The Courier

The annual school carol service took place on Tuesday 17 December, in the glorious setting of Our Lady of the Angels Chapel at Princethorpe College.

Parents, grandparents and friends were warmly welcomed to a wonderful evening of carols, readings and the re-telling of the Christmas story.

The traditional festive service did not disappoint, the orchestra played superbly and the voices of the choir sang out with much loved music that brought families together to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas period.

It was a lovely celebration and a perfect end to the Michaelmas term.

Princethorpe College’s plans for a new Science Centre have taken a major step forward with planning permission granted, the launch of a fundraising campaign and the unveiling of further campus wide benefits.

The state-of-the-art £8 million Science Centre, which will allow the College to redevelop and cluster several other departments, was granted planning permission in May this year.  The College has now revealed further plans for a new suite of Art studios, additional space for Maths and Technology, increased dining capacity and sporting facilities.

Comments, Headmaster, Ed Hester, “Princethorpe is situated at the heart of the UK’s automotive industry, where science and engineering meet art and design. We know that our pupils need the finest facilities to give them the best opportunities for their future and widening the scope of our Science Campaign to encompass all STEAM subjects enables us to provide these.”

The Science Centre is now entering the detailed ‘developed design’ stage with local RIBA members, AT Architects of Leamington, who designed The Limes 14-classroom wing in 2014. A cost plan will follow early in the new year, then a period of value engineering and technical design before a bill of quantities is prepared in the summer.

Mr Hester continues, “This is a large, complex and exciting project. The next six months will be critical as we prepare thoroughly for the tendering process in autumn 2020. If all goes to plan we should be appointing a main contractor this time next year, with construction starting early in 2021 and completion in summer 2022.”

A fundraising campaign has been launched to work hand in hand with the delivery of the project. The Science Plus Campaign outlines a menu of giving including engraved pavers and bricks, sponsorship of elements on a giant periodic table and personal and corporate naming opportunities.

Our Director of Development comments, “We’re determined to make sure that this project is funded and built as soon as possible. We hope that the many Friends of Princethorpe will be moved to support this project, as they have previous initiatives in the College’s history. Their support is vital in making our vision for Science Plus a reality.”

Those interested in supporting the Science Plus Campaign are invited to email makingadifference@princethorpe.co.uk or call 01926 634265 for a Science Campaign Plus brochure.

Pictured here alongside Mr Hester and Mr Lee are Head of Science, Emma Cooper, and some of the pupils who will reap the benefits of the new facilities at the College.

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics.

Cyber-crime – please be vigilant

Parents are asked to be vigilant when reading emails relating to the payment of school fees and any other items to the Foundation.

We continue to receive reports regarding spam emails being sent to parents of independent schools asking them to pay future fees to a ‘new’ school bank account.

Please be advised there has been no change to the bank details of either Princethorpe College, Crackley Hall or Crescent and there is no intention to make any changes in the foreseeable future. Any electronic notification that appears to be from any of the Foundation schools changing these details may be fraudulent.

Our bank details are available on the Parent Bills, the Online Payment Portal and for Princethorpe in the Princethorpe College Information Booklet 2019 – 2020, and only those details should be used.

Parents are asked to be vigilant in respect of any communications purporting to be from the Foundation requesting money that does not match our normal procedures.

Please note:

• invoices are only available through the on-line parent fee portal;
• our bank account details will NOT change during the academic year 2019-20;
• if you receive an email purporting to amend our bank details, do not make any payment and please contact us by telephone immediately to clarify;
• we do not email details of unsolicited discounts for payment of funds.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or my colleagues in the Bursary if you are have any doubts about the correct details or indeed if anything appears suspicious.

Please contact the Bursary if you have concerns about any communication you receive and in particular if you receive any request for payment of funds outside our normal routines.

Please note we do not accept payment in cash for the fee bill.

Eddie Tolcher
Foundation Bursar

For a two or three week period this year we will be focusing on one of the sayings in the new School Promise. We will talk about this in assembly and in form period. It would be great if you could discuss this with your children at home and support the messages we are emphasising in school.

This week we consider the category of Good Citizens. 

'We respect everyone and we are tolerant'