Upton-by-Chester High School Parent Portal - Upton-by-Chester High School Parent/ Carer Bulletin Week Commencing 9th March 2026

Focus: Teenage Relationship Abuse

Abuse in teenage relationships is when you begin to feel scared or controlled by the person you are with. You may be confused because it feels like a loving relationship but often only when you behave in a certain way. This can happen at any age, regardless of gender.

Do you know?

● One in five young men and one in ten young women think that abuse or violence against women is acceptable.

● Nearly 75% of girls have reported some sort of emotional partner violence.

Signs of relationship abuse — your partner:

shows extreme jealousy,
anger displays controlling behaviour, e.g. telling you where you can go and what you can wear
online abuse: threatening to post personal pictures or information about you
controls your finances
says things that make you feel small or stupid
snooping: reading emails, messages and social media and monitors your calls
sexual abuse: makes you do something sexual when you don’t want to
blames you for their problems or feelings
is verbally abusive
uses threatening behaviour
uses physical violence towards you such as hitting, punching and kicking

Worried about a family member or friend? Warning Signs:

No longer hanging out with their circle of friends
Not doing as well at school, or skipping school altogether
Constantly checking their phone and/ or receiving excessive texts from their boyfriend/ girlfriend
Being withdrawn and quieter than usual
Being angry and becoming irritable when asked how they are doing
Dressing differently
Making excuses for their boyfriend or girlfriend
Having unexplained scratches or bruises
Showing changes in mood or personality
Using drugs or alcohol
Having a boyfriend/ girlfriend who is very possessive and/ or jealous
They tell you their boyfriend/ girlfriend monitors their calls and emails
You notice their boyfriend/ girlfriend believes in rigid sex roles

Abuse Helplines:

Childline: call 08001111

childline.org.uk -sign up to online chat and send messages 9am to midnight

refuge.org.uk

if it's an emergency, call 999. if you can't speak, listen to the questions and tap or cough to answer. Press 55 to signal an emergency.

REMEMBER IT IS NEVER YOUR FAULT - SPEAK TO A TRUSTED ADULT AT SCHOOL OR YOUR PASTORAL SUPPORT MANAGER, HEAD OF YEAR OR MR KEEGAN.

International HPV Awareness Day – Information for Parents

From April to July 2026, the School Age Immunisation Service will be offering the HPV vaccine to all Year 8 pupils, as well as pupils in Years 9–11 who have not yet received it. The vaccine is offered to both boys and girls.

Every year, International HPV Awareness Day takes place on 4 March. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness about HPV and the protection the vaccine provides.

To help families feel informed, we focus on the Three Ws:

What HPV is
Why the HPV vaccine is important
When your child will receive it and what to expect

What is HPV?

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are a very common family of viruses that infect the skin and body linings. There are hundreds of different types.
Most HPV infections are harmless and clear on their own, but some types can cause genital warts and increase the risk of developing certain cancers later in life.

HPV can increase the risk of:

Cervical cancer – HPV causes more than 90% of cases
Some mouth and throat cancers
Anal and genital cancers, including vaginal, vulval, penile and anal cancers

These cancers can affect both men and women. Since 2019, the HPV vaccine has therefore been offered to boys as well as girls.

Why is the HPV vaccine important?

The HPV vaccine used in the UK is Gardasil 9. It protects against nine types of HPV, including the high‑risk strains that cause around 90% of cervical cancers.
It also protects against the two HPV types responsible for most cases of genital warts.

Some key facts:

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35.
Around 3,200 women in the UK are diagnosed each year, and about 900 die from it.
Since the HPV vaccine was introduced, cervical cancer rates have fallen by almost 90% in women in their 20s who were vaccinated at ages 12–13.
Since 2019, boys have also been routinely offered the vaccine because it clearly protects them from HPV‑related cancers.
Protection is now achieved with one dose of the vaccine.

When will the HPV Vaccine be offered.

The vaccine is offered in Year 8 because it works best when given before a young person becomes exposed to the virus.

The IntraHealth School Age Immunisation Service will be offering the HPV vaccine to year 8 pupil and those in years 9-11 who are outstanding the vaccine, from April – July 2026.

We will work with your school to provide parents with information about the vaccine and how to provide consent.

Further information

☎️ Contact the School Age Immunisation Service directly on 0333 3583 397 Option 7 then Option 2

@ Imms.W-Chester-CW@intraheath.co.uk

HPV vaccine - NHS