Old Princethorpians

Wednesday 26 May - 5.00pm to 7.30pm

Prospective pupils and their parents are warmly invited to Crackley Hall's Open Evening on Wednesday 26 May from 5.00pm.

The evening will consist of a welcome from our Headmaster, Rob Duigan, and a guided tour around the school. Families will also have an opportunity to ask questions to our Senior Leadership Team. 

The evening will be split into two, hour-long sessions, so that we can manage numbers and adhere to government guidelines. A maximum of two family members will be able to attend with the prospective pupil/s.

To book your place, please click here.

For more information on admission to Crackley Hall and Little Crackers please email Jenny Vaughan at admissions@crackleyhall.co.uk or call 01926 514410.

Thursday 27 May - 5.00pm to 7.30pm

Crescent School will be hosting an Open Evening on Thursday 27 May from 5.00pm to 7.30pm for prosepctive families and pupil/s.

On arrival families will be greeted by the Head Boy and Head Girl before taking a tour of the school. Our Open Evening will give prospective families an insight into life at Crescent and the opportunity to ask our Senior Leadership Team any questions that they might have. 

In order to adhere to government guidelines, the evening will be by appointment only. A maximum of two family members will be able to attend with the prospective pupil/s.

To register your interest please click here

Saturday 29 May – Sunday 30 May 2021

The National Schools’ and Riding Club Two Day Event takes place for the seventh year running on the magnificent Princethorpe estate. The competition is open to any school or Riding Club riders.

The 80cm class continues again, as well as Novice 90cm and Open 100cm classes and the event includes Independent Schools' Association Classes. Show Jumping and Dressage take place on the Saturday with Roads and Tracks, Steeplechase and Cross Country on the Sunday.

Please use this link to find booking forms.

We do hope you can come along and enjoy a wonderful weekend of equestrian events.

Wednesday 9 June 2021 - 6.30pm to 9.00pm

This will be a great opportunity for prospective families, for Year 7 to 10 September 2022 entry, to hear a welcome address from Ed Hester, the Headmaster and to follow a guided tour route around the school.

This Open Evening consists of two sessions that will be carefully managed within government guidelines and will operate on an appointment only basis. Places will be strictly limited.

Our 6.30pm to 7.30pm session is now fully booked. We still have places available 8.00pm to 9.00pm.

Click here to book your place.

Saturday 22 May 2021 and Saturday 19 June 2021

Our Taster Experiences are a great way for your child to really experience Princethorpe. Each session will involve a welcome introduction from Mr Hester, Headmaster and two taster lessons. The sessions will be carefully managed to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

We have three sessions available in May and June. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Saturday 22 May 2021 – 9.00am to 12.15pm
Saturday 19 June 2021 – 9.00am to 12.15pm and 1.30pm to 4.45pm

To attend please register your child here.

Crackley Hall and Crescent School Year 5 pupils have been invited to a specific Taster Experience and Open Afternoon. 

Friday 11 June - 2.00pm to 3.00pm

This online workshop led by Princethorpe’s Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, takes a closer look at leaving a legacy gift to Princethorpe College in your will.
 
Many people have big demands on their finances during their lifetime which may preclude them from making a gift. Supporting Princethorpe with a gift or a donation in a will is a very personal way of giving that can have a hugely positive impact on the College for future generations.
 
The workshop will outline the different sorts of legacies that you may wish to leave, how you may wish to go about this and give an insight into our bursaries scheme.
 
Anyone that makes a legacy pledge will be invited to join the Jules Chevalier Legacy Society – and we want to hear from you about what you would like out of a legacy club, and how we should approach this during the COVID-era. We also want to hear about your views on legacies and their appeal.
 
The meeting will be hosted on Zoom and log-in details will be emailed to those that sign-up.
 
There will also be time to ask questions at the end of the session. If you want to find our more about Legacy Giving at Princethorpe, please view our legacies webpage for more information.

You can register for this evernt here.

*The content of this workshop will be the same as the event ran in October 2020 and March 2021*

Thursday 24 June from 6.00pm to 8.30pm and Sunday 27 June from 2.00pm to 4.30pm

A celebration of our pupils GCSE, AS and A2 Art, Photography and Design work will take place in the College's Sixth Form Centre on Thursday 24 June from 6.00pm to 8.30pm and on Sunday 27 June from 2.00pm to 4.30pm.

A range of design technology projects, from resistant materials to textiles, will be showcased alongside the stunning art and photography work the College is renowned for.

Comments, Paul Hubball, Head of Art, "This is a great opportunity to share our pupils' fantastic creativity with a wider audience and to welcome more art and design lovers to Princethorpe."

Added Head of Design Technology, Paul Scopes, "We look forward to welcoming all the exam pupils and their families from across Design, Art and Photography to enjoy the fruit of their labours."

All are welcome. On Thursday evening admission is free, on the Sunday admission will be £2 per car including entry to the College's Summer Fete and Motoring Festival.

The event is part of the Warwickshire Open Studios Summer Art Weeks.

Friday 25 June 2021 - 6.00pm optional tour, 7.00pm drinks reception, 7.30pm supper

OPs who left the College in 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011 (or those who were in the same year groups) are cordially invited back to the OPs annual Summer Supper on Friday 25 June to celebrate their respective 50th, 40th, 30th, 20th and 10th anniversaries of leaving.

Leavers of year groups ending in a 0, who missed out last year, and other year groups are also most welcome. 

This will be one of the first events to take place at the College and restrictions willing, the evening will start with an optional tour of school at 6.00pm, drinks in the Quad at 7.00pm followed by a delicious three course meal with wine at 7.30pm in the Refectory. A vegetarian or vegan alternative is available. Please email oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk if you have any special dietary requirements. The evening usually draws to a close around 10.30pm.

There is no charge for the event and the dress code is smart casual. Partners are most welcome to attend too. 

Comments OPs Secretary, Melanie Butler, "We know many OPs are keener to come to these events if they can be sure of seeing some familiar faces.  By focusing on year groups ending in a 1 and a 0 we hope to get a critical mass of attendees, although OPs from other years will of course be welcome too!"

Numbers are limited to around 100 guests, so if you would like to attend please go to Princethorpe Connect or email oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk by Friday 11 June to reserve your place.

Sunday 27 June from 2.00pm to 4.30pm

PTA Summer Fête

The PTA Summer Fête takes place in the Orchard between 2.00pm and 4.30pm. Including plenty of entertainment for children and adults alike, refreshments and pupil and external stalls it is always a wonderful event for the family to enjoy. £2 per car for entry.

If you are interested in having a stall at the fête please do email pta@princethorpe.co.uk.

The Motoring Festival 

The Motoring Festival is open to anyone keen to bring any sort of classic, vintage, veteran or interesting vehicle along for the afternoon. There will be rally plaques for all pre-booked vehicles and awards for self-judged competitions.

For further information and on-line registration please visit the College website.

Or contact Alex Darkes on 01926 634207 or by email alexdarkes@princethorpe.co.uk

OPs vs College Sports Day – Saturday 4 September 2021 – 10.45am to 5.30pm

We are gearing up for the 10th annual Old Princethorpians vs College Sports Day (and 12th John Shinkwin Trophy Match) on Saturday 4 September 2021. 

All being well, we are planning to repeat the successful format or previous years with a relaxing day that mixes of sporting matches with music, a BBQ and a bar.

Points will be accumulated throughout the day, with the Alex Wallis Memorial Shield being awarded to the victors at the end.

We are keen to get as many OPs from across the generations participating. If you are interested in playing in any of the sports please email neilmccollin@princethorpe.co.uk or do watch out for more information which will be shared on Facebook in due course.

We are just finalising the dates for the 2021-2022 OPs' events calendar and, after the last year of lockdowns, we wanted to give everyone the 'heads up' on all the opportunities for past pupils, former parents, staff and friends of the College and the Foundation schools to visit and to catch up.

From September we are very much hoping to be back to normal with plenty of 'in person' events but we have been delighted with how the 'virtual events' have reached out to OPs across the world so we are planning to continue to host those. 

All alumni, former staff and parents of Princethorpe College, St Bede's, St Mary's Priory, St Joseph's School, Crackley Hall, Abbotsford and Crescent School are welcome to participate in any or all of the events.

Don't forget you can visit Princethorpe Connect to sign up to our new online alumni community and register your interest or attendance at forthcoming events.

Coming up in the Michaelmas 2021 term: 

• OPs vs College Sports Day – Saturday 4 September 2021 – 10.45am to 5.30pm
• Heritage Open Day – Sunday 12 September 2021 – 2.00pm to 4.30pm
• Princethorpe College Open Afternoon - Sunday 19 December 2021 - 2.00pm to 5.00pm
• OPs London Meet, Balthazar, Covent Garden – Friday 8 October 2021 – 6.30pm to 10.30pm
• Prize Giving – Friday 19 November 2021 – 7.30pm to 9.00pm with OPs Prize Giving Pre-Drinks – 6.30pm to 7.15pm, Warwick Arts Centre 
• PTA Christmas Fair – Sunday 28 November 2021 – 2.00pm to 4.30pm
• Christmas Eve Masses – Friday 24 December 2021 – 5.00pm and 10.00pm

Sunday 12 September 2021 2.00pm - 4.30pm

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

On Sunday 12 September you are invited to come and explore St Mary's Priory, one of the first Catholic buildings constructed in England after the reformation. Join us for a tour of this magnificent building and learn all about its history, including the amazing women that made it the place it is today.

From 1833 until 1966, St Mary's Priory was home to a congregation of Benedictine nuns who ran a boarding school for girls. This community sold the priory in 1966 and a new school was established by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, who had previously run a boys' school in Leamington Spa. Today Princethorpe College is now a fully co-educational Catholic independent day school.

Our archive team are hoping to conduct free tours of the College on Sunday 12 September from 2.00pm - 4.30pm. Watch Princethorpe Connect and the College and OP Facebook pages for more information closer to the event date.

Saturday 19 March 2022

St Joseph's and Crackley Hall's 75th Anniversary celebrations, due to take place in March 2020, sadly had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fortuitously St Joseph's Day (19 March) falls on a Saturday in 2022, so the school has decided to hold a Mass and Open House for former pupils, staff and friends of the school on that date.  More information will follow next year, but please do save the date.

We are still deciding on a date for the rescheduled Diamond Anniversary Gala Ball, but rest assured the plan is that it will go ahead before the end of the academic year 2021-2022.

We're sure both events will be worth the wait!