PLEASE SUPPORT AN OPEN LETTER TO ST JAMES SCHOOLS

Discussion of the children's schools in the UK.
Matthew
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PLEASE SUPPORT AN OPEN LETTER TO ST JAMES SCHOOLS

Postby Matthew » Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:07 pm

Exactly two years ago (February 2004) I decided to write about my childhood experiences as a pupil at St Vedast School (now St James) and the SES. When I posted my account on this website I could never have imagined the enormous response that followed, or that two years later St James would have publicly acknowledged that pupils had been ?mentally and physically mistreated? at the schools.

For all those who like me suffered as pupils at St Vedast or St James I hope that the conclusion of the inquiry will mean we can now finally begin to move on with our lives knowing that the truth is at last being established.

I believe that for the Schools to be able to move on they must take appropriate action in response to the inquiry's findings. They must not only take action against individuals named in the confidential version of the report but also address the ineffectual governance and its domination by the SES which enabled these individuals to act as they did - with impunity or in the belief that their actions were approved of.

I have written an open letter to the schools asking them to act on the inquiry's findings. I very much hope that you - pupils, parents, (either former or current), and any others within the schools' community will join me by signing this letter which will be sent to the schools.

If you would like to sign the letter please email your name to me at openletter@tiscali.co.uk and I will add your name to it. I will make further postings on www.ses.whyaretheydead.net each week to let you know how many people have signed the letter. The letter will then be sent to the Chair of Governors of St James Schools. I fully appreciate that for some people anonymity is a sensitive subject. Please therefore note no names will be published on here, they will only appear at the bottom of the letter being sent to the governors, rather like a petition. Of course if you would still prefer to not put your real name on the letter then a pseudonym will suffice, although for obvious reasons, would not be ideal. It would also be very helpful if below your name you could state your relationship to St James or SES, i.e. former or current: pupil / parent / SES member / friend / relative / etc, indeed anybody with an active interest. I have so far already collected 22 signatures. Please join us.

Thank you

Matthew Woolf


OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNORS OF ST JAMES INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, LONDON

To the Board of Governors of St James Independent Schools,

Re: The Townend Report and St James


We the undersigned welcome the decision of the Governors of St James to accept in full the findings of the Townend report and the unconditional apology you have issued to those who suffered during their time as pupils at the Schools.

The inquiry?s findings on mental and physical mistreatment of pupils, on governance, and on the direct role of the School of Economic Science (SES) in the schools require that you (as the governing body) act urgently.

Decisive action is needed now to minimise disruption to current pupils, ensure that the Schools are places where children are happy, safe and fulfilled, and to facilitate the reconciliation you seek with former pupils.

As members of the school community and interested parties we, the undersigned, call for:

1) The resignation of all current governors who were teachers or governors at St James or St Vedast during the period considered in the Townend report.

2) The termination of contracts of any teachers currently employed who were identified by Mr Townend as guilty of persistent acts of excessive punishment, including criminal assault.

3) The Schools to undertake genuine consultation with current parents on reform of the Schools' governance (including the appointment of non-SES governors), and that you act on the results of this consultation.

4) Complete transparency over the SES's influence over the St James Schools - including addressing governance, management, staffing, recruitment of pupils into the SES, curriculum, philosophy, and ethos.


Yours sincerely,

Matthew Woolf (former pupil, St Vedast School)

A N Other

A N Other

A N Other

A N Other

A N Other etc

dan
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Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 4:39 pm

letter

Postby dan » Sun Feb 12, 2006 7:58 pm

Excellent Letter Matt, I shall certainly be signing it.

I hope the St Vedast-now-St James governors will realise that by taking on these recommendations they will be participating in the much needed reconciliation process which the recent Townend Inquiry began. These recommendations will also make St James a safer place for children.
Dan

ANON-From the Girls' sch.
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Postby ANON-From the Girls' sch. » Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:03 pm

Decisive action is needed now to minimise disruption to current pupils, ensure that the Schools are places where children are happy, safe and fulfilled, and to facilitate the reconciliation you seek with former pupils.


AHhh just got Tom Grubb's letter at freinds reunited! The second letter i have recieved -quite astonishing how you get your word around!

This letter is not written for the beneficial of the current pupils of the school, is it written because people like you (who have been abused in the past)want you're own revenge and get back.

Current pupils have not been disrupted by any of the teachers! Yes, it is a great letter, with only one purpose!! By signing it, your want some of the best teachers out of the school (who do not abuse any longer)..... i will NOT sign it!

Alban
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Postby Alban » Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:32 pm

Hmmm, the delivery may well be from a current pupil, but the words may just have well come from the governors...lets just brush it under the carpet shall we Anon...hope it goes away.

I mean..as long as it didn't affect you, then that's alright.

What happened to the compassion that they are supposed to teach you?

Daffy
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Postby Daffy » Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:47 pm

ANON-From the Girls' sch, if your post is anything to go by, standards of English grammar and spelling have seriously declined since we were at St James. Ask your teacher to explain the difference between "your" and "you're" and how to spell what you call "freinds".

Anyway, you completely misunderstand the point of what we are trying to achieve. Go back and read our reactions to the apologies posted by former teachers Barber, Rasmussen and Hipshon. You will not find a hint of revenge or vitriol - only relief that the people concerned have come to admit the wrongs done in the twisted cause of a SES education.

The response from the current Governors is an insult to that process. The refusal of governors who presided during that era to resign is disgusting, and their smears of those who have brought about this whole process calls into question their good faith.

ANON-From the Girls' sch. wrote:AHhh just got Tom Grubb's letter at freinds reunited! The second letter i have recieved -quite astonishing how you get your word around!

This letter is not written for the beneficial of the current pupils of the school, is it written because people like you (who have been abused in the past)want you're own revenge and get back.

Current pupils have not been disrupted by any of the teachers! Yes, it is a great letter, with only one purpose!! By signing it, your want some of the best teachers out of the school (who do not abuse any longer)..... i will NOT sign it!

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non-conformist
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Postby non-conformist » Thu Feb 16, 2006 12:00 am

Have to agree: excellent letter Matt! Count on my support (unless its already been sent - I have been offline for a while). Thanks.

Matthew
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Location: London

Postby Matthew » Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:54 pm

Thank you non-conformist, you can add your support by emailing openletter@tiscali.co.uk with your name and what your connection is to St James/SES. And many thanks to all the others who have done likewise. A numbers update will be posted shortly.

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a different guest
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Postby a different guest » Thu Feb 16, 2006 11:04 pm

Anyway, you completely misunderstand the point of what we are trying to achieve


Daffy, as the child has hardly any command of the English language this is hardly surprising. I can't even begin to describe my mental picture of a person being "disrupted". I think it might involve electricity. :)

Good luck with the letter guys!

Matthew
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Location: London

Numbers update

Postby Matthew » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:30 pm

Many thanks to everyone who has signed the letter so far. At the last count we have 52 signatories. I will wait a little longer before sending it to St James to allow more time for anyone else who wants to sign it.

sparks
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Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:17 am

Postby sparks » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:41 am

For the benefit of Sam, James and other current pupils who agree that that the Governors must resign .... just click the link...

openletter@tiscali.co.uk

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Free Thinker
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Postby Free Thinker » Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:07 am

Hi Matthew,

I just e-mailed to sign it.

FT

Daffy
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Re: PLEASE SUPPORT AN OPEN LETTER TO ST JAMES SCHOOLS

Postby Daffy » Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:09 pm

I've already lent my name to the letter, but can anyone remind me of the names of the governors and teachers concerned?

I believe they include David Lacey as a current teacher (and he was certainly guilty of the worst kinds of criminal assaults referred to in the Townend report); and Roger Pincham as a governor. There must be others.

Matthew wrote:As members of the school community and interested parties we, the undersigned, call for:

1) The resignation of all current governors who were teachers or governors at St James or St Vedast during the period considered in the Townend report.

2) The termination of contracts of any teachers currently employed who were identified by Mr Townend as guilty of persistent acts of excessive punishment, including criminal assault.

Free
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Postby Free » Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:30 pm

<delete>
Last edited by Free on Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

xstJ
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governors

Postby xstJ » Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:19 pm

I think that list might be out of date, the governors I know of are:

Roger Pincham (Chairman)
George Cselko
Richard Edmunds
Mary Pickering
Clem Salaman
Jeremy Sinclair
John Story
Richard Watson

The Honorary Governors are:

James Armstrong
Sheila Caldwell
Bernard Saunders
Bernard White

Can anyone confirm this?

sparks
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:17 am

Re: governors

Postby sparks » Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:59 pm

xstJ wrote:I think that list might be out of date, the governors I know of are:

Roger Pincham (Chairman)
George Cselko
Richard Edmunds
Mary Pickering
Clem Salaman
Jeremy Sinclair
John Story
Richard Watson

The Honorary Governors are:

James Armstrong
Sheila Caldwell
Bernard Saunders
Bernard White

Can anyone confirm this?


Looks correct to me....and of course Nicholas Debenham is Chair of the Education Renaissance Trust (ERT), which was Co-founded by David Boddy http://www.education-renaissance-trust.org.uk


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