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Parent Bulletin 06/05/2022

Please see the latest bulletin from Mr Solly below...

Dear parents and carers

This week we introduced a new uniform card system to enhance the level of responsibility students take for wearing their uniform correctly, and to reward students who consistently get it right. The response has been excellent and I cannot remember students looking so smart in any of the 5 years I have been here. Thank you for continuing to support your child/children to arrive at school every day on time and with the correct uniform and equipment. These are important habits for young people to work on whilst at school so they are well-prepared for the world of work. 

I have been busy with recruitment this week as we bring in new colleagues to our expanding staff team. We have made excellent appointments to a number of key teaching and support staff positions and I will share these with you in due course. 

It is with a great deal of disappointment that I have to draw your attention to an Instagram account that has been created and is posting highly inappropriate and libellous comments about members of our staff. There are a number of students that have been identified who either 'follow' this account, have liked the photos, or have made comments on photos. On Monday we are writing individually to each of these families to explain the consequences of their children continuing to follow, like or comment on this account and its posts. We are also working with the police and a social media support agency to try and take the account down and identify who is responsible. This raises many questions for us as a school community and for parents, and I would urge you all to have a conversation with your child/children about whether they follow this specific account, or any others that are inappropriate. There is also the issue of the age requirement of 13, which is clearly not being followed by some people. Our stance as a school is as follows:

  • we will give students until this time next week to unfollow the account, unlike any photos they may have previously liked, and delete any comments they may have made
  • after this period of grace has expired, we will begin to issue sanctions to any students who continue to be linked in any way to this or any other accounts which are defamatory in any way to UCC or our staff

Please ask your child to show you their Instagram account to assure you that they are not following this or any other inappropriate account that relates to the school. 

An additional concern that has been raised with us locally has been received from the Local Police. They have advised that there are two male adults and an adult female in and around Uppingham who are causing a disturbance.  These adults may present as intimidating and threatening and under the influence of alcohol and have approached young people in the Town demanding money.  It is our advice that your child does not walk home alone, does not attend the park alone, and if approached or threatened by these people, contact the Local Police.

I would like to end this section of the Newsletter on a more positive note. This week we have seen our Young Farmers Club visit Brooksby Melton College and our music students attend an organ workshop, both of which were excellent experiences. We have been putting the finishing touches to the trips and visits for ACE Day and Activity Day, which occur in the final week of the summer term. These exciting opportunities will be a superb way to finish the academic year and we will release full details to you within the next fortnight.

Please take the time to read through the rest of the newsletter.

 

I hope you have a great weekend.
Mr Solly