girls’ and Boys’ teams ran well and with so many College pupils finishing in the top 20, both Princethorpe teams bagged the top spot and the team trophy for their age group.  Qualifying for the Nationals for the U14 Girls were Julia Loftus and Jess Evans who ran determinedly to finish 8th and 9th respectively.  Grace Darcy came home 11th and will act as reserve.  For the U14 Boys’ Mark Dunkley finished 6th, so also qualifies.  Ed Mitchell just missed out despite a brilliant race where he finished 13th.

For the U16 Girls’ Molly Minshull had an outstanding race taking 2nd place and the silver medal, despite the hare (a pace-setter) taking the wrong turn and adding an extra mile to her route.  She was followed over the line by a sea of Princethorpe red vests as Eve Howard finished in 5th, Erin Darcy 9th and Luisa Garcia-Stokes 10th.  All these girls qualify for the Nationals too.

The U16 Boys’ team ran bravely with the Crowfoot twins in excellent form, Will finished 9th to qualify with brother Tom just missing out in 11th. The pair were closely followed by George Dunkley in 12th.  Tom will act as reserve.

Head of Girls’ Games, Mrs Debs Brookes, was delighted with the results, “You never quite know what you’re going to get with cross country as the variables are so great. Despite the difficult conditions today we still had red vest after red vest crossing the line; our runners took on the arduous terrain and did very well.”

Our qualifying runners will have home advantage in the ISA National Cross Country championships which will place at Princethorpe College later in the Spring on Saturday 3 March 2018.

The College is having a successful cross country season with Year 7 girls Julia Loftus, Jess Evans and Grace Darcy all qualifying for a Year 7 English Schools’ race at Prestwold Hall in Leicestershire on Saturday 24 March 2018. Older runners Molly Minshull and George Dunkley have also qualified for the English School Nationals which will be held in Leeds on Saturday 17 March, with Tom and Will Crowfoot as reserves.

Austin House is the worthy recipient of the inaugural St Hildegard House Award for Academic Endeavour and Attainment.  Launched this academic year, the award celebrates the effort, attainment and attitude of pupils in each and every teaching group in the school.

Director of Studies, Dr Michael Reddish, explained, “Princethorpe College has been blessed with a clear and strong set of values from its very inception. The school places the commitment to be kind and do your best at the forefront of all it does and acknowledges and celebrates these values in a whole host of ways, including systems of merits and rewards.”

Endeavour Awards and Teacher Awards reward academic effort, attainment and a positive attitude.  Taking its name from St Hildegard von Bingen, a visionary Benedictine nun who was declared a ‘Doctor of the Church’ by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, the St Hildegard award is presented to the House that receives the greatest number of Endeavour and Teacher Awards.

In this inaugural round, 832 Endeavour Awards and Teachers Awards have been given to pupils. In the whole school assembly on Monday 29 January top award winning Year 8 pupil Pratheesh Prabakaran, who himself received nine awards, was invited forward to receive the new award on behalf of Austin House from Headmaster, Ed Hester.

Dr Reddish added, “Last week I had the pleasure of going into House Assemblies to congratulate the award winners, we hope this high profile recognition will spur all our pupils on to greater endeavour and achievement.”

For a list of the top award winners please click here Endeavour And Teacher Award Winners

Current Year 11 pupils who are interested in applying for the Sixth Form Sport Scholarship are encouraged to do so by the deadline date of Friday 16 February 2018.

Candidates should submit a portfolio and detailed account of their reasons for the application supported by references from their coach/activity leaders.

The final document should be forwarded to Vanessa Rooney, our Registrar, by Friday 16 February 2018. 

Following a review of the portfolios, as appropriate, candidates will be invited to the Sports Scholarship Assessment Day on Friday 9 March 2018.

The Sixth Form Sports Scholarship is open to both internal and external candidates.

On Friday 19 January 2018 Sixth Form Photography students and Upper Sixth Art students took the scenic M40 route down to London to visit the National Portrait Gallery.  Photography students visited the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize Exhibition whilst the Art students visited the Cezanne Portraits Exhibition.  That day the gallery was filled with portrait lovers just like us.  I found it so interesting to see others sketching Cezanne portraits just as I was and the atmosphere it created was definitely a highlight.  Before leaving we got to explore around the gallery, finding gorgeous architecture, sculptures and photographs.  After adventuring around we found the downstairs café where we stocked up on coffee and snacks before our long coach ride back home. It was a fun day out and an inspirational trip that will help start the preparation for our A-level exam.     

Lizzie Watson, C6FS, and Ella Friess, C6PH

Football isn’t often associated with reading and writing but since November the motivational power of the nation’s favourite sport has been used to develop Princethorpe pupil’s literacy skills. 20 Year 8s have enjoyed taking part in the National Literacy Trust’s ‘Skills Academy’, a ten-week initiative that uses the excitement of football and freestyle ball tricks to motivate pupils to improve their literacy skills.

Over the course of the programme pupils have developed their comprehension skills including questioning, clarifying, summarising, predicting and inferring, learnt new vocabulary and improved their confidence in reading.  As they progressed through the ‘Skills Academy’ they have also unlocked exclusive video tutorials from top freestyle footballers, teaching ball tricks such as the ‘rocket launcher’.

The project has been very successful with pupils’ motivation and enjoyment of reading increasing. After all their hard work, and as a reward, on Tuesday 30 January the pupils had the chance to put their new football skills into action in a special training session run by Sky Blues in the Community coaches Chloe Debaes and Callum Ingram. The coaches organised two hours of skills, drills and mini-matches.  During the intensive session pupils practised basic passing, one twos, stop and goes, turning, dummy shots and headers, played mini four-a-side games with no goalies and finished with relay races.  Some even enjoyed showing off their newly learnt freestyle tricks to the admiring coaches.

Louise Dennis, Education Manager, commented, “We are delighted to work with Princethorpe College and support their ‘Skills Academy’ literacy project. It was brilliant to see the children having fun learning football skills and to know that football is changing attitudes towards reading, and helping them to develop important literacy skills.”

College Librarian, Celia Scott added, “The Skills Academy has really engaged pupils. All of the material is about football and makes interesting reading for pupils. Its approach builds confidence by breaking reading into manageable chunks, making it less daunting.  We have even welcomed footballs into the library and the pupils have enjoyed learning the freestyle tricks,” she continued, “We really appreciate Sky Blues in the Community football coaches coming into school to run this special end of programme reward session for us. It helps reinforce the importance of literacy skills.”

On Saturday 27 January 80 young singers from local primary schools joined Princethorpe's Director of Music, Mr Gil Cowlishaw, Mrs Felicity Coulson and 15 of the Princethorpe College Choir for a Choral Fun Day.

The Year 5 and 6 pupils tackled a variety of choral pieces from traditional works such as Amazing Grace and When The Saints Go Marching In to popular favourites such as Pure Imagination from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to ELO’s Mr Blue Sky and the upbeat Happy by Pharrell Williams.

As well as rehearsing furiously, the visiting children took part in a musical treasure hunt round the College and enjoyed lunch in the Sixth Form Centre.

The day culminated in an impressive gala performance of the pieces in front of an enthusiastic capacity audience of family and friends in the College's newly refurbished Clarkson Theatre.

Commenting on the day, Gil Cowlishaw said, "We were really impressed by the children. They achieved such a lot in just a few hours, learning five songs and then taking to the stage to perform is no mean feat, well done to them all!”

There was plenty of positive parental feedback too including comments such as, ‘Our son had an amazing day and loved every minute’, ‘She made friends, and clearly felt very welcomed and at ease’, and ‘Please could you pass on our gratitude and appreciation to everyone involved in organising such a fabulous day’.

A special thank you to all of the Princethorpe pupils and staff involved and to pupil technicians Daniel Hatfield and Ethan Smith for their help with the sound and lighting on the day.

Wednesday 14 February 2018 6.00pm

We warmly welcome you to an informal evening of scripted work. Our Year 11's are busy in the throes of preparing their two extracts for their GCSE exam. Please come and support them as they would love to hear your feedback.

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

Tickets are not required for this event, but to help us cater efficiently please reserve places with Lisa Gardner by clicking here no later than Monday 12 February 2018.

Aileen Cefaleillo and Vicky Roberts
Joint Heads of Drama

Wednesday 14 Februrary 2018 at 7.30pm

At our January meeting we discussed "Mothering Sunday" by Graham Swift, which was much enjoyed by all. Quite a subtle book of obvious literary merit, it opened our eyes to a lost world of employer and servant relationships. The book was very evocative of the time period, being set in the post-war world of the 1920s and explored the impact of the loss of thousands of young men on individual families.

As is our custom, we have something very different for February. We are taking our first graphic novel  "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi. This highly original and vocative book explores life in Iran at a particularly tumultuous time from the perspective of a young girl and later young woman. This has also been made into a film. Our next meeting is on Wednesday 14 February. If you have no better offers for this day, please make it a date with the reading group. We always welcome newcomers and would love to see you whether or not you have read this particular book. We meet in the library at 7.30pm.

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Thursday 1 March 2018, 6.00pm - 9.00pm, Sixth Form Lecture Theatre

Not to be missed, this evening of workshops will provide you with all the information and knowledge you need to support your son or daughter through the decision-making and application process. Please note this is for parents only as students will be receiving the information in their own sessions during the school day.

The provisional programme for the evening includes:

• Fred Binley, Southampton University - Why go to university
• Aston University - Degree apprenticeships
• Warwick University - Student finance and funding
• Unifrog and UCAS - A parents' guide
• Loughborough University - A parents' guide to personal statements

There will be a break during the evening when a buffet and refreshments will be served, this will also provide parents with an opportunity to talk to our visiting speakers.

Please confirm your attendance by clicking here. 

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers and UCAS Co-ordinator

Tuesday 6 March 2018 – Clarkson Theatre

We are delighted to welcome parents and friends to this informal evening where you will have the opportunity to see our more advanced LAMDA students perform some of their examination pieces. Please note that the material is age appropriate and may not be suitable for very young audience members.

Tickets are not required  for this event. Refreshments will be served after the performance when our LAMDA teachers look forward to meeting you.

Individual performers will be contacted directly through their LAMDA teacher. 

Kathy Buckingham
LAMDA Co-ordinator

Spring Open Morning
Saturday 10 March - 10.30am to 12.30pm

Crackley Hall and Little Crackers, Princethorpe's junior school and nursery in Kenilworth, is opening its doors for a Spring Open Morning on Saturday 10 March from 10.30am to 12.30pm. 

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

Registrations are now being taken for Nursery, Reception and Year 3 for September 2018 admissions, limited places are available in other Years. The nursery is open 51 weeks a year and is carefully structured for two-year olds, three-year olds and pre-school.

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

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

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

Thursday 15 March 2018

The Oscars V - The Pentalogy take place on Thursday 15 March 2018 so make sure you've marked the date in your diary. More details to come in future newsletters.

Greg Hunter
Assistant Head Co-Curricular

Saturday 17 March 2018, 9.30am - 1.00pm

We are pleased to announce that registrations for this exciting event will open next week when all parents with pupils in Year 10 and above will be sent a link to the online registration page.

Please do make sure that this date is in your diary as this year's fair is set to be the biggest yet with a whole wealth of speakers and exhibitors. There will be talks on a wide variety of career areas, from accountancy and cyber-security to film and fashion. Many employers will be both speaking and exhibiting including Rolls Royce, Severn Trent Water, IBM, JLR and Ernst and Young. We also have over a dozen universities attending, several of whom will be talking about the opportunities they offer. For those considering a gap year, there will be organisations offering life-changing opportunities.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers and UCAS Co-ordinator

Tuesday 20 March 2018 - 10.30am to 12.30pm

The Marketing and Admissions Team have introduced a new event into the admissions calendar.  This Spring Open Morning on Tuesday 20 March will give prospective families a chance to visit the school on a normal working day, with Year 7 and 8 pupils acting as tour guides. Light refreshments will be available.

For further information on admissions to the school please call the Registrars on 01926 634201 or 01926 634262 or email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk

Wednesday 21 March 2018 - 7.30pm

Sixth Form Lecture Theatre

Followed by wine and light refreshments in the Atrium

Vincent Van Gogh created dozens of memorable images of women during his brief painting career: peasant women in the fields; the prostitute with whom he lived for a while; café owners; his postman-friend’s wife rocking a cradle in Arles; the wife of a warder in the St Remy asylum where he lived for a year, and finally, Doctor Gachet’s daughter in Auvers-sur-Oise where he committed suicide in July 1890.

This slide-illustrated talk will examine these striking, colourful and unconventional images of the women he knew and it will also focus on the most important woman in his life and art… someone he met only three times. It is to this little-known woman that all who love Van Gogh are immeasurably indebted. All will be revealed!

Tickets may also be purchased at the door, (adults £5.00, children free) but advance notice helps catering, please. Princethorpe, Crackley Hall and Crescent School pupils free of charge. Please complete the booking form here. We are happy to receive provisional bookings by e-mail, please, to alexdarkes@princethorpe.co.uk. 

Friday 23 March - 14.55pm

Why support the Walk? The Mary's Meals Challenge Walks are due to take place on Sunday 25 March. A speaker from Mary's Meals is coming to Princethorpe College on Friday 23 March, at 14.55pm, to talk to students and parents about the charity and the difference your money will make to the lives of hugry children at Makalanga Primary School in Malawi.

If you or your child are taking part in the walks and would like to attend please click here to register your attendance.

Rod Isaacs
Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Saturday 24 March 2018 - 9.30am - 12.00pm

The Crescent School, Princethorpe's junior school in Rugby, is opening its doors to prospective and current parents and children for a Spring Open Morning on Saturday 24 March 2018 from 9.30am to 12.00pm. 

As part of the Open Morning there will be a very special performance by Reception to Year 2 pupils, along with children from Nature Trails Nursery, of The Bee Musical.  With a fabulous script and nine terrific songs to get you buzzing and bee-bopping, you just won’t bee-lieve how good this delightful and educational musical is!

This promises to be fantastic entertainment for visitors of all ages, and will really showcase the talents, confidence and stage presence of the school's youngest pupils. The show commences at 10.00am and we would urge visitors to arrive early to get a good seat!

After the half-hour performance there will be a short presentation about the Crescent and our ambitions for the school as part of the Princethorpe Foundation, and the chance to meet new Headmaster, Joe Thackway. There will also be short Q&A sessions with Alan Webb, Assistant Head - 
Head of Pre-Prep and Headmaster Joe Thackway about entry to Reception and Year 3. 

Elsewhere on site there will be plenty to see and do, including guided tours by the older pupils, sporting displays, instrumental performances, plus the opportunity to visit classrooms and chat informally to current parents and staff from Nature Trails, the Crescent and Princethorpe College. Light refreshments will be available. There is no need to book.

For more information about the Open Morning please call Registrar, Mrs Helen Morley on 01788 523851 or email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk.

Alternatively please visit our website www.crescentschool.co.uk for more information.

Thank you to all those of you who have already completed the Lower Sixth 2018 Option Confirmation Survey. For those who have not yet done so, the deadline for submissions is Monday 12 February 2018.

Do please make sure to confirm the choices that we have on file or submit your new choices, as the Option Blocks will be designed thereafter. The choices that we have on file were sent to you in individualised emails on 18 January 2018. The survey can be found here and the information which accompanied it can be found here.

Our Sixth Form Information Booklet can also be found here.

Dr Michael Reddish
Assistant Head - Director of Studies

For parents who were unable to attend the EPQ presentation given by Mrs Helen Pascoe Williams at the Lower Sixth Parents' Evening on Tuesday 6 February:

• Please click here to download the PowerPoint presentation
• Please click here to download the handout for parents.

Thursday 5 March 2018

The Year 9 Parents’ Evening takes place on Monday 5 March 2018 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm in Sports Hall. We look forward to seeing you then.

Dr Digby Carrington-Howell
Deputy Head (Staffing and Assessment)

Thursday 15 February 2018 at 7.00pm

As you know, the time is now approaching for Year 9 pupils and their parents to decide on their GCSE Options. There are a number of ways in which we would like to support you in that process, most notably through the Year 9 Options Evening next Thursday 15 February 2018 and the Year 9 Parents’ Evening on Monday 5 March 2018.

The Year 9 Options Evening comprises a brief presentation in the Chapel and then an opportunity for you to meet all the Heads of Department in the Sixth Form Centre to ask any questions you might have about their subjects. You will also be provided with the GCSE Options Booklet which provides further details on every GCSE, both compulsory and optional.

An online version of the booklet is available. Click here to view the PDF if you would like to begin reading it before the evening.

Please make the most of all these opportunities to read the Options Booklet carefully before making your choices.

The booklet explains in more detail, but the following provides a very simple overview of the Year 10 curriculum. There are some core subjects, which are taken by all pupils, and then a list of optional subjects of which pupils will study three.

Core subjects, that all pupils will study:

• English
• Mathematics
• Religious Studies
• Sciences (either Double Award or Triple Award, to be decided by the Head of Science following the Year 9 exams in June)
• Games (non-examined)

Optional subjects, of which you study three:

• Art
• Business Studies
• Computer Science
• Design and Technology: Resistant Materials*
• Design and Technology: Electronic Systems, Programmable Components and Mechanical Devices*
• Design and Technology: Textiles*
• Drama
• Food Preparation and Nutrition*
• Geography
• History
• Latin
• Modern Foreign Languages**
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
• Music
• Physical Education
• Psychology
• Sport (BTEC)

 * In the interests of maintaining balance, only one Design and Technology subject may be chosen.

** We strongly recommend that those pupils who would be successful at a Modern Foreign Language should include it in their option choices.

We have been able to improve the system of making Option Choices which we hope will make the process easier and more user friendly for you. As a result, there is a slight alteration to the timeline I outlined to you last year. The day after the Options Evening I will email you a link to an online survey. In the survey you will be asked to choose three option choices and one reserve. We will use that information to generate the option blocks (the timetable in which the options are taught). We will do our utmost to ensure that all pupils can take their first choice of subjects. In the rare event that we cannot offer a pupil’s particular combination of subjects, we will look to use their reserve choice but we will contact you personally should that become necessary. If there is insufficient demand for a particular subject, we may not be able to offer it. Again, if that becomes the case, we will contact you personally.

Having attended the Options Evening, had time to reflect on the subjects over half term and then discussed next steps with teachers at the Year 9 Parents’ Evening, we would be very grateful if you could complete the survey by Monday 12 March 2018.

I look forward to seeing you next Thursday evening and I hope you find the evening and the Options Booklet helpful.

Dr Michael Reddish
Assistant Head - Director of Studies

We are starting work on the production of our Class of 2018 Yearbook. It is a beautiful keepsake and is received at the final Thanksgiving Service held for Year 11 in the summer. It has pages for signatures which makes it into a lovely book to keep. Each pupil has their own half page where they document their best times here at Princethorpe and where they hope to be in the future.

Details of how to order the Yearbook will be published in future newsletters.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head Pastoral 

Friday 16 February 2018

Friday 16 February 2018 is a non-uniform day. Participation is not compulsory, but pupils are asked to contribute £2.00 if they choose to wear non-uniform clothes. The criteria for what is acceptable as non-uniform is clearly set out in the homework diary.

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

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

Mary Benham
Chaplaincy Co-ordinator

On Thursday 8 March 2018 the Immunisation Team will be in school to offer the Diphtheria/Tetanus/Polio booster along with the Meningitis ACWY vaccine to all Year 9 pupils.

Further information and consent forms will be sent home with your child before half term.

Please return completed consent forms to the Medical Centre. If you do not wish for your child to receive the vaccinations there is a section on the consent form where this can be recorded. This will help us to keep our records up to date.

If you have any concerns or questions, please do contact Mrs Paula Greig or Mrs Helen Cutter in the College Medical Centre on 01926 634214 or email at PCMatrons@princethorpe.co.uk.

Please find attached links to the presentations given at the Year 7 and 8 Academic Review Meeting held on Monday 29 January.

Learning Skills

Positive Mental Health

Special Educational Needs

Careers

21st Century Parenting

The College Ethos

Parents were also given copies of the Digital Parenting Magazine - please click here to download.

As the year has progressed there is more and more uniform, initialled sports kit, coats and other items left in lost property. Ms Satchwell attempts to find the owners and informs them but the items are not being collected.

If your child has lost an item please either email Ms Satchwell, juliesatchwell@princethorpe.co.uk or call in at the Student Hub to retrieve it.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Mrs Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head, Pastoral

We strongly recommend that pupils do not use social media chat rooms that are public such as Banter.Central and Sarahah. Please be reminded that pupils are not allowed to film or take photographs whilst on school property.  This includes on the buses. 

I attach here a leaflet which may assist you in understanding the risks children may need to deal with and how this could affect them.  It also offers practical tips to help minimise the risks your child might face and the importance of continually talking to your child about the implications of social media.  I hope that you find it useful.  As always, if you have any concerns, please do contact me or your child's Head of House.

Mrs Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head, Pastoral

This term Lower Sixth students will start to find out about the options available to them after the Sixth Form. We will be holding sessions in Life Skills and CoRE, as well as visiting the UCAS Conference at the University of Worcester and inviting parents to an information evening. 

The full programme of events is as follows:

Life Skills/CORE:

• Thursday 1 March 2018 - Visiting Speaker: Fred Binley, Southampton University - Why go to university?
• Thursday 8 March 2018 - Jacqui Quinney - How to apply for university and apprenticeships
• Thursday 15 March 2018 - Visiting Speaker: Aston University - Degree Apprenticeships: what are they and how to get one

Parents' Workshop Evening - Thursday 1 March 2018, 18.00-21.00

Not to be missed, this evening of workshops will provide you with all the information and knowledge you need to support your son or daughter through the decision-making and application process. Please note this is for parents only as students will be receiving the information in their own sessions during the school day. The provisional programme for the evening includes:

• Fred Binley, Southampton University - Why go to university
• Aston University - Degree apprenticeships
• Warwick University - Student finance and funding
• Unifrog and UCAS - A parents' guide
• Loughborough University - A parents' guide to personal statements

There will be a break during the evening when a buffet and refreshments will be served, this will also provide parents with an opportunity to talk to our visiting speakers.

Please confirm your attendance by clicking here.

UCAS Conference Thursday 22 March 2018

We aim to take all Lower Sixth students to this conference where they will have the opportunity to meet representatives from hundreds of universities. An Evolve consent form has been sent out for you to grant consent for your child to attend.

The careers team are keen to involve parents as much as possible in assisting with the decisions your children will be making when choosing a career and their next step. As such, I will be passing on information that might be useful to you.

Please see the articles below for information regarding the following:

• National Healthcare Careers Weekend: 24 - 25 March, 2018
• University of London Taster Courses
• New Apprenticeship Website - www.AllAboutApprenticeships.com
• University of Oxford - MFL News
• Nationwide Degree Apprenticeship Opportunities with Morrisons

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers and UCAS Co-ordinator

24-25 March 2018

The National Healthcare Weekend on 24 and 25 March 2018 is taking place in London, Cardiff and Birmingham.

Over two hundred healthcare professionals form across the UK will be volunteering to present and network with students who are interested in:

• Medicine
• Veterinary Medicine
• Dentistry
• Psychology

These conferences provide a valuable opportunity for pupils to network with a variety of healthcare professions, learn about work experience opportunities and how to make a successful application.

Registration is £25 for pupils on the Saturday conferences and there is an optional UCAS lecture available on Sunday for each specialty.  Please note that these events are likely to fill up quickly.

Pupils can register on the Medic Mentor website and find out more about events here.

All proceeds from the weekend will be used to support UK's healthcare students with scholarships, elective bursaries, free training and educational initiatives.

Not sure what university life will be like? Why not try one of the University of London's one-day courses for sixth formers?

The Taster Course Programme provides Lower Sixth Form students with a taste of what life at a university in London is like. Through your chosen taster course you will experience the different teaching methods used by university academics and gain an insight into the additional facilities available, whilst meeting students from across the UK.

All of their taster courses are free to attend and you can choose a course from a variety of subjects taking place at the numerous participating universities. Courses range from voice and drama, to medicine and nursing, to computing and business.

The taster courses take place at various times throughout the year but mainly between February and July. All courses are free of charge, students are responsible for their own travel and food expenses.

The courses offer you an insight into study at university and the opportunity of attending a course that you may be interested in but are not sure about at this stage. The experience will also enable you to check out the non-teaching facilities provided by the university. You will get the chance to meet with other students on the taster course and undergraduate students studying at the university.

click here to watch the video

AllAboutApprenticeships.co.uk is a new website brought to you by the team at AllAboutSchoolLeavers, where you will find listings of the very best apprenticeship vacancies available today.

You can search for apprenticeships by location, industry, and apprenticeship level; whilst the job descriptions and employer profiles will give in-depth detail of what they’re looking for and what training each apprenticeship offers.

When it comes to apprenticeships, just remember these three As: AllAboutApprenticeships.

Please see the below news updates from the University of Oxford Modern Languages Faculty:

Open Days

A reminder that the Modern Languages Faculty at Oxford will be running language-specific open days over the coming weeks:

• 24 February 2018: German
• 1 March 2018: Spanish and Portuguese
• 3 March 2018: Russian and other Slavonic Languages
• 17 March 2018: Italian

Please do attend if you are interested in these languages. Booking is required, via the faculty website here. Unfortunately, their general open day in April is fully booked but the faculty will also be open during the University Open Days on 27 and 28 June 2018, and 14 September 2018. Booking for these will open in the Spring. Please note: there is no open day for French, although French tutors will be present at the April and June and September 2018 open days.

Virtual Book Club
The first episode of the book club for Sixth Formers launched last week and is available to view here. That episode focussed on a Russian text. The next episode will focus on an extract of French literature. To sign up and receive a copy of the text under discussion (in the foreign language and in English translation), or to find out more, please use the email link here.

Language Competitions
Competitions in French, Spanish and German are now open for entries. In French, students are invited to re-imagine the ending of a film. In Spanish, they are invited to submit a short story of one hundred words or fewer. In German, a range of activities on the theme of ‘Freundschaft – Friendship’ are offered as part of the German Olympiad. For more information, please see their website here.

Unsure whether to start your career or study towards a degree? Morrisons are giving hard-working school and college leavers the chance to have the best of both worlds.

Delivered in partnership with the University of Bradford and Sheffield Hallam University, students can now work towards a BSc (Hons) Management and Business Degree while preparing for a management career within their unique food retail business.

Not only do they pay all the course fees (including study leave travel and accommodation costs), but you get to work and earn a salary while studying – so money is never a concern.

They are looking for resilient and determined students to join them in these programmes:

• Logistics Degree Apprenticeship
• Manufacturing Degree Apprenticeship
• Retail Degree Apprenticeship
• Corporate Degree Apprenticeship

To find out more about these apprenticeships and to hear from some of their current apprentices visit their website here.

What are they looking for? Resilience, determination, flexibility and good leadership skills. Students will need a minimum of 104 UCAS points. In 2018 they are recruiting over seventy Degree Apprentices across England.

Their website has got lots of FAQs, a parent zone, insights into their benefits and development programmes. Visit it here.

The deadline for applications is Monday 12 March 2018 but they are encouraging students to register their interest and start completing their application as soon as possible.

click here to watch the video

Friday 16 February 2017

The Sixth Form will be hosting two cake sales at break time on Friday 16 February.  The sales will be held in the Sixth Form Atrium and in the Pupil Entrance and are to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK.

At lunch time, not to break with tradition, there will be a Netball Championship featuring the 1st team girls Netball versus 1st team boys Rugby. Please do come along and watch-remember to bring some change to make a donation.

Additionally, there will be two other competitions for all to take part in: firstly, ‘who can score most shots in 30 seconds’ using netball posts, and secondly a ‘score a hat-trick’ competition against a mystery staff goalie. Both activities will cost 50p per go. Please remember to bring in some cash. The Sixth Form Organising Team thanks you in advance for supporting their fundraising.

Anne Allen
Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Sunday 25 March 2018  

We have over 75 pupils signed up for our Mary’s Meals sponsored walk challenges on Sunday 25 March 2018. Parents of those Sixth Form pupils taking part have been invited to a special talk by Joe Black, Fundraising Co-ordinator for Schools for Mary’s Meals on the Friday afternoon before the walk (23 March 2018).

Our second training walk took place last Sunday – a mere eight and a half miles from Kenilworth to Ryton. The next one is on Sunday 25 February 2018 at the end of the half term – a substantial seventeen miles from Brinklow to Meriden, that we aim to complete before lunchtime.

These walks are a major challenge for all taking part but they could not be for a more worthy cause. Mary’s Meals was founded back in 2002 with a small project to feed 200 children in a school in Malawi.  Mary's Meals is proud to have now served it's billionth meal in India and, for the first time, has begun feeding children in Ethiopia - the fifteenth county to receive Mary's Meals. 

Why not support our intrepid walkers by sponsoring one or more children?  You can make a donation via the on-line page, simply click here to make your pledge. 

We are also looking for willing volunteers to help at the various checkpoints along the walk - if you are willing to assist please complete the short survey here.

We’ve already raised over £1600 this academic year. Princethorpe College aim to raise enough money to feed six hundred and thirty-six children for a whole school year at Makalanga Primary School in Malawi - £8,841 in total.

This simple initiative has helped children all over the world receive a daily meal in school and since 2007 Princethorpe College has been a part of that, raising in excess of £60,000.

The average cost of a daily meal is £13.90.  Mary’s Meals is still expanding its work, seeking to provide every hungry child with a daily meal in their place of education. The charity now provides a daily meal to 1,230,171 children.

Thank you for your support.

Rod Isaacs
Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Sunday 25 March 2018  

Mary’s Meals have contacted us to say they been overwhelmed by support for the Double The Love campaign, which has resulted in £1.9 million being matched by three Mary’s Meals donors. Thank you to all who contributed to this. Another initiative - an online big Family Christmas dinner table, meant an incredible 6,481 children will be fed for a whole school year!

Among the children who will receive Mary’s Meals is Cyrus, 11, from Malawi, whose dad died when he was just little. Cyrus is proud to be top of his class, and has ambitious plans for the future.    

He says, “Phala (porridge) gives us energy and strength. If there was no Mary’s Meals, it would affect children who come to school hungry.” 

Meanwhile, we are delighted to see our own fundraising total creeping up slowly. It now stands at £1,628.25 raised towards our £8,841.00 target to fund a meal for every pupil at Makalanga Primary School in Malawi for one year.

We have over 75 pupils signed up for our Mary’s Meals sponsored walk challenges on Sunday 25 March 2018. To support us, please visit our fundraising page here. Or, to find out more about Mary’s Meals, please click here.

Thank you for your support.

Rod Isaacs
Assistant Head of Sixth Form

On Monday 29 January Princethorpe College’s U16 Boys' Hockey team travelled to Cannock Hockey Club in Staffordshire to compete in the Independent Schools Association’s (ISA) Regional Boys' Hockey Championships.

Playing for the team were Toby Bower, Luke Brotherton, Oscar Bunting-Ralph, Tom Crowfoot (Captain), Will Crowfoot, Ross Curtis, Dominic Doyle, Allister Edmonds, Jesus Fuster, William Hoggarth, Angus Potter, Toby Rigg, George Saunders and Oli Thomas.

On the day it proved to be an easy win for our more than competent side. The boys controlled the final against Lucton expertly, playing a smooth and flowing game and easily taking the title.

Toby Bower, Ross Curtis and Oli Thomas together with Alex Whitelaw are seasoned hockey players.  They are all on Warwickshire Hockey’s Player Pathway and have been selected for the Regional Performance Centre. That means they are all now training and playing at above County level.

On Saturday 3 February the U13 Girls' Hockey Team travelled to Bablake School to play in the Warwickshire Schools’ County Championships.  Playing against Bablake, King Henry's, King’s High and Stratford Girls’ Grammar the girls were unbeaten in every game and were worthy winners of the title.

Head of Hockey, Kat Berns, commented, “This was a great win for the team, we had some superb hockey played and great leadership and determination from our Captain Evie Phillips.”

The team included Lucia Bell, Issy Bunting, Eve Farquharson, Molly Harper, Zara Hendy, Mia Johnson, Mia Lambeth, Jess Mackenzie, Evie Phillips (Captain), Jasmin Rose, Grace Thomas, Lara Tripp-Smith (Vice-Captain), Molly Wincott-Thomas and Zoe Wallis.

Huge congratulations to the U13 Girls' Netball team for taking first place in the Independent Schools Association's (ISA) Regional Netball Championships. The team included Issy Bunting, Eve Farquharson (Vice-Captain), Millie Giffin (Captain), Mia Johnson, Jess Mackenzie, Evie Phillips, Rosie Pritchard-Jeffs, Lara Tripp-Smith and Molly Wincott-Thomas.

The girls won four fast-paced group stage matches against St Edward's 14-0, Twycross 5-2, Adcote 10-1 and Malvern St James 12-3, to qualify for the semi-finals.  There they played some super netball against Heathfield to win comfortably 14-0. The final was against Stafford Grammar and the girls worked hard, passing and shooting well to win 13-5.

Next stop the Nationals!

We were delighted to hear that Princethorpe Year 8's Molly Harper, Evie Phillips, Jasmin Rose, Grace Thomas and Lara Tripp-Smith had a great start to their County hockey season when they played for Warwickshire in a tournament on Sunday 28 January.  The girls' team played four matches, winning three and drawing one and were the only team not to lose on the day.

It is fabulous to see the College so well represented at County level.

Any items of sports kit that require initialling can be done during the forthcoming half term.  If you would like to take advantage of this free embroidery service, please drop your kit into the School Shop by 4.00pm on Thursday 15 February 2018.  Please note all articles of clothing must be new or freshly laundered if they are to be sent to the embroiderers.  Items will be ready for collection from the shop when school reopens on Monday 26 February 2018.

You can have upto three initials and these must be include the first name initial and surname initial. 

If you have any queries please contact our Shop Manager Nicola Browne on 01926 634272 or email nicolabrowne@princethorpe.co.uk

Saturday 20 - Sunday 28 October 2018

Due to a number of unforeseen circumstances, it is with regret that we have taken the decision to cancel the History and Politics trip to New York and Washington this year.

As we did not pay the deposit to the travel company, we are in a position to refund the deposits paid, and arrangements to do so will be made through the bursary.

We still think that the trip is a very worthwhile experience for our students, and thank you for your support this year, so we will aim to relaunch the trip in September for the following year (October 2019).

Our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Julia Landon
Teacher of History and Politics

Friday 18 May 2018 – Sunday 20 May 2018

We can now confirm the date for the Year 8 trip to Whitemoor Lakes as Friday 18 May to Sunday 20 May.  We will be departing school at lunchtime on Friday 18 May and returning to school at approximately 4.00pm on Sunday 20 May.  Paperwork and Evolve booking forms will be sent out at a later date but please save the date in your diaries.

Thursday 1 March 2018
Second Parent Meeting 6.00pm-7.00pm. Theatre. Final trip details will be provided including confirmed departure and return times. A representative from ‘IBT’, our tour company, will give a presentation and be on hand to answer questions.

Tuesday 6 March 2018
Snowunion hire clothing collection at 1.00pm in the Theatre.

Wednesday 7 March 2018
Ski Trip Practice to Ackers Adventure, Birmingham. 3.45pm-8.30pm. Ski gloves, ski socks and warm waterproof clothing are required, as well as a packed tea.

Thurs 29 March
Ski Trip to Val di Fiemme, Italy departs 2:30pm.*

Thurs 5 April 2018
Ski Trip to Val di Fiemme, Italy. returns 5:30pm.*

*Departure and return times are still to be confirmed.

Please send any outstanding photos of passports and EHIC cards to me as soon as possible at catherinewarne@princethorpe.co.uk

Lockwoods Ski Shop in Leamington have kindly offered all students on the trip a 10% discount, valid until 28 March 2018, on all products. To take advantage of this offer, please print this voucher and show it at the till.

Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the trip.

Catherine Warne
Trip Co-ordinator

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

Greg Hunter
Assistant Head - Co-curricular

Bus tickets should always be purchased in advance where possible; The school shop is open every day at break, lunch and after school.  Tickets may be purchased by cash or cheque or alternately a debit or credit card payment can be taken over the telephone and tickets collected in the shop later.  To aid parents further, purchases of 10 tickets at a time or more can be added to the fee bill.  Tickets to be added to the bill must be ordered by the bill payer, either by email or with a note to the pupil authorising the charge to be added to the account.  The email address for ordering tickets is buses@princethorpe.co.uk or call the shop on 01926 634272.

Bus passes must be carried at all times for bus travel.  If a bus pass has been lost replacements can be purchased from the school shop.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Friday 16 February 2018

Pupils will be able to celebrate the Chinese New Year at lunchtime on Friday 16 February as we will be offering a pick and mix Chinese banquet style option in the Refectory and Sixth Form dining room.

Maureen Kennedy
Catering Manager

During the half term break the School Shop will be closed.  Please purchase any items of uniform or bus tickets required for the second part of term before we break up.

If you have any queries please contact our Shop Manager, Nicola Browne on 01926 634272 or email nicolabrowne@princethorpe.co.uk

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

We have introduced a Loyalty Card for Sixth Formers and Breakfast Club to run until the end of February – if you purchase nine hot drinks - tea, coffee or hot chocolate – you will get your next hot drink free. Please ask the staff, Claire and Theresa, for a loyalty card.

Maureen Kennedy
Catering Manager

Please note that half a term’s notice is required if a pupil no longer needs to use the bus service provided by the school. This is particularly relevant for pupils in Years 11 and 13 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 next term if the bus service is not required after half term in May. Parents wishing to give notice should write to Barbara Bromwich in the Bursary or email buses@princethorpe.co.uk.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Please click on the links below to access the Term Dates:

2017-18 (Two-page document)

2018-19 (Two-page document including Key Dates)

Please Note: The PTA Summer Fete and Motoring Festival was originally incorrectly listed as a Saturday on the 2018-19 Key Dates.  The correct date is Sunday 23 June 2019.