The Tower Review 2024 by The Princethorpe Foundation

Tower THE REVIEW

A year in the life of Princethorpe College

Welcome to the 2023/24 edition of The Tower Review.

Charting the school year in words and pictures, our annual souvenir review celebrates our amazing school community and ‘Spirit of Family’ ethos that together makes Princethorpe such a very special place. 2023/24 was an incredible year full of many remarkable and wonderful moments and plenty of achievements and successes too. We hope enjoy reading this year’s Tower Review and reflecting on the year gone by.

Message from the Headmaster

2023/24 was another incredible year, my first full year as Headmaster.

As we came to the end of the academic year, I was blown away by how quickly the year had gone and how much had happened. It had been a year filled with so many highlights of our pupils flourishing at Princethorpe.

In terms of our calendar, the year had been busier than ever. It would be almost impossible to list everything that takes place, but I feel it is most important to acknowledge that we have stayed true to our broad approach in offering our pupils so many opportunities both in and outside of the classroom.

Princethorpe pupils get stuck in and enjoy being busy – very busy! We ran 71 trips this year and 96% of all pupils in Years 7 to 11 participated in a co-curricular or sporting event. Every Year 7 pupil represented Princethorpe in a competitive sports fixture and 170 pupils took part in a Duke of Edinburgh expedition. On 40 occasions our sports teams competed in the final stages of competitions at regional and national level. Our pupils also threw themselves into various academic Olympiads with great success - Theo Sparkes in Year 11 deserves a special mention for being awarded a highly competitive Arkwright Scholarship. Add to this the Drama Production, School Musical, Music Concerts, Performing Arts Week, PTA events, Charity events, Outreach, the Art, Photography and Design Show, House Activity Day and events, IAD Days, Trip Day, and Make a Difference Day and I hope you would agree that, as a school, Princethorpe is an exciting place to be, where all our pupils have a chance to discover their talents and pursue their passions.

This year we celebrated the bi-centenary celebration of Jules Chevalier, the founder of the MSCs, on whose ethos and values we as a school stand. Ours is a 'Spirit of Family' and over the course of the year we raised more than £13,000 for charity. Pupils even travelled to Malawi for an outreach and the donations they took along, added to our ethos of caring for others.

The Development Office saw incredible buy-in from our community. Our bursary fund remains a focus to support current and future pupils for whom Princethorpe may not be possible without the help we can offer through the generosity of others. Our Smallholding/Farm Project is gathering momentum and future projects around exciting developments in the enhancement of our sporting facilities are very much on the agenda. I know Mr Kowal and his team massively appreciate every interaction in improving the College and making it more accessible.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the challenges facing the independent school sector. I want to reassure you that we continue to work very hard to respond as robustly as possible to any changes. Most importantly, please be assured that the excellent education we offer will not change – we can control that, and we will never be complacent. Our pupils deserve the very best we can offer.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to personally thank you for all of your support. As I get to know more families, I continue to be impressed and encouraged by our amazing school community.

I hope you enjoy reading through the pages of this year’s Tower Review.

With best wishes

Grove du Toit Headmaster

Michaelmas News

01 Student success in the Cambridge University Chemistry Challenge

Designed to stretch and test students in Chemistry, the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge takes Sixth Formers significantly beyond the syllabus and encourages them to think about Science in the way they would at university.

All the students who took part received certificates. Joseph Newborough was awarded a Gold certificate while Amy Hogg and Rahul Samra both received Silver certificates. Emma Sarkies, Carys Nicolle, Radley Evans, Lola Ashley, Guy Dawkins and Arjay Tejura were awarded Copper, Merit or Participation certificates.

02

03 Princethorpe’s FutureChefs showcase their culinary skills

Princethorpe’s aspiring young chefs showcased their superb cooking skills when they took part in the Springboard FutureChef competition. The school’s first-round heats took place in October with 17 contestants tasked with cooking and serving up a main meal in just one hour. It was hard to choose between them all and the judges deliberated carefully, in the end they decided that Year 10s Sophie Henry and Finlay Ross had managed to execute their dishes superbly to finish in first and second place respectively. Taking the year group titles were Year 7, Emily Divers, Year 8, Sophia Deery and Year 9, Emily Knight.

Year 7 enjoy Roman Day

Year 7 explore the origins of Princethorpe College

Year 7 begin their Religious Studies lessons at Princethorpe with an introduction to the origins of the College and its predecessor, the Catholic community of St Mary’s Priory. Exploring the College’s history gives an excellent insight into the school and its ethos and is a really great way to bring pupils’ initial RS studies vividly to life. They tour the school, exploring the wealth of religious artefacts and treasures around the school site. Year 7 found it all fascinating asking plenty of interesting questions.

The Roman Legionary invaded Princethorpe College on Wednesday 4 October armed with swords and scutums (shields) and ready to do battle. It was Year 7 Roman Day, a day full of tales of blood and gore, as pupils learnt about the professional heavy infantryman of the Roman army. Lucky class ‘volunteers’ dressed up in body armour and handled weapons, as Gladiatrix Lisa captivated the new recruits with fascinating facts about all things Roman. Year 7 were treated to lessons in sword skills and battle tactics and practised marching in the testudo formation adopting the shield wall formation commonly used by the Roman Legions in battle. 01 02 03 04

Michaelmas News

06

A Monster Calls was phenomenal

Princethorpe’s Drama department’s talented cast and crew delivered an imaginative, gripping and merciless interpretation of the acclaimed novel by Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls. Packed audiences joined Conor O'Malley on a journey of love, loss and hope as he comes to terms with the devastating fury of grief in the College’s Clarkson Theatre.

The sell out production was incredible, both powerful and unrelenting, moving many to tears with its heart-rending story. It was another in a string of phenomenal productions by our brilliant Drama team who continue to enthuse pupils in the classroom and far beyond.

05 Top Honours in ISA Regional Art Competition

Three pupils were awarded top honours in the ISA Midlands Art Competition.

Upper Sixth leaver, Ruby Harris placed first in the Painting Over 16 class. Her winning portrait, titled Fast Food, was part of her coursework for her A-level Art examination and her striking work was a well-deserved winner.

Her classmate, Ava Jones’s compendium of drawings took first place in the very competitive Over 16 Sketchbook class. Her sketchbook submission showcased her preparations for her final piece that was also of an incredibly high standard.

Lower Sixth Former, Amaanya Bose took first prize in the Drawing U16 class. Her pencil piece receiving recognition, People and Places, was also part of her coursework for her GCSE Art examination.

Recent leaver, Amber Williams just missed out with her stunning images, also on the theme of Fast Food, taking a welldeserved second place in the Photography Over 16 class.

A huge well done to them all!

Michaelmas News

07 Princethorpe falls silent in Remembrance

On Friday 10 November, the College community gathered together outside on the school playground to remember the bravery and selfless sacrifice made by so many of our country's service men and women.

Deputy Head (Pastoral), Beth Sharpe opened the proceedings with a prayer. Then Year 7 pupils, Samuel Barlow, Gilbert Millward-Boyton, Austin Newbold and Adelaide Teeton read out a thought-provoking reading Why Do We Wear A Poppy? before College trumpeters, Year 12s, Chloe Hurworth and Robyn Shaw, sounded the moving and melancholic notes of the Last Post

A wreath was hung at the Pupils’ Entrance by Headmaster, Grove du Toit. Then Foundation Principal, Ed Hester, brought the proceedings to a close with a prayer for peace.

08 Pupils rise to the Senior Mathematics Challenge

Pupils from Princethorpe College took part in the 2023 UK Mathematics Trust Senior Challenge, a prestigious national problem-solving competition that recognises the best young mathematicians in the country. Princethorpe selected 27 able mathematicians from both Lower and Upper Sixth to stretch and test their mathematical skills.

Congratulations to Upper Sixth Former, Joseph Newborough who was awarded a Gold certificate, and took the award for best performing student in school. Chris Lock and Alex Flegg also received Gold certificates. All three performed so well that they also qualified for the follow-on round, the Senior Kangaroo Challenge.

09 Sixth Formers hear from inspirational Scientists

As part of their curriculum enrichment activities, our Sixth Form Chemists and Physicists attended Science Live lectures where they enjoyed a thought-provoking and informative day. They heard from inspirational scientists working at the cutting edge of their specialisms who shared how Science can offer solutions for many of the world's great problems.

The presenters included Professor Serena Cussen who spoke about the ongoing hunt for new batteries and theoretical nuclear physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalili who spoke about the exciting field of Quantum Biology as well as many more. Their day also included useful sessions from A-level examiners, with tips and guidance on how to improve examination performance.

10 Pupils take part in Digital Wellbeing Day

On Friday 17 November, Princethorpe College welcomed Patrick Flynn and Mark Lloyd from Online Behaviours into school to work with pupils from Year 7 up to the Sixth Form as part of the Foundation’s Digital Wellbeing Day.

Patrick and Mark explained what makes a good digital citizen and explored steps and strategies for a positive, safe and empowering experience online. They reflected on the importance of guarding your digital reputation and on how that begins right now and highlighted six key behaviours to support showing respect.

Their presentations were informative and interactive and gave pupils plenty to think about. Many thanks to Patrick and Mark for supporting our Digital Wellbeing Day.

Michaelmas

11 Twelve pupils qualify for Oxford University Computing Challenge

Computer Science pupils from Year 9 through to the Sixth Form took part in the annual UK Bebras Computing Challenge in November testing their computational thinking skills to solve a variety of logic problems against the clock. Altogether, 104 Princethorpe pupils from across the age ranges were recognised with awards, with 30 pupils achieving a ‘Merit’ and a further 30 pupils achieving a ‘Distinction’. 11 pupils placed in the top 10% nationally, resulting in an invitation to compete in the prestigious Oxford University Computing Challenge. Congratulations to Year 9s Jasper Nicholls, Elwin Williams, William Long, Noah Cowlishaw, James Sinclair, Woody Osborn and Callum Chadwick, Year 11s Alex Lawrence, Zach Hawkins and Wilf Grindal and Upper Sixth Former Alex Flegg. Daniel Ovens Gibbs in Year 10 had prequalified based on exceptional performance in the OUCC in 2023.

12 Sophie takes first place at the Futurechef Warwickshire Final

Year 10 pupils, Sophie Henry and Finlay Ross, cooked up a storm in the Springboard Futurechef Warwickshire Final at the end of November. Before the event, both had prepared thoroughly, menu planning and practising their dishes. On the day the talented pair produced beautifully presented plates of food. Teacher of Food Technology, Jacqui Scott, was extremely proud of them both and delighted with the positive feedback from the judges.

After much deliberation the judges awarded Sophie first place. She was presented with a certificate and went forward to the Futurechef Regional Final in Birmingham.

Sixth Form students attend Politics Convention

In December, Sixth Form Politics students participated in an A-level Politics Conference where they had the opportunity to hear from, question and engage with a range of senior political figures, including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Jeremy Corbyn, David Davis, Jess Phillips and others.

The conference was held in the stunning Methodist Central Hall in Westminster and was attended by over 2,000 A-level students. The discussions were lively with all sides of the political spectrum represented and the debates and discussions were directly linked to what students have been studying, including political ideology, the pillars of the constitution and the impact of referenda such as the 2016 Brexit referendum.

The convention was informative, engaging and extremely useful for their studies.

Books flew off the table at our Jolabokaflod

The College hosted a whole school book swap in honour of the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod, in which families all exchange books on Christmas Eve. It took place in December and was very popular with books flying off the table as pupils jumped at the opportunity of taking a pre-loved book home for Christmas. For a special treat there was also a cup of hot chocolate on offer, for which there was no shortage of takers too. It was great to see everyone enjoying their reading.

Michaelmas Trips

Climbing Club conquer The Roaches

13 keen and enthusiastic souls travelled to The Roaches in the Peak District for a spot of climbing in September. The day trip, led by Head of Outdoor Learning, Will Bower, was a great opportunity for the College’s Climbing Club to put into practice all the skills and techniques they have learnt on the College’s own Climbing Wall. All of the pupils were venturing onto rock for the first time and they successfully climbed a variety of classic routes graded from ‘very difficult’ to ‘severe’. A great time was had by all and everyone enjoyed refuelling at The Roaches Tea Room.

Sixth Form Biology Field Trip to Swanage

Our Upper Sixth biologists visited Swanage in Dorset to complete two required assessed Biology practicals and experience a variety of field work techniques. The group were based at Leeson House Field Studies Centre on the Jurassic Coast. Across their long weekend they visited the River Piddle to do a comparison between slow- and fast-moving water as well as Kimmeridge Bay to undertake work on the rocky shores. Their field trip also included studying Studland sand dune succession and an Oceanography Discovery Day at Southampton University.

Year 7 had a fabulous time at Whitemoor Lakes

In September, we took Year 7 to Whitemoor Lakes Outdoor Residential Centre. Pupils took part in an itinerary that included archery, climbing, high ropes, zip wire, orienteering and problem solving. In groups they rotated around the different activities, working together to complete the challenges they were set. In the evenings they enjoyed team games, singing round the campfire and a fabulous Saturday night disco. Year 7 took on all the challenges with determination and enthusiasm making for a memorable three days.

Michaelmas Trips

04 Year 9 visited the National Holocaust Centre

In October, Year 9 pupils visited the National Holocaust Centre and Museum to develop their awareness of the causes and complexities of the Holocaust. Pupils participated in workshops and learnt about the Holocaust and why it happened. They explored the museum’s exhibitions, heard recorded survivor testimony, and saw exhibits, including the yellow stars Jews had to wear. Year 9 also had the opportunity to visit the memorial garden where they were encouraged to add their own pebbles to a stone memorial to the 1.5 million children of the Holocaust. The sensitivity and care taken by Year 9 while at the museum was an absolute credit to them. It was a moving and thought-provoking place to visit.

05 Year 8 visit Worcester Cathedral

Year 8 visited Worcester Cathedral in support of their History studies on Tudor England and the Reformation. Pupils took part in a workshop learning about the religious changes during the Tudor period and the impact this had on the wider population. The found out about life in a religious community at the time, including the food the monks ate and the medicines and remedies they had to treat the sick. Their visit also included a tour of the cathedral to help them understand its architecture and religious significance.

Trip to America made memories that will last a lifetime

The History, Politics and Design and Technology Trip to the United States took 49 pupils and staff on an exciting and enlightening adventure to explore and experience the American way of life. The eight-day trip visited New York and Washington providing plenty of cultural enrichment while making memories that will surely last a lifetime.

During their time in New York, pupils visited the 9/11 Memorial, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Empire State Building. They also enjoyed a fascinating and informative walking tour of Harlem, as well as other unmissable sights including, Grand Central Station, Central Park, Wall Street and Times Square. Of course, no trip to the Big Apple would be complete without a show on Broadway, and everyone enjoyed the musical comedy The Book Of Mormon

Then it was on to Washington where the group explored its many amazing monuments by moonlight, including the imposing Lincoln Memorial with its Reflecting Pool. They were also entertained by a team scavenger hunt around the American capital and had the chance to visit subject specific museums.

Pupils had an unforgettable and educationally inspiring eight days, and despite walking what felt like a thousand miles, they all had an amazing time.

Michaelmas Sport

Three Teams took first place at local round of ESAA Cross Country Cup

Princethorpe College welcomed 164 runners from 11 Warwickshire schools in October for the local qualifying round of the English Schools Athletics Association’s Cross Country Cup.

Runners competed in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Boys' and Girls' races on a course that led competitors around the College’s playing fields.

Princethorpe’s Senior Boys, Senior Girls and Junior Boys teams all finished in first place and qualified for the next round. The Intermediate Girls and Junior Girls finished in third place while the Intermediate Boys finished fourth. It was an excellent start to the cross country season.

Sailing success at The ISA National Regatta

Princethorpe College sent a team of eight enthusiastic sailors to the ISA National Regatta at Draycote Water in October. Pupils competed in either the Main Fleet or Rookie events. Sailing conditions were light adding to the tactical challenge of the competition, but the youngsters took it all in their stride. Year 7, William Shaw, claimed Silver in the Main Fleet while, Year 9, Harry Prance, took Bronze in the Rookie Fleet. It was great to add another sport to the College’s competition schedule.

Gold and Silver for Princethorpe’s Rugby Teams

The ISA U14 and U16 Regional Rugby Sevens took place in November at Market Bosworth RFC.

Princethorpe’s U14 boys powered through their games with convincing wins. The team’s discipline and power in defence blending well with skill and intelligence in attack. They finished top of table claiming a well-deserved Gold medal.

Six teams took part in the U16 competition, Princethorpe was slow to start and lost their opening game. That was a wake up call for the boys and from then on, they were firing on all cylinders, winning their next four matches. They finished second overall for the Silver medal.

Michaelmas Sport

College swimmers bring home a super haul of medals from the ISA

Princethorpe’s squad of 24 competed in the ISA Midlands Swimming Gala in October and brought home a super haul of medals, with 7 Gold, 14 Silver and 6 Bronze medals between them. Seven pupils qualified for the national event where in another successful outing they claimed 12 medals at the ISA Championships.

Year 8, Issey Cleary was on fine form winning three Gold medals, in the 50m Breaststroke and then as part of the team in the 4x50m Medley and Freestyle Relays. Year 9, Charlotte Gower swam superbly, claiming Gold in the 4x50m Medley Relay, Silver in the 100m Freestyle and Bronze in the 100m Backstroke.

Swimming Championships

Year 10, Ewan Pearce had a great swim to take Bronze in the 4x50m Freestyle while Year 11, André Onyekwe claimed a Silver medal in the 4x50m Medley Relay and two Bronze medals in the 4x50m Freestyle Relay and the 100m Freestyle. Year 12, Lottie Hunter swam brilliantly to take two Gold medals in the 4x50m Medley and Freestyle Relays.

Together, Princethorpe’s pupils helped the Midlands Team finish in third place overall at the national event.

Cross Country Teams run well at Warwickshire and ESAA Regional Finals

Princethorpe College’s cross-country runners were busy in November with the Warwickshire Inter Area race in Stratford-upon-Avon and the English Schools Cup Regional Final at Bromsgrove School.

The College took 13 runners to the Inter Area event and five pupils, Year 7s, Esme Card and Rufus Jones, Year 8, Issey Cleary, Year 9, Will Smith, and Year 10, Lily Hunter, qualified to run for Warwickshire in the Inter County Race.

Princethorpe had qualified three teams to run in the ESAA Schools’ Cup Regional Final, the Junior Boys, Senior Boys and Senior Girls. Our crosscountry athletes all ran well delivering respectable finishes for their teams: Senior Girls 4th, Senior Boys 6th and Junior Boys 7th overall.

U13 Girls take the Silver Medal at the ISA National Hockey

Princethorpe’s U13 Hockey Girls had a fantastic day out at the National ISA Tournament in November. The team travelled to the Lee Valley National Hockey Stadium where they faced the best players from 20 schools from across the country.

The girls made a solid start, and after the morning of round robin games, they finished top of the table. In the Cup semi-final the team faced Cranford School. In an exciting game, the girls worked hard and were pleased to take a 1-0 win. They faced King’s High School in a tough final where despite never giving up, they went down 1-0. They finished second overall and received a well-deserved Silver medal.

Michaelmas Sport

Half Term Hopbel Hockey Tour

Over the Michaelmas half term, Princethorpe’s U15 Boys' and U14 Girls' Hockey teams travelled to the Netherlands for the annual Hockey Tour. On their arrival at Hopbel Hockey Club the tour party were greeted warmly and whisked away by their Dutch host families to make friends and experience traditional Dutch family life.

Hockey wise, the teams were up against some very good opposition. Princethorpe battled well and showed great improvement throughout the course of the tour, making use of all the extra coaching and practice.

Successful South Coast Tour

Princethorpe’s PE and Games Department took 38 Year 8 and 9 pupils on a four-day tour along the south coast. The 16th Annual South Coast Sports Tour included training and matches interspersed with plenty of off-pitch activities and fun.

The Year 9 boys were competitive across each of their three fixtures. They came up against tough competition but scored a number of fantastic tries. They faced Portsmouth RFC first where despite a strong performance they went down 12-42. Their second match involved a trip across the water to the Isle of Wight where they faced Ryde School. The team played well and comfortably won the game 40-12. They finished their tour facing Pates Grammar School, who were a much tougher test, they played well but lost 10-28.

The Year 8 Netball girls had good results too, their games included good ball handling and individual play, but what was most pleasing was their progression throughout the tour. Fielding two teams, the girls first played Ryde School. The U13A girls came up against fierce competition, they played with grit and determination but that wasn't enough, and the match finished with a 16-28 loss. The U13B team played with consistency throughout to secure an excellent 15-10 win. In their second matches the girls faced Pates Grammar School where both teams played a disciplined game to win 22-4 and 8-4 respectively.

The girls played exceptionally well, their tenacious approach and focus on teamwork helping them claim four good victories. The boys put on a strong performance comfortably winning their first match, holding their opponents to a tight draw in their second game but losing out after a spirited encounter against an experienced side in their third.

Michaelmas Sport

U15 Rugby Boys take Gold at ISA Midlands Rugby Tens

The U15 Boys Rugby team won the ISA Midlands Rugby 10-a-side competition at Worcester RFC in November. The boys began well, powering through their group round games to earn a place in the afternoon’s Cup competition. In the semi-final they met Lichfield and claimed an excellent 41-0 victory. They progressed to the final where they faced Worksop College. The team delivered another strong performance and despite conceding their first try of the day, their hard work and commitment ensured they emerged victorious wining 24-7 to take the Gold Medal.

1st XI Football Team reach the quarter finals in the ISFA U18 Shield

In November, the 1st XI Football Team delivered an excellent second round 4-1 win in the Independent Schools Football Association’s U18 Shield.

They had overcome University College School on penalties in a nail biting first round match. In a well fought game against Abingdon School, Barnaby Hammond made the most of his chances claiming two goals with Alistair Forinton and Blessing Katanda adding one each to take Princethorpe’s score to four.

U13A Netball Girls reach the final eight of Sisters N Sport Plate

In December, Princethorpe’s U13A Netball team qualified for the quarterfinals of the Sisters n Sport Plate after beating Bablake School 23-14.

In the previous round, the girls had seen off The Crypt Grammar School by just one point, 22-21. They faced Bablake School away and in a hard-fought game, they played superbly demonstrating excellent physicality and skill to win against a very competitive and well drilled team.

“ They played superbly demonstrating excellent physicality and skill. ”

Prize Giving 2023

College Prize Giving celebrates pupils’ exceptional achievements

Another exceptional year of achievement, progress, creativity and contribution was celebrated at Princethorpe College’s annual Prize Giving Ceremony at the Butterworth Hall, at Warwick University’s Arts Centre on Friday 24 November.

Chair of Trustees, Mrs Liz Griffin, opened the proceedings, warmly welcoming parents, friends of the College and Princethorpians old and new to the occasion.

In his formal address, the Headmaster, Grove du Toit, gave thanks to all those who make Princethorpe the special place it is. He reflected on all that had happened in the last year and encouraged everyone to celebrate and appreciate the journey of our pupils.

The atmosphere was joyful and celebratory and during the evening there were superb musical interludes from the school String Orchestra, Concert Band and the Year 7 Chorus, whose performance of Shine and This Is Me were both enthusiastic and uplifting.

Listening to the citations was inspiring and humbling. The talent in evidence, the grit and determination, the passion, enthusiasm and commitment were all applauded and honoured.

The Princethorpe Shield, the oldest and most prestigious College award presented annually to the student who is seen to embody the spirit and ethos of the College, was awarded to Grace Thomas.

Foundation Principal, Ed Hester then spoke echoing Mr du Toit’s congratulations, before the Heads of School, Natalya Elden and Izzy Wright, gave an eloquent vote of thanks.

The evening came to a close with the singing of the College Hymn, Here I Am Lord.

Prize Giving 2023

“ The talent in evidence, the grit and determination, the passion, enthusiasm and commitment were all applauded and honoured. ”

Charity

01 Staff Run 100km for Mary's Meals

At the start of the school year, 27 runners from Princethorpe College took on a 100km relay run in aid of Mary’s Meals. Starting from the top of Cleeve Hill, in Cheltenham, and following the Cotswold and Centenary Ways, their route eventually led to the finish line at Princethorpe College.

The challenge was in honour of fundraising legend and Mary’s Meals supporter, Rod Isaacs, who was moving on to a new role outside the Foundation. It was a thank you for his extraordinary dedication and commitment to organising so many adventures for students that have raised money for good causes.

It was an epic fundraising event with the team completing the relay run in a fabulous 11 hours and 57 minutes, despite the rain soaking everyone in the final sections of the day. OPs Tom and Will Crowfoot both ran over 50km while Rod Isaacs himself completed 36km.

02 College supports World Porridge Day

Pupils and staff marked World Porridge Day by raising money for Mary’s Meals. Championed by Sixth Formers, pupils participated in a posse of Scottish and porridge fundraising fun. At break time, pupils purchased a traditional Scottish breakfast, a pot of steaming porridge, with a choice of luxurious toppings. The Scottish theme continued out in the Orchard at lunchtime, where the brave participated in the annual Welly Wanging Challenge. Organised by House, there were plenty of contenders lined up ready to enthusiastically fling, hurl, chuck and toss the wellies down the field. The best welly wang of the day was from More’s Henry Woodrow who managed a magnificent 33m.

03 Sixth Form Wore It Pink

The Sixth Form held its annual fundraiser for Breast Cancer Charities on the last day before the Michaelmas half term. Corridors and classrooms were filled with frocks and frothy wigs as boys and girls donned fancy dress to raise as much as possible. At lunchtime, and with much good humour, the confident paraded up and down the catwalk while the brave faced the challenge of leg waxing.

04 173 Shoeboxes donated to Teams4U Appeal

A grand total of 173 boxes were assembled for the annual shoebox appeal, the most the College had ever collected. Organised through Tutor Groups, each shoebox was packed full of little gifts and included educational essentials, and each and every one also contained a personal message handwritten by a Princethorpe pupil.

05 Pupils and Parents respond generously to Food Bank Appeal

Princethorpe College pupils, parents and staff responded generously to the seasonal Food Bank appeal. The school community was asked to bring in items of non-perishable food and they did not disappoint, showing a sense of empathy, generosity and solidarity. All the donations were passed on to the St Vincent de Paul Society, to be packed into hampers and given to local families in need.

Senior Citizens’ Christmas Lunch

College Sixth Formers hosted a special Senior Citizen's Christmas celebratory lunch welcoming guests from local care homes. Sixth Formers served the delighted guests turkey with all the trimmings. There was plenty of festive entertainment and all the visitors were presented with a personalised Christmas card with handwritten messages from the Sixth Form students.

Christmas Chapel Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree in the College Chapel was lovingly decorated with twinkling lights and carefully hand cut stars. In what has become an important tradition here at Princethorpe, the College community were invited to write the names of those who have touched their lives with love on a star. Each individual handwritten star was then carefully positioned on the tree.

Christmas Card Competition

There were two winners for the Christmas Card competition this year, with Mr Hester and Mr du Toit both choosing designs from the many stunning entries submitted by pupils.

Year 7, Rosie Russell’s super drawing featuring the iconic Princethorpe tower, framed by Christmas holly and red berries was the College’s winner while Lower Sixth Former, Amaanya Bose’s striking lino print design of the Princethorpe tower and star of Bethlehem against the night sky was selected for the Foundation’s card.

Science's Spectacular Christmas Lecture

The Science Department's Christmas Lecture returned in December. The events began with a Science and Christmas themed quiz. Then Lower Sixth Formers carried out demonstrations that included extinguishing candles with carbon dioxide and the human-powered electricity generator. The guests then enjoyed a lecture that explored having a sustainable Christmas, discussing food waste, carbon footprints and the sustainability of gifts and Christmas trees. It included the ‘Gift Wrap Challenge’ and had plenty of ideas on how to care for the planet by taking an eco-friendly approach to Christmas.

01 Computer Science pupils have the right iDEA

Members of the College’s Cyber Stretch Club from Years 7 and 8 developed their computational thinking, enterprise and employability skills when they completed the iDEA award. An incredible 36 pupils completed the award within just one term and had their commitment to Computing rewarded with a da Vinci award.

02 Award winning author Ben Davis visits Princethorpe College

Ben Davis, author of library favourites My Dad is Definitely not a Crime Lord and My Brilliant Plan to Fix Everything, visited Princethorpe in January to host three creative writing workshops with Year 8 pupils. Mr Davis read extracts from his books before pupils wrote their own short stories with his support and guidance. Year 8 engaged enthusiastically with the former stand up comedian’s humour led approach and Year 8 produced some fabulous creative writing under his guidance.

03 Prison Chaplain talks to Year 11 about the importance of hope

In January, Sarah Gillard-Falkne, the CofE Chaplain at Onley Prison, spoke to Year 11 pupils about her work to support their study of ‘Good and Evil’ in their Religious Studies GCSE. Sarah challenged Year 11’s perceptions on prisons and the role that they play in society. Her anecdotes were thought provoking, at times amusing and at times stark. Pupils were engaged and interested and had plenty of questions for her.

04 Second place for Princethorpe in Mock Trial Competition

Princethorpe College sent a team of Lower Sixth and Year 10 pupils to Stowe School in February to compete in the Young Citizens' Independent School's Mock Trial competition. Princethorpe’s pupils performed superbly taking on the roles of criminal barristers, court clerk, usher, witnesses and jurors in a criminal trial simulation against opposing school teams. The team grew in confidence as the competition progressed and were delighted to finish in second place.

05 Sophie was a superstar at the Regional Futurechef Final

Year 10, Sophie Henry, was commended for her technical skills and ability in a hotly contested Springboard Futurechef Regional Final at Worcestershire College in February. Six future chefs from across the Midlands competed in the event, preparing two courses in 90 minutes for a budget of just £10. The competition was fierce, with the judges complimenting the contestants for the standard and talent demonstrated.

Lent News

Musical Theatre Group were magnificent in Loserville

Our College production of Loserville was magnificent. The Clarkson Theatre was filled full of energetic rock songs as audiences were transported back to America in the 1970s.

Loserville told the story of unlikely hero Michael Dork and his closest friends, a group of socially awkward boys, struggling through High School and constantly thwarted by popular and privileged school quarterback, Eddie Arch and his cronies. Then one day, a new girl arrives at the school. Holly is intelligent, funny and harbours a desire to become NASA’s first woman in space. Her sudden arrival throws everyone’s world into turmoil.

Loserville was filled full off brilliant and energetic rock songs by James Bourne of Busted and for five performances we joined our talented Musical Theatre Group on an exciting, if at times bumpy, ride to see our heroes get their 'Ticket Outta Loserville'.

07

Pupils rise to the Oxford University Computing Challenge

Jasper Nicholls, Year 9, Daniel Ovens Gibbs, Year 10, and Alex Flegg, Upper Sixth were the College’s top performing pupils in the Oxford University Computing Challenge (OUCC). Jasper attained so highly that he was awarded a Merit certificate, placing him in the top 10% of those who took part.

15 Princethorpe pupils from Year 9 through to the Sixth Form qualified for this year’s OUCC competition and all were awarded certificates. It was great to see Princethorpe’s pupils’ abilities being recognised in such a prestigious competition.

08 Success for pupils in the Senior and Intermediate Physics Challenges

At the end of January, 11 Lower Sixth students took part in the online Senior Physics Challenge set by the University of Oxford’s British Physics Olympiad team. The students took on 40 challenging multiple-choice questions on a variety of Physics topics and were rewarded with Bronze certificates.

Then, 44 Year 11 pupils took part in the online Intermediate Physics Challenge, completing a series of multiple-choice questions within a time limit. The results were excellent overall but especially for Max Phillips-Gore and Louis Yuen, who both received a Gold certificate, the highest achievable award.

09 Student Success in the Biology Olympiad

Four Upper Sixth Formers took part in the British Biology Olympiad, organised by the Royal Society of Biology. Designed to challenge and inspire, the competition develops thinking and problem-solving skills and tests knowledge of Biology across and beyond the A-level Biology specification. All four students were awarded certificates. Lola Ashley and Rahul Samra received Bronze awards, while Lauren Bach and Alice Whittaker were awarded Commended. They faced tough national competition, and we congratulate all four on their success.

Army Outreach Team delivers STEM Sessions for Year 9

The British Army STEM Outreach Team visited Princethorpe College to deliver a series of workshops to Year 9 pupils. The curriculum aligned interactive workshops gave pupils a chance to test their critical thinking, teamwork, perseverance, and leadership skills to overcome real-world challenges.

Pupils participated in one of three scenarios, ‘Disaster Relief’, ‘Who’s the Hacker?’ or ‘Rocket Car’. The pupils engaged brilliantly with the activities, showing their competitive sides whilst being creative and enthusiastic. It was a fantastic learning opportunity for all.

Lent News

11 Pupils rise to the Intermediate Mathematics Challenge

In February, pupils from Princethorpe College took part in the 2024 UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Intermediate Challenge, a prestigious national problem-solving competition that recognises the best young mathematicians in the country. Year 11, Dylan Williams was awarded a Gold certificate and took the award for best performing pupil in school. Gold certificates were also received by Daniel Ovens Gibbs, Jay Patil, Zach Hawkins, Samuel Divers, Jesse Esler, Amelia Chard and William Gower

A further 14 Silver certificates and 30 Bronze certificates were awarded to pupils. A huge well done to them all.

12 Princethorpe shines the spotlight on Science

Princethorpe College took part in British Science Week, a national celebration of Science. Pupils enjoyed activities designed to inspire and engage the next generation of scientists.

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 took on Biology, Chemistry and Physics challenges in their Science lessons linked to the Science Week theme of 'Time'. They created timelines of the universe in Physics, tested for blood sugar in Biology and completed the iodine clock reaction with great success in Chemistry. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate British Science Week in the College’s fantastic new Science Centre.

13 World Book Day winners

On Thursday 7 March, staff and pupils had a great time celebrating World Book Day. One of the English department and Library's highlights of the year, it was a great opportunity to share the joy of books.

Pupils had three competitions to enjoy, as well as free book give-aways and a host of other fun activities. Murder In The Library involved pupils solving the clues to work out which book characters were involved – who was the victim, who was the witness, what was the murder weapon and most importantly who did it? There was a Treasure Hunt which took place around the Library, pupils had to follow the clues and answer questions as they went along. Finally, College staff wore badges all week which promoted books, pupils had to spot and collect as many titles as they could.

14 Drama department present their practical pieces

In March, the Drama department presented their Key Stage 4 and 5 exam and NEA work. Pupils delivered a variety of scripted and devised work for family and friends. Scenes from a wide range of plays were performed by Year 11 and Upper Sixth, from Phil Porter's black comedy Blink to Sarah Kane's bleak and brutal 4.48 Psychosis While Year 10 and the Lower Sixth's pieces were contemplative and provocativeinspired by the crisis in the NHS and the notion of 'Memento Mori'.

12 11

13 14

Lent Trips

01 Year 9 Explored Churchill’s War Rooms

Year 9 visited London to tour Churchill’s War Rooms, in support of their studies of World War Two. The trip provided fantastic enrichment for their History studies, bringing to life the tense days and nights of the Second World War. As well as exploring the underground nerve centre where Churchill and his generals directed the course of the war, pupils also had a tour of Westminster discovering the statues linked to their earlier studies of the Suffragettes as well.

02 GSCE Artists find inspiration In Oxford

Princethorpe’s GCSE Art pupils visited the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The trip offered an opportunity to take photos and produce drawings and sketches from first hand observation, all of which could then be used as stimulus for their coursework portfolios.

Full of atmospheric galleries and artefacts from all corners of the world, the complex and diverse collections offered pupils plenty to reflect on. Pupils worked exceptionally hard and came away with plenty of valuable inspiration.

03 Sixth Form Physicists Visited CERN

College Sixth Form students flew to Geneva in January on a mission to visit CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research.

They enjoyed two tours, the first explained what CERN was trying to achieve, how the particle detector worked and the discoveries and successes the researchers have made. The second explored the Cryogenic Research Facility, where the students were introduced to how the beams of charged particles were accelerated and steered around the 27km long ring which lies below the city of Geneva.

Their CERN visit finished with time in the brand new exhibition centre, which included a plethora of handson demonstrations and interactive sections which brought the Physics behind the experiments alive.

Lent Trips

04 Sixth Form Geography Field Trip

Our Lower Sixth Geographers very much enjoyed their residential field trip to the Cranedale Centre at Kirby Grindalythe near Malton, in Yorkshire. They conducted field studies on coastal places, including measuring beach profiles, as well as exercises in planning and carrying out small scale projects and investigating housing and land use, all important for their A-level studies.

In addition to working in and around the Field Centre, they visited Flamborough Head, the Holderness Coast and Scarborough town. The weather had its moments but everyone wrapped up well and worked hard to collect and analyse their data.

05 Sixth Formers Enjoyed National Civil War Centre

Our Upper Sixth History students visited the National Civil War Centre to support their revision for their A-level History exams. Focusing on the English Revolution, the students took part in two workshops helping to reinforce their learning on this turbulent time - Grasping The Civil War and The Trial and Execution of Charles I. The students thoroughly enjoyed the enrichment experience, particularly the chance to see, touch and hold Civil War era weaponry.

06 The Easter Ski Trip was a memorable affair

Year 10 pupils visited the vast Austrian ski area of Salzburger Sportwelt during the Easter holidays where excellent conditions made for plenty of super skiing during their stay.

There was a wide choice of runs, from greens up to blacks, so Princethorpe’s downhillers were spoilt for choice. Other entertainment included a game of mini golf and a visit to the beautiful Austrian city of Salzburg as well as an evening meal out for pizza.

This year's ski trip was not without its challenges but the snow and the skiing was amazing. Our Year 10 pupils behaved impeccably and everyone had a spectacular time

Lent Sport

U15 Rugby team through to the quarter finals of Schools' National Bowl

The U15 Rugby team faced Gresham’s School at home in January in the regional final of the Continental Tyres National School Bowl. They team had a tough first half playing against the wind and uphill, and at half time they were only just ahead, but in the second half they used the conditions to their advantage maximising their opportunities to add points to their score. It was an exciting match full of brave tackling with the team, and notably Josh Baker, playing an impressive game. They claimed a great 31-12 victory that took them through to the quarter finals fo the Schools’ National Bowl.

U16 Boys take the plate at the ISA National Football Championships

Princethorpe College's U16 Boys Football team were the victors in the Plate after an excellent performance at the ISA National Football Championships. The six-a-side competition featured 20 teams from across the country and took place at Nottingham University.

The team played consistently well across the day. After the group stage they were second in their pool and went forward to the Plate competition. In the semi-final the boys faced the Duke Of Kent School and capitalised on every opportunity for a super 1-0 win. They then took on Mount House School in the final where their tenacity and resolve helped them to another fantastic 1-0 win.

Eight pupils qualify for English Schools Cross Country Nationals

The Warwickshire Schools County Cross Country Championships took place in January here at Princethorpe College. 37 Princethorpe runners, drawn from across the school, competed against the best cross-country specialists from 31 schools across the county.

Upper Sixth Former, Grace Darcy earned herself a Silver medal, while, Year 10, Lily Hunter and, Year 9, William Smith both claimed Bronze. Eight runners finished in the top eight in their race and qualified for the English Schools National Championships or the Year 7 Cross Country Finals.

Medals all round for the College's Archers

Archers from the College’s club had their first competitive outing when they took part in the Redhill Archers Novice Portsmouth Tournament.

Facing competitors from club teams from across the region, Year 10, Sophie Henry earned herself a first-place finish and a Gold medal in the Barebow Women U18 class. Year 7, Chloe Brosnan also took Gold in the Barebow Women U14 while, Year 8, Grace Symons claimed Gold in the Longbow Women U14. Year 9, Yasmine Edwards and, Year 10, Jessica Johnson did nearly as well, collecting Silver and Bronze respectively in the Barebow Women U16 section.

Lent Sport

U14 Netball Girls take silver at ISA Midlands Tournament

In January, the U14 Girls Netball team took part in the ISA Midlands Netball Tournament at Loughborough Amherst School. They faced 18 teams from across the Midlands region.

Split into pools, Princethorpe flew through their first-round matches. In the playoffs, they faced Stafford Grammar and came away with another win. They dispatched the hosts Loughborough Amherst in the semi-finals before facing King's High in the final. Despite being in the lead at half time and communicating and playing well, the girls lost the match to finish second and take the Silver medal.

Boys 1st XI Football team through to the semis in the ISFA Trophy

The 1st XI Football team hosted Berkhamsted School at home in the ISFA U18 Trophy Quarter Final. In an evenly matched cup game in January, both teams had good spells of possession but Princethorpe’s winning goal came just after half time when Joe Bird scored from a free kick. Joel Nicoll then came close when he hit the bar from a header but the score remained at 1-0 until the final whistle.

It was a fantastic gritty effort from the boys that took them through to the semi-finals.

Great first outing at King Henry VIII Cross Country Relays

The College’s Cross Country runners travelled to Coventry War Memorial Park in January to compete for the first time in the King Henry VIII School Relay Race, a national event, recognised as one of the largest schools’ cross country relays in England. The event has no age groups and is for the top runners from each school. It features teams of four girls and six boys with each athlete running 2.3 miles.

Both teams had a really good outing on what was a crowded, muddy course. The Girls finished 11th overall out of 28 teams while the boys placed 28th out of 56, both excellent results for their first time.

Success at ISA Midlands Cross Country

Princethorpe’s runners had an excellent outing at the Midlands Regional ISA Cross Country at Bedstone College. Princethorpe traditionally does well at this event and once again there were lots of top 10 finishes for the College.

For the U16 Girls, Lily Hunter put in a strong performance for Princethorpe and came storming home to finish in 1st place overall. The U16 Boys also ran well with Charlie Atkins finishing 5th. In the U14 Girls race Issey Cleary had a good run to finish 4th while for the U14 Boys Will Smith ran well to finish in 2nd place. Then in the U12 Girls race Esme Card was first across the line for Princethorpe in 4th while in the U12 Boys race Rufus Jones came 2nd.

Overall, the Junior Boys and Inter Boys teams took first place while the Junior Girls, Minor Girls and Minor Boys teams placed second.

Lent Sport

Gold and Silver at ISA National Cross Country Championships

After qualifying at the regional championships, ten Princethorpe pupils travelled to Worksop College, in Nottinghamshire, in March, to represent the Midlands in the ISA National Championships. They were on excellent form with five pupils finishing in the top ten and two earning themselves prized positions on the podium.

Ben Smith, in the Lower Sixth, was the ISA National Cross Country Champion while Grace Darcey, in the Upper Sixth, placed second in the Senior Girls race to claim the Silver medal.

Bronze for the mixed team at Shrewsbury’s Spring Relays

The Cross Country squad had a super afternoon at the Shrewsbury Spring Relays. A team of 21 travelled to Attingham Park to compete in the Senior Boys, Open Girls, Junior Boys and Mixed relay races.

The Mixed team claimed a Bronze for Princethorpe against a talented field with Ben Smith leading the way, followed by Jess Evans, Charlie Atkins, Natasha Thomas, Felix Batty and Grace Darcy. They ran the course in an overall team time of 47:03 minutes. Ben delivered the second fastest boys’ lap at 6:40 minutes while Grace was the third fastest girl at 7:34 minutes. Captain Grace ran a remarkable anchor leg almost claiming the team Silver on the line.

The Senior Boys just missed a medal finishing fourth overall while the Junior Boys ran well against quality opposition to claim fifth place. Princethorpe’s Girls did just as well, with the A team coming fifth and the B team eighth. It was a fantastic afternoon’s effort by all and a wonderful send off for our Upper Sixth runners, Grace, Jess and Natasha, whose commitment to running over the last seven years at Princethorpe has been extraordinary.

Grace earns the college its best ever finish at National Cross Country Championships

In March, three Princethorpe College runners competed for Warwickshire against hundreds of runners in the English Schools Cross Country Championships at Pontefract Racecourse. Competing against county teams from across the country on a fast, undulating and muddy course, the pupils all ran superbly for the county team.

Representing Warwickshire were Grace Darcy in the U18 Senior Girls, Ben Smith in the U18 Senior Boys, and Will Smith in the U14 Junior Boys.

Upper Sixth Former, Grace Darcy finished in 52nd place, the best ever result in the College’s history at this event and a brilliant reward for her efforts in the sport.

U13 Netballers runners up at the ISA Netball Nationals

The U13 Netball Girls were one of 24 teams to make it through to the ISA Netball Nationals in March at King’s High School.

The girls finished top of the table in the Group stage after a run of super results. That took them through to the Cup where the team confidently saw off Lingfield College 15-4 in the semi-final. They faced Scarisbrick Hall in the final, who were a much tougher test. It was a very tight match where despite their determination, it wasn’t to be. The girls came away as runners up bringing home the Silver medal.

Finishing as runners up nationally was a superb result.

Winter Sports Awards

College Sport celebrated at Winter Sports Awards

Princethorpe College’s Winter Sports Awards were celebrated during the last week of the Lent Term. It was an opportunity to recognise the achievements of the College’s young sportsmen and sportswomen at all levels and across all sports.

The award ceremony recognised pupils’ commitment to sport. It included a summary of the performances of the College’s teams, with awards recognising endeavour, progress, coach’s player and most valuable player.

Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, Head of Girls' Games, Carly Walton, and Head of Boys’ Games, Joe Jackson, announced the teams of the season. Recognising their success across the year, the Girls Sports Team Of The Year was awarded to the Girls 1st XI Hockey Team while the Boys Sports Team Of The Year went to the U15 Rugby Team.

The individual awards were presented to:

Congratulations to all the award winners, it was another very successful season for the College with plenty to celebrate across the school.

Junior Sports Girl of The Year Faith Katanda

Junior Sports Boy of The Year Louis Reynolds

Senior Sports Girl of The Year Frankie Kelly

Senior Sports Boy of The Year Alastair Forinton

Sixth Form Sports Girls of The Year Sophie Gray

Sixth Form Sports Boy of The Year Joel Nicoll

Chaplaincy

01

03 College celebrates whole school Eucharist

The College community gathered in the Sports Hall in September to celebrate a Eucharist to mark the start of the academic year. Led by Father Alan Whelan MSC, pupils and staff were introduced to the new Chaplaincy school theme for the year of ‘Resilience’.

The service began with the school singing the College hymn, Here I Am Lord. Then Father Alan spoke to pupils explaining how important resilience is and how we all need the ability to withstand adversity and to bounce back from difficulties. Pupils considered how they could be resilient, recording their individual thoughts on a card.

02 Poppies symbolise College’s reflections on Remembrance

During November, the College reflects on the theme of Remembrance. The month is the last in the Church’s calendar and commemorates all those who have departed from life.

In Tutor groups pupils considered the legacies of war and why we commemorate those who fought and served. Pupils recorded their remembrances on poppies, personalising them with their dedications and messages. The poppies were then assembled into a prominent and impressive display.

03 04

Epiphany Services reflect on resilience

In January, pupils took part in services to celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, the feast that marks the arrival of the three wise men to pay homage to the newborn king.

In the service, Father Alan Whelan MSC reflected on how that journey of the three wise men was one of resilience. He encouraged pupils, as they settled back down to daily school life, to reflect on their personal resilience, sharing stories of resilience before encouraging pupils to record their focus for resilience this term on a card.

04 College celebrates whole school Eucharist

In April, the school community marked Easter with a whole school Eucharist. Father Alan Whelan MSC reflected on the story of Easter, reminding us all that it is a time of new beginnings. He spoke about the work of Jules Chevalier and of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and of how Chevalier’s resilience affects us all here at Princethorpe today.

Together, as a community, we prayed for the school, for our families and for all those in the world who need our prayers.

Chaplaincy

05

Princethorpe marks the Bi-Centenary of Jules Chevalier's birth

Princethorpe College marked the bi-centenary of the birth of Jules Chevalier MSC, founder of the religious order that established Princethorpe College. Across the school, pupils and staff took part in special assemblies, activities and themed lessons to remember and celebrate his legacy.

Foundation Principal, Ed Hester and Fr Alan Whelan MSC led assemblies sharing the history of the formation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) and Chevalier’s enduring message of ‘Love One Another’ (John 13:34). At the end of the assembly Fr Alan introduced pupils to a new prayer.

Across their lessons, pupils explored the legacy of the MSCs and Jules Chevalier’s message of love in many different ways. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 completed a special ‘What will you put your heart into’ activity with the Chaplaincy team. While in the Cloister Corridor there was an exhibition of archive material, showing the history of the College and its longstanding connections to the MSCs. Then to officially mark the bi-centenary, on Friday 15 March, Jules Chevalier’s birth date, the whole school community enjoyed a slice of cake.

Jules Chevalier’s message of love continues to inspire our community’s ethos and values and remains at the heart of all we do today.

Prefects

Princethorpe College Prefect Inauguration

The new Princethorpe College Prefect Body for 2024-2025 was formally inaugurated into office at an end of term ceremony on Friday 22 March. Outgoing Heads of School, Natalya Elden and Izzy Wright, formally handed over the keys of office to the incoming Heads of School, Seb Bainbridge and Megan Shipton.

2024/25 Prefect Body

Heads of School

Deputy Heads of School

Austin Captains

Benet Captains

Fisher Captains

More Captains

Environmental and Sustainability

Chaplaincy, Charity and Ethos

Performing Arts

Games

Art and Photography

Biology

Sebastian Bainbridge

Megan Shipton

Ruby Clark

Blessing Katanda

Oscar Reynolds

Jemima Teeton

Isabella Cunnington

Luke Foster

Ben Smith

Kaena Wasley

Robyn Shaw

Tami Yusuf

Amelie Edge

Toby Wollaston

Alice Minshull

James Reynolds

Harriet Sharpe

Ellie Alphonso

Samantha Borland

Lottie Hunter

Jacob Iley

Vincent McNevin

Georgina Barnes

Genevieve Slater-Tucker

Niamh Perks

Business

Chemistry

Digital Leader

Product Design and Textiles

Economics

English

Geography

History

Law

MFL

Music

Ben Rose

Thomas Bucknall

Freddie Hadley

Amaanya Bose

Rhys Milestone

Roman Thearia

Henry Woodrow

Giorgio Kleinmann

Rory Sarkies

Archie Campbell

Reneé Ndungu

Liv Sarkies

Chloe Henderson

Outdoor Education Krystina Yuen

Physics

Politics

Psychology

Ollie Hutton

Jonathan Watson

Grace Robards

RS Emily Slinger

Georgia Dowling

Charity

Valentine's Day flowers support British Heart Foundation

Princethorpe’s Sixth Formers promoted a Valentine's Day charity fundraiser in aid of the British Heart Foundation. They sold red carnations for that special someone and white carnations as a thank you to a great friend.

Led by Charity Prefects, Chloe and Grace, the College’s Cupids, carefully prepared the flowers, delicately wrapping them and handwriting personal messages for the anonymous gifts. Nearly 100 lucky recipients received a special delivery – we hope everyone enjoyed their St Valentine’s Day surprise.

Warwick Half Marathon

Staff and OPs pounded the pavements and paths to raise money for Mary’s Meals. Gil Cowlishaw, Clare White and Tom Walton were joined by OP Rod Isaacs when they took on the challenge of the Warwick Half Marathon.

The hardy runners were fundraising for a charity close to Princethorpe's heart, Mary's Meals, and specifically the project to feed the 600 pupils of Makalanga Primary School, near Blantyre in Malawi.

Rod, Clare and Gil had already run a half marathon (13.1 miles) on each of the previous four weekends in January showing great determination for a worthy cause.

Sixth Formers conquer the Coventry Way Challenge

College Sixth Form students took on the Coventry Way 40-mile Challenge on Sunday 7 April. Alex Flegg, Chris Lock, Felix Batty, Finley Shields, Freddie Hadley, Hamish O'Brien, Harry Collins, Kaena Wasley, Natasha Thomas, Oliver Alford, and Sam Astle set off from Meriden at 5.30am and walked around Coventry following the circular footpath.

After the heavy rain, walking conditions were treacherous, and the uneven footing and inclines took their toll, but the walkers resiliently continued to put one foot in front of the other. Finally, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the Princethorpe team emerged victorious, returning to Meriden with hearts full of pride and accomplishment, exhausted but elated.

Lower Sixth walk 24 miles for Mary's Meals

The Lower Sixth took on the challenge of walking 24 miles in 7 hours on Sunday 9 June. They were walking in aid of Mary’s Meals raising money to feed the children of Makalanga Primary School in Malawi.

Oscar Reynolds, Seb Bainbridge, Lachlan Greig, Xander MacRae and Calan Byrne were first home, completing the distance in 7 hours and 32 minutes. There were a few tender feet in school the following day after a really superhuman effort by them all.

Trinity News

01 Student success in the RSC Chemistry Olympiad

Sixth Form students took part in the UK Chemistry Olympiad, a national chemistry competition run by the Royal Society Of Chemistry. All of the students were awarded certificates, congratulations to Joseph Newborough, Rahul Samra, Amy Hogg, Carys Nicolle, Radley Evans, Lola Ashley and Guy Dawkins. The students faced tough national competition and we congratulate them all on their excellent results.

02 Princethorpe pupils rise to the Junior Mathematics Challenge

In April pupils from Princethorpe College took part in the 2024 UK Mathematics Trust Junior Challenge, a national problem-solving competition that recognises the best young mathematicians in the country. Aimed at pupils in Year 7 and Year 8, Princethorpe selected 92 able mathematicians to participate in this year’s Challenge.

Year 8, Erik Windham was awarded a Gold certificate and took the award for best performing pupil in school, while Year 7, Evelyn Waterworth, was awarded Gold and took the award for best performing pupil in Year 7. Gold certificates were also awarded to Isaac Frith, Bohdan Nicholl, Drew Ovens Gibbs, Ethan Simons, Dillon Horan, Emily Beadle, Katherine Lee, John Owen, Oscar Rexton-Watts and Arthur Reid.

Many pupils received Silver and Bronze certificates. Well done to them all.

03 Princethorpe’s Physicists take on the Senior Physics Challenge

Princethorpe’s Lower Sixth physicists had their second opportunity to take part in the British Physics Olympiad Year 12 Senior Physics Challenge. Competing against over 6,000 pupils from more than 300 schools nationwide, the students sat a tricky one hour long written paper, where none of the marks were easy to get.

Congratulations went to Jack Fleming who earned the highest scores of the Princethorpe contingent and also to Joseph Baker, Ruby Clark, Leo Flannery, Seb Hume-Chignell, Ollie Hutton, Albert Jackson-Bettles, Blessing Katanda, Giorgio Kleinmann and Anjola Okusanya. All the pupils who took part received a Bronze certificate.

04 Peripatetic recital showcases musical talent at Princethorpe

Over 30 Princethorpe pupils performed at the College’s Peripatetic Recital Evening with The Clarkson packed with supportive friends and family to watch a broad range of performances on piano, woodwind, strings, brass, guitar and drums. As well as soloists, there were also some chamber music performances, with pupils on different instruments brought together by their peripatetic instrumental teachers. The evening came to a close with a stunning performance from music scholar Henry Corbin. The performances were much appreciated by all.

05 College Choir performs at D-Day 80 Commemorations at Kenilworth Castle

Princethorpe College’s Choir joined choirs from local Kenilworth primary schools at Kenilworth Castle on the evening of Thursday 6 June to help commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Held in the grounds of the castle, the evening's event saw the College’s Choir sing a selection of popular war time songs. The event also included moving readings and poems, the ringing of church bells, the reading of the proclamation and the lighting of a beacon on the Strong Tower.

06 Four Year 10 pupils awarded Gold in the Junior Physics Challenge

Year 10 Triple Science pupils competed in the British Physics Olympiad Junior Challenge, an online competition where pupils answer multiple-choice questions in timed tests.

Pupils' results were excellent and particular congratulations go to Amber Sandhu, Bella Pinder, Ajunee Gill and Josh Gorbutt who all achieved a Gold certificate. Year 10 pupils were also awarded 13 Silver and 29 Bronze certificates.

07 Mock election engages pupils in the democratic process

Princethorpe held a mock election in June, as the UK prepared for the general election. The event gave pupils a unique opportunity to learn about the democratic process in Modern Britain and pupils entered fully into the spirit of occasion. Tutors Groups spent time in their life skills lessons finding out about the established political parties’ values and beliefs.

On the nominated polling day, pupils took turns to line up and vote for their party of choice, everyone having the chance to register before putting their X on their voting slip and posting it into the ballot box.

08 Forensic Science Club solve the CSI Challenge

Over the course of the Trinity Term, Year 8 crime scene investigator trainees studied different forensic science techniques, from fingerprinting and blood splatter analysis to footprint evidence and soil samples, as well as how to process a crime scene and handwriting analysis.

As a finale to their sessions, Year 8 were called upon to investigate after a ‘body’ was found in the cellars. They donned their protective clothing and set off to search the school for evidence.

09 Plenty of inspiration at the Girls In STEM Workshop

Pupils from Year 9 and Year 10 and our Lower Sixth STEAM Ambassador, Jemima Teeton, visited the British Motor Museum in June to take part in a special Girls in STEM workshop.

They enjoyed an exclusive keynote presentation and Q&A with Louise Reynolds, Director of Procurement at Aston Martin. They got to race remotecontrolled Jaguar D-types around a special track and try out some hands-on science activities with the STEM Ambassadors from MoD Kineton.

The day culminated with the opportunity to meet Eliza Seville, Formula Woman 2022 winner, and hear from, Senior Programme Manager, Kerrie Earl, on what it takes to be a successful woman in motorsport.

Trinity Trips

01 Hamilton was outstanding in every sense

Our History, Politics and Performing Arts A-level students took a trip to the West End in April to watch the amazing Hamilton and it was outstanding in every sense. The musical delves into themes of ambition, legacy, love, and the complexities of human nature while offering a contemporary lens on the founding of the United States. It was an exciting evening of world class theatre that provided engaging cultural capital that complimented their A-level studies.

02 Year 10 Geography field trip explores Shrewsbury and Carding Mill Valley

Year 10 Geography pupils visited Preston Montford, to put into practise the field skills they had been studying in their lessons. The two-day trip supported the fieldwork questions in their Physical and Human Geography IGCSE

Pupils spent one day exploring human geography topics, investigating the impact of changing economic structure on quality of life in two rural villages - Minsterley and Bishop’s Castle. They then spent a day investigating physical geography topics in the Carding Mill Valley, Church Stretton. There they surveyed the river, undertaking width, depth and velocity measurements investigating how river channel characteristics change with distance downstream.

03 Year 7 visit National Space Centre

29 pupils from Year 7 visited the National Space Centre in Leicester in June to recognise their effort and achievement in Science.

Their day began with a Tetrastar Workshop that involved pupils working together in teams on a mission to Mars. Taking on the roles of engineers, drone pilots or medics, they carried out a series of experiments before returning safely to Earth.

Pupils then explored the museum galleries, viewing a huge variety of spacecraft, a real piece of the Moon and taking the opportunity to try out the interactive exhibits covering cosmology, space exploration and the universe. Their visit concluded with the Planetarium Show ‘Astronaut Education’, where pupils discovered what it takes to be an astronaut and the dangers of space travel. It was a fantastic day of learning, enjoyed by them all.

Trinity Trips

04 Rhineland Music Tour

38 pupils from the College’s Choir, String Orchestra and Concert Band, from Years 7 to the Sixth Form, visited the Rhineland, where they took part in an enjoyable and successful music tour.

Princethorpe’s talented prodigies confidently performed to appreciative and sizeable audiences in Rűdesheim and Kohlbachhaus. Their action-packed trip also included a tour of the Seigfrieds Musikkabinett, the chance to explore the picturesque towns of Boppard, Cologne and Koblenz, a boat cruise on the river Moselle and a visit the Phantasialand Theme Park.

05 Year 8 explore the Battlefields of Belgium

Year 8 explored the Battlefields of World War One in trips to Belgium in support of their history studies. Travelling in two groups, they had plenty to reflect on across their three days away as the size of the cemeteries brought home the scale of the conflict.

Pupils visited the Allied cemeteries, including the Essex Farm Cemetery and Dressing Station and the Tyne Cot Cemetery, as well as the Langemark German Military Cemetery. They took time to explore the In Flanders Field Museum, the Memorial Museum at Passchendaele, the Hill 62 Sanctuary Wood Museum and the Hill 60 Caterpillar Crater. Year 8 also took part in moving Last Post Ceremonies at the Menin Gate with pupils laying a wreath on behalf of the College at the evenings' services.

A memorable trip to Malawi

At the start of the summer holidays, 30 Princethorpe pupils embarked on a memorable trip to Malawi in East Africa to build on the College’s ongoing commitment and support of projects provided to local communities through Mary’s Meals, Classrooms For Malawi and Bwengu Projects Malawi.

During their two-week trip, the pupils toured the south of Malawi from the city of Blantyre to the shores of the spectacular Lake Malawi. They visited Steka orphanage to deliver supplies, spent time at Ecolodgy Sustainability & Permaculture Centre, learning about their work to educate local communities on sustainability. They admired the incredible Mulanje, the highest peak in Malawi and ventured into the wilderness to see the wildlife on a safari.

They also visited Lauderdale School, the first school that Princethorpe College worked with in Malawi back in 2007/8, where they completely refurbished two classrooms. 05 05 04 05 06 06

Trinity Sport

Excellent results for college Athletes at the Warwickshire Schools

Athletics Combined Events

Princethorpe College’s Inter Girls, Senior Girls and Senior Boys teams delivered top scoring performances to finish in first place at the Warwickshire Schools Combined Events Championships. Hot on their heels were the Minor Girls, Junior Girls and Inter Boys whose determination led to second place finishes, with the Junior Boys and Minor Boys finishing in fourth overall. It was another excellent athletics outing for Princethorpe at the Warwickshire Schools Combined Events.

After a very successful two days, Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, was thrilled with excellent early season results.

18 Athletes competed at Warwickshire Schools Athletics events

Pupils from Princethorpe College put in outstanding performances at the Warwickshire Schools Athletics Championships helping the Eastern Area take both the Junior and Inter events. College athletes claimed five first place finishes, seven seconds and six thirds across all the events. In total, 18 College athletes took part in the competition that was held in Leamington in June.

For the Inter Boys, André Onyekwe took 1st place in the High Jump while for the Inter Girls, Grace McCollin claimed 1st place in the 80m Hurdles. Olivia Monk earned herself two 2nd place finishes in the 100m and 200m and Penelope Jones took a further two 2nds in the 80m Hurdles and the Long Jump.

For the Junior Boys Louis Reynolds was 1st in the 80m Hurdles and 3rd in the Javelin, while Isaac Nelson was 2nd in the Javelin. Will Smith claimed 3rd in the 1500m, Max Kiely 3rd in the Triple Jump and Will Harvey 3rd in the Shot.

For the Junior Girls, Marisa Lumani placed 1st in the Shot and the Discus and 2nd in the Hammer. Dami Ajagunna was 2nd in the High Jump and Georgie Sowter 3rd in the Javelin and the Discus.

It was a fantastic effort from them all.

An amazing 11 pupils were then selected to represent Warwickshire in the Mason Trophy Inter-County competition on Saturday 15 June, by far the most from any Warwickshire school. There, they displayed real determination and commitment, using their incredible talent to compete strongly against quality opposition in some appalling weather conditions. Together they helped Warwickshire become Champion County for the second year on the run.

Congratulations to them all:

Louis Reynolds 80m Hurdles

Isaac Nelson Javelin

Dami Ajagunna High Jump

Marisa Lumani Shot and Hammer

Georgie Sowter Discus

André Onyekwe High Jump

Oliva Monk 100m and 200m

Lily Hunter 1500m

Grace McCollin 80m Hurdles

Penelope Jones 80m Hurdles and Long Jump

Lauren Tebbatt Javelin

Trinity Sport

Super haul of medals at the ISA Midlands Athletics

Princethorpe celebrated after finishing first overall and bringing home a huge haul of medals from the Independent Schools Association’s Midlands Track and Field Athletics.

The event took place at the Saffron Lane Athletics Track in Leicester in May with College athletes joining competitors from 30 schools across the Midlands region.

In a dominant display, Princethorpe’s medal haul included 25 Gold Medals, 14 Silvers and 7 Bronzes, helping the College to score more than double the points of any other team on the day. It was fantastic to see pupils performing to such a high standard.

Tennis

Over the Trinity Term our tennis teams took to the courts against a number of schools. The U12s, U13s and U14s enjoyed their matches and it was fabulous to have so many pupils participating in the sport.

Pupils successfully tee off for Princethorpe

At the end of April, Princethorpe College took a team of golfers to compete in the Warwickshire Schools Boys Amateur Championships at Coventry Hearsall Golf Club. It was the first competition for Princethorpe’s Golf Team, although the boys all play regularly outside of school. Princethorpe finished fourth, an excellent result for the school on its first time out. It was fantastic to offer the boys the opportunity to play in a schools’ competition.

Trinity Sport

Cricket

The U13A team had a very successful run through the Warwickshire Area Cricket Cup. They dispatched Ashlawn in the first round in May winning by eight wickets. In Round 2 they overcame Warwick School winning by five wickets. In the semi-final, at the end of June, they successfully took on King Henry VIII, this time winning by six wickets. That took them through to the final where they lost to Saltley Academy. It was a super effort by them all.

18 Medals for Princethorpe at the ISA National Athletics Championships

Princethorpe was delighted to bring home a bumper haul of 18 medals from the Independent Schools Association’s National Track and Field Athletics Championships. Princethorpe took a team of 18 athletes from Years 7 to 11 and it was an excellent opportunity for them to compete against high calibre opposition at a pre-eminent event.

Princethorpe’s medal haul included Gold medals in eight events. Grace McCollin stormed down the track to win both the Year 10/11 100m and 80m Hurdles. Georgie Sowter took Gold for her fantastic throw in the Year 8/9 Javelin while Marisa Lumani claimed Gold in the Year 8/9 Shot. Emily Divers won Gold in the Year 7 100m Sprint while Sophie Crawford took Gold in the Year 7 Javelin.

Grace McCollin, Penelope Jones and Lauren Tebbatt helped the Midlands Year 10/11 Girls' Relay team finish first in the 4x100m Relay competition, earning themselves Gold medals. While Emily Divers and Ellie Gane were part of the winning Year 7 4x100m Relay team that also claimed Gold.

Penelope Jones claimed a Silver medal in the Year 10/11 200m Sprint as did Sophie Crawford in the Year 7 Shot. Penelope also earned herself a Bronze medal in the Year 10/11 Long Jump. Lauren Tebbatt took Bronze in the Year 10/11 Javelin while Louis Reynolds claimed a Bronze in the Year 8/9 80m Hurdles. Ava Sheppard claimed Bronze in the Year 7 Discus and Rufus Jones Bronze in the Year 7 Javelin.

Trinity Sport

A Silver and a Bronze at the English Schools National Athletics

Grace McCollin, Olivia Monk and André Onyekwe competed for Warwickshire at the English Schools Athletics Track & Field Championships in Birmingham at the start of the summer holidays.

It was a fantastic achievement for these pupils to have been selected for this prestigious national event, but to have three pupils reaching the standard was super exciting for us all here at Princethorpe College.

Grace ran an outstanding race to take the Silver medal in the 80m Hurdles while Olivia claimed a Bronze in the Mixed 4x100m Relay. André cleared the bar at 1.94m to finish in 5th position in the High Jump.

Grace subsequently went on to represent England in the Home Nations Championships the following weekend.

We were all hugely impressed by these pupils’ commitment and dedication to their sports and we were incredibly proud of them.

Princethorpe brings home the ISA Trophy and The Wigley Cup

Princethorpe College hosted the National Schools and Riding Clubs TwoDay Event. Run in conjunction with Stoneleigh Riding Club, nearly 200 competitors took part in the two-day competition, at the end of May.

Princethorpe College had riders competing at all heights. In the 100cm class Rosie Moreton finished in 1st place in both the Schools and ISA events, while Lizzie Nichols was 4th in the Schools’ event and 3rd in the ISA class.

In the 90cm class, Lizzie Nichols finished 4th in the Schools’ competition and 3rd in the ISA event. The Glover sisters, Emily and Sophie, rode two good rounds to finish in 7th and 8th individually. Together, the three girls earned their Princethorpe Montargis Team overall 1st place in the Schools’ competition and also in the ISA class.

In the 80cm event, Sam Grindal had an excellent round to finish 2nd overall in the Schools’ competition and 1st in the ISA class and Jess Belcher finished 10th. Then in the 70cm class, Princethorpe had a bumper crop of entries, boding well for the future of the school’s teams. Sophie Gambling was 5th overall, and 2nd in the ISA class, Isla Chadwick came 11th and Charlotte Nichols 12th. In a very competitive field, Princethorpe’s Team Cloisters were worthy winners of the ISA Trophy and the Wigley Cup.

Girls Football

Princethorpe’s U13 Girls Football team performed fantastically at the ISFA Midlands Girls Football Tournament in May. Girls Football is a developing sport at the school and it was super to see the team playing in this competitive tournament. The girls finished third in their group just missing out on a semi final place. Well done to all involved.

Sports Day

College Sports Day was fantastic fun

The College’s annual Sports Day took place on Wednesday 3 July and it was a fantastic afternoon of friendly, but fiercely competitive sport. A limited programme of events took place this year because of the drizzle but that didn't stop the fun. The track was actionpacked from the moment the starting gun fired. College staff were kept busy timing and recording all the running taking place.

Pupils' performances were superb, and pupils and staff cheered all the competitors on. Our very own Clare Baldings, aka Mrs White and Mrs Allen were kept busy announcing all the races and the new school records set, adding to the excitement of the event.

Foundation Director of Sport, Lee Cassell, said, “Despite the delayed start and the everpresent rain we had a super Sports Day with plenty of excellent performances. The atmosphere was incredible, pupils were very supportive of each other, appreciating every individual effort.”

Summer Art and Design Show

Another exceptional Summer Art, Photography and Design Show

The Summer Art, Photography and Design Show opened on Thursday 27 June with a special evening reception for the artists and their families, friends and guests.

The displays remained on show until Sunday 30 June allowing visitors to the College’s Summer Fête and Motoring Festival to enjoy the superb standard of work the GCSE and A-level pupils had produced.

Those who know the College will be familiar with its formidable reputation for quality Art and Design and this year’s show was no exception. Visitors were audibly impressed with what they saw, stopping to stare in wonder, exclaiming over the ingenuity and talent and enjoying the fine collection of work.

Our congratulations go to all our GCSE and A-level pupils for producing such a worthy display.

Celebrations

Year 11

Year 11 enjoyed plenty of celebrations as they marked the end of their time at secondary school. After their last day of lessons, we waved them on their way with a special good luck parade. Their route through the school was lined with pupils and staff clapping and cheering, wishing them all well for their upcoming GCSEs.

Pupils and their parents returned to school at the end of June to celebrate the end of the examination season with a Thanksgiving Service. Then of course, Year 11 enjoyed their much-anticipated celebration at Coombe Abbey where the backdrop of the atmospheric architecture and grounds lent an extra special magic to the traditional prom.

Celebrations

Upper Sixth

The Upper Sixth celebrated the end of their examinations and their time at Princethorpe with a beautiful Thanksgiving Eucharist and a fabulous Leavers' Ball. It was one last chance for them to gather to reminisce over their time at the College, the friends they have made and the many adventures they have had along the way.

Both were joyous occasion with lots of laughter, shared memories and plans for the future. We very much hope the Class of 2024 will keep in touch and come back to tell their teachers and future pupils all about their fascinating endeavours and achievements.

House News

01 House competition heats up with Sixth Form Ready Steady Cook

02

03

04

05

Princethorpe’s Sixth Form students put their culinary skills under the spotlight when they took on the annual House Ready Steady Cook challenge. Teams of four Sixth Formers donned their aprons and lined up to prepare a risotto in the Food Technology suite.

The results were close with just a few points separating all. This year first place went to Austin, closely followed by More, Benet and Fisher.

Fisher won this year’s sensational House Talent Show

The House Talent Show did not disappoint providing yet another sensational evening of entertainment for the College community. Compered by House Activities Leader, Meg O’Gorman, ably assisted by the House Captains, the show included an array of amazing vocal and instrumental performances alongside dazzling dance routines.

This year’s winners were Chloe Henderson and Robyn Shaw, for Fisher, for their incredible rendition of For Good from Wicked. Taking second place was Abby Henderson and Tallis Alford, also for Fisher, for their powerful performance of When We Were Young by Adele. In third place was Leani du Toit, for More, who sang I Dreamed A Dream from Les Misérables.

House Teams mark European Day of Languages

The MFL and House teams challenged staff and pupils for European Day Of Languages. Staff had to use a foreign language in their lessons, either speaking it or including it in the lesson activity, with pupils acting as judges and completing feedback forms. While pupils had the chance to answer language-based questions in a break time trivia quiz. With every correct answer winning a point for their House.

College marks Feast Day with House Singing Competition

The House Singing competition did not disappoint, with spirited renditions of some all-time favourites in the Sports Hall on the College’s annual Feast Day.

The Lower School, Years 7 to 10, went first with the Upper School, Year 11 and the Sixth Form, in the second round. There was much rivalry but the judges decided that this year for the Lower School it was Fisher who had stolen the show, while for the older years Austin took the top spot.

More won House Sixth Form Christmas Tree Competition

Sixth Form House teams gathered excitedly at the start of December for the annual House Sixth Form Christmas Tree competition. House Activities Leader, Meg O’Gorman, turned up the Christmas songs as the crowds gathered and the anticipation built.

Judges considered the originality, appearance, environmental friendliness and House qualities and the results were – in first place More followed by Austin, Fisher and Benet. 02 04 03 05 01

House News

06 More Champions in House University Challenge

More were the victors in the College’s annual House University Challenge competition, after achieving a super score of 245 across their three matches.

Pupil teams faced questions on a wide range of subjects including Literature, Sport, Science, History, Maths, Art, Film, Technology, Music and Religion. Across two weeks they took on their fellow Houses in turn in front of an audience of Tutor groups.

The final results were in first place More, followed by Fisher, Austin and Benet.

07 Junior House Leaders

This year Miss O’Gorman, the House Activities Co-ordinators, and the House Captains, appointed Junior House Leaders. The pupils stepped up to develop their leadership, teamwork, and communication skills by championing House activities with fellow pupils.

08 Marvellous More House won the House Cup

More House celebrated after winning the House Cup, the most hotly contested competition in school. Their victory was announced by House Activities Leader, Meg O’Gorman, in the Prefect Inauguration Ceremony on the last day of the Lent Term. The House Cup was presented to the outgoing More House Captains, Eloise Keil and Finn Osborn, as jubilant More pupils cheered across the school.

It was a steady and consistent performance that helped More pupils amass their huge total of points and finish first for the second year running. The final placings were: in first place More, followed by Fisher, Austin and Benet.

09 House

Bake Off had a 'Sounds of the Summer'

Theme

House Bake Off is always a popular competition and this year we had another tantalising display of 26 creative entries. The ‘Sounds of the Summer’ theme producing an incredible array of cakes with festival camps, records and even beach themed bakes featuring among the many different designs.

All entries were awarded house-points and the final House placings were: in first place Benet, followed by Austin, Fisher and More.

10 For House Activities Day pupils went on a Viking Quest

Princethorpe pupils went on a Viking Quest for House Activities Day taking part in a series of challenges and activities with their Tutor Groups. They told Viking Sagas, solved Taskmaster Thor challenges, and the puzzle of Aegir’s Banquet, played Hnefatafl (Viking Chess), took on King Canute’s Kickball and the Battle of Assandun, faced the Gods of Asgard and helped to make the Skidbladnir’s sails.

After all the activities had been completed, the school came together for a finale and the Vikings roared as the Houses hoisted their sails. It was another epic adventure, and as always Princethorpe you were amazing!

Duke of Edinburgh

Another successful year of Duke of Edinburgh endeavours.

In the Trinity Term pupils completed their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Qualifying Expeditions. Unaccompanied and self-sufficient, they trekked and camped their way across Snowdonia (33 Gold), the Peak District (37 Silver) and the Cotswolds (103 Bronze), working together in teams to achieve their expedition objectives.

A huge part of life at Princethorpe, the awards provide pupils with the opportunity to get involved, explore new interests, discover talents and make new friends.

Will Bower, Head of Outdoor Education, said, “I am very proud that so many of Princethorpe’s pupils embrace the challenge of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. They take the opportunity to develop skills and try new experiences, pushing themselves both mentally and physically to live up to the College’s ethos and be the best they can be and all with such commitment and enthusiasm.”

Duke of Edinburgh

Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Awards Presented at Buckingham Palace

18 Princethorpians were invited to Buckingham Palace in London to recognise their achievement of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award. Across four very special events, they joined thousands of young people and their families celebrating their success.

Head of Outdoor Education, Will Bower, commented, “Completing your Gold Duke of Edinburgh takes real commitment and resolve, and the skills developed along the way benefit both the individual and their local community. All of these young people showed dedication and perseverance and their final expedition to Buckingham Palace is a really wonderful reward.”

Receiving their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award in ceremonies this year were: Amberqway Alford, Joshua Apaya, Dawson Barnett, Frederick Boyd, Thomas Dodsley, Eve Farquharson, Eloise Gray, Molly Harper, Ruby Harris, Evie Headland, Harry Hewitt, Lucy Hurworth, Noah Kemp, Niall Meades, Rahul Samra, Edward Sharpe, Tom Spencer and Charlotte Wildey.

Princethorpe Celebrated Duke of Edinburgh’s Award achievements

Over 300 pupils, parents, invited guests and staff gathered in February for the College’s annual Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Celebration Evening. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on pupils’ achievements in Outdoor Education.

The College was delighted to welcome special guest Olympic Silver Medallist and former Director of DofE Central England, Phil Brown, who spoke to pupils about his experiences as part of the team who won the 4 x 400m Relay Silver medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. He highlighted the significance of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for personal development and reminded pupils of the skills and experience they’ve picked up that will aid them in future life.

Across the evening, pupils were presented with their Bronze, Silver and Gold Award Certificates to mark the completion of their Awards.

“

Completing your Gold Duke of Edinburgh takes real commitment and resolve.

Results Day

Princethorpe College celebrated another year of excellent exam results

In the Sixth Form, 108 students sat A-level and BTEC examinations and completed the Extended Project Qualification and, continuing the strong performances of previous cohorts, two thirds of all grades awarded were A*- B, with more than a third being A*- A. Impressively, 17 pupils achieved three or more A* or A grades.

At GCSE, Princethorpe pupils also performed well, from a cohort of 150 pupils, 44% of all entries were the coveted 9, 8 or 7 grades, with 32 pupils achieving nine or more 9, 8 or 7 grades.

Grove du Toit, Headmaster, commented, "We were delighted with the excellent results that our Sixth Form students and Year 11 pupils achieved. It was wonderful to see all their happy faces on results day. We are thrilled that our pupils received such good grades but also, more importantly, that the overwhelming majority moved on to their first choice of next step."

He continued, "We are proud of their academic achievements, but all these pupils have many other fine qualities: kindness, respect and a strong sense of right and wrong, which will be tremendously important for them in the next phase of their lives. We wish them all the very best."

“We are proud of their academic achievements, but all these pupils have many other fine qualities: kindness, respect and a strong sense of right and wrong.”

PTA News

PTA Summer Fête was a great success

Plenty of festive fun at the PTA Christmas Fair

Princethorpe’s popular PTA Christmas Fair took place on Sunday 10 December and was enjoyed by hundreds of visitors who descended on a College resplendent in decorations. Father Christmas and his elves made their usual stop off at the fair, delighting children of all ages. The crowds enjoyed musical entertainment, shopping at all the artisan stalls, warming hot drinks and delicious mince pies. It was, as always, a wonderful affair.

The College’s annual Summer Fête and Motoring Festival was a delightful afternoon. The Orchard was transformed thanks to plenty of enthusiasm, gazebos and bunting and the British weather stayed dry, allowing organisers and visitors to relax and enjoy themselves and their ice creams.

An array of stalls offered all sorts of entertainment, goods and services, including homemade food, arts and crafts, gifts, fundraising activities, tombolas and so much more. A popular, new attraction this year was the 'Alpaca Pals' with Dante in particular wooing the crowds.

At the bottom of the Orchard, as always, there was line upon line of classic and unusual cars on show. Polished to perfection by loving owners, proud to show off their prized vehicles.

Many thanks to the PTA for all they do to support the school.

Old Princethorpians

OPs crowned champions at annual OP Vs College Sports Day

The Staff Football Team started the OPs v College Sports Day off in good spirits but the younger OPs team took control in the second half to gain a close victory. Next up was the first mixed hockey game and it was fabulous to see full teams playing with the more experienced OPs taking the victory.

Moving on to Netball, the College's team secured victory with an outstanding performance against an experienced OPs team. Then the OPs v College 1st XV John Shinkwin Trophy match produced an entertaining game with a strong OPs team made up from leavers from 2022 and 2023 taking the victory.

At the After Match Awards, the OPs proudly raised both the Alex Wallis Memorial Shield and the John Shinkwin Cup.

OP London meet draws enthusiastic crowd

The Old Princethorpians' London Meet took place in September at The Riverside, in Vauxhall. It drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 30 OPs from across the decades. OPs were represented from as early as the 70s, the 80s and there was a large contingent of younger OPs from 2011 onwards. Some of the guests had not seen each other for over 40 years.

Special mention must go to international OPs, Louise Gusterson (Class of 1983), who was visiting from her home in New Zealand and Ernest Springley (Class of 1975), who came over from Germany for the occasion

An evening with Marc Marot

In October, we welcomed OP Marc Marot for an exciting and informative evening. Marc kindly gave the Princethorpe community a fascinating insight into life in the fast-moving global music industry from the late 80s through to the 2000s and beyond.

OP Marc Marot, who left the College in 1977, took his audience on a rollercoaster ride of the highs and lows of his self-professed ‘chaotic’ and ‘serendipitous’ career. His talk charted his journey from leaving school with dreams of becoming a rockstar and working at a record store, to managing iconic bands and performers, such as the Cranberries, Stereo MCs, Pulp and U2 and running global record labels and talent management companies including Polygram and Crown Talent Management.

Marc also spoke affectionately of his time at Princethorpe, the lifelong friends he made and is still in close contact with today, several of which were in the audience, and of the burgeoning of his music career playing his cello in the school orchestra.

A good evening for all at OPs Local Pub Meet

We had a great turn out of OPs, current and former members of staff at the Leamington Pub Meet in March.

There were OPs from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s in attendance, including St Joseph’s alumni, along with Princethorpe legends, Mr Darkes, Mr Hester, Mr McCullough and Mr White. It was also a great opportunity for the OPs to meet Headmaster, Mr du Toit and new Alumni and Development Officer, Caz Spencer.

The meet, upstairs at The Fox and Vivian on Clarendon Street, was a jovial evening for all concerned, catching up and swapping stories over a delicious spread and a drink or two.

Old Princethorpians

Caroline Spencer appointed as Alumni and Development Officer

In April, Caroline Spencer joined the Foundation to work as Alumni and Development Officer. It was a new role created to develop and support connections with Old Princethorpians and our wider alumni community.

With a background in teaching, Caroline brought with her experience in education as well as strong interpersonal skills and a natural flair for building meaningful relationships. She is enjoying getting to know and strengthening our relationship with our alumni community.

Prize Draws help Princethorpe Connect Community grow

Across the year, the Princethorpe Connect community continued to grow, bolstered by three prize draws.

Christmas came early for OP, Steve Dade (1986 -1990), who was the lucky recipient of the Princethorpe Connect Christmas Hamper Prize Draw. Steve, who lives locally, in Coventry, had great memories of his time at Princethorpe and especially of playing for the school Rugby team!

Then OP Carys Nicolle (Class of 2024) was the College’s Upper Sixth Leavers' Princethorpe

Connect Prize Draw, winning an Amazon Voucher and a magnum of fizz for her table at the Leavers’ Ball as she celebrated joining the OP community.

Finally, OP Rob Mackenzie (Class of 2012), pictured, was the Princethorpe Connect Summer Prize Draw winner. He took safe delivery of a delicious Prosecco Cream Tea hamper in June.

Now based in Stratford-uponAvon, Rob told us that after pursuing commercial flight training, he now flies the Airbus A320 for BA out of London Heathrow.

Princethorpe Connect is our online alumni network, by the end of the school year numbering over 1,600 active members. It provides a great way to keep in touch with developments and events, receive our termly OP e-newsletter and to network with fellow alumni and members of staff.

This year's OPs Bluebells and Brunch was a real family affair, with past pupils accompanied by spouses, partners, their parents, children, a bump (and even the odd pet pooch!). It was a real pleasure to have past pupils attending from the very earliest days of the College right up to a leaver of 2023.

All enjoyed a friendly catch up with former and current staff over a delicious brunch, a tour of the school, including spotting themselves in the whole school photos, followed by a leisurely stroll around the Mile Walk. To top it all, the weather couldn't have been kinder to us!

Representatives from the classes of 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2014 returned for their respective 50th, 40th, 30th, 20th and 10th anniversaries of leaving, and in one case an OP was celebrating his 60th anniversary of starting at Princethorpe in 1964!

The evening started with an optional tour of school. Then after a Drinks Reception in the Quad, the group was warmly welcomed by Foundation Principal, Ed Hester, and invited to take their seats in the Refectory. Fr Alan Whelan MSC said grace and the refectory became a hubbub of chatter and laughter. The gathered OPs happily caught up and reminisced over a delicious three course meal. It was a fantastic evening and we were delighted to welcome everyone.

OPs Bluebells and Brunch was a real family affair

OPs welcomed back to Summer Supper Reunion 2024

Development

The Development Office continued with its work to make a difference

The Bruce Townsend Laboratory

As part of the opening of the new Science Centre the Foundation’s Development team were delighted to unveil The Bruce Townsend Laboratory. The designation serving as a tribute to Bruce Townsend, a prominent figure in the field of Chemical Engineering, a former parent whose grandson now attends Princethorpe College.

The naming of laboratory represented our school's dedication to providing pupils with the tools they need to excel in the scientific realm. Bruce's legacy an inspiration, fuelling our aspirations for a brighter scientific future.

The Princethorpe Foundation’s Annual Fund

The Annual Fund remained as the cornerstone of philanthropy at The Princethorpe Foundation providing parents, supporters and friends in the wider community the opportunity to make a voluntary contribution to support the school. The donations delivering a significant impact, touching the lives of every pupil in all our schools.

The fund supported the purchase of necessary academic and co-curricular equipment, providing educational, enrichment and entertainment opportunities for pupils, and helping maintain the Schools’ academic and sporting facilities.

The Smallholding Project: Cultivating Minds and Spirits

Princethorpe College embarked on a groundbreaking initiative: the Smallholding Project. The initiative promising to enrich our curriculum and reconnect the College with its agricultural roots. Not merely about cultivating land; the project is aiming to nurture the minds and spirits of young pupils from within and beyond our community.

The project launched in February, when the College hosted its second annual Farmers’ networking dinner. At the event guests enjoyed hearing from two speakers. John Price, a Princethorpe alumnus, who captivated the audience with his reflections on the current state of farming and Jennie Wheildon, Partner at Shakespeare Martineau law firm and an expert in agricultural law, who presented on alternative funding opportunities for farmers.

Princethorpe’s Vision for Sport

In May, Princethorpe College hosted a memorable dinner in the College’s Sixth Form Centre, bringing together 80 members of our vibrant community and sporting connections.. Old Princethorpians, including Ian Bell MBE and Dan Skelton, current and former staff, as well as current and former parents, who gathered to celebrate our rich sporting heritage and to look ahead with excitement to the future of sports at Princethorpe.

Headmaster, Grove du Toit presented his vision for the future of sports at Princethorpe. Grove spoke passionately about the College’s commitment to expanding and enhancing our sports facilities to better serve our pupils and community. He outlined ambitious plans that promise to elevate Princethorpe’s sporting programmes, fostering an environment where our young people can thrive both competitively and personally.

Staff hellos and goodbyes

The staff at Princethorpe remain one of the key reasons we can offer the excellent and broad education we are known for. Their commitment and willingness to give extra, enriches the experiences of all our pupils and we would like to say a massive thank you to all our colleagues for their efforts this year.

During the 2023/24 school year:

We welcomed:

Helen Barnes, Milton Bartholomew, Istvan Burai, Steve Carter, Naomi Chard, Gurvinder Cholia, Sarah Cockayne, Alison Cox, Gemma Cullinane, Jo Evans, Heather Foulerton, Adelaide Fretwell, Tom Gleghorn, Rebecca Gonon, Emma Harcourt, Samantha Harding, Natalie Hardy, Lizzie Hester, Emma Hibbert, Victoria Howell, Jonathan Iacaruso, Kate Ingram, Marta Martins, Rebecca Moreton, Catherine Morrish, Georgia Newborough, Ruth Pearce, Lydia Petrucci, Kathryn Ribeiro Nelson, Caroline Spencer, Holly Summers, Marianne Tallis, Gemma Tilley, Carly Walton and Joanna Wong

And we said goodbye to:

Kayley Arkesden, Jack Baker, Milton Batholomew, Anthony Bocking, Will Bower, Aimee Brookes, Lizzie Caisey, Sarah Cockayne, Lilli Draper, Jo Evans, Berenice Galano, Megan Gaston, Jim Hardwick, Alan Harris, Lizzie Hester, Victoria Howell, Kate Ingram, Marta Martins, Amanda McKenzie, Marion Mitchell, Angela Morris, James Munsey, Dominic Phelps, Jess Proudlock, Gavin Rooney, Fionnuala Schofield and Helen Shayler.

Once in your career you will come across someone that is truly of 'legendary status' but to have two such members of staff departing this year was simply remarkable. Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, retired in April, after 45 years of working at the school. Alex joined Princethorpe College back in September 1979 when Father Bill Clarkson MSC was Headmaster and saw many changes and developments over the years, serving under no fewer than eight Headmasters. Over the years he contributed to many aspects of College life.

At the end of the year, we said goodbye to Rachel Taylor. For many years, Head of Classics, Rachel was one of our longest serving members of staff and joined St Joseph’s school in Kenilworth (now Crackley Hall) in May 1974. She served the Foundation for 50 years!

Throughout their time at the Foundation, both embodied the school’s ethos, and both delighted in passing on their knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject. Generations of pupils benefited from their excellent teaching, pastoral care and immeasurable kindness. We wish both Alex and Rachel well in their retirement.

We said goodbye to Will Bower who departed to take on the post of Head of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme at Abingdon School near Oxford. Will had helped a total of 1,240 Princethorpe pupils achieve Duke of Edinburgh Awards (Bronze 758, Silver 341, Gold 141) in his tenure as Head of Outdoor Education at Princethorpe and he will be much missed both in and out of the classroom.

We also said farewell to Fionnuala Schofield after eight years as a Teacher of Psychology and Sociology and five years as Head of Department. She moved to take on the challenge of Head of Department role at Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Coventry.

Popular MFL teacher, Bérénice Galano relocated to Penzance in Cornwall to become Lead MFL Teacher at the Humphry Davy School, while Lizzie Caisey, Teacher of Psychology and Sociology, also moved onto new ventures. They have both made significant contributions to our House system as House Leader for Austin and formerly Head of House for More respectively.

In the History Department we said farewell to Dominic Phelps, in the RS Department we said goodbye to Lizzie Hester who has relocated to The Hall School in Hampstead, London, and from the Sports Department Vicky Howell who left to join Bloxham School. We also said goodbye to Jo Evans and Jess Proudlock from the English Department. Their contributions in the classroom and beyond will be missed.

Our Graduate Teaching Assistants successfully finished their year at Princethorpe and we wished OP Lilli Draper good luck with her next adventure, while Sam Harding stayed on in a new role as a Trainee Teacher.

Then from our Sixth Form Support Team we waved goodbye to Amanda McKenzie and Marion Mitchell.

A huge thank you to all our leavers for all they have done at Princethorpe.

Science Centre opens

Princethorpe's new state-of-the-art Science Centre was officially opened by Yewande Akinola MBE

On Friday 22 September Princethorpe welcomed award-winning engineer and innovator, Yewande Akinola MBE, to officially open its brand-new state-of-the-art Science Centre.

Boasting ten state-of-the-art laboratories, dedicated prep rooms, break out, study spaces and staff bases, Princethorpe’s new Science Centre provides outstanding teaching and learning facilities to bring Science to life for pupils of all ages.

In a welcome to a gathered audience of over a thousand pupils, staff, invited guests and trustees, Foundation Principal, Ed Hester, thanked all who had helped to deliver the magnificent building. He expressed special thanks to Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes who had worked so hard and done more than anyone to bring the amazing building to fruition.