Old Princethorpians

Our new Prefect Body for 2015-16 were formally inaugurated at a ceremony held on the last day of the Lent term in the College Sports Hall. Mr Hester thanked the outgoing Prefect Body for all they had achieved. The keys of office were ceremonially handed over from former Head Boy, Simon Fisher and Head Girl, Maddie Wigmore-Sykes to the new recipients Head Boy, Josh Popham and Head Girl, Sophie Nicholls. Both acknowledged the hard work ahead of them but similary the pride they felt at having been awarded such prestigious roles.

Good luck to all of the new prefect body in the year ahead and all the best to the outgoing prefects with their upcoming exams and future endeavours!

Prefect Body 2015-16
Head Girl Sophie Nicholls
Head Boy Josh Popham
Deputy Head Girl Annabelle Pask
Deputy Head Boy Will Davis
Senior Prefect Kiran Samra
Academic Prefect Michael Spelman
Social Prefects Flora Courtney and Ellie Gardin
Charity Prefect Tom Brindley
Marketing and Communications Prefect Peter Hitchman
Pastoral Prefects Ben Oliver and Nicky Sykes
Games Prefects Becky Redmile and Tom Pullen
House Captains:
Austin Harry White and Ellie Partridge
Benet Matt MacLellan and Anna Fraser
Fisher Nick Bond and Kia Kitching
More Tom McFall and Lucy Wilson

The latest issue of The Pinnacle which came out in March showcases more of our pupils' excellent work. 

In this issue pupils take part in a special mission at the National Space Centre, undertake tough academic challenges, amazing sporting feats and produce fantastic artwork and evocative creative writing.

The Minnacle pages are equally impressive with tremendous work by Crackley Hall pupils from Reception to Junior 6.

Copies have been distributed to all pupils via their Form Tutors.

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

Helen Pascoe-Williams
Co-ordinator of the da Vinci Programme

Pinnacle-web March 2015.pdf

The Marketing and Admissions Team have just issued the fourth edition of the Admissions Update e-newsletter aimed at guiding parents through the admissions process as we move towards the next cycle of admissions for September 2016.

The e-newsletter, which was issued on Friday 1 May, announces the appointment of Mrs Rebecca Bantoft as the College's new Senior Registrar from 1 August 2015 and is packed with news to give a feel for College life, forthcoming events which are open to prospective pupils and their families and helpful advice about the admissions process, particularly for those joining this September or looking at entry in September 2016.

This newsletter will be issued twice a year to those who are on our enquiry database to coincide with key admissions periods, the next edition will be published in early November 2015.

Click here to view the Admissions Update.

Sixty three members of this year’s Upper Sixth have been awarded the Princethorpe Diploma. This internal qualification reflects the educational, extra-curricular, community and ethos aspects of life as a Princethorpe College Sixth Former. Students have tracked their individual progress in these areas often demonstrating extraordinary resilience, maturity and diligence. Wide ranging service to the community, along with outstanding sporting success, charity work and care for others have been demonstrated by these young people as they draw towards the end of their College career.

The Diploma has, for many, provided an excellent resource assisting them with University applications. The range of components evidenced by all recipients has at its heart the idea that all Princethorpe College Sixth Formers carry with them a strong set of moral values to guide them through adult life.

Head of Sixth Form Mrs Margaret Robinson added,

“To have sixty three recipients is testament to the wide ranging abilities of this lovely Year group. They not only work hard and commit to challenging themselves academically, but they also show empathy and understanding of the world around them.”

Excited pupils and staff gathered outside the College's Theatre Entrance just before 9.30am on the morning of Friday 20 March to experience the solar eclipse first hand.

Armed with an impressive array of devices for safely viewing the eclipse, from simple pin hole cameras and dense glass filters to Mr Duckworth's super solar projector, fashioned from an old epidiascope converging lens and a cardboard box to project an image onto a white screen, Physics pupils from Year 7 to Sixth Form were guided through the phenomenon as it happened by their teachers.

Commented Head of Science, Gill Smith, "A solar eclipse takes place when the Earth, moon and sun are aligned and the moon’s shadow touches the Earth’s surface. The greatest occlusion of the sun by the moon at Princethorpe was at about 09:26. This is such a rare occurence, many of the children weren't born when the UK saw the last eclipse in 1999 and it was brilliant for pupils and staff to see the science in action!"

Total solar eclipses can be seen somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, but are considered rare events that recur at any given location just once every 360 to 410 years.

The last solar eclipse of such significance occurred on 11 August 1999 and was “total” - with 100% of the sun covered when seen from Cornwall.

Another “deep” partial eclipse visible in the UK will not occur until 12 August 2026, and the next total eclipse not until September 2090.

March's eclipse produced a 100-mile-wide “totality” shadow path that crossed the North Atlantic and covered only two land masses, the Faroe Islands between Scotland and Iceland and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

From the serene solemnity of the celebratory mass at St Francis of Assisi Church on Friday morning to the fun-filled whole school celebrations of Friday afternoon and the fabulously well-attended Open House on Saturday, everyone seemed to agree that the St Joseph’s and Crackley Hall 70th Anniversary Celebrations were a great success!

Some 200 past St Joseph’s and Crackley Hall teachers and pupils from across the generations came together over the course of two days to celebrate their working and school lives in a wonderfully friendly and good humoured atmosphere. Pupils from every stage of the school’s history from the war years to the present day were represented including token male pupils such as John Symonds who attended the school when it was at Stoneleigh Abbey in the early 40s and Sean Johnson who was at St Joseph’s in the 70s and 80s. Ann Crossley who started at the school on the day it opened at Crackley Hall in 1945 was also there to join in the fun.

Some guests had definitely kept St Joseph’s and Crackley Hall in the family with generations attending, for instance Grandmother Jean Summers, who attended the school when it was at Stoneleigh Abbey in the late 30s and 40s, her daughter Georgina Edwards who attended St Joseph’s in the 70s and 80s and her grandchildren twins Martha and Lucas Summers who currently attend Crackley Hall in Junior 1!

Guests on the cool Saturday morning were greeted by skilled individual musical performances from current pupils and the exuberant delivery of the Crackley Choral Group. Welcoming words from Headmaster, Robert Duigan, reassured the assembled throng that the ethos of their old school was truly alive and well and being nurtured by the latest generation of staff and pupils.

Former Headteachers, Sr Philomena Bowers, Lesley Cox and Jane Le Poidevin who attended the celebrations along with the Mayor of Kenilworth, John Cooke, were recognised, and former Headteacher Heather Harris, sadly now departed, was fondly remembered.

With the formalities over and the sun beginning to shine, visitors were invited to explore the site and grounds of their ‘alma mater’. The school’s hall and former Chapel was transformed into a ‘pop up’ tea room serving delicious tea, coffee and cake. Long forgotten artefacts and photographs from the archive were put on display to rekindle memories. Current pupils swapped experiences with past pupils and former teachers were praised for being the inspiration behind chosen careers paths and lifelong passions.

The morning flew by in a flurry of excited chatter and it was soon time for the guests to make their way onwards to their own lunchtime gatherings in and around Kenilworth.

Our sincere thanks go to all the current staff, pupils and parents who contributed to the celebrations and to all the past pupils and teachers who attended and made the events such a success. We do hope you enjoyed your walk down memory lane and look forward to seeing you again in 2020 for the 75th Anniversary!

Click here to see a gallery of images from the celebrations and to download the commemorative booklet.

This May Princethorpe pupils old and new will be taking to the stage of Coventry's Belgrade Theatre to perform in Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! Based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens, the family favourite is being put on by the award winning Coventry Musical Society.

Year 8 pupil Josh Malcolm successfully auditioned to become a member of Fagin's gang and OP Nigel Denton (1977 -1982) a regular of Coventry Musical Society productions, is appearing in the chorus.

Twelve-year old Josh from Nuneaton has been dancing since the age of five and currently attends the Julie Bromwich Dance Academy in Bedworth. Out of 150 auditioning youngsters from across the region, Josh’s skill won over the casting panel landing him a coveted place in the Company. He is currently rehearsing three times a week as part of an ensemble of eleven boys who make up Fagin’s notorious pick pocketing gang.

When orphan Oliver Twist utters the immortal words “Please Sir I Want Some More”, little does he know his actions will take him on unimaginable adventures in the underworld of Victorian London, alongside the colourful characters of Fagin, Nancy, Bill Sykes and The Artful Dodger. Lionel Bart’s sensational score includes the timeless songs, Food, Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two, Who Will Buy?, Oom Pah Pah, As Long As He Needs Me, I’d Do Anything and many more tunes for the whole family to sing along to.

All we can say is 'Break a leg' to both Josh and Nigel.

Oliver! runs from Thursday 21 May to Saturday 23 May (Josh is appearing on Thursday and Saturday). Tickets are available by contacting the Box Office on 024 7655 3055 or by visiting http://www.belgrade.co.uk/event/oliver

The contract for the exciting new £2m east end development at Crackley Hall has been awarded to local builders Trendgrey of Southam and construction work started in March.

The outstanding contemporary design, which will replace the current hall and bungalow, is the brainchild of Tony Pugh of local architects AT Architects in Leamington Spa, who have coincidentally just completed the £4.5m 14-classroom Limes project at Princethorpe College. The scheme, which received the assent of Warwick District Council last year, will provide the school with a much needed 240-seat multi-purpose hall, two classrooms, four specialist music teaching rooms and a large tutorial room. The hall will be fitted with sports equipment, a demountable stage and full lighting and sound facilities. Additionally, a large adjacent kitchen will have multiple cookers and hobs so that it can be used for children’s cookery activities, as well as refreshments for events. Generous circulation areas have been incorporated, including toilets, spaces for lockers, additional IT distribution, a lift to the lower level and an electronic display screen. Although parts of the building being demolished are relatively undistinguished architecturally, the school has been keen to celebrate its heritage by incorporating the two distinctive stained glass windows and ceiling boss into the new building.

Plans also include a new multi-purpose hard standing area which will be laid with porous tarmac, with the construction taking place over the summer holiday, to minimise disruption. This will provide Crackley Hall with another sports and play area which can also be used at peak times for parking. Planners have given their assent to new access from Fennyland Lane, which we hope will improve traffic flow and road safety in the vicinity.

Head, Robert Duigan, commented “The new east end development at Crackley will give the school outstanding facilities which fit totally with its aspirations. We gain a superb new hall which will allow all of the school to meet together in a bright, modern and uplifting space. Musicians will gain a new home in specially designed accommodation and we win two state-of-the-art classrooms which will be fully equipped with IT. We’re working hard on the logistics of losing the old hall during the building period, but we know that any short term pains over the forthcoming months will give the school huge long term gains and benefit all members of the Crackley community.”

Work is due to be completed for Spring 2016

We are delighted to announce that Mrs Loretta Curtis has been appointed to the role of College Development Secretary with effect from 1 September 2015.

Loretta will be well known by many in the Princethorpe community in her role as Registrar, which she has held for the past seventeen years, as a parent herself to Michael who attended the College from 1995 to 1999 and as a longstanding supporter of the PTA.

Loretta will be establishing the College's new InTouch relationship database which will benefit many aspects of College life including Old Princethorpians and Careers.  As such her main aimewill be re-establishing contact with alumni, former staff and parents who we have perhaps lost contact with and being a lynchpin for those we are in contact with. This is particularly important as we approach the College's Golden Jubilee celebrations when we want as many OPs and Friends of Princethorpe to be involved.

Comments Alex Darkes, Assistant Head, "Loretta is uniquely placed to take on this new key role for the College, as very much a 'people person' and consummate professional with a colossal knowledge spanning present and past pupils and parents, we are delighted that she has agreed to take on this new challenge."

Mrs Rebecca Bantoft takes on Loretta's role as Senior Registrar from 1 August 2015.

We had a good turn out of OPs, current and former members of staff at the recent Rugby Pub Meet at the Merchant's Inn. It was a jovial evening for all concerned, catching up and swapping stories over a delicious spread provided by our friends at The Merchants.

Comments OP Chairman, Peter Rollason, "The Rugby meet is always popular and attracts a good crowd. These events really are the lifeblood of the association, cementing existing friendships and forging new ones."

Click on this link to see a gallery of photos from the evening.

The next event in the OPs calendar is the London meeting at the University Women's Club on Friday 15 May. Do come along and support us! For more information email oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk or visit our e-newsletter at www.oldprincethorpian.co.uk.

On the 21st March 2015 a small number of members of the classes of 1989 and 1990 met for another of their reunions, when I say “another” the last one was apparently 9 years ago, and I wasn’t able to make it, so it had been a while.

The event started in the afternoon with a number of the “boys” (Andrew and Simon Noble, Simon Trahern, James MacFarquer and Jon Healy) visiting the College and seeing how the “old place” had evolved, but had retained its original charms and character.  This resulted in a few selfies and photos in strategic locations, which when viewed later on were accompanied by comments such as “it seemed much smaller than I remember”, a sign I feel that we have all grown up and perspective changes.

Later on a few of us “girls” (myself, Zara Healy and Kellie Sweeney) joined the “boys” at The Dun Cow in Dunchurch (a previous favourite haunt) for a very pleasant meal, a few drinks and further reminiscences which included an insight into how some members of the student body (who shall remain nameless) suddenly gained an interest in music after their first experience of the mile run, well when I say “run” I use the term loosely, and an exchange of comments about past (and some still present) teaching staff and their idiosyncrasies.

The evening seemed to fly by and off we all went again back to our various ends of the country, vowing not to leave it so long next time.  Social secretary and committee appointed (all of us), and a plan hatched, we will have to see if it comes to fruition.

Melissa Symmonds (nee Caunt)

Princethorpe is moving to vertical house tutoring from 1 September 2015 to put the House System at the centre of College life and to further enhance the College’s already excellent pastoral care and academic support for pupils.

Four Heads of House will replace the current Heads of Year and be responsible for the pupils from Year 7 to 11 in their House, reporting to Mrs Sue Millest, Deputy Head - Pastoral.  The new Heads of House are: Kenny Owen (Austin), Lisa Challinor (Benet), Chris McCullough (Fisher) and Simon Robertson (More), all currently Heads of Year. 

Mrs Susan Harris, currently Head of Year 7, will take on the role of Head of Transition and Induction, responsible for the care of all pupils starting at the College.

There will be a larger number of tutor groups, nine per House, with fewer pupils, approximately 18, in them – around four from each Year Group.  Each tutor group will become a ‘family’ within the wider ‘House family’, supported by a form tutor and additionally by a co-tutor drawn from either the teaching or support staff. These professionals will add an extra dimension of support, life experience and skills.

Comments Mrs Sue Millest, Deputy Head – Pastoral, “Our current House System is strong with many great initiatives and activities which see the pupils mixing together across the years, this is something we want to develop further. Our Sixth Form has been successfully vertical for some time, with mixed tutor groups of Lower and Upper Sixth pupils.  We see the move to vertical house tutoring for the rest of the school as a natural progression, underpinning and enhancing our College ethos of family and community.”

She continues, “The main advantages of adopting the system is that tutors will be attached to their tutor groups for up to five years and will develop very strong relationships with the tutees and their parents. They will also meet annually with each tutee and their parents for an academic tutorial which will provide strategic advice to further improve learning.

“The tutees also build up strong relationships with each other across a broad age-range, with pupils sharing a wider range of experiences which broaden horizons; something which is missed with horizontal tutoring under the current system. Barriers between year groups, which are a side effect of horizontal tutoring, are broken down and there will be more reciprocal opportunities for leadership, mentoring, advice and support between the pupils.”

Current pupils already know their House and all pupils will meet their new tutor group on the first day of the new academic year - Tuesday 1 September. Incoming Year 7 pupils will meet Mrs Harris and their Head of House and mix with their teaching group at Induction Day on Wednesday 24 June.

Image shows Mrs Sue Millest, Deputy Head - Pastoral centre with from left to right the new Heads of Houses, Kenny Owen (Austin), Chris McCullough (Fisher), Lisa Challinor (Benet) and Simon Robertson (More).

It’s a thing of conversational beauty when you come away from an interview feeling inspired to think more deeply about the human condition. For those of us on the receiving end of books documenting The Great War, how often do our thoughts veer towards the writers whose hours of toil have laid bare these illuminating documents? How often do we consider the time spent by historians in archives or museum backrooms to unearth that diamond in the dark?

Princethorpe College Head of History and Politics, Dr Simon Peaple, was once upon a time a five year old boy sitting by his father’s side watching The Trooping of the Colour. His dad’s patient commentary explaining the different regiments never left this little boy’s enquiring mind, leading him to pursue a fascination with World War One Military History which has now lead to the publication of his ground breaking book. To his credit Dr Peaple could, were he not to be so modest, declare himself an expert on the lesser known provincial 46th Division; a Division that in a sense typified the idea of how the self-taught Tommy morphed into slick combatant.

‘Mud, Blood and Determination (Simon’s working title that was embraced by publishers Helion and Company) - a history of the 46th (North Midland) Division In The Great War’ reverberates with the voices of those whose stories make up this remarkable history. Dr Peaple explains that these were the ordinary working men ‘thrown into the [war] laboratory’ almost from the start in February 1915. Indeed, their storming of the Hindenburg Line in September 1918 effectively began the end of the Great War.

Pitted with black and white photographs from his own collection, the 46th’s heartbeat sounds loudly from within Dr Peaple’s precision layers of military detail. Emerging from the sluice of regimental fact are the diaries, letters and drafts that remind us of the intractable class divides and military miscommunications that impacted so widely on the day to day life of those at the Front.

From wide eyed little boy to published historian, I ask Dr Peaple how he feels about seeing his own book on the shelves. His response reflects a characteristically determined smile. “There are always questions to continue to ask,” he replies. We muse on the stark green and red colours of the 46th that span the book’s binding and reflect on the accompanying image of eight rapier thin officers sporting canes, accompanied by two adoring dark haired dogs. It’s a picture from the past; the life of which is animated throughout Dr Peaple’s richly textured accounts.

With two further commissions to head up and write, Dr Peaple’s self-taught expertise in World War One Military History is set to expand. A launch party in his home town of Tamworth this weekend precedes a book launch to be held in the Princethorpe College Library on Tuesday 12 May from 6.00pm to 8.00pm.

If you would be interested in coming along please do so by Friday 8 May.  Please click here so we can cater for you.  Signed copies of Dr Peaple's book will be available for purchase on the night at the discounted price of £20.

To get a feel for Dr Peaple's Book, click on the attachment below provided by the publishers.

Image shows Dr Simon Peaple with his book ‘Mud, Blood and Determination’.

Simon Peaple Mud Blood and Determinaation Book Summary.pdf

At the end of January we said a fond farewell to Maria Lawless who has served the college as matron for over 40 years! In this day and age it is exceptionally rare for a person to devote their entire career to one employer and we, at the college, know how privileged and fortunate we have been to benefit from Maria’s tireless and unquestioning service and dedication.

The college she joined in 1974 was very different from that of today. As a boys only school, with close to half the students being boarders, the role of matron was integral to the pastoral and physical well-being of all who lived and worked at Princethorpe. A young woman, barely in her 20s, was indeed a rare (and welcome) sight on the premises! Within a few years Maria was married and had boys of her own to look after and bring up and this gave her an even greater insight into the needs of the college boys in her care.

Maria was always able to combine her professional knowledge and care for all who needed her medical help with her role as stand-in mother, especially for the younger boys in need of a bit of TLC. Maria was ever present, meeting and welcoming boarders new and old at the start of every term, reassuring those who felt a little homesick that all would be well and helping to convince nervous mothers that their young sons would be well cared for. Likewise every year, for the entrance examinations, Maria would be on hand to provide the support needed by some to cope with the stresses of the day.

Of course in a school where sport has always played a major role in developing the skills, fitness and character of our pupils it is for her role in dealing with injuries and accidents that Maria will be remembered by many who had urgent need of her help. Maria’s calm and unflustered approach would always reassure and alleviate the distress and pain that sometimes accompanied such injuries and her ability to diagnose and treat the patients in her care always meant that the appropriate measures were taken to deal with any injury. The Games staff, past and present, had reason to thank Maria and all our current staff will miss her dedicated service and professionalism.

Maria’s responsibilities extended well beyond her nursing expertise. She was an excellent manager of the college cleaning staff, some of whom have worked at the college for nearly as long as Maria and they will also miss her leadership and organisation skills as well as her friendship and support.

Throughout her time Maria was ably supported by assistant matrons including Hannah Lyons (Minehane), Ann Grant and, in recent years, Helen Cutter. They all gave her some relief from her duties but Maria has always been the mainstay of the college medical team; it will be hard to imagine the college without her.

Maria was never one who sought the limelight and would probably have been happy to slip away unnoticed but last summer the Old Princethorpians, knowing of her impending retirement, made a special presentation as a tribute to her service over the last 40 years. Likewise, staff past and present plan to hold a service to commemorate and celebrate Maria’s contribution later in the school year.

As staff gathered at the end of January to say farewell to this remarkable lady Maria spoke of her love of the college - all the staff and students, past and present but especially her affection for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, who had offered her the post of matron back in 1974, and whose ethos and values and, above all, spirit helped to create the college we know today. It is only fair to say that Maria herself embodied that spirit in all her work and service over the last four decades. We wish her a healthy, fulfilling, restful and long retirement.