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Residents angry over school fence being put up
A fence being built around a school which has angered residents will help improve pupil safety, according to its principal.
The fence is being built around The Latimer Arts College in Barton Seagrave.
But residents say the field which is being fenced off has been a central part of their community for years and they will no longer be able to use it.
Principal Siobhan Hearne said: "Schools have an increasing responsibility with regards to safeguarding their students.
"The staff and governors at The Latimer Arts College take these responsibilities seriously and aim to ensure that our safeguarding measures are robust.
"There are improvements that we must implement in order to reduce the risk of harm for our students.
"One of these is erecting a security fence, which is one measure that plays a significant part in improving the safety of a school site for students and staff. Very few schools remain unfenced in today's modern society."
Ms Hearne said the fence will "prevent casual access to the school site".
She added: "We must ensure adults who access the site and are not directly connected to the college, and therefore have not been vetted, have official reasons to be here.
"We recognise this may mean a change to current practices for some and we can only apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
"We hope people will understand that our sole aim is to ensure that we are carrying out our duty with regards to safeguarding our students."
Barton Seagrave resident Lisa Lade said: "There is a lot of anger on this side of the village about the fence. While the field is school property and it does not have to let the public on it, the reality is that the area has long been a central part of our community and provides a place to walk, exercise and play sports with our children.
"I feel it is a sad day when our school has to be 'imprisoned' and the community 'locked out'."
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Weather for Kettering
Thursday 09 February 2012
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