Development News

Leave Your Mark On Princethorpe

With the new Science Building now given the green light, everyone has the opportunity to leave their mark on Princethorpe College for generations to come.

At a projected cost of over £8 million, the College is committed to raising a portion of the build funds through Fundraising.

There are many ways that individuals can get involved and support, from a major donation or corporate naming rights to smaller one-off donations for names on a Brick, Element or Paver. Our aim is for the Princethorpe community to join together as our vision for Science becomes a reality.

We hope you will be interested in supporting this important project and leaving your mark on Princethorpe’s future.

The deadline for sponsoring a Brick, Element or Paver is Thursday 1 December 2022. For more information, please visit the school website https://www.princethorpe.co.uk/support-us or contact the Development office at makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk. It is also possible to pay in installments for these items by standing order, to do so click here to download a form.

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Hidden Princethorpe – An Exclusive Behind The Scenes Tour

On Friday 3 December the Development team welcomed invited guests to Princethorpe for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the College. Organised as a thank you for those who support the work of the school, some 60 visitors and senior staff enjoyed a fascinating evening delving into dark corners and hidden places and discovering the history that has made the Princethorpe we all know and love today.

The College was especially delighted to welcome back as guest of honour, former Director of Sport, Gwilym Price OBE, who reflected on his long association with the school and celebrated its achievements and growth over the years. He spoke warmly of its success with so many children and said, “I am very excited with the latest developments and the proposals for the forthcoming new Science Centre and wish the school well for the future”. 

Our Foundation Archivist, Janette Ratcliffe, began with an introductory presentation to set the scene, she gave a brief potted history of the College from across its 190 years, from its early days as a priory through to its life now as a school.

Then came the tour, starting in the Sixth Form our guests were led down Lower Pugin past the ornate Benedictine room and on up to Maths, and what was the Girls dormitories. Then it was back to the ground floor and G4 for an explanation of an enclosed order and what life was like behind the door with the grille. Then on through the girls’ dining room (DT workshop) and kitchens (that still has a hot cupboard where the food was served) to where the school ended, and the priory began. The tour went into what was the nuns’ library (now a physics lab) before going down to front of house to see the visitors’ guest house. Then up to the Roundhouse, to talk about the burial vault and next door into music technology and what was once the mortuary chapel before visiting the nuns’ sitting room and then on finally to the Chapel.

After all that exploring, the evening finished with a buffet and drinks and plenty of convivial chat. Foundation Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, who is also known as Mr Princethorpe after so many years as a pupil and then teacher, commented, “Hidden Princethorpe was a unique opportunity to gain an insight to the history and inner workings of the College, we were delighted that our guests were all fascinated by the evening’s talks, tours and anecdotes. We are very grateful for their continued support of the Development Office.”

The event was so successful that the Development team are hoping to host a follow-on event in the summer. For more information on the work that they do, please email the team at makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk.

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Support The Princethorpe Foundation Every Time You Shop

AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on amazon.co.uk. The difference is that when you shop through the smile.amazon.co.uk web address, AmazonSmile donates 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of eligible purchases to the charitable organisation selected by the customer.

So whenever you make an eligible purchase from Amazon via AmazonSmile, the charitable organisation benefits at no additional cost to you.

The Princethorpe Foundation is a charity and, within the Foundation the Development Office work to enable the provision of more bursaries to deserving pupils, to update our facilities and buildings, and to meet our strategic development plans. You can find out more about the work of the Development Office on our school website here

The Development Office is asking the Princethorpe community to consider choosing The Princethorpe Foundation as their nominated charity on AmazonSmile. 

How do I shop at AmazonSmile?

To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.co.uk from the web browser on your computer or mobile device.

Can I use my existing amazon.co.uk account on smile.amazon.co.uk?

Yes, you use the same account on amazon.co.uk and smile.amazon.co.uk. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same. Simply visit smile.amazon.co.uk and log in to your usual Amazon account.

Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?

Millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations to charities by Amazon. You will see eligible products marked 'Eligible for smile.amazon.co.uk' on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.

How do I select to support the Princethorpe Foundation when shopping on AmazonSmile?

On your first visit to smile.amazon.co.uk you need to select a charitable organisation to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping, simply search for and select 'The Princethorpe Foundation'. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.co.uk will result in a donation to support Development Office projects.

How will you use the donations you receive?

All donations received via smile.amazon.co.uk will go towards our Annual Fund. Each year, this fund supports the purchase of necessary academic and extracurricular equipment, ensures educational, enrichment and entertainment opportunities for students, and helps maintain the School’s academic and sporting facilities. Your Annual Fund contributions are at the heart of all that we do, and all that we give to our students.

To find out more about our Annual Fund please visit our website here.

Introducing The Princethorpe Foundation’s Annual Fund

The Annual Fund is the cornerstone of philanthropy at The Princethorpe Foundation and allows parents, supporters, and friends in the wider community to make a voluntary contribution to support the school. Those who give to this fund, including many members of staff, have the satisfaction of knowing that their donations have a significant impact. Such gifts touch the lives of every pupil in all our schools, every day of the year.

Each year, this fund supports the purchase of necessary academic and co-curricular equipment, ensures educational, enrichment and entertainment opportunities for pupils, and helps maintain the Schools’ academic and sporting facilities. The Annual Fund helps us to move forward with our plans to improve and develop the schools and the teaching and learning experiences that take place within them.

Gifts to this fund are unrestricted, allowing the Foundation’s leadership to determine where support is most needed, and can do the most good. The Annual Fund contributions are at the heart of all that we do, and all that we give to our pupils.

Every contribution is meaningful, regardless of amount and many of our supporters choose to make regular contributions, monthly or annually, big or small. These regular donations are helpful and popular as they provide critical and predictable support for the School, year on year, whilst also allowing donors to plan their giving. Those that give regularly, make a significant difference to our pupils' experiences.

Every year, parents, grandparents, Old Princethorpians, staff and friends of the Foundation donate to the Annual Fund. We invite you to help us by donating to the Annual Fund.

To find out more or make a donation visit the school website here.

Generous Donation Supports The Foundation’s Fundraising Efforts

The Princethorpe Foundation has just received a significant donation of £100,000 thanks to the generous philanthropy of a Princethorpe family. At their request, the donation is to be spilt £75,000 towards the Science Campaign and £25,000 as an unrestricted gift to support projects at Crackley Hall School. Gift Aid takes the value of the donation up to £125,000.

The generous donors, who wish to remain anonymous, have children who attended Crackley Hall School and are now at Princethorpe College. Their support will have a significant impact in helping the Foundation move forward with our plans to improve and develop both schools.

This latest donation is another large step towards the realisation of our vision for Science. Together, the gifts and pledges we’ve received, including contributions through naming rights, sponsoring an element, and engraving pavers and bricks, will help to deliver a Science building that provides cutting edge, state-of-the-art facilities that will inspire generations of Princethorpe scientists for years to come.

The new Science Centre, Princethorpe’s largest campus project to date, will cost £8 million and provide 10 brand-new, state-of-the-art science laboratories. It will also enable the College to redevelop and cluster several other departments within the main school building.

Comments Ed Hester, “We are really thrilled with this donation that comes at such a critical time for our Science project. I would like to thank the donors for their generous gift. It is particularly pleasing that this contribution comes from a current Foundation family who can see the positive impact of an education at the schools.”

He continues, “We know that our pupils need the very best facilities to enable them to make the most of the opportunities for their future. The new Science building will provide inspirational facilities but will also enable us to improve facilities for other departments across the school.”

If you are interested in further information about supporting us and the Science Campaign, please contact Steve Kowal at stevekowal@princethorpe.co.uk or the Development Team at makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634265.