To parents, guardians & carers of Reading School 6th formers, please sign this petition and join my call to have the right to leave school premises in free periods restored... An Open Letter Dear Head, I remember my 6th form back in 1977. I had chosen to stay in the academic stream at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School despite the option to attend Sutton Coldfield College. Every day, my mates from the 5th form would breeze into college late, wearing flared jeans and mixing freely with girls. I sat next to the radiator, sweating through physics in jacket and tie with only boys for classmates for 2 years. The only consolation was that, as a semi-adult, I was allowed to leave the school premises during my free periods and to enjoy this privilege denied to the 5th form. I was delighted when my son, Jack, decided to stay on at Reading School and to follow the academic track. Moving into the upper sixth, he has passed his driving test and will turn 18 in January. I don't think that the freedom to nip out of school for his free periods was a deciding factor in staying on at Reading instead of Henley College. But I know that he values and enjoys the time honoured privileges afforded to the 6th form just as I did. He is applying for uni now and, with luck, will be living in Manchester or Newcastle a year from now. I want Jack to have the straightjacket loosened now, to let him develop and demonstrate his own sense of responsibility and avoid a sudden rush of blood to the head next September. I was truly shocked that you, as Head of Reading School, have decided to remove this privilege, nay right, from all your sixth formers. Without notice (since such freedoms are a material factor when 5th formers select their 6th form institution), without regard for the fact that many will be legally adult as the year progresses and without respect and trust in these young adults. I call on you to reconsider this decision and to make free periods truly free again - particularly for the upper sixth who have had them curtailed after a year. yours sincerely -steve