CHRISTMAS 2012
First of all I would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by the closure of this site on Wednesday, 5th December. Once again Essex County Council failed to grit the roads prior to the arrival of the snow and this led to chaos. Thank you so much for your support in getting boarders home at short notice. Celebrating Success – Open Evening – Change of Time Our Year 11 GCSE results were good again this year and many of our boys have also achieved lots of Entry Level qualifications too. In order to share with you the progress and successes of our pupils we do hope that you will be able to attend the Open Evening on Thursday, 20 December 2012 between 4.30 pm – 6.30 pm (please note change of time). Festive refreshments will of course be provided. Please let the school office or class tutor know if you are coming. Damage There has been concern for sometime about the amount of damage that some boys are doing around the school. Until now our Behaviour Management system has enabled us to recoup some of the money for repairs, but the rise in damage means that we are now going to ask parents and carers for at least a contribution. Smoking We are experiencing significant problems with some boys continuously smoking and arriving late for lessons. I am having to take serious action as this is causing disruption to the teaching and learning within the school. Known smokers are being asked to hand in their jackets and bags and any tobacco or lighters are being confiscated and disposed of. I would ask therefore that you support the school in promoting its No Smoking Policy and encourage boys not to bring smoking materials into school. If boys continue to cause disruption in this way I will have no choice but to resort to periods of fixed term exclusions. |
Cold Weather
This is the time of year when we all have colds and flu and just want to snuggle in front of a fire. Please, please, please could you ensure that boys come to school wearing warm jackets but not hoodies. Thank you. In the event of snow and school closures, BBC Essex will publish the names of CLOSED schools at www.bbc.co.uk/essex so please look at this website or listen to the radio station. There will also be a message on the school’s own website which will confirm that the school is closed. The Moat When it gets really cold the Moat can freeze over and become very dangerous. This area is out of bounds to boys and I would ask that you remind them to keep away from this area for reasons of Health and Safety. Sadly, last year, a couple of boys put themselves at risk by trying to walk on the Moat and had to be sent home until it had thawed. Chair of Governors We have sadly had to bid farewell to Cllr Geoff Williams who had been a loyal Governor and Chair of Governors of this school since 1994. His support and commitment to the pupils, parents, carers and staff of this school will be very much missed. And finally ..... I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your support this term, and wish you and your families a peaceful Christmas and Happy 2013. We look forward to seeing the boys back in school on Monday, 7th January. Best wishes Yvonne Goouge Acting Headteacher |