FAQs
Registrar, Mrs Vanessa Rooney, Assistant Registrar, Miss Helen Morgan, and Admissions Administrator, Mrs Catherine Rogers, deal with many enquiries from prospective parents, here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about the admissions process, with their responses.
If you have a query that isn't covered here, please feel free to contact Vanessa, Helen or Catherine on 01926 634201/634262.
How are the children put in the new form groups?
At Princethorpe new pupils to the school will join an existing house tutor group comprising pupils from Years 7 to 11. They will stay with this 'family' and form tutor up until Year 11. The Sixth Form have form tutor groups which consist of both Lower and Upper Sixth students.
The Y7 to Y11 house tutor groups have approximately the same number of children from every year group, a mix of girls and boys and ability.
What sizes are the classes at Princethorpe?
The maximun class size is 24 but we anticipate next year's Year 7 classes mostly being around 20. Design and Technology groups tend to be smaller, normally around 14. Maths and English sets vary according to need – pupils in lower sets will be in slightly smaller groups – usually around 16 or 17. Students in top sets work very well in slightly larger groups, up to 23/24.
How are the children allocated to a House?
Houses are allocated by the Deputy Head - Pastoral. Where there is an existing connection with the school pupils usually go into the same house as a sibling or the same house if the parent is an Old Princethorpian. Otherwise the houses are allocated to ensure that the boys and girls are evenly distributed across all four houses.
Will my child get lost when they come to Princethorpe?
There are a number of opportunities for the children to visit Princethorpe and start to find their way around before the start of term in September. During their first days they are shown where to go and we find they quickly become familiar with the school.
What sort of induction activities do you organise?
Princethorpe has an excellent induction programme. There is an Induction Day in June for all the new Year 7s when they spend a day in class, experience a few lessons and get to meet their Head of House and other members of the Princethorpe community.
We also have a Year 7 Activity Day which takes place at the end of the summer holidays. This is a fun day with all the new Year 7 children taking part in games, treasure hunts and activities in and out of the classroom. This is another opportunity to find their way around and meet more staff and children in their House just before they begin finally begin school, in September.
Years 8, 9 and 10 have there own Twilight Induction Session on the first Tuesday in July.
How do we find out what is happening at school?
The College has a bi-weekly electronic newsletter, The Flagpole, that includes news articles, events, important information and advice. We start sending it to new parents towards the end of the summer term and it is the best place to find out what is happening in school.
Do you offer before and after school care?
The school is open from 7.30am each day with breakfast available in the Sixth Form Centre for early birds. Period 1 and registration is at 8.40am. School finishes at 3.45pm with buses departing at 3.55pm. Extended day is available for pupils until 6.00pm.
What extra charges, apart from the school fees are there likely to be?
When your child first joins Princethorpe there will be the cost of the school uniform and the initial pack of exercise books. All text books are loaned to the child and there is no charge unless one is lost or badly damaged. There are school trips, usually for each year group and these are always connected to the curriculum. Children will need to buy food from the Refectory or bring a packed lunch. We use a fingerprint system so money does not need to be brought into school. Princethorpe takes great care to ensure that costs are kept to a minimum and are always good value.
