The Flagpole

Our biennial Careers Fair returns on Saturday 17 March 2018. Open to all Princethorpe pupils from Year 10 to Sixth Form, this year's fair is set to be our biggest one yet!

With a wide range of speakers and organisations on hand to offer advice and guidance on careers, universities and gap year options, there really will be something for everyone! If you haven’t registered yet, don’t miss out – registration has been extended to 3.30pm on Monday 5 March.

There will be over 40 speakers covering a whole wealth of careers from accountancy to engineering, physiotherapy to dentistry, flying helicopters to property, film design to the music industry, design to entrepreneurship and many, many more. We'll also have universities from across the country, such as Cardiff, Southampton, Loughborough and Surrey, with stalls in the exhibition part of the Fair.

Pupils and families are asked to register in advance, choosing three workshop sessions they would like to attend (in order of preference), plus one reserve choice. Based on this information, personalised timetables will be created and be ready to collect on the day. Please note, sessions are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about the talks and to register, visit: http://bit.ly/PCCareersF18

Click here to access the twenty seventh issue of the Old Princethorpian which was published just before half term on Friday 16 February.

This issue includes the latest Foundation and College news plus plenty of news and updates from OPs across the decades.

If you are an OP or know an OP who would like to share their news or pictures with us for the next issue due out in early May please email oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk by the end of April

If you would like to be added to the distribution list please email Old Princethorpians' Secretary Melanie Butler.

On Saturday 10 February, the College was delighted to welcome back Old Princethorpian and professional actor, Emilio Doorgasingh (1983), to officially open The Clarkson Theatre.

The theatre underwent a dramatic transformation last year, with retractable seating and state of the art lighting and audio visual equipment installed and has been named The Clarkson Theatre after former Headmaster Fr Bill Clarkson MSC.

Comments current Headmaster, Ed Hester, "Fr Bill Clarkson had such a huge impact on Princethorpe College in the early days and was so respected and loved by the pupils and staff in his care. We wanted to take this opportunity to remember him for posterity in the daily life of the school."

The opening ceremony coincided with the last night of the College's production of Arabian Nights, and Emilio, who has a string of TV, Theatre and Film credits to his name, generously took time before the show to talk to the young cast and answer questions about his life as an actor. Questions ranged from how to combat nerves, the best ways to get into acting and what was it like appearing in A Game of Thrones!

In his opening speech Emilio spoke eloquently about his time at the College and how the teachers had inspired his love of the theatre and set him off on his career. He also spoke movingly about Fr Clarkson and how his wise counsel helped him through his teenage years.

The production of Dominic Cooke’s adaption of Arabian Nights, was directed by Aileen Cefaliello, supported by Vicky Roberts, Joint Heads of Drama, and performed with verve and passion by Princethorpe College’s wonderful troupe of pupil players.  For three night captivated audiences were transported to a colourful world of larger than life characters, tall stories and Eastern promise.

Ed Hester continued, "Our thanks go to Emilio for making this such a special evening for the cast and all concerned with the production and refurbishment of the theatre."

Commenting on his visit, Emilio said, “It was fantastic to be back at Princethorpe 35 years after leaving, to reopen a theatre I had played in all those years ago, when Fr Clarkson was headmaster. A place that had originally been the gym where I did P.E. To see pupils that same age perform a show I have since done professionally; watched by teachers who taught me there and then. How magical!"

Emilio now lives in London and is currently playing Leonato, Hero's father, in Shakespeare's Globe Theatre’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.

Eighteen-year-old, Princethorpe College student, Liam Jarrett, is celebrating after being awarded a Finance and Accountancy degree apprenticeship with one of the big four accountancy firms. The Upper Sixth Former, who is studying for A-levels in Economics, Geography and Law, went up against hundreds of hopefuls and came out on top bagging one of the much sought after apprenticeship places at leading firm, KMPG.

KPMG’s 360º Apprenticeship Scheme is run in conjunction with a number of top universities for three or six years. During the first three years, Liam will rotate around KPMG’s audit, tax and advisory teams whilst attending Birmingham University on a day release scheme. After that he can then choose to specialise and study for a professional qualification such as the ACA, the ICAEW’s chartered accountant qualification.

The big four accountancy firms are leading the way in recruiting bright, ambitious school-leavers who want to launch their careers early rather than go on to further study at university. They claim that 18-year-olds who start work straight after their A-levels are often more focused and motivated than graduates who join in their early twenties.

Liam certainly has a ‘can-do’ and tenacious attitude having completed an online application, psychometric tests and an audio interview before being invited to an assessment centre where he undertook group exercises, written tasks and had a further in-depth hour-long interview.

Liam commented, “To be offered this opportunity with such a well-regarded company is a dream come true and I am determined to make the most of it. I know I will be learning every day and gaining invaluable hands on experience.”

Added Jacqui Quinney, Princethorpe Head of Careers, “This is amazing news for Liam. His degree apprenticeship will develop invaluable skills that will certainly help him with his future career. Many of the top accountancy firms are recruiting degree apprentices and these make an excellent career choice for aspiring school leavers.”

Over the February Half Term a six-strong team of young robotics engineers from Princethorpe College travelled to Italy to compete in the First Tech Relic Recovery Europe Invitational Challenge. The First Tech Challenge is an international initiative that aims to ignite an enthusiasm for science and technology and teach STEM skills to children aged 12-18 years.  Competing teams had designed, built and programmed robots to work together in alliances with other teams to complete set tasks. 

Princethorpe’s team, The Robot Cavaliers, comprised Year 9s Max Critchley, Archie Hancock and Stan Brocklebank and Year 7s Harry Kelly, Alexander Leret and Jake Lambert.  They were one of only two teams from the UK out of twenty teams competing in the invitational competition from countries across Europe including Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Before being allowed to compete the robot had to pass a series of tests and inspections. The competition was very structured and the team had to work within set parameters to undertake the challenge. This year the robot was required to pick up and stack foam cubes in a three by four pattern and to then place a relic (that looked a little like a plastic jelly baby) over the edge of the arena.

The Princethorpe team finished 9th overall, an excellent result for the young team, especially as most of the other competitors were Sixth Form students. The team were especially delighted to be awarded the Rockwell Collins Innovation Award which is given to the team for the most innovative and creative robot design solution.

ICT Teacher Jan Ryalls, who accompanied the boys, commented, “The team were really pleased with their performance, they learnt a lot and not just technical skills, the competition challenged their problem solving and team working skills.  Their robot had some balance issues, which they will need to address, but they have come back having made new friends and with recognition for their inventive design and engineering work.”

Special thanks go to engineering expert Mark Brocklebank for the help, support and encouragement he provided to the team.

‘This is our God, The Servant King, He calls us now to follow Him, To bring our lives as a daily offering, Of worship to The Servant King’, went the words of the classic worship song as staff and pupils entered the College Chapel for a special Mass on Ash Wednesday.

The theme for the service was ‘one small step’ and on entering the Chapel pupils and staff passed a pathway designed by Year 10 pupils Sophie Cheshire and Hannah Bryer to illustrate this. Explaining the theme Fr Alan Whelan MSC described the period of Lent as a journey of 40 days, a time for followers to reflect, discern and put faith into practice, no matter where the journey leads. The key to that journey beginning was, he pronounced, one small step of faith taken on Ash Wednesday.

Lent is both a communal and personal journey and pupils were invited to reflect on the ‘one small step’ they would personally take. Before receiving the ashes, they were asked to write their one small step on footprints which were then arranged by Year 7 pupils Chloe O’Carroll-Bailey, Erika Zanyi, and Amelie Hancock on the pathway.

This was followed by the assembled congregation watching a CAFOD video, reflecting on its message of the importance of taking that one small step and then Year 11’s Lara Vohrah and Year 8‘s Mark Dunkley read the prayers of Intersession.

Commented Head of Religious Studies, Spike Lane, “As Lent begins and we take our one small step of faith and action, we know that our God is a God who walks with us on our journey.”

The latest issue of The Pinnacle, out in time for the start of the new half term, showcases yet more of our pupils' excellent work.  

This edition includes updates on our da Vinci programme and showcases flair across all subjects and year groups including Languages, Drama, Sport, Science (including a space mission to Rendezvous with a Comet), History and creative writing. There’s also coverage of some of the wonderful GCSE and A-level Art, which will appear in our Summer Art, Photography and Design Show in June, which all are welcome to attend.

A double-sized Minnacle is included too, with equally impressive work by Crackley Hall pupils from Reception to Junior 6 and Crescent pupils from Reception to Class VI. It's super to showcase their talents too!!

Copies were distributed to all pupils via their Form Tutors earlier this week.

Click here if you would like to download a copy of The Pinnacle and here if you would like to see The Minnacle.

Helen Pascoe-Williams
Co-ordinator of the da Vinci Programme

Sixth Formers Tom Steventon, James Fletcher and Ed Williamson impressed the judges to finish as runners up in this year’s Youth Speaks, the Rotary Club’s annual public speaking challenge. In the competition, which took place on Thursday 8 February at the Northgate Methodist Church in Warwick, the Princethorpe College students competed against teams of pupils from local schools, Warwick, King’s High and Myton.

Youth Speaks requires a team of three students to stand up and deliver a speech on a subject of their choice. Each team comprised of a Chair, a Speaker and a Vote of Thanks. The Chair starts with two minutes to welcome the audience, introduce the Speaker and to inform the audience on the expertise of the Speaker. The Speaker then has six minutes to make their speech and a further two minutes to consider and answer a question. The Vote of Thanks finally has two minutes to propose a vote of thanks and remark on both the content of the main speech and the response to the question. The structure of the event makes for an entertaining and diverting session where the students not only have to present clearly, but also spontaneously respond.

Competing in the Senior section, Tom Steventon gave an excellent presentation on the subject of excess plastic packaging. He was eloquent and convincing as he spoke about the serious waste issue it presents. He was well supported by James and Ed who both made strong contributions to the team’s performance. Their speech was very well received with the audience engaged throughout.

The students had worked hard to prepare thoroughly. They were helped and supported by Head of English, Chris Kerrigan who commented, “Tom, James and Ed were an absolute pleasure to work with, they did a wonderful job and I felt deserved to be prize-winners. It really was an outstanding effort and performance.”

The boys, who narrowly missed out on first place to Warwick School, thoroughly enjoyed the evening and learned a lot from listening to the other speakers who took part.

On Wednesday 7 February 35 Foundation pupils from Princethorpe, Crackley and the Crescent swapped their normal lessons to ‘Rendezvous with a Comet’. The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) based challenge took place in the Challenger Learning Centre which is part of the National Space Centre in Leicester.

For the challenge pupils took on the roles of scientists and engineers on a daring mission to take an up-close look at a comet as it streaks its way across the solar system. Their goal is to plot a successful course to rendezvous with the comet and launch a probe to collect important scientific data. After a briefing by Space Centre Commanders Rob and Matt, the children started by constructing a space probe and then plotted the correct intercept course. The routine mission quickly evolved as obstacles and problems emerged and all of the pupils worked together as a team to come up with solutions.

Foundation pupils took on various different roles, in both mission control and on the space shuttle. They included working in the Navigation, Communication and Data, Isolation, Medical and Remote Teams. During the two and half hour mission our Year 6, 7 and 8 pupils had to communicate effectively, plot accurate co-ordinates, swap data, test chemicals, identify gases and colour spectrums. A particularly memorable moment was when the Shuttle's Communication Officer reminded those back on Earth that they still needed the location of the CO2 sponges if they were to avert a capsule failure and a mission catastrophe.

The teams got a heroes’ welcome home when they returned to Mission Control safely. Da Vinci Co-ordinator, Mrs Pascoe-Williams commented, “It was another excellent mission – this is the sixth time that we have taken pupils to the Space Centre and I was impressed with how well the pupils from our three schools worked together. The atmosphere was fantastic and the enthusiasm boundless, all in all it was a great opportunity for cross-curricula learning.”

The mission-critical trip ended with a film in the 3D planetarium and that all-important visit to the gift shop to purchase some souvenirs to remind everyone of their rendezvous with the Comet Cre-ackleythorpe!

Individual red and white carnations were hand delivered by Sixth Formers to classrooms across Princethorpe College on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 February, all in celebration of St Valentine’s Day.

In the preceding weeks Princethorpe’s Sixth Form students had been busy promoting their charity fundraiser in aid of the British Heart Foundation.  Late on the Tuesday afternoon, Princethorpe’s very own Cupids, began preparing the flowers, delicately wrapping and handwriting personal messages for the anonymous gifts, before beginning their surprise deliveries. There were red carnations for that very special someone and white carnations as a thank you to a great friend.

This year there were over 70 lucky recipients and the Sixth Formers raised £130 all of which will be donated to help the British Heart Foundation in their mission to ‘fight for every heartbeat’.

Princethorpe Upper Sixth Former Autumn Wells has beaten off the competition to land a prestigious degree apprenticeship with Rolls Royce.  Autumn is to be especially commended for her amazing achievement as competition for places on the apprenticeship scheme was hugely oversubscribed, with some 7,000 applicants for just four commercial roles.

Autumn, who is studying A-levels in Maths, Psychology and Law, is thoroughly looking forward to starting the programme later this year.  She underwent a rigorous selection procedure; after completing an online application, eligibility and psychometric tests and a video interview she was one of just 30 applicants invited to an Assessment Centre.  There she was put through her paces further with competency and technical interviews, group tasks and a presentation.

Asked to comment on the apprenticeship programme, Autumn said, “I am really looking forward to the mix of university and on the job study.  Over the four years I will have eight placements in department such as Finance, Contracts, Sales and Marketing.  I will have the chance to meet and work with a wide range of people and put many of my classroom skills into practice.”

She continued, “Rolls Royce is a very prestigious company with a strong global presence.  I am hoping to take advantage of the international opportunities, as I very much enjoy travelling.”

Comments Jacqui Quinney, Princethorpe Head of Careers, “We are absolutely delighted for Autumn. Apprenticeships are an excellent career choice for many young people.  A degree apprenticeship may take longer to complete than a traditional degree at university but Autumn will be paid a salary, incur no tuition fees and will not need a student loan.  On completion of her apprenticeship she will not only be awarded her degree, she will also have years of relevant on the job experience.”

The College is looking forward to welcoming back the Sudden Impulse Theatre Company in June for two outdoor performances of William Shakespeare's play, The Comedy of Errors.

The Comedy of Errors is believed to be one of Shakespeare's earlier written plays; a true farce ahead of its time. The story involves two sets of twins, separated at birth, being thrown together in a tale of mistaken identity.

The performances are open to the public and will take place on the Sixth Form Lawn as follows:

Friday 8 June - 6.30pm to 10.00pm

Saturday 9 June - 3.30pm to 7.00pm

The PTA will operate a bar, bring a picnic, settle down in your camping chair and enjoy some perfect summer entertainment.

Tickets will be available soon from www.suddenimpulse.co.uk and will be priced at £12 or £10 for concessions. 

Unfortunately, due to the adverse weather, the Old Princethorpians' Leamington Pub Meet planned for this evening (Friday 2 March) at The Star and Garter, Warwick Street, is going to be rescheduled.

We hope to be able to confirm the new date soon and meet up in more clement conditions!

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.

Wednesday 14 March 2018 at 7.30pm

In our February meeting we discussed “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi. This moving account of a young girl’s experiences growing up in Iran in the 1980s and her subsequent departure is an engaging personal account of the impact of an extremist culture on family life and the lives of young people.

Some found the book a little detached in its style and difficult to get into as a result. Others found it involving and often very upbeat despite some of the horrors it deals with. As ever, we have gone for something completely different for our next read “How to Stop Time” by Matt Haig, which comes strongly recommended. Out next meeting will be in the library at 7.30pm on Wednesday 14 March.  Please do join us whether or not you have read this book. We are always pleased to see new faces and to hear about different reading interests and enthusiasms.

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Thursday 15 March 2018 - 6.30pm onwards

The Oscars V - The Pentalogy take place on Thursday 15 March 2018 when the red carpet will be rolled out at 6.30pm. 

We are looking forward to another fantastic Hollywood evening of fun, drinks, popcorn, pick’n’mix and an entertaining set of entries.

Be sure to book your seat - free on a first-come, first-served basis - by completing the booking form below.

Please click here to reserve your seats.

Dress to impress!

Greg Hunter
Assistant Head Co-Curricular

Saturday 17 March 2018, 9.30am - 1.00pm

A big thank you to all of you who have already registered to attend our biennial Careers Fair and a reminder to those who haven’t. Please don’t let your child miss this fantastic opportunity – register now. (The Careers Fair is aimed towards all children currently in Years 10, 11 and Sixth Form.)

The deadline has been extended to 3.30pm on Monday 5 March as we want as many of our pupils as possible to come to what is certainly going to be our biggest fair yet.

There are over 40 speakers covering a whole wealth of careers from accountancy to engineering, physiotherapy to dentistry, flying helicopters to property, film design to the music industry, design to entrepreneurship and many, many more.

Use this link to find out about the talks, register your attendance and choose three workshop sessions that you would like to attend (in order of preference), plus one reserve choice. To help you make these choices, more information on the individual presenters is also included via the link. Sessions will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.  Attendees will receive their personalised timetable on arrival on 17 March based on their workshop choices.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.   

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. 

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.

Saturday 14 April 2018

The British Dyslexia Association has an annual international conference and this year they are having a session designed for parents and families. This years' event is in Telford, with the Parents and Carers Day taking place on 14 April 2018. The sessions will run from 9.00am to 4.00pm and costs only £20.00 per person.

For further information  please visit the Parents and Carers Day page on the BDA website. For the session timetable please click here

The event is described as "a leading conference on Dyslexia/Specific Learning difficulties across the age ranges" and so will have relevance for learners with co-occurring needs such as dysgraphia etc.

Lorna Prestage
Learning Support

Thursday 19 April 2018 - 12.15pm

On behalf of Fisher House, it is my pleasure to invite you to our first House Service which takes place on Thursday 19 April in the College Chapel.

The service will be a celebration of our House community and will begin at 12.15pm.  If you are able to join us, I would recommend you aim to arrive at midday to be seated in the Chapel before the arrival of the pupils.

There will be signage to indicate where to park on the day.

We would be delighted if you could also stay at College after the service to join us for lunch. So that we can cater efficiently, please reserve places with Lisa Gardner by clicking here no later than Monday 16 April 2018.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Mrs Chris McCullough
Head of House – Fisher

Please note that the paper version of the Lent Term calendar is incorrect for the remainder of the term in relation to Week A and Week B.  Please note that the calendar should read:

Week 8 (B)
Week 9 (A)
Week 10 (B)
Week 11 (A)
Week 12 (B)

Pupils have been made aware of the changes as this will affect what lessons they will be doing each week.

Please note that Upper Sixth study leave will commence after school on Friday 25 May.

Ben Collie
Head of Sixth Form

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 March 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.

Monday 19 March 2018

The Year 8 Parents’ Evening takes place on Monday 19 March 2018 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm in the Sports Hall. Please Click to view a layout of the evening.

We look forward to seeing you then.

Dr Digby Carrington-Howell
Deputy Head - Staffing and Assessment

Please find below 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.

Monday 5 March 2018

The Year 9 Parents’ Evening takes place on Monday 5 March 2018 from 6.00pm to 8.30pm in the Sports Hall.

Pupils will also have time to discuss any issues regarding their GCSE Option choices in order to submit their forms by Monday 12 March 2018. 

We look forward to seeing you then.

Dr Digby Carrington-Howell
Deputy Head - Staffing and Assessment

Reports for Year 7 will be posted out on Friday 16 March 2018.  They will also be available to view on the Parent Portal.

Dr Digby Carrington-Howell
Deputy Head - Staffing and Assessment
 

Progress Reports for Year 11 will be published on Friday 16 March 2018 and will be available to view on the Pupil and Parent Portals.

Dr Digby Carrington-Howell
Deputy Head - Staffing and Assessment

With our pupils safety being paramount, we have now introduced at new door system at the Student Hub which operates the same as our Main Reception where you press a door bell for entrance then upon leaving the Student Hub there is a green door release button for you to press on your exit.

Your support and patience would be greatly appreciated with this new system.

Mrs Sharpe
Deputy Head Pastoral

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.

We are well into the process of producing 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.

The cost of the book is £29.50 and the total cost of your order will be added to next terms bill.

To order your copy please click here and complete the order form by no later than Tuesday 13 March 2018.

Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head Pastoral 

So that I can complete the necessary paperwork, possible references and so on, I'd be grateful if you could you let me know the company name and contact details, for the placement(s) you have arranged either by return of the slip attached to the letter sent to you in June, or by email to me miketaylor@princethorpe.co.uk. 

If you need a hard copy of the original letter, please could you ask your son or daughter to ask me for one at school.

Mike Taylor
Work Experience Co-ordinator

This term Lower Sixth students have started to find out about the options available to them after the Sixth Form. We are holding sessions in Life Skills and CoRE, as well as visiting the UCAS Conference at the University of Worcester and holding a parents' information evening. 

The full programme of events is as follows:

Life Skills/CORE:

(Due to the adverse weather conditions, the schedule is now as follows):

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

Parents' Workshop Evening - To be rescheduled for first half of Trinity Term. (Was originally planned for Thursday 1 March 2018, 18.00-21.00)

Please watch this space for details of when our postponed parents' information session will take place.

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.

It is time for students to think about applying for 2018/19 student finance.

Students starting a full-time course at university or college in 2018/19 can apply now for their finance online at the Student Finance England website by following the steps below: 

• Set up a student finance online account.
• Log in and complete the online application.
• Include details of your household income and get your parents to support your application, if needed.
• Send in proof of identity, if needed.
• Sign and return the loan declaration, which you should receive within 6 weeks.

You should apply as soon as you have decided on your firm and insurance courses to make sure your money is in place at the start of your course. It's quick and easy and you don't have to have a confirmed place - you should use your first choice for the application and change it online at a later date if you need to. Do not wait for your exam results before you apply - it will be too late!

Click here to be taken to the Student Finance England website to start your application.

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers, UCAS Co-ordinator 

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:

• Goldsmiths, University of London taster lectures this March

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers and UCAS Co-ordinator

Goldsmiths, University of London is running numerous university taster lectures in a variety of subjects for Lower Sixth Form students.

You can find below the dates, subjects and further details of all their taster lectures taking place in March.

All the taster courses listed are free to attend and currently have places available, however, it is recommended you apply as soon as possible to your preferred taster session/s as places can fill up quickly.

Thursday 8 March 2018

History: Corporate Raiders, Corporate Empire? The Origins of British Rule in India, click here for further details/to apply.

Friday 9 March 2018

Economics: 'Is inequality of income a problem, and can we do anything about it?', click here for further details/to apply.

Tuesday 13 March 2018

Digital Marketing and Social Media Marketing: #ITweetThereforeIAm: The ABC’s of Social Media Marketing, click here for further details/to apply.

Wednesday 21 March 2018

Anthropology: Anthropology in the 21st Century (and how we got to be like this), click here for further details/to apply.

Chinese Studies: Mandarin, click here for further details/to apply.

Educational Studies: What is the role of a Researcher? - An introduction to Educational Studies at Goldsmiths, click here for further details/to apply.

Politics & International Relations: Globalisation and Resistance, click here for further details/to apply

Sociology: Feminism, antiracism and the complexity of social justice – the case of ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘Say Her Name’, click here for further details/to apply.

Friday 23 March 2018

Community Studies & Social Work: Riots and responses: what needs fixing - individuals or society?, click here for further details/to apply.

Curating (Department of Visual Cultures): Select, Organise, Present: An Introduction to Curating at Goldsmiths, click here for further details/to apply.

English & Comparative Literature: All This Stench: Corpses in the Literature of the Great War, click here for further details/ to apply.

Monday 26 March 2018

Psychosocial/Therapeutic Studies: What’s wrong with the normal?, click here for further details/to apply.

Tuesday 27 March 2018

Theatre and Performance: Whatever happened to Radical Theatre?, click here for further details/to apply.

History of Art/Visual Cultures: More than Meat Joy: Happenings and Performance from Recent Art HistoryTheatre, click here for further details/to apply.

Wednesday 28 March 2018

Art & Art History: Fine Art & History of Art: Making, Thinking, Writing and All points in between, click here for further details/to apply.

Design: ‘Design Futuring’ – An Introduction to Design at Goldsmiths, click here for further details/to apply.

Management Studies: Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurial Processes, click here for further details/to apply.

Music: Music Performance, Technology and Stagecraft, click here for further details/to apply.

Religion: Religion and Youth: Chaos or Cohesion?, click here for further details/to apply.

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 third training walk took place last Sunday – a substantial seventeen miles from Brinklow to Meriden.  Our final training walk, for the forty mile walkers, will be taking place on Saturday 10 March - a short but fast seven miles from Meriden to Common Lane, Kenilworth.

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 £2400 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

On Thursday 15 February the U13 Hockey Girls were crowned county champions for 7-a-side.  In three exciting matches they beat Stratford Girls Grammar 3-0, King’s High 2-0 and Bablake 2-0.  The girls have now qualified for the regional finals which will take place later this month.

Head of Hockey, Kat Berns commented, “Their latest win means that the girls are double county champions at both 7 and 11-a-side.  It was an excellent afternoon of hockey with great games and great competition from all the schools involved.”

Playing in the team were Issy Bunting, Eve Farquharson, Molly Harper, Jess Mackenzie, Evie Phillips (Captain), Jasmin Rose, Grace Thomas, Lara Tripp-Smith (Vice Captain), Molly Wincott-Thomas and Zoe Wallis.

Legends Hockey Camps will be returning to Princethorpe this summer, where you spend four days living hockey. Getting coached by world class coaches, playing some great hockey, and having a great time.

The dates for the 2018 Camps are:-

Camp 1 24 - 27 July

Camp 2 31 July - 3 August

All details for the camps, including booking can be found by visiting the website https://www.legendshockeycamps.co.uk

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Dexter on 07807 274421 or email colindexter@sky.com who will be most happy to assist you.

Before half term, from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 February, talented Princethorpe College Year 7 footballer Finn Osborn travelled to Barcelona to compete in the International Carnaval Cup.  Finn who plays for West Bromwich Albion’s U11/U12s team was competing against U13 junior teams from across the world including squads from Real Madrid, Valencia CF and Manchester City, as well as teams from as far afield as Japan, the United States, Ireland, Belgium and Finland.

The 28 teams taking part were split into seven groups with the winners progressing to a knockout stage. Finn has played in international competitions before and this time the young goalkeeper played in four matches. His team won their first group match 1-0, drew the second 0-0 but then lost the third 0-1.  They then lost their play-off match 0-2.  Valencia were the overall tournament winners beating Espanyol 1-0 in the final.

Finn commented, “It was amazing to travel to Spain and to take part in the Carnaval Cup.  I was pleased with how I played, I stayed focused and managed to save most shots.  The weather was much warmer than here at home and we even had time to go to the beach.  I also managed to learn a little Spanish.”

What a fantastic experience for Finn.

Any items of sports kit that require initialling can be done during the forthcoming Easter break.  Please drop your kit into the School Shop by 4.00pm on Wednesday 28 March 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 Wednesday 18 April 2018.

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

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

Nicola Browne
Foundation Shop Manager

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

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.

Wednesday 14 March 2018
Rescheduled from 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

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

Thursday 8 March 2018

The Year 7 Geography field trip to Leamington Spa is on Thursday 8 March 2018. Letters have been sent out to parents and more details will follow. We will be travelling with Ridley’s coaches and are scheduled to leave Princethorpe at 10.00am, returning to school about 3.00pm.

All pupils should come to school in their PE kit (Girls, no skorts, please), plus coat, small rucksack, a packed lunch and a small amount of cash for refreshments.

Mike Taylor
Work Experience Co-ordinator

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

The Princethorpe Foundation seeks to appoint a Foundation Assistant Head (Director of Digital Strategy) to lead our schools’ ICT development and to act as a central driving force for ICT provision within teaching and learning.  This post provides an excellent opportunity to make a real impact by further strengthening the educational experience throughout the Foundation.

The successful candidate will lead on the development of the Foundation’s future ICT provision and the implementation and development of ICT projects. ICT is seen as fundamental to teaching and learning, as well as to the smooth running of the Foundation as a whole. The new appointee will ensure that the current systems are both flexible and effective and provide the best possible enhancement to teaching and learning. He or she will appraise and develop the use of ICT to enhance learning, within and beyond the classroom, and ensure that the Foundation is well positioned to implement new developments.

Single accommodation may be available. The Princethorpe Foundation has its own pay scale which is above national scales.

Application: To apply for this vacancy applicants must submit a Princethorpe College application form, together with a CV and covering letter detailing your personal qualities, experience and how you meet the person specification for the role. Applicants must ensure the application form is fully completed, including a detailed career history with specific dates.

Closing date: Monday 19 March 2018 at 9.00am.  Candidates selected for interview will be informed by Tuesday 20 March with interviews taking place later that week/early the following week, at Princethorpe College.

Further details and an application form are available from the College website www.princethorpe.co.uk/employment-opportunities

The College seeks to appoint an outstanding teacher and inspiring leader to join a highly successful sports department from September 2018. The Head of Girls’ Games will play a leading role across the department, making significant contributions to our existing sporting and academic success.  We pride ourselves on the range and quality of the sports that we offer as much as we celebrate our delivery of A-level, GCSE and BTEC (level 2 and 3). The candidate should therefore be able to coach a major sport to the highest level throughout the academic year as well as offering outstanding academic Physical Education.

Candidates should be able to inspire pupils and colleagues alike to achieve their best and encourage even those of limited sporting ambition to actively enjoy and embrace stretching their own potential. They will show the vision and dynamism required to lead an excellent team, combined with the organisational and managerial prowess that a busy department depends upon. They should be a strong team player with proven excellent coaching and teaching ability, and show rigour, creativity and openness in their professional approach.

Single accommodation may be available. Princethorpe has its own pay scale which is above national scales.

This is an excellent opportunity to join the fast growing Foundation that values its staff and offers a rewarding benefits package including discounted places for staff, a pension scheme, child care vouchers and a cycle to work scheme.

Application: To apply for this vacancy applicants must submit a Princethorpe College application form, together with a CV and covering letter detailing your personal qualities, experience and how you meet the person specification for the role. Applicants must ensure the application form is fully completed, including a detailed career history with specific dates.

Closing date: Monday 19 March 2018 at 9.00am.  Candidates selected for interview will be informed by Tuesday 20 March with interviews taking place later that week/early the following week, at Princethorpe.

Further details and an application form are available from the College website www.princethorpe.co.uk/employment-opportunities

Parents and pupils are encouraged to sign up for our Twitter news feed on the bus service using @PCBuses. We will use this to keep pupils and parents informed of anything that happens during the journeys to and from school.

Simply go to twitter.com/PCBuses. From here you can follow @PCBuses, if you have a twitter account, or if you do not regularly use twitter you can bookmark this link on your mobile or computer and check it whenever you need to.

The safety of pupils using the bus service is of paramount importance. We ask parents to talk to their children about how to keep safe going to and from the bus stop and ensure they know what to do if the bus doesn’t arrive.  There is a briefing for pupils who use the bus service at the start of each academic year. The College’s risk assessments of the bus service  are available on the following links: To and from School,  Bus Arrival and Bus Departure.  Copies are also on the Parent Portal.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

As it is the time of year when there is the threat of snow, it might be helpful for everyone to be familiar with the arrangements should there be significant snowfall. Where possible and if it’s safe to do so, we always remain open, even if we have to end the school day earlier than usual.

Should there be bad weather overnight, we talk to the bus companies a little before 06:00 and they brief us about their ability to operate our services. The Headmaster then makes a decision about whether the school will open.

Information will be available via the channels detailed below:

• The home page of the website www.princethorpe.co.uk will normally be updated shortly after 06.00am
• We will also post on the College Twitter page @PrincethorpeCol and Facebook Page www.facebook.com/PrincethorpeCollege shortly after 06.00am
• If there is likely to be disruption we will send text messages to parents’ mobiles and the mobiles of pupils who use the buses, usually by 06.30am. Please note that we are not able to receive text replies on this service. 

If you want to look online at reliable weather forecasting, then www.weather.co.uk and www.metcheck.com are both sites which we use. In the case of flooding, then www.environment-agency.gov.uk is also useful. If you look under Flood and then use the river search word Leam, that will give you a good idea of the conditions around Princethorpe and the surrounding villages.

Usually, website updates are made in the course of the day, but if the school is likely to remain closed for a further day the same process will take place on the second and subsequent days. Should we have to close in the course of the day we will send text messages to let you know arrangements.

Where possible, we will make sure that our main number 01926 634200 is staffed or carries a recorded message.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar