Princethorpe college

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Hi anyone there or know anything good or bad about the college? Thinking about next years 7..
many thanks!

No, but watching with interest. It’s nearby. A friend used to work there and found it a good environment but left about 8 years ago.

Thanks hopefully someone will be along soon! Am starting tutoring for 11 plus too but wondering about the children, behaviour, and general info anyone has :)

Locally Princethorpe has been seen as good for children with SEN or a back up if DC didn’t get into other schools. I have no direct experience of the school but people I know who do or did have DC there either loved it or hated it. Recently I heard comments that Princethorpe’s reputation for being good for DC with SEN meant that it had so many children with additional needs that the school wasn’t coping well with managing the demands. One family I know withdrew their DC so they would get more attention at a school elsewhere. I’d also look at Warwick or King’s if they are in travelling distance to compare what you get in those schools.

Thanks, would love to know why people loved or hated it. I know it’s subjective but still good to hear anything.
looking at the others too but know people there so had some good info x

I have an academically able child there who is absolutely flourishing (socially, emotionally and academically), and we want both our younger children to go there. We chose it due to an excellent pastoral reputation, varied curriculum (including lots of sport), as well as it being co-ed, as many of the other local independent schools are single sex.. Have you read the good school review, that’s a good starting point and indicates the key differences between Pthorpe and Warwick, Rugby, King Henry’s etc

Yes I have thanks, just good to hear real life experiences instead of a brochure too.
my child isn’t really into sport but I doubt that matters as will be extra curricular. Where do the children come from, is it a wide area? Is behaviour generally good? I know you get the odd one or two anywhere though! Ruled out kings as think it’s too pressured..

I’d choose grammar over Princethorpe if that was a realistic option. I think Princethorpe is very good for students who are particularly sporty - with or without being academic.
If you have an academic child but they don’t pass the 11+ I would look at Kings instead.

I think Princethorpe isn’t a bad school (I know teachers there and parents of pupils) but my choice would be Warwick or Kings as I think both are more academic than Princethorpe.

I do have an academic child to be honest but I do have a child who may not like the pressure of a grammar although I’m unsure. Primary school hasn’t been great as the work has been too easy and behaviour in the classroom not great so need high school to be a better choice! Just have an image of hot housing in grammar and kings but then I don’t want too relaxed either (heard Kingsley was too lax)
it’s hard isn’t it!

Those in my acquaintance who loved the school felt that it worked well for a less academic child and turns out well rounded young people. Others who wanted more SEN support and had chosen the school for the pastoral care just didn’t seem to get as much as they expected. I don’t think it would be my first choice for a more academic child especially as Kings and Warwick are now on the same site with some shared activities and 6th form classes so it has the benefit of single sex with a more coed experience. Ultimately, it comes down to the school that you feel is right for your DC.

Princethorpe definitely is a mixed bag ability wise. Lovely school, great pastoral reputation. King Henry was similar but I am not sure what the merger had done in terms of changing that.

Warwick and Kings suit a particular "type" better.

The grammars are harder to get into than the private schools in S Warks. I know a great many kids who were way off the entry scores for grammar who are in Kings, Warwick etc. Something to be aware of.

Depending on which area you live in, Solihull could be an option?

Couldn’t do Solihull really.
pastoral care was a reason for thinking g if Princethorpe over a grammar if I’m honest but now I am unsure. I need somewhere for someone who is academic yet does need the pastoral care so not sure this ticks the box! We have a few sen needs although not high needs but I still need to have a bit more care / though about in school x

I'd say avoid SEND wise King Henry or Princethorpe are good bets.

I know a couple of kids who have been through Henry's with SEN issues and they've been fantastic.

? Sorry I’m confused avoid the schools or have they been fantastic?

Probably a bit late to this but I’m a former pupil from a few years ago.
Frankly, I found the experience quite traumatic, especially as quite an academic person with ASD. It certainly is not an academic school, not a problem in itself, and some staff did go above and beyond, but it really was more for the ‘sporty’ types. That being said, I found the sports culture utterly exclusionary, very little empathy for those of us who were less able…I remember for year 7 hockey they lined us up and grouped us according to how we looked! I was a short girl with glasses, so naturally I ended up in the D team, probably where I belonged but it really was awful looking back.

In addition especially ASD some of the ‘culture’ can be difficult. Bear in mind the Princethorpe is very white and middle class, so often being different made you stick out like a sore thumb. There really was some quite nasty bullying that was not well dealt with, while some of the rules were incredibly anxiety inducing and pedantic. I vividly remember a detention for a hair bobble on my wrist, which I planned to use for PE, coming without a hair bobble, again resulted in a sanction. For an anxiety ridden 12 year old, this was difficult!
Overall, obviously the facilities are wonderful and there really were some fantastic members of staff. However the school has a massive culture problem and my memory of it is by and large, not very fond.

I'd avoid it if you can. One of my dc went there. They really struggle with managing behaviour. Sports are under resourced compared with other local private schools.

My son attended Princethorpe, he is now at uni and is loving life! They helped him get onto the course he wanted. Some of the people let in are questionable, one lad my boy was friends with has now been to prison and is apparently a high ranked drug dealer, he didn’t last the full time as you would’ve guessed! Its a very inclusive place and focused on DS abilities to further his education. But the admissions are very sketchy as people like the lad mentioned above managed to get in. Hope this helps!

Princethorpe is a not a choice for any child coming from an ex pupil with dyslexia .

looking at school going into year 7 I was originally going to go to rugby but ended up going to princethorpe primarily because I went to there junior school (which was fantastic on all Levels) and we were told the pastoral care was good.
I only experienced otherwise any of the teacher only had a basic understanding of what dyslexia is and my friends with other learning or emotional need felt the same way of complete neglect even for the most basic needs like asking how to spell a word they would make some snarky comment.
Once they left my friend crying in the back of class because parents were getting divorced and pastoral said “oh well these things happen”.
it’s also got a bad reputation with drugs going in to my final year a girl got expelled for doing cocaine in the school bathroom and another one only got suspended for ketamine. Also everyone from year 9 up vaped most of them also contained THC.
also the school was very racist. In my final year I became a prefect and one of the year seven girls I looked after was black and a group of boys in her year kept saying things like “go eat fried chicken” on a daily basis for about to weeks she went to pastoral and they said “we have no evidence” even tho this 11 year old was literally in tears and to afraid to go out at brake and lunch

summery don’t every even think about sending your kid here unless you want them to come out emotionally abused with a coke problem

wow this is interesting and helpful