Old Princethorpians

Earlier this week the Princethorpe Foundation issued its response to new data legislation (GDPR), which comes into force today, Friday 25 May 2018.

Over the last year we have been working hard to keep abreast of directives from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and their guidance concerning data processing. We have also sought advice from professional industry bodies, our school solicitors and external consultants.

Having undertaken a thorough review and audit of the data we hold and the way in which we process it, the Princethorpe Foundation believes that all of the data held relating to our community can be lawfully processed under three bases, namely Legal Obligation, Contractual and/or Legitimate Interests. This is due to the nature of the existing relationships we already have with our community which includes prospective, current and former pupils, prospective, current and former parents, prospective, current and former staff and Friends of the Foundation.

Please be assured that we will treat your data with the utmost integrity, respect and confidentiality. Your personal data will be stored and used in accordance with our updated Privacy Notices in line with the new regulation and our communications with you will be conducted in the least intrusive way possible and only in ways that you would reasonably expect.  You can opt out of receiving non-legal or non-contractual communications at any time by contacting us by email, telephone or by letter.

To see the full response, view the updated Privacy Notices and how to contact us, click on this link.

During the Easter holidays a contingent from Princethorpe, comprising Headmaster, Ed Hester, his wife, Tracey, Fr Teddy O’Brien MSC, Development Director, Rachel Hadley-Leonard and Old Princethorpians’ Secretary, Melanie Butler journeyed to Hong Kong to meet with past pupils who had boarded at the College from the late 1960s to the 1990s.
The trip came five years after Fr Teddy O’Brien and Fr Dan O’Connor MSC had been hosted on a very successful visit by former pupils.

The focus of this return visit was a Development Reunion Dinner at the prestigious Hong Kong Club, in Central on the evening of Saturday 14 April, but an amazing itinerary had been arranged around this event to give the visitors a thorough introduction to all the sights and delights of Hong Kong. The OPs behind masterminding the schedule and helping organise the dinner were Alan Young, Vitus Leung, Nelson Ngai and Heman Lam – or the ‘Fantastic Four’ as they soon became known.

All Old Princethorpians living in Hong Kong or the Far East had been invited to the Development Reunion Dinner and the response to the invitation had been very positive, with acceptances from across the generations. Most of the guests are resident in Hong Kong, but others travelled from further afield, including Simon Loasby who now lives in Shanghai, Jonathan Leung from Singapore, Peter Lee from China and Peter Yang (aka Fat Jack) and his wife, Kitty from Australia.

On the Saturday evening after a short drinks reception, a delicious three-course buffet was enjoyed by the 40-strong group in the club’s private Harcourt Suite. Guests were sat at five tables depending on when they had attended and named after key locations at Princethorpe, from the Quad, to the Refectory, the Study Hall, the Orchard and Switzerland. A slide-show of archive photographs played throughout the evening, bringing back memories and fuelling tales of bygone days. Guests also had their memories tested by a special quiz relating to Princethorpe and its past, with points earned being allocated to their former Houses, see results below.

The more formal part of the proceedings saw Headmaster, Ed Hester, take to the floor to address the gathering. He explained his connections with the College, how things had changed over the years, the huge debt owed to the College’s founders, the MSCs and the strong Christian ethos that continues to this day. He also spoke about plans for a new Science building aimed at giving pupils the very best facilities to encourage the pursuit of Science-based careers.

Rachel Hadley-Leonard then introduced guests to the work of the Development Office including milestones and progress since the office was opened in 2016. Rachel spoke about how the College had a very rich history of philanthropy, including support for various improvements at the College, and not least the great act of generosity by the MSCs who gifted the College to the Foundation in 2001. She then showed the ‘Making a Difference’ Film which explains the school’s new Bursary Fund and how that has impacted on pupils’ lives and outlined the new Capital Campaign for Science. She concluded by asking for the group’s support for the College in a variety of ways, whether in terms of mentoring and careers advice or sponsorship of bursaries or supporting aspects of the new Science building.

Melanie Butler, spoke briefly about the Old Princethorpians’ Association, its aims and activities including events and the popular termly e-newsletter, The Old Princethorpian, before emphasising the importance of both parties keeping in touch and how welcome all the OPs would be to visit the College, bringing their families with them.

She finished with a second film entitled ‘Greetings from Princethorpe’, which featured former and long-standing members of staff, Peter Griffin, Bernie Moroney, Lou Skiffington, Alex Darkes and Sean Philpott all reminiscing about the Hong Kong pupils and sending their greetings to the assembled throng.

The evening came to a happy conclusion with the results of the Quiz, a resounding rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ to Fat Jack, who was celebrating his 63rd birthday that day, goodie bags full of information, and an invitation to Mass the next day at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the next day, when Fr Teddy would be co-celebrating.

Over the few short days that the Princethorpe group spent in Hong Kong with their kind and trusty guides, they had a wealth of experiences from the stunning views from The Peak, to a tram ride across town to the Hong Kong Park, climbing 200 steps to see the giant Buddha on Lantau Island, the sights and sounds of Tai O village and fascinating visits to the Hong Kong Government Offices thanks to David Chung and to Hong Kong University, courtesy of Professor Paul Cheung. They also had an amazing array of culinary experiences from a traditional Dim Sum brunch, to Chinese, Cantonese and Thai banquets.

Commenting on the visit, Headmaster, Ed Hester said, “We were completely overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome we received and the hospitality shown to us. There is clearly a huge fondness for Princethorpe within the OP community in Hong Kong and they seemed delighted to be reminded of times past and also to see the many developments that have happened at the College over the intervening years. We hope that the Hong Kong OPs will find ways to support us, keep in touch and come and visit us at Princethorpe soon.”

A huge thank you to all our guests for attending the Dinner and particularly to the Fantastic Four, Alan, Vitus, Nelson and Heman, for their endless good humour, hospitality and friendship.

To view all the photographs, videos and information shared on the trip please click on this link.

Quiz Results:

1st place – Switzerland – 500 points

2nd place – The Study Hall – 400 points

3rd place – The Quad – 300 points

Joint 4th place – The Orchard and The Refectory – 150 points each

House points earned:

Austin - 273

Benet - 554

Fisher - 343

More - 330

The points earned have been added into this year’s (2018/2019) College House Competition.

The recent Old Princethorpians and Development Trip to Hong Kong had many highlights, one particular honour for some of the group was to be invited to visit OP David Chung at his place of work, no less than the Hong Kong Government Offices.

David attended Princethorpe from 1982 to 1985, before completing a Computer Science degree at Imperial College, London and then an Engineering Doctorate in Engineering Management at the City University of Hong Kong. He took on the role of Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology Bureau in 2016.  His background was in industry, most recently as Chief Technology Officer for Hong Kong Cyberport. Prior to that he co-founded some internet startups and was Technical Director for Microsoft.

The group led by OPs Alan Young, who happens to be David’s cousin and Heman Lam, entered the Hong Kong Government Offices and were whisked up to his office, a prime location with stunning views overlooking Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour waterfront.

After a flurry of pictures with David against the backdrop, he briefed the group as to his role within the Government.

He explained that he and his team are working on a five-year strategy for the Government, which includes increased investment in Research and Development, incentivising the private sector to work with the Government, offering tax incentives to companies investing in R and D, working with the education sector to develop more talent in STEM subjects, establishing a “Postdoctoral Hub” and encouraging local students to continue to Phd level with Science through scholarships.

Commented David, “Innovation and Technology is so important for the future success of Hong Kong.  This is such an exciting time with all the breakthroughs we are seeing, particularly in the fields of bio-technology, artificial intelligence and robotics,. Our aim is that the changes we are making now will have a real and significant impact on our society.”

We are very grateful to David for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with us and wish him well with his strategy.

On the last day of their visit to Hong Kong Princethorpe Headmaster Ed Hester and his wife and fellow teacher, Tracey were treated to a very special educational experience.

Courtesy of OP, Paul Cheung, Professor of Electrical Engineering at Hong Kong University, the couple spent an afternoon with him on campus. Established in 1911, the University of Hong Kong, or HKU as it is known, is the territory's oldest institute of higher learning and an internationally recognised, research led, university.

Paul and his twin brother, Peter, were the first of their extended family to attend Princethorpe and were trailblazers for the pupils from Hong Kong. During his brief sojourn from 1968 to 1970 he excelled in Mathematics and progressed swiftly to Imperial College, London to pursue an Electrical Engineering degree at the tender age of just seventeen. He then gained a doctorate at Imperial before returning to Hong Kong in 1978 and starting work at the University in 1980.

Paul lectures in the Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering at the University and is also Programme Director of the MSc in E-Commerce and Internet Computing. The field of Electrical and Electronic Engineering encompasses many exciting technologies such as electronics, computer systems, mobile communications, power systems, medical engineering and information systems. These are among the fastest growing and most challenging technologies enabling the development of the modern information-based society.

After a delicious lunch in the University’s Senior Common Room, Paul escorted Ed and Tracey to iDendron, the recently opened HKU Innovation and Entrpreneurship Hub, which he had been instrumental in establishing. The opening of iDendron in late 2017 was a new stage at the University in terms of nurturing an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit on campus after the Dream Catchers competition in 2015. Dream Catchers and iDendron aim to engage and grow the entrepreneurship community so it makes an impact both on HKU and beyond, establishing interdisciplinary co-operation on entrepreneurial initiatives, and supporting and incubating startup companies.

Ed and Tracey saw some of the twenty startup teams, led by HKU students and young alumni, who have moved in and are working on their projects at iDendron.

Comments Ed Hester, “It was a tremendous pleasure for Tracey and I to be shown around one of the world’s leading universities by such an eminent professor as Paul Cheung and to get an insight into this cutting edge collaborative learning and innovation environment.”

A fantastic group of OPs lined up against the Kenilworth Babas on Easter Saturday 31 March and did the College proud in a close run match. Charlie Preston, Sam Harcourt, Max Tailby, Peter Rollason, Harry Charlton, Richard Sidaway, Freddie Fergusson, Mitch Cook, Ainsley Wileman, George Redwood, Josh O'Brien, Sam Rose, Ben Rothwell were amongst those who turned out on the day, after the match had been postponed at Christmas.

Commented OPs Chairman, Peter Rollason, "A huge "thank you" to Charlie Preston and Josh O'Brien for getting together such a brilliant group of players for the Alex Wallis Memorial Trophy game at Kenilworth RFC. It was a privilege and a pleasure to be part of a great team. Thanks to all who turned up to play, especially Mark Palmer (current Princethorpe parent) who got a very nasty late tackle! Thanks also to Kenilworth RFC and Peter Jones for their splendid hospitality.

"I can't remember the score but the OPs XIV (we were 1 short!) came a very creditable and galant second. See you all in September......"

The next OPs Rugby Match will be played as part of the OPs vs College Sports Day on Saturday 1 September, see events section for details.

On a flying visit to the UK at the end of April as part of a trip to Europe from her home in the USA, the college was delighted to welcome back former St Mary’s priory Head Girl, Maria-Cecilia Cordoba Good, her companion Maria- Emilia and good friend, fellow St Mary’s girl and OPs Committee member, Mary Wheildon. The ladies, or Very Special Old Princethorpians, attended St Mary’s in the late 50s and left in 1961. For Maria Cecilia this was her first trip back to Princethorpe for five years, though she and Mary had attended the Golden Jubilee House of Commons event in May 2016.

The trio enjoyed lunch in the Refectory with the Headmaster, Ed Hester and senior members of staff from the Development Office and Old Princethorpians, before venturing on a guided tour of school led by Assistant Head – Alex Darkes. Their tour included a visit to the Chapel, where teacher and organist Will Uglow treated them to a rendition of the St Mary’s school hymn, the College Library, former dormitories and the chance to view material gathered by archivist, Janette Ratcliffe, including photographs and editions of the St Mary's school magazine Peeps, featuring mentions of the ladies during their time at the school.

Over the course of the afternoon, the Headmaster and Development Director, Rachel Hadley-Leonard, spoke to the group about initiatives at the College and plans for the future.

The next St Mary’s Priory Reunion is scheduled for Saturday 22 September and we look forwarding to welcoming more VSOPs back then!

Princethorpe Headmaster, Ed Hester, and his family (all OPs or Princethorpe teachers) headed to Australia over the Easter holidays and held a relatively impromptu OPs gathering in Melbourne on Friday 6 April at the city's Riverland Bar.

As well as Ed, Tracey, James, Lizzie and Katherine Hester, the gathering at the relaxed waterfront venue, attracted Mia Mead, former Princethorpe Teaching Assistant, OP Jeremy Taylor (1978 -83) and his wife, Sophie, who were visiting family in Melbourne, new pupil Tom Spencer and his parents Jo and Graham who were about to move back to the UK and join the school and Princethorpe Assistant Head, Greg Hunter, who was visiting family in his native land.

The Old Princethorpians are introducing a brand new event into their annual calendar with the addition of a Former Parents' Saturday Brunch.

The inaugural brunch is set to take place on Saturday 12 May 2018 from 10.30am to 12.30pm in the College's Main Dining Room. In addition to catching up over a leisurely complimentary brunch, visitors will be able watch some cricket against local rivals, Bablake School, and take an optional tour of the school campus.

Comments OP Chairman, Peter Rollason, "We are aware that a lot of former parents will have spent a considerable amount of time at Princethorpe over the years, supporting their children in many different ways and may be missing the involvement in school life. We hope that this will be an opportunity for them to reconnect with both the College and each other in an informal, friendly environment. If the event goes well we hope to make this more of a regular fixture in our calendar."

If you would like to attend please RSVP with the name of your child/children, the number in your party and any special dietary requirements to oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk or call Melanie Butler on 01926 634284 by Tuesday 8 May.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please spread the word amongst former parents!!

The rescheduled Leamington Pub Meet which took place on Wednesday 28 March, attracted a good number of former and current staff, alongside the Old Princethorpians.

The group took over the upstairs function room at the Star and Garter for a sociable evening of catching up and reminiscing.  Conversation flowed, helped along by a delicious buffet and the odd beverage!

Amongst those attending were former teachers, Steve White, Bernie Moroney, Ed MacFetridge, longstanding staff Alex Darkes and Mike Taylor and OPs Eddie Tolcher, Paul Gallagher, Paul Hubball, Sacha Galloway, Rory Rooney, Oscar Thornton and of course Headmaster, Ed Hester and OPs Chairman Peter Rollason.

Princethorpe College has passed a recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) regulatory compliance inspection with flying colours.

The Catholic co-educational independent day school, which has around 900 pupils aged 11 to 18, was inspected in mid-February and has been judged to have met all of the eight standards required of it. Areas examined in terms of compliance include the quality of education provided, welfare, health and safety of pupils and the quality of leadership and management of the school.

Amongst its findings the report comments on ‘GCSE performance from 2014 to 2016 (the period covered by the inspection) being above the national average’, ‘that principles and values are actively promoted which facilitate the personal development of pupils’ and that ‘the leadership and management demonstrate good skills and knowledge and fulfil their responsibilities effectively’.

Regulatory compliance inspections report on a school’s compliance with the Independent School Standards Regulations. All schools are required to meet all standards applicable to them and the judgements are either met or not met.

Comments Headmaster, Ed Hester, “We are delighted to have met all the ISI’s regulatory standards, the report is testament to the hard work and dedication of the whole team at Princethorpe and my thanks go out to them.”

To access the full report please click here or go to the ISI website.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is the body approved by the Department for Education for the purpose of inspecting schools belonging to Independent Schools Council (ISC) Associations and reporting on compliance with independent school regulations. ISI inspections are also carried out under arrangements of the ISC Associations for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of the membership.

Despite the bitter, cold and wintry weather Headmaster, Ed Hester welcomed a capacity crowd of some 750 pupils, parents, staff and contributors to the College's fourth biennial Careers Fair on Saturday 17 March.

Over forty speakers, including Old Princethorpians and current and former parents, gave their time to present on a wide variety of careers and professions. From Accountancy and Law to Medicine, Engineering, Computing and TV and the Media, individual presentations gave pupil attendees the chance to consider careers, research jobs, listen to advice and ask questions.

The morning began with a keynote speech from guest speaker and Princethorpe parent James Hutcheson, Managing Director Finance and Administration for leading supermarket retailer, Aldi. Mr Hutcheson’s introduction was full of inspiration and sound advice. He urged pupils to ‘work out what makes you different’, ‘to prepare for your future’ and ‘to be clear about what you are going to do when you leave here’. He explained how aspirations can change, reassuring them that ‘typically an individual will have 11 different jobs’, often in different companies and different fields. He was full of the sort of sound, insightful and practical advice that only a top three Times 100 graduate employer can provide. He advised pupils to ‘focus on what you can control’, to identify ‘what is your added value’, and he concluded with a reflection on the quality of a Princethorpe education describing it as ‘an opportunity not to be wasted’.

Thanking Mr Hutcheson, Ed Hester summed up with the hope that the Careers Fair would succeed in ‘getting pupils on the right track’ and with that the attendees were off for a fruitful morning of exploring careers, organisations, universities and life after the classroom.

Princethorpe’s Sixth Form Atrium served as the hub for the morning with an exhibition full of employers, universities and Gap Year companies. This year the Sixth Form Theatre was a space dedicated to organisations such as IBM, Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls Royce, with representatives on hand to talk to interested pupils and parents about their apprenticeship programmes.

For many this was their first step on the career ladder and it enabled pupils to have a taste of some of the different sorts of career choices available to them. Feedback has certainly been very positive with parents and pupils commenting on how useful and informative the event was.

We are immensely grateful to all the Old Princethorpians, parents, contributors and staff who supported the Careers Fair and to the Careers Team for their organisation of the event.

OPs involved included, Peter Rollason, Rory Aitkenhead, Bob Cheshire, Laura Brazier, Lucy Coulson, Nigel Bromley, Maddie Wigmore-Sykes, Tim Smith, Jacob Mitchell and last but by no means least, Tom Cross. 

Princethorpe College Sports Scholar, Oscar Kay, was one of ten talented youngsters who were presented with an Excellence in Sports Award at the recent Rugby Sports Awards. The ceremony took place on Wednesday 28 February at the Benn Hall in Rugby and Oscar received his award in recognition for his hockey achievements during 2017.

Oscar was presented with his award by guest of honour, Warwickshire and England cricketer, and Old Princethorpian, Ian Bell. During the evening the former Princethorpe College pupil hosted an enlightening question and answer session about his career, which includes five Ashes Series victories.

Oscar’s Excellence in Sports Award capped off a great year for the 1st XI Princethorpe hockey player, who represented England at the National School Games in September and completed the England Hockey’s AASE (Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence) programme for talented players.

Oscar has been given an unconditional offer to attend Trent University from September, where he will play for the University’s 1XI hockey team. His sights are also set on achieving inclusion in the England U21 NAGS (National Age Group Squads) training programme.

Many congratulations to Oscar, this award is a fitting reward and reflection of his dedication and commitment to his sport.

2018 is a big year for the Foundation's newest Junior School, the Crescent School. Not only will they celebrate their 70th birthday and mark the 30th anniversary since they moved to the Bawnmore Road site in Bilton, Rugby, but it is also the year that they decided to launch their past pupils’ association - Old Crescentians!

The school has set up a group on Facebook called ‘Old Crescentians’ and hopes that this will act as a means for past Crescent pupils to get in touch with each other, share memories and get news about their old school. They are very interested in hearing from all past pupils to find out how life is treating them and what they are doing now and in any old memorabilia they may have.  The Facebook group can be found at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/oldcrescentians/

If you know some Old Crescentians (OCs) who aren’t on Facebook but who may wish to get in touch, they can contact the OCs association by emailing pastpupils@crescentschool.co.uk or calling the School Office on 01788 521595.

The school has some exciting plans afoot to help celebrate their wonderful anniversary milestones this year, including a Family Fun Day on Saturday 29 September.  More details will be published on the Facebook group as they are confirmed.

Pictured is an archive whole school photo from the 1950s.

On Sunday 25 March 70 walkers from Princethorpe College trudged a grand total of 2,131 miles to raise money for the charity Mary’s Meals. For the tenth consecutive year Sixth Formers, staff and OPs laced up their walking boots and took on the challenge of either walking 24 miles in seven hours or going the extra distance and completing 40 miles in a day.

The route was a big circular loop around Coventry with the 40 milers starting and finishing in Meriden and the 24/7 crew joining them at Ryton. The route took in varying terrain, making conditions uncomfortable underfoot despite the thankfully clement weather.

Sam Munro was first to finish the 40 miles, romping home in a time of 11 hours and 36 minutes whilst Freya Barnett and Aisling Brennan were first across the line for the 24/7 challenge completing the course in 6 hours and 32 minutes.

They were followed home by a procession of jubilant finishers with the final walker completing the challenge at 8.30pm.

Organiser of the event and Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Mr Rod Isaacs, who also completed the 40 mile walk, commented, “As always there was a wonderful spirit of camaraderie along the route. Everyone was helping each other and keeping focused on the aim to raise as much money as possible for impoverished children around the world. This academic year our fundraising for Mary’s Meals has so far raised over £7,800.”

Sixth Former, Anna Wells, commented, “I found it really hard, much harder than I ever imagined. I hit the wall at about 19 miles but I just kept thinking of the sponsorship money. It felt so good when I finally crossed the line, although I am still feeling the pain even now!”

In fact, there were many hobbling teachers and students in College the following Monday - easy to spot by their lurching movements down the corridors. However, a few blisters and aching feet are little price to pay for the money raised to feed and educate children across the globe.

Through the College’s fundraising, 636 children at Makalanga Primary School in Malawi are already receiving a daily meal in school for the first time.

There is still time to support our Sixth Form walkers who would very much like to tip that total over the £8,000 mark. If you would like to donate please visit:

www.marysmeals.org.uk/princethorpe-4-makalanga

The new Princethorpe College Prefect Body for 2018-2019 was formally inaugurated into their roles in an emotional ceremony on the last afternoon of the Lent Term, Wednesday 28 March.
Parents and friends of the new prefects were invited to College for a celebratory buffet lunch before joining the afternoon’s formal ceremony. The outgoing Head Boy, Tim Duffy, and Head Girl, Miriam Isaacs, gave a moving speech reflecting on their year in office and time at Princethorpe before wishing the new Prefect Body well, and handing over the keys of office. The 2018-19 Prefects smartly attired in their cobalt blue prefect uniform for the first time, spoke to the gathered audience of pupils about their hopes for their new roles.

The roles of office are as follows:

Head Girl

Elizabeth Carr

Head Boy

Tom Warne

Deputy Head Girls

Georgia Newborough

Cara Wallis

Deputy Head Boys

Alexander Meredith

Alfie Thomson

Pastoral Prefects

Sarah Abrahams

Luke Daniel

Georgie Glasspool

Daniel Hagan

Jasmine Rigg

Jack Saunders

Austin House Captains

Abbie Baker and Alex Hutcheson

Benet House Captains

Lily Dyble and Bryn Lewis

Fisher House Captains

Freya Barnett and Sam Richards

More House Captains

Aimee Sen-Gupta and Tiarnan Wukics

Social Prefects

Sammy Inskip and Fennah Jones

Charity Prefect

Christie Wukics

Chaplaincy Prefect

Meera Chauhan

Junior Chaplaincy Prefects

Toby Convey – Year 7 - Austin

Conor Fernandez – Year 9 - Austin

Chloe O’Carroll Bailey – Year 7 - More

Zoe Shayler – Year 7 - Benet

Academic Prefects

Patrick Carrington

Megan Harcourt

Charlotte Silvester

Marketing and Communications Prefect

Beth Elliott

Games Prefects

Molly Geehan and Anna Wells

Ben Brown and Robert Lord

The image shows the new prefect body with Headmaster, Mr Hester, and Head of Sixth Form, Mr Collie. Unfortunately one prefect was unavailable, so we will be retaking the photo after the Easter holidays.

The College wishes good luck to the new prefect body for the year ahead and extends warm thanks to the outgoing prefects, they have given great service and we wish them all the best for their upcoming exams and future endeavours.

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

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

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

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

Two Princethorpe College Upper Sixth Form students have secured themselves prestigious degree-level apprenticeships.  18-year-olds Liam Jarrett and Autumn Wells both faced stiff national competition to bag a coveted spot on the apprenticeship programmes at KMPG and Rolls Royce respectively.

The pair were put through their paces having to complete an online application, psychometric tests, video/audio interviews before being invited to an assessment centre where they undertook group exercises, written tasks and a further in-depth interview.

Liam, who is studying for A-levels in Economics, Geography and Law, has been awarded a Finance and Accountancy degree apprenticeship and Autumn, who is studying A-levels in Maths, Psychology and Law, will be joining Rolls Royce’s Commercial apprenticeship scheme.

Comments Jacqui Quinney, Princethorpe Head of Careers, “We are absolutely delighted for Liam and Autumn.  Apprenticeships are an increasingly popular choice for ambitious school leavers who want to launch their careers early. A degree apprenticeship may take longer to complete than a traditional degree at university but Liam and Autumn will be paid a salary, incur no tuition fees and will not need a student loan. On completion of their apprenticeships, they will not only be awarded their degrees, but will also have years of relevant on the job experience.”

Princethorpe College has been awarded the Gold standard in a prestigious national school library accreditation scheme. Awarded by the School Library Service UK, the scheme recognises and acknowledges the work of school libraries and their librarians across the country in raising literacy levels, educational achievement and promoting a love of reading.

The national award scheme is endorsed by the School Library Association (SLA), the School Library Group (SLG) and the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL). The scheme audits 20 key activities and services provided by a school library. For each key activity the school is recognised at one of three levels – developing, establishing and enhancing. The Gold award is presented only to school libraries with 15 or more activities and services in the ‘enhancing’ category. Princethorpe gained an impressive 17 activities awarded as ‘enhancing’, including monitoring of pupils reading, diversity of stock, reading culture and teaching in the library.

College Librarian, Celia Scott, was presented with the award on Wednesday 7 March by Stella Thebridge, Principal Librarian of the Warwickshire Library Service, in Warwick.

Celia Scott commented, “We are thrilled to have achieved such high recognition for our work. Our submission covered a wide range of library activities and services that included not only the library, its staff, facilities and stock but also our wider school support and engagement, the reading culture of the College and the many initiatives, competitions, activities and events we organise and run. The requirements were challenging and we had to meet tough criteria to receive the award. We are delighted that the School Library Service team have decided we are worthy of the Gold standard.”

Stella Thebridge, Principal Librarian, Warwickshire Library Service added, “The College librarian clearly works to the highest standards and offers pupils an excellent library service embedded in the wider school curriculum and reading culture. This is a very well deserved Gold award.”

The latest edition of the College's Admissions Update e-newsletter was published in March. It is packed with news to give prospective parents and pupils a feel for College life, information on forthcoming events and helpful advice about the admissions process, particularly for those who are looking at entry in September 2019.

The newsletter is issued twice a year to coincide with key admissions periods, the next edition will be published in autumn 2018.

Click here to go to the Admissions Update newsletter.

For further information on admissions to the school please call the Registrars on 01926 634201 or 01926 634262 or email the team at admissions@princethorpe.co.uk.

Click on the attachment below to download the latest ‘In the News’ posters featuring some of the Foundation's recent media coverage.

In the News

In the last few months we have had stories in the local press including the Leamington Courier, Kenilworth News, Rugby Advertiser, Daventry Express, Leamington Observer, Rugby and Lutterworth Observer and the Coventry and Warwickshire Telegraph. The Foundation has also been featured in Catholic Today and the Independent Schools’ magazine Attain.