PLEASE SUPPORT AN OPEN LETTER TO ST JAMES SCHOOLS

Discussion of the children's schools in the UK.
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Sam Hyde
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Postby Sam Hyde » Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:43 pm

I support the 1'st point of the letter, HOWEVER, I do not support the second point and therefore will not signt he letter.
As the ANON from girls school pointed out, many of the old teachers are some of the BEST! Dr. Hipshon for example sit he most inspirational and ammusing guy on the teaching staff, the others, some may be close to retirement.....who knows.....are doing just fine and hold the school together. As I said in my earlier posts, out with old and in with then new, its happening naturally.

Sam xox
thats old now, like me, only 4 weeks to go!!!!!
"I've never let my schooling interfere with my education"

sugarloaf
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Postby sugarloaf » Sun Feb 26, 2006 7:26 pm

same wrote:
I support the 1'st point of the letter, HOWEVER, I do not support the second point and therefore will not signt he letter.
As the ANON from girls school pointed out, many of the old teachers are some of the BEST! Dr. Hipshon for example sit he most inspirational and ammusing guy on the teaching staff, the others, some may be close to retirement.....who knows.....are doing just fine and hold the school together. As I said in my earlier posts, out with old and in with then new, its happening naturally.


Hi Sam, glad that youre clearly able to make up your own mind on this, and great that you support change. The point is though, with such an appalling history, the school should be making the change, not allowing to it happen naturally.

I have signed the letter, and called for the implicated teachers dismissals, and I feel sorry for them. I think they are victims of the SES as much as we were. But its a matter of principle, if the governors want to show that they are taking responsibility, they have to demonstrate it by cutting all links with the abuse of the past.

If point 2 is your sticking point - I can understand that. But theres mothing to stop you writing to the school supporting the other points, or making your opinions known to your headteacher (he said he picked you because' you had balls'!). At the end of the day - this mess isnt going to go away untill the schools have cut their links to the abuse - so forcing change is the best way to get this done quickly, rather than letting it drag on. I dont want it to affect current pupils - but its clearly the schools behaviour thats in danger of making it do just this..

all the best

Daffy
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Re: Names of St James Governors

Postby Daffy » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:39 am

From reading other posts in this thread, I think the governors and teachers whose resignations are being called for are as follows:

GOVERNORS:

(1) Roger Pincham (governor for most of the early years of St James on which the Inquiry was centred);
(2) Clement Salaman (teacher and deputy headmaster during much of that period?)

TEACHERS:

(1) David Lacey (deputy headmaster of the senior boys, God help them);
(2) David Hipshon (teacher in the 80s);
(3) Clement Salaman (see above); and
(4) Nicholas Debenham (Chair of the Education Renaissance Trust http://www.education-renaissance-trust. ... tactus.htm).

Anyone else?

xstJ
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Postby xstJ » Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:52 am

Don't forget the honorary governors:

1. Sheila Caldwell - former headmistress of St james
2. Bernard Saunders - who was a governor at the time the abuse took place
3. Bernard White - I think he was also a governor at the time but I'm not 100% sure, can anyone confirm this?

sugarloaf
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Postby sugarloaf » Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:39 pm

TEACHERS:

(1) David Lacey (deputy headmaster of the senior boys, God help them);
(2) David Hipshon (teacher in the 80s);
(3) Clement Salaman (see above); and
(4) Nicholas Debenham (Chair of the Education Renaissance Trust http://www.education-renaissance-trust. ... tactus.htm).


Daffy,

To be fair, the only teachers whose dismissal is being demanded, are those named as having persistently used excessive punishment or indulged in criminal behavior, in Townends full and confuidential report - available only to the governors. We all have a pretty good idea who they are, but until we have seen the report, we ought to be careful naming names. The school have admitted 2 current teachers fall into this category.

In terms of Debenham, his position as chair of the board of trustees of the ERT is clearly untenable.

If anyone feels that the man who ran the boys school and presided over 10 years of 'physical and mental mistreatment' of pupils, including 'criminal assaults' ought not to be running a charity aimed at promoting & spearheading the st james educational method worldwide - you can always write to the ERT to express your opinion on this.

the address is:

Nicholas Debenham
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Education rennaissance Trust
9 Bedford Gardens
London W8 7ED
United Kingdom
Tel/fax: +44 (0)20 7727 8611
E mail:ert@charity.vfree.com

Daffy
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Postby Daffy » Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:15 pm

When is the letter going to be sent?

Achilles
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Postby Achilles » Tue Mar 07, 2006 12:12 am

Under Review
Last edited by Achilles on Tue Mar 07, 2006 5:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

Matthew
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Location: London

Open letter update

Postby Matthew » Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:46 am

Thank you to everyone who has so far signed the open letter. At the last count there are approximately 80 signatures. People are still signing so the letter will not be sent just yet, but it is planned to send the letter in the next couple of weeks. Once again I would encourage anyone who has not yet signed to sign, and also for people to circulate the letter, in order to achieve a maximum response. Thanks again for all the support.

Matthew
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Update

Postby Matthew » Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:55 am

The letter will be sent next Monday 27th March. This will be 10 weeks since the Inquiry report was published. To be included please can any remaining signatures be received by midnight Sunday 26th.

Many thanks for all the kind messages of support, and to everyone who has so far signed.

Matthew Woolf

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Ben W
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Yes I will sign

Postby Ben W » Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:18 am

Hi Matthew,

As a newcomer to the site I wanted to hold back from signing until I had a chance to get a feel for the debate and the issues. Having done that I give you my wholehearted support. The letter is exactly right.

Ben Wheaton, Former SES member

IT'S TIME TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED
Child member of SES from around 1967 to around 1977; Strongly involved in Sunday Schools ; Five brothers and sisters went to ST V and St J in the worst years

1980sstJ
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Postby 1980sstJ » Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:37 pm

David Lacey of St James Independent School For Boys. You should be ashamed.

StVSurvivor
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Postby StVSurvivor » Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:48 pm

1980sstJ wrote:David Lacey of St James Independent School For Boys. You should be ashamed.

Ditto: Christopher Southwell of St James Independent School For Girls.

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Stanton
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Postby Stanton » Thu Mar 23, 2006 10:12 am

Oh dear, so much shame! Can't we give each other a bit of space?

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Ben W
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BUMP

Postby Ben W » Sun Apr 23, 2006 9:46 pm

Given all the discussion on the Governors'/SES's response to date, it seemed timely to bump this one.

The letter (first post of this thread) is clear, and its aim true.

St James is attempting to attract pupils from outside of SES. These people and their parents have a right:
- to expect strong, functional, and transparent governance
- to have teaching performed by people who's past behaviour does not include criminal abuse of children
- to understand the influence of outside organisations (ie SES)

(As an aside, the removal of teachers does of course raise an interesting issue for the School - termination of contracts in these circumstances could result in claims for unfair dismissal. The truth of the matter is that this issue would not be hard for the school or SES to resolve it they put their minds to it.)

Those who signed this letter should be proud of themselves.

SES'ers - please do all in your power to help SES and St James take the actions being demanded. There is nothing unreasonable in this at all.

Undertaking the actions called for will resolve a huge part of this debate.

Failure to take the actions will be interpreted by people not under the influence of SES (and some of those who are under its influence too) as evidence of a dysfunctional and dangerous organisation and alliance which needs to be made to come into line.
Child member of SES from around 1967 to around 1977; Strongly involved in Sunday Schools ; Five brothers and sisters went to ST V and St J in the worst years

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bonsai
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Re: BUMP

Postby bonsai » Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:53 am

Ben W wrote:SES'ers - please do all in your power to help SES and St James take the actions being demanded. There is nothing unreasonable in this at all.

Undertaking the actions called for will resolve a huge part of this debate.


I would call for the SES's support in resolving this but I think the SES's role is for it to take a back seat and stop trying to influence St James.

The actions called for in the open letter are for the attention of the Governors of the St James schools to act on. Yes it is right that Lambie has been copied in but it is not for him to act.

If he attempts to resolve these issues himself then he is demonstrating that he has in effect got executive control of St James schools. This in turn demonstrates that the governors are not in control of St James, one of the criticisms highlighted in Mr Townend's findings.

Should Lambie wish to resolve this he could terminate the SES membership of anyone who is a governor of St James, thereby forcing the governors to take responsibility for the schools and resolving any conflicts of interest any governor may have.

Personally I think it is important that the SES does not act here and that the governors of St James stand up and take control of the schools for which they are responsible.

Bonsai


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