Where are we with the Reconciliation Process

Discussion of the children's schools in the UK.
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bonsai
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Where are we with the Reconciliation Process

Postby bonsai » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:56 am

I was wondering if any of the complainants who contribute here and who have been offered the opportunity of reconciliation have taken this up and would be willing to share their experiences.

I guess I'm interested to know whether anything is actually happening on the reconciliation front at all? Have the experiences been positive or negative or indifferent?

I realise that this whole area is personal and confidential and I don't expect those participating to breach any issues of confidentiality but I was simply wondering whether St James is honouring their committment to reconciliation and whether this is having a beneficial effect.

Bonsai

josh
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Postby josh » Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:18 pm

Hi Bonsai,

I can only talk of my own experience. After recieving an invitation to participate in the´reconcilliation process´ I wrote to the Governors Story and Pickering, via C Betts. I asked some questions about the process and also said I had some suggestions which might be helpful. I gave my first name only, as I wanted them to clarify a question on confidentiality.

Some 5 weeks later, despite having chased them on progress, and been assured a response was coming shortly, I had still heard nothing. Coincidentaly or not - within a matter of days of me advertising the situation on this forum, I recieved, via Betts, a scanned handwritten note from John Story.

I had also written to both Story & Pickering, and Roger Picham, asking them for the date of the next Governors meeting, where Pincham had promised the issues in Mattews Open Letter would be discussed. This must be some two months ago now - I have heard nothing back. I wrote under my own name, and they will be aware that i was a signatory to the letter, so have a direct interest in the issues.

Their behaviour has confirmed what I´ve known for the past couple of years - the current SES establishment doesnt give a s**t about the victims of its regime, and is only concerned with its own survival and reputation. The mysterious and elusive ´reconcilliation process´is a mechanism invented by Boddy to keep complainants quiet - and if they had any honest or genuine intentions, they would be pretty obvious by now... Its not rocket science - if you do something negligent, illegal, and end up hurting and damaging scores of children, you take responsibility for it. And the schools actions, or rather lack of them in the 6 months since the inquiry show a distinct lack of accepting responsibility. saying youre sorry and demonstrating it are two entirely different things.

If St James had acted in a way that any normal school would do after the inquiry - there would be no need for a ´reconcilliation process´

I´d be interested to hear what other peoples experiences are.

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bonsai
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Postby bonsai » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:16 pm

josh wrote:Some 5 weeks later, despite having chased them on progress, and been assured a response was coming shortly, I had still heard nothing. Coincidentaly or not - within a matter of days of me advertising the situation on this forum, I recieved, via Betts, a scanned handwritten note from John Story.


josh wrote:Their behaviour has confirmed what I´ve known for the past couple of years - the current SES establishment doesnt give a s**t about the victims of its regime, and is only concerned with its own survival and reputation. The mysterious and elusive ´reconcilliation process´is a mechanism invented by Boddy to keep complainants quiet - and if they had any honest or genuine intentions, they would be pretty obvious by now...


Saddly again this is what I perceived to be the case, particularly as there are no positive signs on this board that the process is taking place. Though I felt compelled to ask specifically as I was talking to someone in the SES who had said that their had been reconciliation meetings already, some with Pickering and Story and other with teachers. They said these had taken place with positive effect. Clearly this is information fed to the SES faithful to try and keep them inline.

The more and more that I look the more cultish the SES gets. It seems to be interested, as you say josh, in their own preservation and survival and keeping their own members sweet and obedient than for those that they have hurt along the way.

Bonsai

Tom Grubb
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Postby Tom Grubb » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:24 pm

I've just downloaded and skimmed through the latest St James Newsletter (http://www.stjamesschools.co.uk/v2/documents/Spring06.pdf) Strangely enough, there's not a single mention about the Townend Inquiry or the so-called reconciliation process. I guess that so much has been happening at the schools (a lecture by crackpot 'scientist' Rupert Sheldrake, a day with sculptress Lorne Russell - any relation? - a field trip to Abergavenny....) that there just wasn't space.

josh
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Postby josh » Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:56 am

I have noticed however that they do now mention the inquiry on the st james website:

http://www.stjamesschools.co.uk/v2/about7.htm

It seems that all the pressure and publicity does work. Slowly slowly they emerge blinking into the sunlight. A vindication for all those who worked so hard to get a fair inquiry, and action in its aftermath.

And proof that its worth pushing further - until St James is run accountably, Governed properly and is transparent about what it is and what it does.

Thats what I would call a genuine 'reconcilliation process'.

Tom Grubb
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Postby Tom Grubb » Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:50 pm

So where are we with the recociliation process?

All I hear from the SES is silence. They seem to have ignored Matthew's open letter and done nothing to uncover any more truth about what went on at their schools. If reconciliation meetings really are taking place and apologies being made, why aren't the SES telling us about them? Meanwhile, as far as I know, governors who were supposed to be governing the schools while pupils were being criminally assaulted are still in place, as are (please correct me if I'm wrong) teachers who perpetrated abuse.

On the Channel 4 News David Boddy claimed to have been inspired by Desmond Tutu and his famous Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Well, Mr Boddy, if you're such a Tutu fan, why not actually follow his example? In South Africa, the process was open and public and amnesties were only granted to those who told the entire truth about the crimes they had committed.

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bonsai
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Postby bonsai » Mon Sep 11, 2006 8:30 am

Tom Grubb wrote:On the Channel 4 News David Boddy claimed to have been inspired by Desmond Tutu and his famous Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Well, Mr Boddy, if you're such a Tutu fan, why not actually follow his example? In South Africa, the process was open and public and amnesties were only granted to those who told the entire truth about the crimes they had committed.


It is worth noting that those numbers of those that were granted amnesty were in a minority to those who gave evidence seeking amnesty.

I agree Tom, that there has been little progress by the schools and it is a great shame that everything has gone quiet over the summer. This is a particular shame as it would seem that there is little opportunity for the schools to address the issues of governance before the new academic year starts, so it would seem that St James remains stuck with the same inept board of governors as before.

Does any one know the term dates for the new academic year?

Bonsai

sugarloaf
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Postby sugarloaf » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:32 pm

I'm not sure when private schools go back.

It would be very interesting to find out if the schools are indeed considering a governors reshuffle, or whether the old guard is planning to sit it out.. I cant believe they would have the arrogance to do absolutely nothing - but then again...

Pincham did say in his reply to the open letter some time ago that they would be undertaking a 'fundamental review' of the Governors, to be implemented at the start of the school year - whether this is or isnt going to happen I imagine is of interest to everyone who signed the open letter.

If nothing is forthcoming it might be worth getting in touch with him to give him a nudge. I've heard he's notoriously hard to get hold of.. rarely turns up for governors meetings and the like..

So if correspondence with the school is getting nowhere - he can be reached at:

Roger Pincham
[edit by Mike]

Good luck!

sugarloaf
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Postby sugarloaf » Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:58 pm

Mike (probably quite fairly) edited out the contact details for Pincham I posted above.

If anyone does want to write to him at his home address, PM me and I will pass it on. (perfectly justified I'd say - as some correspondence sent to him via the school seems either not to reach him - or he's deciding to be selective about who he can be bothered to reply to).

Tom Grubb
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Postby Tom Grubb » Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:09 pm

I emailed St James on 23rd September asking whether any teachers named by Mr Townend as guilty of persistent acts of excessive punishment or criminal assault were still teaching at any St James school. I was assured that my message had been passed on to Mr Boddy.

Still no reply.

Has anybody else tried contacting the schools about this?

Tom

Shout
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Postby Shout » Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:25 am

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