Old Princethorpians

The 7th annual OPs vs College Sports Day (and 9th John Shinkwin Trophy Match) dawned clear, warm and sunny on Saturday 2 September. "If only we had had this weather for Princefest," was uttered countless times over the course of the action-packed day. 

Building on the success of the sport at Princefest, for this year we wanted to introduce some new elements, namely an OPs vs Staff Football Match to kick off the day and an OPs vs OPs Rugby Match to round off the proceedings!  Both these additions were deemed great successes, with OPs returning for the football who had not been involved previously and a wonderfully good humoured and entertaining OPs vs OPs match rounding off the day.

Music, a BBQ, the Travelling Pug Bar and an ice cream van added to the atmosphere.

As in previous years points were accumulated throughout the day, with the Alex Wallis Memorial Shield being awarded to the victors at the end of the day.  This year it was a much closer run competition, with the College teams fresh from the South Africa Tour and pre-season training.

The OPs vs Staff Football, without Mike Taylor on the staff side due to injury, was a decisive 7 - 0 victory to the OPs. A fantastic first run out for this event.

The OPs won the hockey fixtures but the College boys especially gave them a run for their money.

The Girls Hockey was a close affair with only a few hardy OP hockey players able to return. However expertly managed by Emily Wood the OPs came out victorious 3-1.

The netball sides organised 2 very strong teams, we called them OPs and OAPs! Jodie Fisher Sophie Nicholls, Lottie Jones and Zoe Hyland steered their teams to victories against out 2nd VII but fresh from South Africa success Princethorpe 1st V11 beat the OPs and OAPs in two excellent games. Lots of fun was had and it was great to see how many OPs are still playing the game and are not injured! 

Then on to the main event The John Shinkwin Trophy Match between the College's 1st XV and the OPs XV (leavers of 2017 and 2016) which saw the OPs put under huge pressure by the College post South Africa in the summer. A hugely enjoyable match for all who played and watched the experience and the OPs won 31 - 29

The younger OPs gamely entered into one last game against an enthusiastic OPs side who had been biding their time to play (with the odd pint to quench their thirsts).

At the After Match Awards, Neil McCollin congratulated all on their efforts and crowned the OPs victors of the day.

OPs Chairman, Peter Rollason commented, " The OPs Sports Day continues to be one of the most important events in the OP calendar and I am so pleased to see it going from strength to strength, particularly with  the addition of football.  The highlight for me was playing second row to my son Robert in the OPs vs OPs Rugby and the lowlight was the  realisation that I was oldest on the pitch(disregarding Mr McCollin the referee) by 30 years!  On behalf of the OPs Association I would like to thank the College and its staff for giving up their time and for their hospitality which is much appreciated."

With thanks to all the participants, supporters, organisers and caterers for making the day such a lovely relaxed affair.

More photographs of the day can be found on the school website by clicking here.

Over the years a good number of Old Princethorpians and Friends of the College have been involved in supporting the College in a variety of different ways. We would like to encourage more involvement from the wider Princethorpe community.

Specific areas where we would welcome help include:

• Careers-related activities: interviews, the Careers Fair (which will take place on Saturday 17 March 2018) and Work Experience
• Co-curricular activities
• Parent/OP and Friends of Princethorpe focus groups

If you currently do help us in any way, or would like to think about offering your help in the future, I would be very grateful if you could fill in the brief on-line questionnaire which can be accessed here by Friday 13 October please.

An enormous “thank you” to you all for your continued support of the College, it is hugely appreciated by both staff and the pupils.

E D Hester
Headmaster

Princethorpe is celebrating another year of excellent exam results. 

This summer 25% of all A-level grades were A* or A and 80% of grades were C or better; at GCSE over 25% of pupils received at least seven A* or A grades and an impressive two thirds of all grades were the coveted A*, A or B. 

Ed Hester, Headmaster, said, “Our students have worked so hard and we are incredibly proud of their achievements.” 

A-level summary results: 

• 92 candidates
• 25% A* & A
• 80% grade C or better
• 100% pass rate

Amongst the high fliers were Head Girl Alana Eckland who achieved all A*s and As and is studying medicine at university and Head Boy Lloyd Ellis who has gone abroad to study History at Utrecht University. Charlotte Morton, Alistair Robinson, Nick Bonsall, Josh Horswill, Marcio Zheng, James Ireland and Jack Dennis also achieved all A* and A  A–level grades.

At GCSE there were many distinguished performances, but the best individual results were from Mollie Dibb, who achieved ten A*s and one A grade, and Amy Field, who achieved nine A*s and two A grades.   

Princethorpe pupils performed well in all the core GCSE subjects but the College is particularly delighted with its best ever English results with 55% of pupils achieving A* or A grades.  Results were also strong in the creative subjects with 83% of Art entries graded A* or A. 

GCSE summary results:  

• 131 candidates
• two thirds of all grades A* to B
• over 25% achieved at least seven A* or A grades
• 55% of pupils achieved A* or A grades for English

Headmaster, Ed Hester, continued, “All credit goes to our pupils and staff for their commitment and hard work.  The College goes from strength to strength and our 2017 A-level and GCSE results are very strong indicators that the school’s academic achievements across the ability

In the making for a little over two years (or as Headmaster Ed Hester revealed on the night, actually eight!) the final instalment of Princethorpe College’s Golden Jubilee Year Celebrations, the much anticipated Golden Jubilee Ball, took place last Saturday 1 July.

Over 400 guests joined together to mark the College’s first 50 years which saw the whole of the Princethorpe community represented.  The College’s Trustees, current and former parents, staff and pupils from across the decades were in attendance including a VSOP (Very Senior Old Princethorpian) Mary Wheildon, an old girl of St Mary’s Priory, and Andrew Chan who left in the 1980s, and had travelled all the way from Canada to join in the festivities.  The College also welcomed back OPs Tom Pilling, who was videoing the night, and Nick Bond who entertained guests with his wonderful piano playing during the welcome drinks reception.

The College’s North Lawn was transformed for the occasion playing host to a sumptuous marquee by Pukkah Tents allowing guests to enjoy views of rolling Warwickshire hills and its very own recently-restored Switzerland. Fine-dining and drinks by the Chopping Block plus good company provided a great start to the evening. The celebrations continued into the early hours, supported by live music from band Astella.   

Headmaster Ed Hester commented, “The Jubilee Ball was a truly magical evening and epitomised Princethorpe’s ‘spirit of family’. It was fantastic to be joined by members of the Princethorpe community from both far and wide, and old and young and celebrate together.”

He continued, “My thanks go to all who made the evening possible and I’m delighted that we have contributed to Princethorpe’s rich history in such a memorable way.”

A video and a selection of images from the night are available on our school website please click here.  

Here’s to the next 50 years!

An intrepid band of Princethorpe College staff, parents and former pupils took on an epic challenge over the May half term holiday when they cycled between the French towns of Issoudun and Montargis in the Loire Valley, as part of the College’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The two French towns have historic connections with the College. Issoudun being the town linked most closely to the Catholic College’s founding fathers, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, and Montargis being the former home of the Benedictine nuns who fled France in the French Revolution to build the priory in which the school is now housed.

The 18 cyclists, including OPs, Peter Rollason, Luke Hedderwick, Ossie Ostler, Nigel Denton and Paul Gallagher and their supporters travelled to France by coach and cycled the 120 miles over two days, with a rest day in between in the beautiful hilltop town of Sancerre. Over the course of the challenge the cyclists encountered extreme heat, monsoon like rain, plentiful punctures and their fair share of aches and pains.

They travelled along country roads and canal paths, through lush meadows and poppy fields, beside the beautiful Loire and up steep hills in order to complete the challenge.  The end of which was marked by a civic reception hosted by the Mayor of Montargis.

Comments, Headmaster, Ed Hester, “120 miles in two days is no mean feat and all the pilgrims deserve to be congratulated. There was a fantastic camaraderie on the trip, which really epitomised Princethorpe’s spirit of family. We were received most warmly by the French people, who were fascinated by the challenge and our links to the two towns.”

The cyclists raised over £3,000 in aid of their chosen charity, Mary’s Meals, which sets up school feeding programmes in communities where poverty and hunger prevent children from gaining an education.

To see more pictures from the trip click here to visit the College website.

If you would like to support them please go to their Just Giving page:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/princethorpecollege-goldenjubileecyclingpilgrimage

Trustee Liz Griffin has taken over the role of Foundation Chair of Trustees from Mary O'Farrell who stepped down at the end of the summer, having completed her tenure as Chair.

Mary has been a valued member of the Governing Body since 2000 and Chair of Trustees since 2008. A former primary Headteacher with many years’ experience, Mary has played an integral part in the Foundation's growing success, overseeing the merger with Abbotsford in 2010 and with the Crescent in 2016.

Commented Eddie Tolcher, Foundation Bursar and Clerk to the Trustees, "Mary has been an exceptional Chair of Trustees, we are enormously grateful for her wise counsel, her collaborative approach and sense of humour, all of which she has brought to bear in her role over the past nine years. She has an implicit understanding of education, teaching and learning and this combined with her approach to fellow trustees, staff and children has proven immensely effective in taking the Foundation forward. We are fortunate that she will continue to be a member of the Governing Body.”

Liz Griffin has been a trustee for two years, and has unparalleled, longstanding connections with Princethorpe. A Princethorpe village resident of 29 years, she taught Geography and Economics on a part-time basis at the College for seven years, her two sons, James and Christopher, both attended the school and she is married to former Head of Business and Economics, Peter Griffin.

She taught at secondary school level for thirty years, latterly as Head of Inclusion and Assistant Head Teacher at Cardinal Wiseman School in Coventry before retiring in August 2014.

Continued Eddie, “Liz, like Mary, is an educationalist though and through and will have this at the heart of her ambitions for the Foundation. Her energy, drive and enthusiasm for the Princethorpe cause is second to none and will I’m sure make her a very worthy successor to Mary. We thank Mary for her years of service as Chair and wish Liz well for her new role which commenced in September.”

Other changes on the Governing Body include Colin Russell taking over the role of Deputy Chair of Trustees from Quintin Cornforth. who we are delighted will also remain on the Governing Body. We say goodbye and thank you to trustees who have stepped down over the last year including Sarah Kershaw, Catherine MacDonald and Peter Rush.

With just five weeks to go now, the countdown to the College's Entrance Exams for admission in September 2018 is well underway. This year the exams for Year 7 to 10 entry will take place on Saturday 11 November from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

Our friendly Admissions Team has been kept busy over the summer and this term accepting registrations for the examination from prospective parents. 

There is still time for prospective pupils and their parents to visit the College before the Entrance Exams as we have one final Open Morning on Thursday 2 November from 10.30am to 12.30pm, when pupil tour guides will be available to show visitors around the school.  

We now need registrations for the entrance examination as soon as possible to enable the seeking of references from junior schools.

Comments Melanie Butler, Assistant Head, Marketing, Admissions and Communications, "Interest is at an all time high. Parents and pupils do still have time to prepare and visit the College.  The results will then be out for the end of November, making for an exam-free Christmas holiday, which has got to be good news."

For more information on the admissions process click here to visit our Admissions Update newsletter.

If you have any queries relating to admissions please feel free to email the Registrars at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk or call them on 01926 634201.

On Thursday 8 June, former pupils Jide Olanrewaju and Finbarr Roche-Kelly, together with Jide’s wife Roseanne, met with the Headmaster and College staff at Beaufort House, Chelsea for a lovely evening of shared memories of the College.

Jide, and his brothers Tunde and Yemi, who attended Princethorpe College in the 1990s, generously donate the Biodun Olanrewaju Memorial Prize each year at Prize Giving, in memory of their father. The prize is awarded to a student who embodies the values and ethos of the College and is intended to allow the recipient to further their interests, studies and/or travel.

Finbarr, a pupil at the College in the 1980s and a regular donor to our 50 + 10 Bursary Fund, shared some funny stories about his time at Princethorpe, and Alex Darkes, former pupil and Assistant Head, was keen to reminisce too. The former pupils were thrilled to hear about developments at the College, particularly the redevelopment of Switzerland and the outdoor classroom, and of our plans for a more philanthropic future.

The evening ended with an open invitation to visit the College and see the developments first hand; an invitation that is open to all of the Princethorpe community, far and wide.

Stuck for Christmas present ideas for the OPs in your life? Look no further as items from the OP range of merchandise make the ideal gift for Christmas, birthdays or anniveraries!

Popular items include:

• NEW Socks with distinctive Tower design on dark blue background with thin diagonal stripe - priced £8.50 + postage
• A university style scarf (in 100% wool with navy blue, red and gold stripes) - priced  £30 + postage
• T-bar cufflinks with a gold Tower design - priced £25 + postage
• The Old Princethorpian tie. A classic 100% silk tie with a repetitive gold Tower design and thin red diagonal stripes on a dark blue background - priced £18 + postage and packing.
• Tower pin badge. The 2cm high badge in nickel with recessed metal detail is based on the Tower logo - priced £10 + postage

Stocks are available now, to order any item please click on the attached Old Princethorpians Merchandise Order Form or email Old Princethorpians.

Nick Baker our fantastic College Archivist for the past three years has moved on to pastures new. He has decided to pursue a calling and train for the priesthood.

We are enormously grateful to Nick for the huge amount of progress he has made with the archive and are delighted that he will be keeping his hand in the Princethorpe archive so to speak in the future, working occasionally with Janette Ratcliffe, the new Archivist. Good to know that it is definitely more 'au revoir' than 'adieu'. 

Nick has made many friends over his time at Princethorpe across both the staff and Old Princethorpians. He has been a fabulously knowledgeable addition to the Arts Society speaker rota and we must not forget his co-authoring of the wonderful Spirit of Family Book with Alex Darkes for our Golden Jubilee.

It was most fitting that Nick's was part of the Golden Jubilee Cycling Pilgrimage Group in May visiting France to put more pieces of the Princethorpe jigsaw into place by visiting Issoudun (home to the MSCs) and Montargis (home to the Benedictines).

We wish him all the very best with his chosen path and look forward to seeing him again soon!

I am thrilled to have joined the Princethorpe Foundation as Archivist and am looking forward to carrying on the fantastic work that Nick Baker began during his time here. It’s brilliant to be joining a Foundation that value their heritage as much as the College does and I’ve already been lucky enough to talk to some Old Princethorpians at the Heritage Open Day, who were kind enough to share some of their happy memories of coming here. People often think of archives as dry and dusty (I’ve already had the hoover out in the storeroom to make sure that’s not true) but the thing I love the most is capturing the stories of the people that shaped a place. This is particularly true of schools where it is the pupils and staff that make the place so special.

I have come to archives as a career ‘fairly late’ in life and graduated from the University of Liverpool with a Postgraduate Diploma in Archives and Records Management in July this year. Prior to retraining, I was a Primary School Teacher for 15 years and I hope that I’ll be able to use some of my old skills to get the archives into the classrooms across all of the Foundation schools.

When I’m not busy preserving records in the hope that one day I might have a guest spot on ‘Who Do You Think You Are’, I keep myself busy with family life and my very demanding cocker spaniel called Meg. 

So far I have been busy with Heritage Open Day, exploring the archives and showcasing the College history at Open Afternoon.   

Heritage Open Day

If there is one thing that is guaranteed to make you learn about the history of a school quickly, it’s the knowledge that in your first week you’ll be leading tours as part of the Heritage Open Day.  This year's took place on Sunday 10 September. Having never taken part in one before, I had no idea of how many people would come and when I woke to see a miserable, grey day, I did wonder if I’d have the opportunity to show off all my newly-gained knowledge. I needn’t have worried! The event was a great success with around 80 people coming during the two hours we were open. Between Alex Darkes, Nick Baker (who had kindly come back to help) and myself, we led three large tours and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with lots of comments about how beautiful the building is and also what a fascinating history the school and site have. What was particularly lovely was that there were a real mix of visitors, from people who had driven past many times and wondered what the buildings were like, to friends and families of current pupils. It was also great to have the opportunity to talk to some Old Princethorpians about their memories of the school and how much it had changed (or in some cases hadn’t) since their days here.

Archive Exploration 

Not one to then sit back and take it easy, I spent my second week in the storeroom surveying the collections and trying to get a feel for what kinds of materials we have here at the Foundation. I say surveying, but what that really means is that I had a great time taking the boxes off the shelves and opening them to have a look at what was inside. I discovered that there’s still lots of uncatalogued material so I plan to make cataloguing one of the key areas of my role – that way it’ll be easier to increase the use of the documents and photos we have. I’ll admit perhaps the biggest surprise was opening a box and discovering a large toy frog in the Crackley Hall collection!

Open Afternoon 

On Sunday 24 September there was an Open Afternoon for prospective parents and pupils and we showcased the archives in a display in the Library. It was a real chance to promote the rich and varied education pupils get at the school by including material showing the sporting, dramatic and creative traditions that are important here at Princethorpe. Librarian Karen O’Connor kindly lent me her dressmaking mannequin too so that we were also able to show some of the uniform pieces that have been donated.

Do please get in touch if you have any stories or information to share.  I can be contacted at janetteratcliffe@princethorpe.co.uk. 

The newly formed Development Focus Group was recently kindly hosted by Princethorpe parent Robert Lee at the stunning offices of Wright Hassall, solicitors in Leamington Spa. The group, consisting of five current and former parents, including OP Nigel Bromley, generously give their time, guidance and advice to the Development team, giving valued feedback on latest projects such as the bursary campaign’s ‘Cut the Coffee’ regular giving initiative.

The group meets termly and is a very convivial, informal, and creative forum for discussion. The Development team values such donations of time and expertise greatly, and it is wonderful to have such a mix of skills around the table. The group, which represents a cross section of parents at the College, gives invaluable feedback and direction to all our fundraising work.

The Bursary campaign, launched in March, aims to transform the lives of children who would otherwise be unable to attend Princethorpe College. The Fund provides opportunities to those families whose circumstances prevent them from accessing the fantastic education, care and support that a Princethorpe education offers. The regular giving campaign, invites Princethorpe supporters, to sacrifice just three cups of coffee a month and join the growing number of families who give small, regular donations to benefit other children and transform lives.

The cost to wholly fund one child for a year at Princethorpe is approximately £12,000, however through regular giving, small gifts from many supporters, soon add up to make a real difference. For every 84 families who make a regular gift of £12 a month, we can offer one full bursary place to a child and change their life for the better. Further details can be found on our school website.

A big thank you to those who are part of the focus group. If any other Old Princethorpians would like to join us, or know more about the group, please contact Rachel Hadley-Leonard, Director of Development, at rachelhadleyleonard@princethorpe.co.uk or by telephoning 01926 634265.

Princethorpe English Teacher, Jess Newborough and OP and Deputy ICT Manager, Becky Thornton will be taking to the stage in late November in the Sudden Impulse Theatre Company's production of The Accrington Pals at Nuneaton's Abbey Theatre.

The production, by Peter Whelan, is set in Accrington during 1914-16 and contrasts the experiences of the ‘Pals’, the local volunteer battalion, in the trenches, with the women they have left behind. It is an at times funny, at times sad, portrayal of the challenges of the war years, of the womenfolk who held the fort, who flourished despite their anxiety and their troubles when terrible news inevitably comes home.

Jess will be playing Annie, wife to the very religious Arthur Boggis, mother to the rascal Reggie, a bit of a harridan, and often the butt of humour, but with glimpses of the warmer person she might have become. Whilst Becky plays May, a strong willed, independent woman whose second-cousin (and secret love) Tom, takes up the call for volunteers. Left at home to build up the business, she is torn between her new found opportunity and her desire to keep her cousin safe.

Becky says, “I am really excited to be back on stage; my days of treading the boards at Princethorpe seem a lifetime ago. It feels very apropos that my return to College life also marks my return to theatre!”

Jess comments, “The Accrington Pals is the fourth in the series of World War One centenary tribute plays Sudden Impulse Theatre Company has performed.  Last November I played Mrs Peaceful, in the Michael Morpurgo story Private Peaceful, performing in front of some 100 of our Year 7 pupils. I am delighted that this year we have an Old Princethorpian joining us on stage.”

Old Princethorprians may also have enjoyed her performance of Hippolyta, the Amazon queen in the company’s outdoor summer performance of A Midsummer’s Night Dream which played here at Princethorpe College on the Sixth Form lawn back in June.  The College is hoping the company will stage further outdoor performances at Princethorpe next summer.

Formed in 2014 the theatre company has won awards, most recently at the 2017 Buxton Festival, and is renowned for the high quality, professional drama it produces.

The Accrington Pals will run from Wednesday 22 to Saturday 25 November.  Tickets are priced: £12 Adult / £10 Concessions, and are available from 07899 406843 or online at www.suddenimpulse.co.uk.

This year’s Art, Photography and Design Summer Exhibition opened on Thursday 22 June with a special evening reception for the artists and their families, friends and guests.  The displays remained on show until Sunday 25 June allowing visitors to the College’s Summer Fête to also enjoy the superb standard of work this year’s GCSE and A-level pupils have produced.

Those who know the College will be familiar with its formidable reputation for quality art and design work. The walls of the College are adorned by exceptional examples and the work at this year’s show was always going to delight.  It included a bonus, an added extra this Golden Jubilee year, a special display of work by Old Princethorpians, allowing visitors to enjoy the work of College artists and designers both past and present.  OPs who exhibited included, Paul Hubball, Lauren Whitfield, Kate Whitfield, Bob Cheshire, Owein  Mason, Matt Farr, Sam Evetts, Ed Creyton, Boszena Piniescka and Jordan Griffiths.

The Sixth Form Centre and Lecture Theatre was transformed into an eclectic exhibition space, the light and airy atrium helping to showcase the work at its best.  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.

In the main hall fascinating portraiture sat alongside superb studies, imaginative illustrations and phenomenal photography.  In the Design and Technology studio, intricately stitched dresses and swooping skirts showcased this year’s Textiles pieces, whilst fine furniture fit to grace any home was on offer from our Resistant Materials pupils.

Our congratulations go to all our GCSE and A-level pupils for producing such a worthy display.  Thanks go to Art Department and to the Design and Technology Department for all their support and inspiration to pupils this and every year and for putting together such an outstanding show.  Finally thanks also go to all the Old Princethorpians who submitted work for the Golden Jubilee Display, it was a real bonus to be able to see and share some of your recent work.

It was lovely to see some familiar faces at our annual Team Building and Sports Day for local primary schools.  With over 120 local little ones descending on the College, Marketing Intern, Lauren Whitfield, rallied the troops roping in some of last year’s leavers just back from university to help facilitate the organisation of this always lively and exciting day. The line up of able helpers were from left to right, Lauren Whitfield, Kiana Kitching, Nick Bond, Charlotte Plant, Zoe Hyland, Mia Mead (current Teaching Assistant from MSC School in Australia), Josh Popham, Sophie Nicholls, Peter Hitchman and last but by no means least, Flora Courtney 

There was certainly a lot to organise with a mix of team building challenges, such as riddle solving and plank walking, and track and field athletics and of course the distribution of the legendary Princethorpe cookies!  So their help was very much appreciated.  Their excitement at their reunion with each other, as well as with their former teachers, only added to the carnival atmosphere of the event, which is a firm favourite on the Princethorpe calendar.

The lovely Lauren has gone off to University herself now but we were most grateful for her and her compatriots fantastic help on that fun filled, fabulous summer day.  

Issue 22 of The Pinnacle, our school magazine that celebrates exceptional work from across the Foundation, was published in the Summer Term. Full to bursting with fabulous examples of pupils who are determined to go that extra mile in their everyday school life.

Editor and da Vinci Programme Co-ordinator, Helen Pascoe-Williams said, “There are pages and pages of excellent work from across our expanding Foundation. It’s always a pleasure and a privilege to bring everything together in one place.”

The Pinnacle includes a double-sized Minnacle showcasing the impressive work produced by pupils at the Foundation Junior Schools’ Crackley Hall and Crescent.

You can view the latest edition here The Pinnacle and The Minnacle.