Download: Letter to Y11 re Prom 8th June
8th June 2020
Dear Parent/Carer
I am understandably being contacted by a few students or parents upset at the cancellation of the Prom. Some have suggested that we have forgotten about this year group- nothing could be further from the truth. We have been and are investigating various options and I discussed this with Governors last week. As a school we have considered holding something on the premises, rebooking Beamish Hall for a Winter Ball, looking at a leavers’ get together or donating money to a venue for parents to organise an event. All of these have implications which are not straightforward and need looking into thoroughly.
I am happy to work with parents to organise something if that proves possible in the future and many thanks to those parents who are offering. I know and understand how devastating the news of the cancellation was and I know how much the students were hoping for it to be able to go ahead. However, I am not prepared to offer false promises about what we as a school might or might not be able to do at this stage. To lead students to believe that we might hold an event in September or October when we have received no guidance from the Government about whether schools will be fully re-opened would be irresponsible in my opinion.
The deadline for ordering Hoodies has not yet passed, the manufacturers have been closed due to Covid 19- as soon as we have further information we will be in touch. The Year 11 team has been working really hard on the Yearbook, although the collation of photos is proving problematic as we haven’t had the opportunity to take the photos we would have done in other years. When it is ready we will be in touch.
The money raised by the Year Group remains in their account. If there proves to be no possibility of organising some form of event the students will have the opportunity to suggest options of what to do with the money they raised.
I stated in my last letter dated 29th May that- All I can offer at the moment, is my sincere apologies and sympathy, as I said to the year group in their final assembly – “this is not the way we were meant to say goodbye”. I will be in touch if there are any further developments affecting this decision.
I stand by that comment – if there are further developments I will inform you all.
Yours sincerely,
Mr G.W. Lumsdon Mr L. Brown
Head Teacher Chair of Governors