Letter from Mr Lewis to all parents.
Dear Parent/Carer
Firstly, thank you for your support in making the start of term such a positive one. Students have arrived looking smart and ready to study. The atmosphere around school is positive and productive.
We start the term off the back of
another very successful set of GCSE results. I will forward some figures to you
over the next few weeks.
On Friday we received the
following message from North Devon Police, which they have suggested we share
with you. Initial reports have not suggested South Molton students are involved
but in sharing the information, it allows you to make appropriate choices about
the event.
“North Devon Police have received information that children from
schools from the local area have arranged to meet at Barnstaple Carnival &
Fair with a view to fighting with each other. Intelligence officers have been
made aware that knives and other weapons will be taken to the event. North Devon
Police will have zero tolerance for violence and weapons at this event. The
Police have the ability to stop, detain and search any person reasonably
suspected to be carrying weapons and the ability to disperse large groups
causing issues. It is an arrestable offence to carry knives or other weapons and
to ignore any direction to leave. Any offenders will be dealt with robustly and
will have the full weight of the law levied against them.”
If you are going to the carnival
or fair, by all means go have a great time, and enjoy yourselves. Do not do
anything that will have an effect on the rest of your lives or someone
else’s.”
We would always urge parents and
carers to be clear in their expectations of their child’s conduct and to be very
clear where their child is at any given time. We would suggest that if children
are intending to go to the fair, then it is advisable that they are accompanied
by a responsible adult.
If you do hear any further
information in connection with the Police message, we would urge you to share
this with us and, of course, the Police.
Yours faithfully
Mr D J
Lewis
Principal
