How you can help students at a Harborough secondary school stage a summertime Prom to remember

Students at a Market Harborough secondary school are setting out to raise £6,000 to stage a summertime Prom to remember – and they would like you to help them.

Some 146 Year 11 pupils at Robert Smyth Academy are launching a titanic effort to end the academic year on a high after the toughest time British schoolchildren have ever had to face in peacetime.

And the dynamic 15 and 16-year-olds are imploring the people of Market Harborough – please get behind us.

Dan Cleary, the principal of the 1,000-pupil Burnmill Road school, told the Harborough Mail: “Our students are on a mission – and we are backing them every step of the way.

“We have a lot of fantastic kids at Robert Smyth.

“They are going through the hardest time imaginable – but they are staying positive and they are staying optimistic.

“So I know for a fact that they deserve all the support that we can give them.”

The popular school chief said the GCSE youngsters have now set up a gofundme page in a bid to hit their £6,000 goal – and they’ve already raked in £300.

“Every single one of us needs something to look forward to – a bright light shining at the end of the tunnel amid this year-long Covid pandemic and the national lockdown.

“We have a top-class community here in Market Harborough.

“And I’d like to appeal to people in the town and beyond to do all they can to chip in and donate to help our kids get over the line,” stressed Dan.

“It’s not fair that they’ve not been able to see their friends, go into school as normal every day or take their exams – and it’s high time they had a break for once.

“The Prom is about far more than getting together and having a dance at a disco.

“It’s a pivotal rite of passage – and every kid looks forward to it.

“The Prom is about happy times, happy days, laughter, it’s such great fun, such a headline marquee event,” insisted Dan.

“Our students are very much part of our community here in Market Harborough.

“And they are our future.

“So please dig as deep as you can and donate what ever you can afford to help make their dreams come true.”

Asked how they are doing generally since schools in England look set to be shut to at least March 8, Dan replied: “We are doing well.

“I’m very proud of our students for their amazing self-motivation and ability to continue working as hard as they can day in day out.

“They have been so resilient and so impressive.

“We are battling through times that none of us would have chosen.

“But there are still many reasons to be positive.

“We have students attending live lessons every day.

“Attendance has been outstanding.

“It’s far from ideal.

“But our pupils should not have significant attainment gaps when they do finally return to school full-time,” said Dan.

“Our teaching staff and support staff have been tremendous as well.

“We have been inundated with so many messages of support and thanks from parents and the community.

“And for that we are extremely grateful, we thank each and every one of them.”

If you would like to help the students of Robert Smyth raise £6,000 and hold their dream Prom this summer, please visit their fundraising page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-prom-2021