The Chronicle

Today in school we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany - a special day when we thought about the visit of the three Wise Men to the Son of God. Mass was said for the whole school, for Mr Duigan's safe return from South Africa, and for the repose of the soul of Pope Benedict XVI.  We learnt that the word Epiphany comes from the Greek word meaning to reveal, or revelation, and this can give us a greater understanding of the life of Jesus. We were reminded that Christmas is not just one day - Christmas is a whole season in the life of the Church. If we looked closely at the manger scene, this would remind us of our lives and the importance of family. Father Kevin used an analogy of throwing a stone into a pond and how the vibrations, or the ripple effect, could emphasise Jesus' life. The first ripple revealed the love of a family. The next ripple took us to the surroundings of where we live, similar to the shepherds. The next ripple depicted the Epiphany, the revelation of knowing that we have a share in the Christmas story, like the Wise Men who came from different places and helped us to understand that people of every race can find lifelong fulfilment in Jesus. The mass ended with Mr Pike playing a very powerful and moving rendition of Czardas by Monti on the violin.

Josie-Jean in Junior 5 decided to send a letter of condolence to His Majesty King Charles III expressing how sorry she was to hear about the loss of his mum, Queen Elizabeth II. She took it upon herself to write and sent her letter off in the autumn; it was such a thoughtful and kind thing to do.  

Josie-Jean has been checking the post regularly hoping for a royal reply but what with the postal strike and the number of letters the King will have received she had just about given up hope. Then finally, last week, it dropped on the doormat and Josie-Jean was utterly thrilled.

Josie-Jean brought her letter into school to show all her friends and teachers. What a marvellous treasure for a girl who is clearly a right royal fan. Thank you for sharing it with us Josie-Jean!

Grove du Toit has taken on the Headship of Princethorpe College with effect from January 2023. He succeeds outgoing Headmaster, Ed Hester, who has held the post since 2009. Mr Hester now becomes Foundation Principal, a dedicated role with responsibility for the strategic vision and direction of the whole Princethorpe Foundation, its three schools and nursery.

Mr du Toit was appointed as Headmaster back in May 2022 after a rigorous selection process and until December was Deputy Warden (Senior Deputy Head) at Forest School, a co-educational independent day school for children aged 4 to 18, located on the edge of Epping Forest, a position he held for five years.

Married to Marike, with whom he shares two daughters, aged 14 and 11, Mr du Toit, 43, is a practising Christian. South African by birth, he moved to the UK in 2005 and after a brief period teaching in the maintained sector, he has held a variety of leadership roles in HMC independent schools in and around London. Following his under-graduate studies at the University of Pretoria, he completed a MA in Education Management at King’s College London, and has recently completed his MBA at Salford University through their Business School.

Comments, Liz Griffin, Chair of Trustees, “We are delighted to finally welcome Grove on board. The Foundation Trustees were unanimous in the decision to appoint him as the next Headmaster of Princethorpe College. His passion for education and young people shone through throughout the selection process and our many encounters with him since. He has immense vision and energy combined with a wealth of experience and leaderships skills, but most importantly his personal values marry perfectly with the ethos of the College.

She continues, “Our thanks go to Ed Hester, who has done an outstanding job as Headmaster of Princethorpe College over the last 13 years. Of course, Ed will continue to have a very keen interest in life at Princethorpe and will be on hand to ensure a smooth transition and successful handover to Grove, who will be supported by Princethorpe’s excellent Senior Leadership Team.”

Comments, Grove du Toit, “I am excited and honoured to take on the Headship of Princethorpe College and lead the school into the next stage of its development, building on the excellent work of Ed Hester. I recognise and fully appreciate what a special community Princethorpe is and upholding its ethos and spirit of family will be central to my role. I look forward to immersing myself in school life and building relationships with staff, parents and pupils alike.”

Outgoing Headmaster, Ed Hester, adds, “Grove is a great fit for Princethorpe and brings with him a vast amount of experience and skills. I am delighted to be able to hand over the reins of running the College to him and am really excited at the prospect of working with him over the years ahead.”

The Princethorpe Foundation educates some 1,400 pupils aged 2 to 18 years across its senior school, Princethorpe College, and prep schools, Crackley Hall School and Little Crackers Nursery in Kenilworth and Crescent School in Bilton, Rugby.