The Flagpole

As we come to the end of the second week back, I’d like to reiterate my thanks to parents for all your support. We are delighted with the way the school is running and that good routines have been quickly established. It is always exhausting for staff and pupils at the start of the academic year, this year more than ever. We are looking at what we can do to ensure we don’t 'burn out' too soon and keep the excellent momentum going over the term and year ahead. We are reviewing the organisation of every aspect of the school so we can be as effective and efficient as possible.

In light of the above, we will shortly be giving further details of changes we will be making to our reporting and procedures for parents’ evenings and meetings. We want to ensure these are manageable for staff and parents and as productive as possible given the restrictions we have to work within.

Many thanks for all parents’ patience when visiting the school to drop-off or pick up. We think the systems we have are working well and will be looking to remove parking on the grass in the near future.

Finally, whilst we are, of course, having to prepare for the eventuality that we have a confirmed COVID case or multiple cases within the school community, we must all be united in doing everything to prevent this from happening. As parents, please do continue to do regular temperature checks at home and critically ensure that your families are being safe in your social lives. The new law on the 'rule of six' is very clear and we need every family to ensure this is being strictly adhered to. If any parent has concerns about this, please contact us.

With all best wishes for the weekend,

Ed Hester
Headmaster

The pupils’ health and well-being, and that of our staff, is our top priority. 

This letter gives key guidance on medical and health issues that have been put together in conjunction with our medical team and government guidance.

Importantly we have reviewed and updated our guidance on the wearing of facemasks.

Facemasks

In light of updated government and WHO (World Health Organisation) guidance, we are now asking that pupils wear facemasks in school in certain areas. You will be aware that we have already made the wearing of facemasks compulsory on the buses.

We are now extending the compulsory wearing of facemasks in school: facemasks will need to be worn by pupils and staff whilst moving between lessons in the corridor and whilst queuing for lunch. Facemasks will also be required at the end of the school day whilst waiting in the playground for parents to collect. Pupils attending the medical centre will always be asked to wear facemasks.

We do not require either pupils or staff to wear facemasks whilst in lessons but they may they choose to do so.

We know from our questionnaire that some pupils may be exempt from wearing a mask for medical reasons, we will provide these pupils with an identifying pin to wear somewhere discreetly on their blazer so that they will not have to explain if challenged by staff.

Prevention of COVID-19 transmission

The best way of doing this is to minimise contact with individuals who are unwell by ensuring that those who have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, or who have someone in their household who does, do not attend school www.gov.uk.

The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:

• a high temperature – please if you have not already done so source a thermometer to check temperatures at home;
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual);
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.

If a pupil or anyone else in their household has symptoms of COVID-19 – You and everyone else in your household must remain at home.  Do not go to work, school, or public areas, and do not use public transport or taxis.

Nobody should go out even to buy food or other essentials, and any exercise must be taken within your home.

Test and Trace

Do not wait, if you have symptoms, get a test as soon as possible.  You need to get the test done in the first five days of having symptoms.

The testing process has moved on since we were last at school and there is now greater capacity for testing, with results often back within 24 hours. Anyone with symptoms can be tested. 

For more information on testing please follow the link below, tests can also be booked by calling 119.  www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/get-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/

If you or any member of your household is contracted by NHS Test and Trace and advised to self-isolate it is vital that you do so.  If any pupil has been advised to self-isolate or is off school due to illness, please inform the school via the attendance line in the usual way and arrangements can be made for work to be sent home.

If you have recently returned from another country please follow the rules for re-entering the UK and self-isolate if you have been advised to do so. www.gov.uk/uk-border-control.

Illness and school attendance

As mentioned earlier we are all now aware of the three main symptoms of COVID-19, however as we all know children may have a temperature for various other reasons; or in some circumstances may present initially with feeling 'generally unwell'.

We request that if your child has required Paracetamol or Calpol to reduce a temperature that you keep them off school for 24 hours after their temperature has returned to normal.

If your child feels unwell, even if they are not complaining of one of the more well-known COVID symptoms, please do not send them into school. We are asking that you monitor them at home so that as well as preventing the transmission of COVID in school, we can also minimise the spread of many of the 'bugs' children pass around.  Most importantly it will allow time for the child to be assessed at home and to see whether they go on to develop an illness or are back to normal by lunchtime.  It will also paint a clearer picture of what we are dealing with.

I know that many of us as parents encourage our children to keep going sometimes when feeling slightly unwell as it encourages resilience and often they feel better after a couple of hours.  I also appreciate that parents will be concerned about children missing more time off school.  However, the health of our Princethorpe family is of paramount importance and in these new times we need to employ extra caution and keep children home if unwell.

As was our practice during February and March this year, we will check the temperature of all children presenting to the Medical Centre and will now have a lower threshold for sending children home if they are unwell.  In the interests of social distancing and keeping the whole community safe it may no longer be appropriate for a pupil who is feeling unwell to stay in the Medical Centre for a period of time before taking a decision if they should go home.  We ask for your patience and forbearance with us as we navigate these uncertain times.  If you do receive a call asking you to collect your child we ask if this can be done as promptly as possible.  Please also ensure the school has your up to date contact details.

As we need to keep children in their Year Group bubbles and will operate on a one in one out basis in the Medical Centre, pupils may be asked (with their teachers’ permission) to text first for an appointment. Children requiring immediate First Aid or displaying COVID symptoms will be seen as a matter of urgency.

Any pupil displaying COVID symptoms will be taken to our isolation room and parents will be contacted immediately so they can be collected promptly.

As there may be a wait to see one of our school nurses, you may feel that it is appropriate for your child to carry one paracetamol for a headache or period pain if this is their normal practice. I ask you to use your discretion as parents and consider if this is something you feel appropriate for your child. Under no circumstances should a pupil share medication with anyone else in school.

We have plenty of First Aid kits around the school and the majority of staff are First Aid trained so children will continue to be well supported in school.

We are treading uncertain times together and appreciate how daunting the return to school may feel for some pupils and parents.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need further information or support, call 01926 634214 or email pcmatrons@princethorpe.co.uk.

Kind regards

Paula Greig\Beth Shape\Ed Hester       

Senior Matron\Deputy Head (Pastoral)\Headmaster               

Old Princethorpian and former parent, Nigel Bromley returned to Princethorpe this week (on Monday 7 September) to reaffirm his long-standing connections to the school. Pictured here with Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, a fellow self-confessed ‘petrolhead’, and his one-time Form Tutor and Physics Teacher, Nigel brought with him a very special car.

The immaculate Voodoo Blue Lotus Evora GT410 Sport drew many admiring glances as it roared up the College drive.

Nigel, who still lives locally, landed his dream job as Head of Brand Marketing at Lotus Cars in January this year. A role that combines his love of all things ‘motor’ with over two decades of experience in the automotive and creative industries. He attended Princethorpe College back in the eighties and credits the school’s formative role in developing the skills and interests that led him to a career in the demanding world of advertising and design.

He enjoyed his time at Princethorpe so much that he chose to send his daughter, Grace, to the school and over the years has contributed to the Princethorpe community in many different ways. Whether leading sessions at the College’s Careers Fair, supporting the schools Bursary Fund activities or just taking part in the school’s annual Motoring Festival, Nigel has always kept his old school close to his heart.

Comments Nigel, “My time at Princethorpe was hugely influential, the ideas, the energy, the empathy that my teachers taught me, were the stepping stones to my career today. They are the backbone of the Princethorpe community and why I love coming back and am always delighted to be able to support the College.”

Nigel is just one of many connections the College has to the car industry, situated as it is right in the heartlands of the UK automotive industry. Earlier this year we welcomed former parent and CEO at Lotus Cars, Phil Popham, alongside world-famous British Jaguar car designer, Ian Callum CBE, to the school to meet with Design and Technology pupils.

Another Lotus connection is former Managing Director Derek Waelend whose sons, James and Mark, were pupils at Princethorpe College in the nineteen-nineties.

Other notable automotive industry names include former parent, Mike Loasby, who was Director of Product Engineering at DeLorean in Northern Ireland, his two sons, Jonathan and Simon also attended the College until the mid-nineteen-eighties. Simon has followed in his father’s automotive footsteps and is now Head of Hyundai Styling Group, based in this country.

Many current parents continue to work within the automotive industry today and the College also supports industry initiatives, including hosting the regional heat of the Jaguar Primary School Challenge, working with local schools to inspire the next generation of engineers.

Alex was delighted to welcome his former pupil and fellow ‘motor’ enthusiast back to school and even more so to have the opportunity to sit in the Lotus Evora. He commented, “Many thanks to Nigel for bringing the Lotus in today. It was a real treat and it was great to catch up and swap stories. His appointment at Lotus is well deserved, it is always inspiring for us to hear of our pupils’ successes, even though he still owes me some Physics homework from 1982!”

Lower Sixth Erin Darcy, Year 11 Evie Phillips and Year 10 Tilly Houghton together with recent leavers Gracie Gerrard and Lucy Gribben (not pictured) were part of the Rugby and East Warwickshire Hockey Club Girls U18 Team that was crowned Tier 3 National U18 Champions last weekend.

Playing at the Nottingham Hockey Centre the Rugby and East Warwickshire team beat Bury St. Edmonds U18 Girls claiming victory with a resounding 11-1 win. In a slick, tight game they dominated the match that was played behind closed doors following government social distancing guidelines.

It was a great weekend for Rugby and East Warwickshire Hockey Club, with the U18 Boys also being crowned Tier 3 National Champions too. They beat Slough Hockey Club earlier in the day, and the team included Will Cooper-Harris who has just completed his A-levels here at Princethorpe and is working at the College as a Teaching Assistant this year.

Huge congratulations to all - we were delighted to hear of your success!

Huge congratulations to Freddie Draper, 2020 Year 11 Leaver, who has just signed for Lincoln City FC. Freddie has been awarded a place on the Youth Team’s scholarship scheme and will spend the next two years combining professional training with Lincoln City while studying for a BTEC Level 3 in Sport.

Freddie trained with a number of professional clubs’ academies whilst attending Princethorpe College, including Coventry City and Derby County, managing the requirements of football training alongside his school studies. A great all-round sportsman, he was a committed first team player always finding the time to attend school training and represent the College in school fixtures.

Assistant Head Co-Curricular, Neil McCollin, said, “Freddie’s steadfast approach to securing a professional training placement echoes the determination and grit he consistently showed in his school life, he epitomised the school’s philosophy to do your best, not only out on the sports field but also in his studies. He received the College’s Senior Sports Boy of the Year Award for 2020 and then last month Freddie celebrated excellent GCSE results. We were really delighted to hear of this latest success.”

And perhaps the icing on the cake for Freddie came last week, when he played his old team Derby County, scoring twice and helping Lincoln City Youth Team to a super 3-2 win.

Well done Freddie, we wish you every success.

Congratulations to Year 7, Daisy McMurdo, whose ingenious and eye-catching photograph has taken first prize in the Land Rover Burghley Pony Club At Home 2020 competition.

Daisy’s winning image shows her practising her Pony Club Team Jumping at home with her best friend Megan. The girls cleverly included the family cars in the shot and timed their ponies’ jumps to perfection.

Both girls are excited about their prizes which include tickets to horse events and new grooming kits for their ponies. Daisy said, “I was really shocked to find out that we had come first as I didn’t expect to win. It was fun taking the photo and I am very pleased with my prize.”

Daisy’s Form Tutor, Kieran McCullough, said, “I was delighted to hear of Daisy’s success, her photo is so original, I am not surprised it won!”

Well done Daisy, we think your photograph is super, and we hope to see you competing for Princethorpe soon.

Although the school is open we are running a reduced calendar of events as we work within the requirements of social distancing restrictions. Events for the Michaelmas 2020 Term can be found on the College website or on My School Portal.

A summary of upcoming events can also be found below:

• Junior Sports Day - Saturday 12 September
• Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Expedition Group B - departs Saturday 12 September
• VSOP Virtual Mass and Reunion - Saturday 12 September
• Virtual Heritage Open Day - Sunday 13 September
• Year 11 Sixth Form Taster Experience - Monday 14 September
• Year 9 Parents Virtual Duke of Edinburgh Meeting -Tuesday 15 September
• Parents Reading Group - Wednesday 16 September
• Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Expedition Group A - departs Saturday 19 September
• Virtual Headmaster's Quiz For New Parents - Friday 25 September 
• College Open Day - Sunday 4 October

Saturday 12 September 2020 - 11.00am to 1.00pm

We are looking forward to hosting the ‘old girls’ from St Mary’s Priory for a Virtual Reunion this coming weekend. Known to us as VSOPs (Very Special Old Princethorpians) the old girls who were pupils at the school during the 50s and 60s were due to attend our biennial St. Mary’s reunion lunch this September but, due to COVID-19, we have unfortunately had to postpone their in person meet up until next year (Saturday 11 September 2021).

Instead this weekend, on Saturday 12 September, we will be hosting a virtual reunion for them and have put together a very special programme for the old girls to enjoy. Starting with Father Teddy O’Brien MSC celebrating Mass, the old girls will then enjoy a virtual tour of the College buildings and grounds. That will be followed by a live Princethorpe Quiz presided over by longstanding Princethorpian, Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, before the College Archivist, Janette Ratcliffe, takes everyone into the archives to explore the latest donations. The event will finish with an informal online get-together, to allow time for everyone to chat and reminisce.

The virtual reunion will take place on Saturday from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm via the Zoom platform. Full and simple instructions and a running order have been sent out ahead of the event, and the old girls will be able to access the virtual reunion from a mobile, tablet or laptop.

We are really looking forward to hosting everyone and catching up on all our VSOPs’ news.

There is still time to register for the event and we encourage all the old girls to get involved, please visit https://connect.princethorpe.co.uk/event/former-pupils-of-st-mary-s-priory-vsops-virtual-reunion or email oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk.

They are always fascinating get togethers and we always learn new stories and facts about our beloved Princethorpe.

Sunday 13 September 2020 - 2.00pm

Heritage Open Days, England’s biggest heritage and culture festival returns this September and Princethorpe College is once again taking part.

This Sunday 13 September visit the College website www.princethorpe.co.uk to join in with our virtual heritage event.  Links to the Tour will be available on the home page of the websiite and they will e posted on the school's social media as well. Take an interactive tour of the College buildings and grounds with Foundation Archivist, Janette Ratcliffe and Assistant Head, Alex Darkes.

Explore the Chapel and take a behind the scenes look at what was once St. Mary’s Priory. Visit the quintessential Quad that has featured in BBC period productions. Enjoy the stunning stained glass in what is now the Library, visit the nuns’ final resting place in the Roundhouse, uncover the hidden secrets of Little Switzerland and so much more.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to get under the skin of one of Warwickshire’s iconic landmarks. In a fully interactive virtual tour, you can explore Princethorpe from the comfort of your armchair.

Whether you attended the school, are a history enthusiast or just live locally and have always wanted to visit, do join us for a fascinating insight into the history of the school.

You can find out more about Heritage Open Days on their website here.

Wednesday 16 September - 7.00pm

The Parents' Reading Group has been running for many years now. A group of parents get together once a month to discuss a book we have all previously agreed on. It's an opportunity for readers to share their reading interests with others and to pick up suggestions to broaden their own reading. We are very eclectic in our tastes and completely unpretentious. We'd welcome newcomers and can guarantee all a warm and friendly welcome when we are once again able to meet.

We did have a meeting scheduled in the library on Wednesday 16 September but circumstances will not permit us to meet at present. Many of us have kept in touch about books via email, so I will be in touch with members at around that time and perhaps we can share some thoughts on our favourite lockdown reads.  Please let me know if you’d like to be on the reading group emailing list (chriskerrigan@princethorpe.co.uk) and I’ll add you to it. All dates for this term are in the school calendar and I hope we’ll soon be able to meet again in person. We look forward to welcoming a few new faces when permitted to meet, but until them we’ll continue to share reading suggestions via email.

Chris Kerrigan
Head of English

Friday 25 September 7.00pm – 9.00pm

Families new to the school this year (Years 7 - 10) are invited to attend the Headmaster's Quiz.  

This year due to the coronavirus restrictions we will be holding the event virtually, most likely through Zoom. It should be a very enjoyable evening for all and enable you to meet a number of other parents new to the College, as well as some staff and members of the PTA.  

You will receive an email in the next few days with more details.

I very much hope you are able to attend and I look forward to quizzing with you on Friday 25 September; if you have any queries please email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634201

Ed Hester
Headmaster

Open Day - Sunday 4 October 2020 10.00am to 3.00pm

Princethorpe College is planning on holding an Open Day on Sunday 4 October from 10.00am to 3.00pm.

The day will be split into three hour-long sessions and visitors will be asked to book a specific session, so we can manage numbers and adhere to government guidelines.

This event is aimed at families who have not had the chance to visit the College previously and have a prospective pupil for Years 7 to 10 specifically interested in September 2021 entry. A maximum of two family members will be able to attend with the prospective pupil.

Each session will open with a Welcome Address by our Headmaster, Ed Hester and then visitors will follow a route around key school locations.

Light takeaway refreshments will be available.

To register for this event please click here.

At the moment, under the coronavirus restrictions, we are unable to welcome visitors into school on normal school days.

Depending on the developing situation we are planning a second Open Morning later in the Michaelmas Term. The Open Morning is scheduled for Thursday 26 November 2020 from 10.30am to 12.30pm and again will be by appointment only. 

For further information on admissions and entry to the College in 2021 visit our website here or contact the Admissions Team on 01926 634201/634262 or by email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Wednesday 7 October 2020 - 09.00am to 4.00pm

The Crescent School, the Foundation's junior school for 4 to 11 year olds in Bilton, Rugby, is opening its doors for an Open Day on Wednesday 7 October from 09.00am - 4.00pm by appointment only.

This is an opportunity to look around the school on a normal working day and to meet the school's Headmaster, Joe Thackway. This event is for parents and pupils seeking entry in September 2021, please contact the Registrar to book your appointment.

The Crescent is also planning to hold a Reception and Pathfinders Nursery Open Evening on Tuesday 17 November between 7.00pm and 8.00pm, which will give parents an insight into the Early Years at Crescent and the firm foundation the school gives children for their future learning. Pathfinders, the on-site partner nursery, which has been rated ‘outstanding’ by OFSTED, will also be open on the evening should parents wish to visit. Once again this will be an appointment only event.

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

Thursday 8 October 2020 - 9.00am to 4.00pm

Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery, in Kenilworth, are opening their doors for an Open Day on Thursday 8 October from 9.00am - 4.00pm by appointment only.

This is an opportunity to look around the school on a normal working day and to meet the school's Headmaster, Rob Duigan. This event is for parents and pupils seeking entry in September 2021, please contact the Admissions Secretary to book your appointment.

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

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

Saturday 7 November and Saturday 14 November
9.00am to 12.15pm and 1.30pm to 4.45pm

During the Michaelmas Term the College is holding taster experiences for children currently in Year 6 (children born between 1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010), who are interested in admission to the College in September 2021.

There will be four sessions over two dates - Saturday 7 November and Saturday 14 November. Places will be limited and need to be booked.

Each session will involve a welcome introduction from Headmaster, Mr Hester and the chance to experience two taster lessons with a small group of 10-12 other children. The sessions will be carefully managed to adhere to social distancing and government guidelines.

Light refreshments will be provided.

To book your child's place please complete a booking and consent form, available on our school website here.

Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. 

For more information please email admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634201/262.

We have great pleasure in unveiling the OPs' events calendar for the forthcoming academic year.

This year's calendar features many of our regular favourites which we hope dependent on government guidelines at the time, will be able to go ahead. Some of our first events will be virtual, but we look forward to seeing OPs face to face again soon.

All OPs, past parents and staff are welcome to participate in any or all of the events. Click here to download the calendar or visit Princethorpe Connect, our online community to register and book events.

You can also visit the Old Princethorpians section at www.princethorpe.co.uk/ops for more information on Old Princethorpians.

I would like to update you on the Bring Your Own Device programme that will be in place for Year 10 to Upper Sixth beginning this September, to help ensure that both you and your children are ready and prepared for this.

Firstly, a reminder that the main learning platform within the college is Microsoft Teams, and the associated Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, PowerPoint and OneNote. As previously advised, our recommended specification is a Windows 10 device with at least 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD hard drive, but any device that can run Teams and Office 365, ideally via the apps or via the browser will be suitable.

We have setup a system of supporting the management of these BYOD devices, making it easy for parents and pupils to ensure that the device is setup and ready to use in school, called Microsoft Intune.

Microsoft Intune works through installing an app on the device called Company Portal and signing in with your child's Princethorpe email address and password. This will then push the correct security certificate to the device, ensuring that the device will work correctly on our Wi-Fi and internet filtering, and will download the relevant apps required for school directly to the device.

The aim of this is to ensure that correct setup for use in school is as easy and simple as possible. This does require certain access to the device by the Foundation, but will only be used for the specific reasons mentioned above, namely, to install the correct security certificate and to allow easy access to apps and links. Please note that you can also unenroll the device from the Intune Company Portal at any time.

Please see the links for the guides for setup of the Company Portal app on Widows devices, Macs and iPads. These are also available on My School Portal, on the IT support pages here.

If a Chromebook will be used as the BYOD device, or you would prefer not to use Intune and the Company Portal app to provide this device management, then alternative instructions for installation of the security certificate are available on the My School Portal page linked above, and Office apps can be installed by signing in at www.office.com and clicking on "Install Office" in the top right corner. 

Tutors will be covering this information with pupils and supporting the children to ensure devices are ready to be used. IT Services will also be visiting tutor groups to provide further support where needed over the course of next week, to ensure pupils are setup and able to use the device as intended.

While the BYOD programme starts from the beginning of term, please be assured that teachers will ensure pupils have sufficient time to ensure devices are setup and working. Therefore, BYOD use will be available to pupils but will not form key parts of the lessons for the first week of term.

If you have any further questions regarding the BYOD program, please do contact me at andycompton@princethorpe.co.uk

Andy Compton

Assistant Head (Director of Digital Strategy)

Princethorpe College is pleased to offer this digital resource which is designed for all ages and all abilities. It can be accessed via:

MySchoolPortal, selecting School information - Princethorpe, and then clicking onto the Library tab. The log in password is: pcstudent

The resource contains a wealth of information for all to support homework, projects and independent learning.

Why use it?

• Accurate, trusted and up-to-date curriculum support

The information in Britannica School is aligned to the curriculum and is updated daily with new articles and multimedia elements curated by the world’s leading content and editorial experts.

• Cross-Curricular

Supports curriculum expectations and objectives in all subject areas. Enables pupils to increase their fluency in English language, an essential foundation for their success, while improving ability to collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

• Three reading levels

Three content levels tailored to literacy ability support the least able to most able – pupils can navigate to the level that is suitable for them without changing the age-appropriate visual appearance.  

The Intermediate and Advanced levels offer more challenging content and greater discoverability. Browse by subject, look for biographies, explore the World Atlas, compare statistical information between countries and discover interactive resources.  All of these functions help pupils improve their research skills.

Articles are illustrated with photos, videos, diagrams and maps to help bring the information to life.

Forget Google and make this your first port of call for homework support!

For further information see the link here for an overview of the resource.

Celia Scott
College Librarian

Students who would like to improve on their GCSE grades from the June 2020 Exam series are able to sit exams in the Autumn Exam Series.  Any improvement in their grade will replace the grade awarded in August 2020.  Should any students wish to apply to sit an exam, please email examinations@princethorpe.co.uk. 

The deadline is: Thursday 17 September 2020

GCSE exams will take place in November, starting on Monday 2 November and finishing on Monday 23 November 2020. Results will be published on Thursday 11 February 2021.

The normal exam entry fees will be charged.

Shellagh Dodds
Examination and Assessment Manager

An initial set of tests for Upper Sixth will take place from Wednesday 16 September through to Friday 18 September and for Lower Sixth will take place from Monday 21 September through to lunchtime on Wednesday 23 September.

Timetables have been emailed to both parents and students and we are pleased to have been able to include Wednesday afternoon Games for Lower Sixth on Wednesday 16 September and both Lower and Upper Sixth on Wednesday 23 September.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic

Upper Sixth will be on study leave on Monday 14 September and Tuesday 15 September to allow preparation time for their tests which commence on Wednesday 16 September through to Friday 18 September.

Students ordinarily study at home during Study Leave but if there are particular reasons why they would like to study in College, please get in touch with Mr Collie so individual arrangements can be made.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic

Progress Reports for Upper Sixth will be published on Friday 25 September 2020, and will be available to view on My School Portal.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic 

Progress Reports for Lower Sixth will be published on Friday 2 October 2020, and will be available to view on My School Portal.

Dr Michael Reddish
Deputy Head - Academic 

To confirm further details of the forthcoming Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening which will follow the September tests taking place next week.

The current government guidelines preclude us from being able to run the Parents’ Evening in the usual way so it will instead be undertaken over the phone in the week commencing Monday 28 September.

You will receive one phone call for each subject your son/daughter studies. Your child’s teachers will be in touch to set up a mutually convenient time. If your son/daughter is taught by more than one teacher for a subject, then colleagues will have collaborated before the phone call in order to give you a comprehensive picture.

Teachers will use mobile numbers which are registered in the contact information held by the school. The phone conversation will last between 5-10 mins and will include the same information as if the meeting was happening face-to-face. It would obviously be useful if your son/daughter could be with you so that any issues can be discussed collectively. You may want to use ‘speaker phone’.

Thank you for your support in this matter. If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact your son/daughter’s tutor or our Head of Sixth Form, Mr Ben Collie at bencollie@princethorpe.co.uk.

Dr Michael Reddish, Deputy Head (Academic)
Ben Collie, Head of Sixth Form

Dr Liz Pyne
Assistant Head – Teaching and Learning

Can we please remind parents to stay in their cars whilst dropping off or picking up their children from school. 

Thank you.

Mrs Beth Sharpe
Deputy Head - Pastoral

We have made changes to the Confirmation Programme so that pupils will now be prepared in their year group bubble.

We will not be able to celebrate Mass on Tuesday 13 October but the preparation sessions will go ahead as planned.

The Bishop has changed the provisional date for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation to Friday 12 March 2021 at 7.00pm in the College Chapel.

The preparation sessions take place over lunch breaks.

Each 20-minute session will be offered twice in order to avoid clashes with other activities and times will be allocated to the different year groups.

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         

Thursday 11 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

As you are aware, pupils are in year group bubbles due to Covid-19. We will therefore be managing our detention system in a different way.  All detentions will be held daily after school in G81 (6F Lecture Theatre - just by Prep) on the following days:-

Year 7 Monday
Year 8 Tuesday
Year 9 Wednesday
Year 10 Thursday
Year 11 Friday

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

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

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

Mrs Beth Sharpe  
Deputy Head - Pastoral

The Chaplaincy is again supporting the St Anne's Parish Shoe Box Appeal, to provide gifts for children who would not otherwise receive a Christmas present. This year the boxes are being distributed by Teams4U.

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

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

We are encouraging everyone to bring one item. 

All donations will be isolated for a week before the Chaplaincy Prefects organise the packing of the shoe boxes.

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

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Hairbrush/comb
• Facecloth and soap
• Stationery/pens/pencils/paper

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

• A soft toy, ball, game, puzzle, stickers, balloons
• Gloves/hats/scarves

Homecare Family Shoe Boxes

• Cooking utensils (no knives), candles, hairbrush plastic utensils (plates, bowls, cutlery)
• Soap, small Christmas decorations, small decorative items, small saucepans
• T-towels (preferably quite decorative), plastic containers, washing line pegs
• Washing up cloths

We also need shoe boxes.

All items may be left in G12a or at the Student Hub by 5 October 2020.

Mary Benham
Chaplaincy Co-ordinator

Maybe there are a few old coins or notes lurking in the back of a drawer, a pocket or a handbag? Why not round them up and put them to good use? All donations would be gratefully received and all money raised will be split between UK projects of the SVP (St Vincent de Paul Society), including support for the homeless, elderly, handicapped and those coming out of prison and an overseas SVP project helping to fund secondary school education children - especially girls - in India. Click here to discover what the SVP organisation is about and how your donation can help.

The money can be current or out of date, British or foreign; anything is welcome! We already have 8kg, but we need more!!

Click here and watch the video to see how cash4coins works. This is what you can donate:

• All foreign coins and banknotes
• Current UK coins and banknotes
• Any old British and Irish money
• Even obsolete currency!

Please send in money in a strong envelope labelled ‘Rod Isaacs - Cash4Coins’.

We raised a spectacular amount last year.

Many thanks

Rod Isaacs
Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Please let me introduce myself, my name is Lee Cassell and I am the new Director of Sport for the Foundation. During these difficult times, my aim is to get the pupils safely participating in school sport again and enjoying activities with their friends.

During PE and Games lessons for the first half term, the focus will be on summer activities, such as athletics, cricket and tennis. The seniors, on a Wednesday afternoon, will follow a different programme of study, with a bigger range of activities. On the days pupils are timetabled for Games, they will come to school in their Princethorpe College PE kit and the correct footwear for their activity, it is recommended that pupils bring their college waterproofs with them. For core PE lessons and clubs after school, pupils will be required to use the changing rooms, these will be sign posted for their year group. It is very important that they only use their year group changing room.

The extra-curricular programme will focus on winter games such as rugby, netball, football and hockey. This will give all teams excellent preparation for when external sporting fixtures return. All pupils must ensure that they attend all sporting activities in the correct college kit.

Cross country club will be on a Wednesday morning at 7.30am.

During the first half term there will no inter school fixtures due to the government guidance in education and year group bubbles. However, there will be an internal Saturday morning programme for the pupils to attend and enjoy. This will focus on summer activities, athletics, cricket and tennis. Pupils will need to sign up by the deadline for the activities that they would like to participate in, more details to follow. When we are allowed to play school sports fixtures further information will be sent home; I look forward to seeing the pupils representing the college and maintaining its excellent reputation.

Year 7 and 8 Sports Day  ​

Saturday 12 September 

All pupils to meet at 9.00am, the event starts at 9.30am.  Please can pupils come into school in their PE kit wearing their house sports top.  Please bring a drink.   

Unfortunately, parents are unable to stay on site and watch for this event due to the current restrictions.

9.30am Year 7 Track Events, Year 8 Field Events 

10.30am Year 8 Track Events, Year 7 Field Events 

11.30am finish 

Cricket Format

Mr Turns will be sending out a sign up form to parents for the pupils to sign up to the cricket events please see table above for details on dates.

• 10 over game
• Franchised Teams (similar to The Hundred)

Hockey Format

Hockey forms will be sent out to parents to sign up to events to confirm their attendance at training.

The provisional activities on Saturday 3 and 10 October will be confirmed once we have entered the phase 2 of returning to sport.

All of this information will be shared with pupils on their Games afternoon and via tutors.

I look forward to meeting you and if there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at LeeCassell@princethorpe.co.uk.

Lee Cassell
Foundation Director of Sport 

Our PE and Games Department have created a helpful new guide for pupils and parents ahead of the Michaelmas Term 2020 (click here), which includes further information about: 

• List of team coaches and how you may contact them
• Instructions on how to access the Princethorpe Sport app
• Information about fixtures, including selection and cancellations
• Sports kit expectations
• Postcodes for away fixtures

If you have any questions, please direct them to your son/daughter's team coach or email Mr Turns (Head of Boys' Games) or Ms Law (Head of Girls' Games). 

Lee Cassell
Foundation Director of Sport 

Welcome to the new academic year here at Princethorpe, and we are looking forward to seeing some great sport being played.

New - For Year 10 upwards (boys and girls) there are new senior tracksuit bottoms which will be available to be purchased from the Uniform Shop. These are unisex tapered tracksuit bottoms which were very popular with the South Africa 2019 tourists.

Just as a reminder, below is the PE and Games kit required and as always, we value your support and commitment to our team and our school.

Curriculum PE Lessons:

Boys - black sports shorts, white socks, white polo shirt or House polo shirt;

Girls - black skort, white socks, white polo shirt or House polo shirt;

In cold weather black tracksuit bottoms, black sports fleeces and/or Princethorpe sports jackets may be worn.

GCSE and A-level Practical Lessons:

Boys - black sports shorts, white socks, red academic polo shirt; 

Girls - black skort, white socks, red academic polo shirt;

In cold weather black tracksuit bottoms, black sports fleeces and/or Princethorpe sports jackets may be worn.

Games Lessons – Boys:

Rugby - black rugby shorts, red and black rugby shirts, Princethorpe black socks, football/rugby boots, gum shield;

Hockey - black sports shorts, white polo shirt, black socks, trainers or astro-turf trainers, gum shield, shin pads;

Football - black sports shorts, red and black rugby shirts, Princethorpe black socks, football boots, shin pads;

Athletics - black sports shorts, white polo shirt, House polo shirt, white socks, black sports fleece;

Cricket - black sports shorts or cricket trousers, white polo shirt or Princethorpe cricket shirt, Princethorpe cricket pullover;

In cold weather black tracksuit bottoms, black sports fleeces and/or Princethorpe sports jackets may be worn.

Games Lessons – Girls:

Netball - black skort, white polo shirt, white socks;

Hockey - black skort, white polo shirt, Princethorpe black socks, trainers or astro-turf trainers, gum shield, shin pads;

Tennis - black skort or white skort (only team players,) white socks, white polo shirt;

Athletics - black skort, white polo shirt, white socks;

Cricket or Rounders - black skort, white polo shirt, white socks;

In cold weather black tracksuit bottoms, black sports fleeces and/or Princethorpe sports jackets may be worn.

In any PE or Games lesson if you wear base layers or 'skinz' then they must be black in colour. No jewellery or watches are to be worn and long hair must be tied up.

Only Princethorpe sports kit can be worn for sports lessons.

All kit must be clearly labelled and valuables must be placed in the valuables box at the start of each lesson. 

Lee Cassell
Foundation Director of Sport

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you, particularly those new to Princethorpe College, about the wide variety of co-curricular activities and clubs that are on offer during lunchtime and after school. Whether it’s drama or archery, cooking or robotics we cater for a wide variety of interests. 

All co-curricular activities are available in an electronic format by clicking here. 

You are not required to pre-book however some activities and clubs operate on an invitation only basis. If you have any questions about an activity or club, please speak to the teacher in question listed.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our co-curricular programme. 

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – 2019-20 Intake

Well done to those who have managed to use the DofE temporary changes to complete their physical, volunteering and skills sections.  Once these have been approved on eDofE you will receive a Certificate of Achievement from DofE Central Office for completing this element.  For help please refer to this eDofE Completion Guide and the Electronic Assessor Report Guide.

Rearranged Expeditions Summary

Bronze – Qualifier – Warwickshire – Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September or Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2020

Bronze participants should please refer to their emails for full information regarding the trips. 

Silver – Practice - Thursday 29 6.00am – Saturday 31 October 2020 6.00pm. 

Gold – Practice - Sunday 18 11.00am – Thursday 22 October 2020 9.00pm. 

As Government guidelines evolve in the coming weeks I will contact Silver and Gold parents and pupils directly with the next steps and any further alterations to the programme.  For Silver we may be forced to run two long days in the Cotswolds with no overnight camp.  Timings to be confirmed. 

Thank you for your forbearance. 

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education – DofE Manager

Information for those interested in enrolling in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme this year will be distributed over the next couple of weeks.  This will start with an opportunity for pupils to express an interest in Tutor Time. 

A link for the Virtual Parents’ Presentation on Tuesday 15 September, 7.00pm - 8.00pm, will be available on MySchoolPortal/ Co-curricular/ Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.  Parents of Year 9 pupils are particularly welcome as we hope to recruit the whole year group to complete their Bronze award this year.   

Following the Virtual Parents’ Evening enrolment materials will be available on the Flagpole and MySchoolPortal.  

Here is a reminder of the eligibility criteria: 

Award Stage      Age Requirement 

Bronze                Year 9 

Silver                  Year 10

Gold                    16 Years old (must be in the Sixth Form) 

I look forward to welcoming pupils onto the scheme this year. 

Will Bower
Head of Outdoor Education – DofE Manager

Our music lessons have started and we are encouraged with the interest from our College students.  The lessons will continue as scheduled in the first phase for the next fortnight; we aim to release the second phase to commence week beginning 28 September 2020; timetables will be available via My School Portal shortly.

Thank you for the applications for individual Music and LAMDA lessons received to date. Lessons are charged at £17.50 per half hour individual lesson. Please can all parents return the invoice payment and the ‘new pupils’ Teacher/Parent contract and Privacy Statement to the teacher by the first lesson date at the very latest. Please note that Lesson Timetables will be drawn up within College this term and will take into account the staggered timing of different Year Group ‘Bubbles’; I shall issue these to parents next week.

We are making many necessary changes within the Music and LAMDA areas; please be assured that thorough Risk Assessments are being drawn together with both staff and children’s safety uppermost in our planning. We shall communicate the new procedures before lessons commence.

On a musical note, I would appreciate it if you could encourage some practise at home before the initial lesson and ask your child to bring along a piece of music to play to their teacher (this helps establish positive relationships between pupil and teacher as the pupil is ‘in charge’ of their own learning and lessons can then progress from such a meeting of minds). All musical instruments must be clearly named on both the case (try a strong suitcase label or dog tag) and instrument, if possible, and then stored safely either in the pupil’s locker or music store in the morning. Guitars, in particular, are very vulnerable to accidents when placed in the Bus ‘hold’, I would recommend that Guitars are brought to school in a hard shell or very padded case. These can be purchased either online or from a local music store and will be a sound investment. NB Instruments must not be left around school at any time.

With regard to COVID-19 guidance ALL Music and LAMDA pupils MUST have a copy of their own study work and bring it to lessons each week. A strong folder (with plastic inserts) and bag for sheet music (where required) is a necessary part of equipment. Sheet music should be kept flat in a music bag; these are available to purchase from the school shop.

If you have not yet arranged music or LAMDA lessons and are interested in individual tuition for your son/daughter then please can you contact me either by email at felicitycoulson@princethorpe.co.uk or by direct phone line on 01926 634268.

Felicity Coulson
Peripatetic Music Co-ordinator

It is always great to hear about the successes that take place outside of school; please do keep us updated if your son or daughter has won a competition, is performing in a show or competing at a high level with a sporting team outside of school, we would love to hear more.  We would like to invite parents to submit this information to us via a nomination form by clicking here so we might celebrate these achievements in school too.  Please see previous successes for Michaelmas 2019 here and Lent 2020 here which we celebrate at the Celeberation of Achievement lunches. 

Please see three achievements that have recently taken place; the success of the Rugby and East Warwickshire Hockey Club; Freddie Draper 2020 Year 11 Leaver who has just signed for Lincoln City FC and Daisy McMurdo in Year 7 winning a national photographic competition.  See their full stories here. 

Neil McCollin
Assistant Head - Co-Curricular

The school shop is open for pupils during both break and lunch time, every school day with a new ‘one in, one out’ system in place.

The School Shop will not open to parents at the end of the school day for the time being. If you need to contact the School shop please email in the first instance to uniform@princethorpe.co.uk.

When ordered items are ready for collection, the pupil with be emailed and informed that they can collect from the shop at the end of the school day.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

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

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

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

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

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Cyber-crime – please be extra vigilant

Parents are asked to be vigilant when reading emails relating to the payment of school fees and any other items to the Foundation.

There have been scams recently with emails offering a large discount on fees for the coming academic year if paid immediately. You can always protect yourselves by only making payments to us in line with our normal, published methods.

There has been no change to the bank details of either Princethorpe College, Crackley Hall or Crescent and there is no intention to make any changes in the foreseeable future. Any electronic notification that appears to be from any of the Foundation schools changing these details may be fraudulent.  Our bank details are available on the Parent Bills, the Online Payment Portal and in the Information Booklet for each school, and only those details should be used.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or my colleagues in the Bursary if you are have any doubts about the correct details or indeed if anything appears suspicious.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

Please find below the Term Dates for 2020-21 and 2021-22.

2020-21 (two page document) - last updated 9 July 2020

2021-22 (two page document) - revised and key dates now included). Please note that the start of the Michaelmas Term has been moved to Monday 6 September, following the confirmation of A-level and GCSE Results Day dates.