It has been wonderful to begin welcoming more pupils back into school this week. Year 10 and Year 12 have quickly adapted to their new routines whilst all other pupils have continued with their home learning programmes.

We hope you enjoyed last night's Virtual Summer Art, Photography and Design Show. This evening we look forward to welcoming pupils and parents to a Live Online Year 11 Thanksgiving Service, to mark this major milestone in their time at Princethorpe. More end of year events will take place over the next two weeks as we head towards the end of term.   
Watch out for the final edition of the Flagpole this school year on Friday 3 July.

Click here to email the Flagpole.

Preview

News

Message From The Headmaster

It has been incredibly uplifting for us to start to get more pupils back into school this week. The Year 10 and Lower Sixth have had a really good first week back and many thanks to all parents for your support, not least with transporting your children to and from school in the absence of the buses.

Following my letter to parents last week, I have been delighted to receive feedback and speak to parents and pupils about diversity, inclusion and equality at the College. Many thanks indeed to all those who have given their time to share their ideas and thoughts on this with me. We have completed initial curriculum and pastoral audits and will be sharing our plans in this area fully with parents and pupils at the start of next term.

Today would normally have seen the end of the GCSE and A-level examination period; it was a rather surreal experience sending our forecasts to the examination boards last week and we very much hope the pupils achieve the grades they deserve. However, it was a real treat to watch the Virtual Summer Art, Photography and Design Show yesterday with the stunning exam pieces from our students. As I write, we are really looking forward to our “live” Year 11 Thanksgiving Service tonight for pupils and parents and the Upper Sixth Leavers’ Service next week.

A reminder that all lessons (either in school or at home) will finish at breaktime on Friday 3 July. Pupils will then have an extended tutor period followed by a “live” whole school on-line assembly at 11.30am to which we will also invite parents. The Trinity term ends after the assembly around noon.

As we approach the end of term (and dare I say the summer holidays?), thoughts are now turning to the start of the new academic year in September. We started our planning for this some time ago; Covid-19 will not be gone by then, but we are all hoping and expecting that the government guidelines for schools will be much more flexible than at present. We are planning our timetable based around a variety of social distancing requirements and have a number of projects planned on the campus to ensure we can maximise the number of pupils who can be on site at any one time. We are also going to build on the opportunities that greater IT usage and skills, developed during home learning, will provide for teaching and learning when we are back in school. We will, of course, keep you updated on this over the weeks ahead.

Looking ahead to the start of the Michaelmas Term. We were considering bringing the exam years back slightly earlier, but given the great progress that current Year 10 and Lower Sixth have made this term and the amount of work we will need to do to get the school ready for fully re-opening in September, we have now decided against this.

Key dates in August are as follows:

  • Thursday 13 August - A-level Results Day
  • Tuesday 18 August - Date reserved for Sixth Form Leavers’ Ball at Warwick House*
  • Thursday 20 August - GCSE Results Day
  • Monday 24 August - Date reserved for the Year 11 Prom at Coombe Abbey*
  • Tuesday 25 August - New Staff Induction
  • Wednesday 26 August - Staff Training Day
  • Thursday 27 August - Staff Training Day
  • Friday 28 August - Year 7 and Lower Sixth Induction Day, plus staff training
  • Monday 31 August - Bank Holiday
  • Tuesday 1 September - Beginning of Michaelmas Term for all year groups.

* Please note that both the Year 11 Prom and Sixth Form Leavers’ Ball will depend upon current government restrictions being lifted, but please save the date.

With all best wishes to you and your families.

Ed Hester

Explore And Enjoy Princethorpe College's First Virtual Summer Art, Photography And Design Show

Pupils, parents, staff and friends of the College were cordially invited to view the 2020 Summer Art, Photography And Design Show which this year, for the first time, took place virtually on Thursday 18 June.

Featuring work from A-level Fine Art, Photography, Product Design and Textiles students alongside GCSE Fine Art, Resistant Materials, Electronics and Textiles pupils, and work from the College's Art Club the show was a wonderful celebration of our pupils’ wide-ranging creative talents.

Those who know the College will be familiar with its formidable reputation for quality Art and Design. The walls of the College are adorned with exceptional examples and the work included in this year’s virtual show is no exception, with striking portraiture and photography sitting alongside talented and technically complex product design. The diverse range of mediums and themes are sure to impress.

The show has been put together as a short video which features images of all this year’s examination work and includes introductions from the creative teaching staff including Head of Art and Photography, Paul Hubball, Head of Design and Technology, Paul Scopes, Art Teacher, Sue Harris and Textiles Teacher, Miranda Porter.

Our congratulations go to all our pupils for producing such a display of creative talent. Thanks go to the Art Department and to the Design and Technology Department for all their support and inspiration to pupils this and every year and for their help in putting together such an outstanding show.

Click here to view the 2020 Summer Art, Photography And Design Show. We hope you enjoy it!

Honor-Mae Takes First Place In Rotary Young Writers Competition

Huge congratulations to Year 8 pupil, Honor-Mae Minshull whose poem Connections has taken first place in both the local and district Rotary Young Writer’s Competitions. Her work will now go forward to the third round, the prestigious National Competition.

The Rotary Young Writer Competition aims to encourage young people to use their writing skills and to write with imagination and creativity. In this year’s competition the task was to produce a piece of prose entitled, Connections. The written entry could be fiction or non-fiction, a story or a poem. Always keen to promote writing, the College's English department was pleased to support the competition and this year entered a variety of pupils' work from across Key Stage 3.

Locally more than 300 young people from eight schools across Rugby entered in the three age categories and the Judges greatly enjoyed reading their work. The choice of the winner for each age-group was made by a panel of three Rotarians. Honor-Mae took first place in the Intermediate section, for ages 11-13 years, and her winning entry then went forward to the West Midlands District competition where it won again.

Written for her grandfather, you can read Honor-Mae's winning poem here.

Head of English, Chris Kerrigan, said, “Congratulations to Honor on her superb achievement in this popular competition and on writing such a moving piece of work.”

The Latest Pinnacle Celebrates Lockdown Learning

The latest edition of The Pinnacle has just been published, showcasing our pupils' exceptional work. This special COVID-19 version celebrates the wide variety of wonderful remote learning that, during the lockdown, pupils have participated in and produced.

From the Spring Social Distance-Sing Concert and the Princethorpe At Home Recital to superb Art and DT, English competition winners, History projects, Bridging courses, EPQ and even an Online Bake Off, it showcases flair and ingenuity across a wide range of subjects and year groups.

The Minnacle includes equally impressive work by Crackley Hall and Crescent pupils. It's wonderful to showcase their talents too!!

This edition has been produced as an electronic version only.

Why not enjoy a few minutes browsing through the inspirational work the children do.

Click here to read the Pinnacle and here to read the Minnacle.

 

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Development Team Reconnect With Very Special Old Princethorpians

During the lockdown period Princethorpe’s Development Team have been reconnecting with our Very Special Old Princethorpians (VSOPs) – the former pupils of St. Mary’s Priory who were taught here at Princethorpe by the nuns before the MSC bought the building and founded Princethorpe College in 1966.

Most of the VSOPs attended Princethorpe in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Things were quite different for the girls of St. Mary's than for today’s pupils. Boarders would bath only twice a week, water for bathing was collected from the spring at Switzerland, all pupils had to do their fair share of cleaning (including the headmistress’ office) and there was no electricity until the early 1950s. Without electricity, internal rooms were lit only by the gloomy light of acetylene gas (which the nuns produced themselves), which led one former teacher to once accidentally smear her face with shoe cream rather than moisturiser (which she didn’t notice until breakfast).

We’ve had to postpone this year’s planned reunion for our VSOPs, but it’s been a pleasure reconnecting with our longest reigning Princethorpians during a time in which many of them have been shielding and self-isolating at home.

We look forward to welcoming them back to Princethorpe for their reunion next year, in September 2021.

Video Compilation And Virtual Tour To Replace This Year’s OPs Summer Supper Reunion

Sadly, the planned OPs Summer Supper Reunion on Friday 26 June is not able to go ahead due to the COVID situation. This event was aimed particularly at those OPs who had left the College in 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 or 2010 and were celebrating their 50th, 40th, 30th, 20th or 10th anniversaries of leaving the College.

In its stead we will be releasing a short video compilation comprising a welcome by our Chairman, Peter Rollason, a virtual tour of the College and its grounds, a selection of archive photography from the highlighted years and a special guest appearance by Princethorpe legend, Alex Darkes.

Comments, Peter Rollason, “We hope to rearrange the event or have a ‘Super Summer Supper Reunion’ next year including the leavers with a 0 and a 1 in their leaving year. In the meantime, we hope all the OPs will enjoy the video compilation and the chance to revisit the College from the comfort of their own homes.”

The video will be released on Facebook and Princethorpe Connect on Friday 26 June at 5.00pm.

Two Day TEFL Course Teaches Valuable Skills

Nine Sixth Form students have just completed a two-day course in Teaching English As A Foreign Language (TEFL). Taught by Anna Britton, an experienced UK-TEFL Teacher Trainer, the course took place remotely with the students learning from home, and covered topics such as teaching English Language Skills, identifying learning styles and creating learning materials as well as finding work and preparing to travel.  

Princethope’s Sixth Form has offered the TEFL qualification for a number of years. TEFL certification is particularly useful for those students considering a gap year abroad, as it offers a good way to help fund travel. Despite giving up two full days of their weekend, all the Sixth Formers who took part really enjoyed the course.

Head Girl, Abbie O'Carroll-Bailey, said, “It was a brilliant few days and even though we did the course at home our instructor kept us all engaged and interested. It was really worth taking and she also gave us a lot useful information for what to do when travelling in the future. The course was fascinating and she explained everything so clearly and gave me a new appreciation for teaching.”

Deputy Head Girl, Lauren Mason added, “I really enjoyed the TEFL course, and can see myself making use of it in the future. Although the course was intensive, the teacher was very engaging and inspiring (she had many anecdotes about her extensive travel as a TEFL teacher!), so I didn’t regret giving up most of my weekend! The course included a mix of learning English grammar, teaching techniques, and how to teach and travel abroad safely. We all had lots of fun, while learning a lot about the TEFL profession, and overall it was a brilliant experience.”

Congratulations to Elsa Isaacs, Aimee Llewellyn, Lauren Mason, Georgia McCallum, Abbie O'Carroll-Bailey, Olivia Rawle, Jessica Scott, James Walker and Saskia Bassano who all successfully completed the course.

Michael Luis - Reserve Caretaker!

Princethorpe College Estates Assistant Michael Luis is one many Reservists who have been mobilised under Operation RESCRIPT to support the Government’s response to COVID-19.

Michael has been a part of Mobile Testing Unit 36 supporting the government’s drive to increase testing. He has been working in the South East of England and is now halfway through his mobilisation.

Michael has just sent us this picture, saying, "When I saw this sign after we had packed away for the day, I just couldn't resist taking a photo.”

And we agree - it sums the situation up rather perfectly! 

We are very proud of Michael and the work he is doing to support our country as it navigates its way through the COVID-19 crisis and we are looking forward to welcoming back to the fold when he finishes his mobilisation in August.

Foundation News: New Film Reveals What Makes The Crescent School So Special ​

The Foundation’s junior school in Rugby, the Crescent School, has just premiered their new school film. It features their School Promise and is a celebration of their ethos and values. 

The film cleverly combines live action with the school’s animated Crescent Promise characters to uniquely bring the different elements of the promise to life. Produced by the Foundation Marketing Team and award-winning Affixxius Films, the film was shot over the Lent Term and aims to communicate how the Crescent School Promise fosters and develops the qualities of kindness and tolerance in a safe and caring environment where staff and families work together to deliver an inspiring, challenging and varied education. ​

Comments, Headmaster, Joe Thackway, “The Crescent School Promise expresses our community’s shared values, it is a simple set of guidelines, developed and shared by all pupils and staff, that helps our pupils become Good Friends, Good Learners and Good Citizens.”​

We think it is wonderful. Congratulations to Crescent School, Affixxius Films, Dam Design who created the Promise characters, and to all the pupils and staff who helped and took part in the film - what stars you are! ​

So roll out the red carpet, grab your popcorn, sit back and enjoy the film.

We'd love you to like and share it on social media, hope you enjoy it!

Foundation News: Crescent School's Virtual Open Evening

Don't worry if you missed the the Crescent School’s first ever Virtual Open Evening and Live Q&A. Just contact our friendly Registrar, Helen Morley, who will be happy to send you links to recordings of the event.

The Open Event includes a tour of the school, interviews with our Year 6 pupils and the chance to view our new Crescent promotional film, whilst the Q&A explores the education the school provides, how Crescent supports its pupils to achieve great things and the school’s admissions process.

Crescent will have two Reception classes for September 2020 entry and there is still time for parents to apply. There is limited availability in other years.

For more information on admissions and the links to the videos please email admissions@crescentschool.co.uk or call 01788 523851 and speak to our Registrar, Helen Morley.

Events

Calendar Of Events

The school remains closed to most pupils, so our usual calendar of events is sadly suspended until further notice. However, we have in place an interim Covid calendar and you can see what is planned on the College website or on My School Portal.

The following key events will go ahead in a modified format:

  • Weekly House and Sixth Form Assemblies
  • Year 11 Thanksgiving Service - Friday 19 June
  • Lower Sixth Full Reports Published - Friday 19 June
  • Upper Sixth Thanksgiving Service - Tuesday 23 June
  • Virtual Induction Event - Wednesday 24 June
  • STEAM Lecture - Exo-Planets: Famous Firsts, Boisterous Births And Destructive Deaths - Thursday 25 June
  • Lower Sixth UCAS Evening - Wednesday 1 July

The format of events will be confirmed nearer the time and details of other events will be published over the coming weeks.

Crackley Hall School And Little Crackers Nursery Virtual Open Evening

Tuesday 23 June 2020 – from 6.00pm

Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery are holding a Virtual Open Evening for prospective parents on Tuesday 23 June from 6.00pm.

The evening will begin with a welcome by the Headmaster, Rob Duigan, and short, pre-recorded videos including a tour of the school and interviews with Year 6 pupils.

The pre-recorded content will be followed by a live event at 6.30pm hosted by Rob Duigan, Headmaster, and other senior members of staff. The live event will cover different aspects of the education the school provides, how pupils are supported s and the admissions process. There will be the opportunity for parents to ask questions during the live event.

For further information on availability in the different year groups please email admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk or call 01926 514410 and speak to Admissions Secretary, Jenny Vaughan.

To register for the event please click here.

 

 

STEAM Lecture - Exo-Planets: Famous Firsts, Boisterous Births And Destructive Deaths - New Date

Thursday 25 June - 6.00pm

As you may remember, we had to postpone our planned talk at the college on Wednesday 11 March due to the coronavirus. However, since we have all become so versed in TEAMs, we have decided to deliver the talk in a virtual way. Please click on the link below to join guest speaker, Dr Dimitri Veras, an Astrophysicist in the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick, as he talks us through the fascinating contents of exo-planetary systems across both time and space. 

This talk will take place at 6.00pm on Thursday 25 June.

Click here to join: Exo-Planets: Famous Firsts, Boisterous Births, and Destructive Deaths lecture with Dr Dimitri Veras

Dr Veras will be happy to answer your questions at the end of the talk and this can be done either by posting them in the chat box or by clicking on the 'raise your hand' icon.

Please look at the attached instructions here on how best to access this talk if you are unsure how to do it.

I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday 25 June at 6.00pm for what promises to be a thoroughly engaging exploration of astrophysics.

Helen Pascoe-Williams
Da Vinci, Learning Skills, EPQ Co-ordinator & English Teacher

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25th Motoring Festival Postponed Until 2021

This year would have been the 25th Princethorpe Motoring Festival but sadly due to the continuing Coronavirus restrictions the Summer Fete and Motoring Festival have had to be postponed.

The Motoring Festival always coincides with the College Summer Fête, and is open to anyone keen to bring any sort of classic, vintage, veteran or interesting vehicle along for the afternoon.

We will now host our 25th Motoring Festival next year on Sunday 27 June 2021.

We look forward to welcoming motoring enthusiasts to the school then.

 

Parents' Book Club - Reminder

In these uncertain times, many of us may find more time than usual for reading.  Although the Reading Group will not be able to meet in the circumstances, please keep in touch via email regarding book recommendations which might be of interest to others - hopefully something warm and upbeat which is what we possibly need right now.  

If any new parents would like to join please email me at chriskerrigan@princethorpe.co.uk

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Academic

The Hildegard Awards

It is time again for our prestigious Hildegard Awards to be presented to our pupils to celebrate academic endeavour and attainment. Pupils are nominated by their subject teachers for their effort and progress in the classroom.  St Hildegard was a 12th century Benedictine abbess who was regarded as a person of wide knowledge and learning. She left a huge legacy of writing, music, Christian works and was a true polymath. The pupils who receive these awards are congratulated for their endeavours and progress in this spirit.

This time pupils are being recognised for their achievements via home learning. Normally certificates would be given out in the classroom, but this we have arranged for all lucky recipients to receive their certificate by email. These emails will be sent out on Monday.

Good luck to all and congratulations to those pupils who receive their certificates.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Moving On From The Academic Review Meeting

Pupils in Years 7 to 10 will have now had their meeting with their tutor/co-tutor to discuss academic and pastoral progress. These meetings are a vital part of our communication with parents and pupils to provide feedback and encouragement for the future.

Your child will have three targets or goals to consider. These targets will be reviewed with pupils again in September. The process of target setting is important for all our pupils to help them see how progress can be made in a step-by-step method, and that resilience and determination are key positive character traits.  What is also vital is that pupils review these targets at frequent intervals.

Thus, I would encourage all pupils to revisit these targets before the end of term to put in place any actions they need to complete over the summer. Many pupils can find visual images supportive to focus on their goals. Click here for an example of a mind-map which looks at life in and outside school. After these many weeks of home learning, it would be good for pupils to reflect on the next stage of development over the summer holidays. Importantly, such a mind-map would be good to share with tutors in September to show their achievements.

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head - Teaching and Learning

Public Exam Results

The government has confirmed that exam results will be published on the following days:

  • Thursday 13 August 2020 – A-level and AS results
  • Thursday 20 August 2020 – GCSE and Latin L1 and L2 results

Please rest assured that we plan to be in school to support pupils in the usual ways – pastorally, academically and offering careers advice. We will release precise details of how the Results Days will work nearer the time when we know the current government guidelines but please make sure to protect the dates in your diary.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic

Learning In Action

Year 9 Focaccia Art Challenge

Food and Nutrition Teacher, Jacqui Scott, set her Year 9s an interesting Bread Art Challenge.

She explains, “As yeast and flour are now finally back in the shops I challenged Year 9 pupils to follow the latest food trend and show me their artistic flair.”

Pupils were asked to submit a bread that had been decorated with fruits, vegetables or herbs. To get them started Miss Scott demonstrated a Van Gogh inspired loaf.

The results were impressive. Well done to Sofia Vicente Thomas, Chloe O'Carroll-Bailey and Finn Osborn whose fantastic focaccias can be seen here.

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Robot Design And Make Projects

DT Teacher, Tom Walton was very impressed with these amazing robots.

Year 7 pupil, Amelia Fry manufactured her robot from reused materials from the recycling bin. It was the final piece from a full and high quality design and make project on robots.  

Year 8, Freddie Dalton's robot was another super piece of work that earned him a Da Vinci.

 

 

 

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Liv's Little Stitches Update

DT Teacher, Miranda Porter, has been very impressed by Year 7, Liv Fox.

Liv has started her own enterprise 'Liv's Little Stitches' and has been making masks for her family, friends and neighbours.  

DT Teacher Miranda Porter said, "Liv is very industrious, her masks are absolutely gorgeous. She has shared more photos with me and they are delightful just look at them all here. Such enterprise!"

Well done Liv.

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Pastoral

Immunisations For Year 9 Pupils

Due to school closures our immunisations were unable to go ahead as planned last term. However we have arranged for the Immunisation team to come into school on Monday 29 June 2020 to immunise current Year 9 pupils. They will be offered the Tetanus/Polio/Diptheria booster along with the Meningitis ACWY vaccine.

Girls will also be offered the 2nd dose of the HPV vaccine – it is important they receive this vaccine within a specific time frame to achieve maximum protection.

Year 9 parents have already been contacted directly to arrange an appointment. There will be an opportunity for current Year 8 pupils to receive their vaccinations during the next academic year.

Any queries, please contact Mrs Paula Greig, Senior Matron, email paulagreig@princethorpe.co.uk

Let Us Give Thanks

Fr Alan Whelan MSC and Mrs Mary Benham, our wonderful Chaplaincy Team, share their thoughts and prayers with us:

This evening, Friday 19, and on Tuesday 23 June, we celebrate an important transition for our Year 11 and Upper Sixth students. The end of one chapter in their educational journey but the beginning of another, bringing with it the joys and fears of moving on from the familiar to the new and different. While we cannot physically be with each other to share our stories and give thanks we can pause now and call to mind the people who have brought us to this momentous stage in our lives. And so we pray:

Loving God, thank you for all you do for me.

You have guided me all these years in Princethorpe College,
and I pray that you continue to be with me as I head into this new time in my life.

I pray that I will continue to feel your presence and have
your strength with me as I head off into new
ventures either in Lower Sixth or in third level education.

I ask for your guidance and discernment as I face complicated decisions and grow into the person I desire to be.

I ask that you bestow your blessings and love on my friends and family. I ask for the words to let them know that I appreciate them.

And Lord, I thank you for being here with me at this time. I do not know what the future brings, but I pray for the confidence to go after your plans for me with all my heart.

I thank you for giving me the opportunities to fulfil
those plans.

Amen.

Advanced Notice For Confirmation 2021 - Reminder

Tuesday 13 October 2020

Our Confirmation Programme will begin on Tuesday 13 October 2020.

Father Alan Whelan MSC will celebrate Mass in the College Chapel at 6.30pm for pupils wishing to be confirmed and their parents or guardians.

This will be followed by an introduction to the course followed by tea/coffee.

The provisional date for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation is Friday 19 March 2021 at 7.00pm in the College Chapel. 

The preparation takes place over the lunch break.

Each 20-minute session will be offered twice in order to avoid clashes with other activities.

Confirmation Preparation:  

Michaelmas Term 2020

Tuesday 3 November    or     Friday 6 November

Tuesday 10 November  or     Friday 13 November

Tuesday 17 November  or     Friday 20 November

Tuesday 24 November  or     Friday 27 November

Lent Term 2021

Tuesday 26 January      or      Friday 29 January

Tuesday 2 February      or      Friday 5 February

Tuesday 23 February    or      Friday 26 February

Tuesday 2 March          or      Friday 5 March

Tuesday 9 March          or      Friday 12 March

Thursday 18 March everyone

If you would like further information please email marybenham@princethorpe.co.uk

Please complete the enrolment form here if you would like to register a candidate for Confirmation.

Mary Benham
Chaplaincy Co-ordinator

Universities and Careers

Work Experience - Reminder

With the ongoing Coronovirus situation, it is unrealistic to expect work experience placements to take place this summer.

Normal practice is for the current Year 10 and 11 pupils to take part in placements, and many pupils had already secured opportunities. Very many thanks to all of the parents who had helped their son/daughter to arrange a placement; hopefully many will be able to go on the 'backburner' until it is safe for them to take place. 

If possible we would encourage pupils to see if their placements can go ahead at October half term this year; this would be for current Year 11 (Year 12 by October), and Year 10 (Year 11 by October).

We do realise that the current situation is very uncertain for many places of work. If you are able to rearrange the placement please let Mr Taylor or Mrs Quinney know. We will provide more information to pupils and parents in due course.

Mike Taylor
Work Experience

University Application Help For Lower Sixth Parents - Reminder

UCAS.com has a wealth of information to help you make sense of the application process, as well as a monthly parents’ newsletter. Sign up here to receive all their latest news.

Also, if you’re confused about what loans are available for students and how much you’ll be expected to pay then visit this link at MoneySavingExpert.com for plenty of helpful advice.

Jacqui Quinney
Head of Careers

 

Careers And University Guidance - Reminder

Jacqui Quinney, our Head of Careers, will continue to provide the following services remotely:

Year 10

Careers Interviews will continue by phone during the school day. Interview times will be emailed directly to pupils on their school email and pupils will be phoned at home at the allocated time. They will need access to the internet preferably using a computer or tablet (not a phone) during the call.

Year 11

Any careers related queries, please email jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk 

Lower Sixth

Students will still be supported as they prepare to make university applications or apply to higher level and degree apprenticeships.

One-to-one interviews will continue by phone – times will be emailed to individual students.

Resources relating to personal statements, choosing universities, choosing a course etc will be sent to students as appropriate, using Teams.

Upper Sixth

Please email any queries regarding university or jobs to jacquiquinney@princethorpe.co.uk

 

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Co-Curricular

DofE Update – Completing The Volunteering, Physical And Skills Sections

Well done to those who have managed to sign off sections of their award despite current restrictions.  I have been delighted by the response, fantastic!  Lots of you have asked your assessor to submit an electronic report, excellent.

The continued priority should be to complete the physical, skill and volunteering sections.  The aim for all bronze and silver participants should be to sign these off before their qualifying trip.

Please refer to the attached electronic assessor report guide illustrating how you can get your award signed off during lockdown conditions. Click here for the guide.

This is a summary of the temporary changes DofE have introduced to help you complete on time:

  • Participants can now volunteer for family members – e.g. mentoring or coaching younger siblings
  • Participants can now change activities more than once – time spent on previous activities will still count.  You will need an assessor report for both activities though.
  • Timescales - you can now choose to do your section activities less regularly, but for a longer period – so instead of doing an hour each week, you could think about doing two hours every other week if that fits better with your chosen activity.  The activity must still be spread across the number of months you’ve chosen to spend on that section but you could do 4 hours per month on one day. 

If you haven’t yet started one of your sections this is the perfect opportunity, the DofE requirements have never been more flexible!  The link below provides some example activities that can be completed at home.

https://www.dofe.org/dofewithadifference/activities

The DofE have also provided some useful FAQs for participants:

https://www.dofe.org/coronavirus/faqs-participants

It is also worth checking the opportunity finder if you’re still struggling for ideas:

https://www.dofe.org/opportunity-finder/opportunity-for-dofe-participant/

Here are some tips if you can’t find someone to be your assessor, though I’m sure Princethorpe Staff (for example your tutor) will happily help you out:

https://www.dofe.org/dofewithadifference/assessors

Well done to all DofE participants for their continued commitment to the scheme in the current climate.

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education – DofE Manager

DofE Rearranged Expedition Dates

We have formulated a plan regarding the bronze, silver and gold expeditions. Please refer to the recent email containing full details of the changes and next steps.

Please see below a basic summary of the dates. Whilst we hope to stick to these dates, government guidelines may mean we are forced to change the locations.

Date Level Stage Location
Monday 13 July 2020
9.00am – 4.00pm
Bronze Practice Local Area
Tuesday 14 July 2020
9.00am – 4.00pm
Bronze Practice Local Area
Wednesday 15 July 2020
9.00am – 4.00pm
Bronze Practice Local Area
Wednesday 19 11.00am – Saturday 22 August 2020 9.00pm Gold Practice Lake District
Thursday 20 11.00am – Saturday 22 August 2020 7.00pm Silver Practice White Peaks
Saturday 12 9.00am – Sunday 13 September 2020 4.00pm Bronze Qualifier Local Area
Saturday 19 9.00am – Sunday 20 September 2020 4pm Bronze Qualifier Local Area
Sunday 18 11.00am – Thursday 22 October 2020 9.00pm Gold Qualifier North Wales
Thursday 29 6.00am – Saturday 31 October 2020 6.00pm Silver Qualifier  Dark Peaks 


Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education – DofE Manager

Cross Country Club – June Challenge Update

Cross Country Club athletes have approached their June Challenge with typical energy and enthusiasm. They have already run, walked and cycled over 1,800km since the start of the month. The 20 or so pupils involved are averaging 100km per day despite the recent unsettled weather.

They have been sharing their Strava routes on Teams and have covered all kinds of beautiful trails on their local patch. It has been fantastic to see their commitment to outdoor exercise.​
 
The breakdown of the activity so far is 700km running, 200km waking and a whopping 900km cycling. It has been a real team effort, but the following have shown particular endeavour:​
 
Year 7 Olivia Bacon – 60km​
Year 7 Jesse Esler – 125km​
Year 8 Albert Jackson-Bettles - 80km – all running!​
Year 8 Timothe Peyret – 70km​
Year 9 Ella Dunkley – 45km​
Year 11 Molly Minshull – 56km​
Year 12 Will Crowfoot – 280km​
Year 12 Tom Crowfoot – 280km​
Miss Callan – 210km​
 
Well done to all for your efforts! Can we maintain that 100km per day target and get to 3,000km?​
 
Will Bower​
Head of Outdoor Education

Housekeeping

Summer Uniform Shop Appointments For Current Parents And New Lower Sixth Parents

Should you require any new uniform items for your son or daughter in readiness for September we are now offering virtual Uniform Shop appointments via Zoom over the summer. Please complete the form for current parents on the Uniform Shop tab on the top menu of My School Portal https://princethorpe.myschoolportal.co.uk/section/270 and the Uniform team will be in touch to arrange a suitable appointment with you.

New Lower Sixth parents can email the shop at uniform@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634272 for an appointment for sports kit.

As normal items can be added to your pupil account or payment can be made by credit/debit card at the end of the appointment. We will then give you a collection date and time.

Nicola Browne
Foundation Shop Manager

Employment Opportunities

Please see below our current vacancy:

  • Learning Support Teacher
  • Administrator\Receptionist - maternity cover

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

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

Term Dates 2019-20, 2020-21 And 2021-22 - Reminder

Please find below our updated Term Dates for 2019-20 as this term has been extended due to the COVID-19 situation and the newly published 2021-22 dates, although key dates are still to be confirmed.

2019-20 (one-page document - updated)

2020-21 (two page document)

2021-22 (one page document - key dates to be confirmed)