Old Princethorpians

As we enter this new academic year I wanted to take this opportunity to bring you up to date with latest developments affecting the Foundation.

You will be aware from media coverage about the government's plans to introduce VAT onto private school fees. The exact timing of this will be confirmed at the end of October when the Budget is announced, but a January 2025 implementation is looking very likely.

For some months we have been communicating with local MPs across the political spectrum to ensure that they are aware of the key issues and potential damage that this policy could have both locally and nationally. In addition, we have made comprehensive submissions to HM Treasury’s public consultation over this issue. 

You will know only too well that the overwhelming majority of our parents are not the super-wealthy; they are aspirational, hard-working people who work exceptionally hard to send their children to the school they believe best meets their needs, aptitudes, and abilities.

We are fortunate to be in a strong financial position and our pupil numbers have remained strong. We are committed to supporting our families, retaining pupils and continuing to recruit strongly for all our schools, whilst maintaining the high-quality education and ethos we are known for.

We have therefore shared our response to VAT with current and prospective families and through cost savings, income generation and a variety of measures, when the policy is implemented we will be reducing our fees to enable us to effectively pass on a 5% increase to families. Feedback to this news has been very positive, as in many schools both locally and nationally, parents will face an increase of well over 10% and in many cases closer to 20%.

The independent school sector and our Foundation certainly faces challenges ahead and undoubtedly we will be looking to our past pupils and former parents for further support over the coming months and years.

Very best wishes for the year ahead.

E D Hester

We are delighted to announce that Rebecca Iley has been appointed to the new role of Head of Business Services for The Princethorpe Foundation.

A qualified management accountant and teacher, Rebecca will joins us from Activate Learning FE College Group in Banbury, where she has worked for the past ten years, most recently as Director of Business Engagement and Employability. She has also held positions within Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance for ten years.

She impressed the interview panel with the combination of her education and commercial experience and her ability to juggle an extensive work portfolio, alongside her busy family life and volunteering commitments, including being Director of Banbury Chambers of Commerce and Chair of Governors of a local Catholic primary school.

Rebecca is no stranger to the Foundation as her three children attend Princethorpe College in Years 7, 10 and Lower Sixth.

She takes on her new role in October, enabling a handover with Foundation Bursar, Eddie Tolcher, who is retiring in December, although he will continue to support the work of the Foundation.

Ed Hester, Foundation Principal, comments, “We were looking for someone with exceptional personal qualities and abilities, with a wide range of skills, who was aligned with our ethos, and we have found just that in Rebecca.

She came top of a very strong field of shortlisted candidates and the interview panel was unanimous in support of her. We are absolutely delighted that she has agreed to join us, and I am sure she will make a real impact in this new role, which will be instrumental in helping us deliver our strategic plan for the Foundation.”

Comments Rebecca, “I am thrilled to have been offered the role of Head of Business Services. To have the opportunity to be part of an educational Foundation that I truly believe in is both exciting and a great privilege and I look forward to working closely with Ed and the team.”

Princethorpe College has partnered with Team Super Sports to offer Holiday Camps for children aged 5 to 16 years. Team Super Sports ran a six-week programme of camps, over the summer holidays, offering a wide variety of sporting activities, that took advantage of the College’s extensive grounds and sporting facilities. 

The initiative was part of the Foundation’s newly launched Commercial Enterprises activity aimed at generating additional sources of income and was in response to feedback and demand from parents. The summer camps proved to be very successful with Princethorpe’s beautiful campus proving a popular choice for families in the area. Booking for the October Half Term camp is open now and you can find out more and book a place here.

Comments, Gemma Cullinane, Princethorpe Commercial Enterprise Manager, "Team Super Sports are an experienced provider of sport and multi-activity holiday camps with a fantastic reputation for top-level coaching for children of all abilities. They delivered an excellent first summer programme of activities and we are looking forward to working with them in the future."

She continues, "The Holiday Camps are just one of a number of enterprise initiatives we are developing. You can find out more about our impressive array of conference, exhibition, and meeting spaces, our sports lettings and our film and photography location hire on our wesbite here."

Crescent School has been recognised for its work to create a sustainable environment.

The school has been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag with Distinction in recognition of its environmental consciousness and commitment to sustainable practices. The award is given to schools that work through a seven-step framework outlined in the Eco-Schools programme.

The school has also had its sustainability efforts recognised by the Independent Schools Association (ISA) in its annual national awards, with the school shortlisted for the Sustainability Award, which will be voted on later this year.

Last school year, pupils from Year 2 to Year 6 formed a Green Team, and identified three key focus areas for sustainability improvements: Biodiversity, Waste and Water. Across the year, the committee launched numerous activities and campaigns, including 'Cut Your Carbon Month', a ‘Paper Free Day’, and the 'The Big Plastic Count'. Pupils also took part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch and held their own school mini COP 28.

During the year, pupils also worked together to construct a bug hotel and pollinator bed, installed rainwater harvesting water butts, completed a biodiversity survey, organised a book swap and pen recycling, installed bird boxes, planted trees and herbs, made wildflower seed bombs and much more.

The Green Team also developed a Crescent Eco Code that encourages everyone to ‘Go Green and Stay Green’.

Jacqui Johnson, the teacher leading the Green Team at Crescent School, said: "We are thrilled that our environmental efforts have been recognised. We are proud of the enthusiasm of our pupils to make real changes for the benefit of our planet. Their mature and inspirational attitude aligns with our school and wider the Foundation’s sustainability ethos, and our shared goal to make the world a better and brighter place.”

Headmaster, Joe Thackway, added: “It has been wonderful to see our school community working together to improve our sustainability. The dedication and passion of the children has been inspiring, and they deserve their recognition at the highest level by the Eco School Awards and also by the ISA."

The Eco Schools Award team said: “Your school has truly gone above and beyond to make environmental education engaging for young people. It has been an absolute joy assessing your application and learning about the impact you’ve had, not only on our planet but also on the young people you work with every day.”

This September, Little Crackers Nursery’s toddler group, Stay ‘n’ Play, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The group first opened its doors back in September 2004 and has been offering a place for mums, dads, grandparents and tots to get together and offer each other friendship and support ever since. Over the years Stay ‘n’ Play has welcomed lots of little ones to its weekly get togethers, and they have all benefited from the care, love and support provided by the nursery staff team. Many of the children have subsequently gone on to join the nursery or Crackley Hall School, where the nursery is located.

To mark the anniversary, on Wednesday 18 September the toddler group hosted a special party. Staff, parents, grandparents and children of all ages including Stay ‘n’ Players past and present, were welcomed to Crackley Hall School to enjoy fun and games, to look through old photos and enjoy a slice of celebratory cake.

Nursery Manager, Emma Birch, said: “It’s amazing that our toddler group is celebrating its twentieth birthday, and we couldn’t let the milestone pass by unmarked. It was wonderful to welcome parents and children back for a special party.”

Longstanding Stay ‘n’ Play staff member, Mary O’Brien, who has helped to lead the group for almost the full 20 years, added, “It’s hard to believe that our earlier children may be at university or even parents themselves now. Everyone had a fantastic time today, and we would like to thank all our families, old and new, for all the happy Stay ‘n’ Play memories across the years.”

Over the years Stay ‘n’ Play has supported the wider Kenilworth community. For many years the group offered outreach sessions led by staff members at St Francis of Assisi RC Church in Kenilworth and the group even went online with weekly story and song sessions to keep connected during the pandemic.

Today, Stay ‘n’ Play continues to provide weekly sessions with regular visiting activities and special events. Everyone is welcome to come along on Wednesday mornings during term time from 10.30am to 11.45am. Upcoming activities include Forest Fun on Wednesday 9 October and the ever popular Christmas Party on Wednesday 11 December. For more information visit: https://www.littlecrackers.co.uk/stay-n-play

Crackley Hall School is thrilled to have achieved both the Bronze and Silver levels of the Woodland Trust’s Green Tree Schools Award.

The awards are designed to encourage outdoor learning, by inspiring pupils to take part in environmental projects and to discover more about trees, woods and wildlife. Working towards the award, has allowed pupils to take positive action for the environment while also enjoying learning in the great outdoors.

To earn the Silver certificate pupils completed five ‘Green 15’ challenges, that included taking a lesson outdoors, making natural art and conducting wildlife surveys. They also harnessed pupil power to recycle waste, visited a wood to explore and connect with nature and took on a tree dressing challenge.

Crackley Hall’s Forest School Practitioner, Verity Clark, said, “The children have enjoyed working towards the awards. They have helped pupils learn valuable lessons about the natural world and the activities have supported our school's drive towards sustainability too.”

The school is not resting on its laurels though, as it has set its sights on achieving the next level, the Gold Award.

The Foundation often has vacancies that Old Princethorpians may be interested in.

Amongst others, we are currently advertising for a Site Supervisor at Crackley Hall School in Kenilworth and a Nursery Practitioner at Little Crackers Nursery. 

Full details on all the roles available and on how to apply are available on our website here.

Please do share this information with anyone you think might be interested.