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The Uppingham revolt: Pupils stage mass mutiny over sixth-form expulsions
By Neil Sears and Rebecca Camber
Last updated at 3:50 AM on 5th May 2010
Hundreds of pupils staged a mutiny at an elite public school yesterday in protest at a mass expulsion.
In scenes reminiscent of the notorious film If... – in which a boarding school rises in violent rebellion against oppressive teachers – a mob of angry youngsters abandoned lessons and marched into the Uppingham School quad, chanting for the headmaster, Richard Harman.
When he emerged to face the horde he was met with a hail of abuse.
Show of strength: The Uppingham pupils who left their classes and massed on the playing field
To quell the mounting revolt he later held an emergency assembly for the entire school in the chapel.
He told the mutinous youngsters – whose parents pay £27,500 a year for them to study at the 400-year-old school – that he had no option but to expel six lower sixth-formers and one upper sixth former for bullying a 17-year-old schoolmate.
Decision: Headmaster Richard Harman said he will not allow the expelled pupils back to school
Last night Mr Harman, in charge of the school in Uppingham, Rutland, for four years, claimed the air of mutiny had dissipated, and he had the situation under control.
But a number of pupils remained fired up after smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol on the playing fields instead of attending lessons.
The alleged bullying that led to the expulsions and rebellion included repeated demands for donations during a poppy appeal in November 2009, verbal abuse, and culminated in a physical attack late last term, which left the boy bruised and hurt.
After the Easter holidays the boy’s parents made a complaint, leading to an investigation and the expulsions.
News of the expulsions spread rapidly through the boarding houses on Monday night.
One pupil said yesterday: ‘By this morning everyone was really angry – we think the expelled sixth formers were wrongly accused.
‘To make our point up to 500 of us walked out of lessons. Classrooms were just left empty. It was a serious mutiny.’
Anger: Students rebelled at the £27,000-a-year school in Uppingham, Rutland
Last night Mr Harman said some of the claims were exaggerated. He has no plans to allow the seven expelled boys back, but is allowing them to sit their exams at Uppingham.
He added: ‘Although I do not condone poor behaviour or cutting lessons, I kind of respect the fact that they [pupils] need to express their feelings.’
By Neil Sears and Rebecca Camber
Last updated at 3:50 AM on 5th May 2010
Hundreds of pupils staged a mutiny at an elite public school yesterday in protest at a mass expulsion.
In scenes reminiscent of the notorious film If... – in which a boarding school rises in violent rebellion against oppressive teachers – a mob of angry youngsters abandoned lessons and marched into the Uppingham School quad, chanting for the headmaster, Richard Harman.
When he emerged to face the horde he was met with a hail of abuse.
Show of strength: The Uppingham pupils who left their classes and massed on the playing field
To quell the mounting revolt he later held an emergency assembly for the entire school in the chapel.
He told the mutinous youngsters – whose parents pay £27,500 a year for them to study at the 400-year-old school – that he had no option but to expel six lower sixth-formers and one upper sixth former for bullying a 17-year-old schoolmate.
Decision: Headmaster Richard Harman said he will not allow the expelled pupils back to school
Last night Mr Harman, in charge of the school in Uppingham, Rutland, for four years, claimed the air of mutiny had dissipated, and he had the situation under control.
But a number of pupils remained fired up after smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol on the playing fields instead of attending lessons.
The alleged bullying that led to the expulsions and rebellion included repeated demands for donations during a poppy appeal in November 2009, verbal abuse, and culminated in a physical attack late last term, which left the boy bruised and hurt.
After the Easter holidays the boy’s parents made a complaint, leading to an investigation and the expulsions.
News of the expulsions spread rapidly through the boarding houses on Monday night.
One pupil said yesterday: ‘By this morning everyone was really angry – we think the expelled sixth formers were wrongly accused.
‘To make our point up to 500 of us walked out of lessons. Classrooms were just left empty. It was a serious mutiny.’
Anger: Students rebelled at the £27,000-a-year school in Uppingham, Rutland
Last night Mr Harman said some of the claims were exaggerated. He has no plans to allow the seven expelled boys back, but is allowing them to sit their exams at Uppingham.
He added: ‘Although I do not condone poor behaviour or cutting lessons, I kind of respect the fact that they [pupils] need to express their feelings.’
