Thursday, 18th January, 1973

From: The Head Master

To: Form Masters of Forms 1 - 5.

LETTER TO THE HEADMASTER

1. The customary letter is to be written by all boys in Forms 1-5. The 6th Forms are exempt, and the 5th Form will be exempt next summer at the time of the G.C.E.

2. Form Masters are requested to accept responsibility for ensuring that this letter is written, and in a worthy fashion, by all the boys in their forms. It is customary to provide at least one class period for the writing of the letter, and the boys may understand that if a master decides to mark examination papers during a lesson period they have the option of either continuing with their reading or writing the letter.

3. It would be advisable to remind all the boys of the usual requirements and restrictions. The letter must be written on A4 size paper with wide lines, A margin must be left all round, and only black or blue/black ink should be used. Ball pens are forbidden for this purpose. The quantity must cover the whole of one side and three quarters of the other side. Space-filling devices such as unnecessarily large writing and lists are forbidden. In deciding on the content of their letter, the boys would be well advised to remember the general principle that one ought not to put in a letter anything that one is not prepared to say in person to the recipient.

4. The layout should be as follows

At the top of the page in block letters — the boy’s full name and form.

26th January, 1975

The Rev. F. J. McGuiness, S.T.L., M.A.,
Head Master,
St. Augustine’s Grammar School,
Manchester, M22 4PJ

Reverend and dear Father,

(letter content)

(signature)

5. The writing of the letter must be preceded by at least one practice, and Form Masters are requested to demand evidence that the letter has beer written in rough first. Form Masters are requested to refrain fron reading the letters closely, so that reasonable privacy may be maintained, but they should certainly glance at the letters and hand them back if they seem for any reason unpresentable. It is embarrassing for the Head Master to appear to reject his colleague's judgment in returning on unsatisfactory letter to a boy.

6. Letters should be collected by The Form Master in order to ascertain that every boy in the form has written one. They should be handed to the Registrar by Monday, 29th January, 1973. If the whole form have finished their letters at an earlier date, thet letters may of course be handed over without further delay.