St Olaves Questions

[Sevenoaks19]

My son is at St. Olave's and he loves it. These negative posts worried me a lot but I have spoken to him and he assures me he thinks the school and the boys are fantastic. Parent View is interesting - almost 600 current parents have responded and 90% think their son is happy and would recommend the school. The Head is a powerful figure and perhaps not so easy to warm to but he wants the boys to achieve and take part in lots of extra curricular activities which is good. If he were friendlier but the results were going down, we'd all be criticising him for that! As for asking boys to leave at the end of Year 11, I phoned the school and was told 3 had not gone back but not why. The Judd asked 20 to leave two years ago. I was disappointed that St O have brought in this new admission criteria for their own boys into sixth form but there are so many students applying for sixth form places there from outside, they can now choose to do that, which is a shame.

[Mungo]

That sounds much like what I've heard Maverick Author. Just because its 2nd views does not mean that they aren't real. I haven't got a son I'm trying to get into the school and am not sour grapes etc. I'm interested as I have friends and family who will be considering this school for their DS. I think that it is a bit scary when you get to a school you always wanted for it to turn out to be so different to what you hoped. I have DD in Year 7 at a gs and they have been great with her. She is dyslexic but they have been kind. This is not what I'm hearing about St O's. There is no kindness shown by the new Head, just a narrow view of Oxbridge success and everything else is not really an achievement. The problem is in Bromley, there is no choice for a grammar school for boys. It's St O's or a comp.

[Jiff]

I'm sorry Mungo I cannot let that pass unchallenged. My 2 DSs have experienced many, many acts of kindness from their teachers at St Olave's. This includes a really lovely letter from one of his teachers to my eldest after he had left (and no he didn't go to Oxbridge).

[MaverickAuthor]

Nothing more to say!

[Jiff]

[Mungo]

Wow! I was going to say that it is lovely that the teachers are kind to the boys. I am so glad to hear that. I haven't heard anything nice for ages. But WOW Maverick author, the results of the OFSTED thing you report sounds very manipulated if that happened over one weekend. I think that is very dishonest.

My empathy stems from my own DD who went to a primary school which had a lovely Head with an open door policy. In fact she showed my DD around the school personally as she joined late when we moved. Then the school changed completely when a new Head took over. Teachers were terrified of her and many of the best ones left. There was a denial of any problems. When I complained about bullying, the Head did not show the letter to the governors as I'd addressed it to them too, but got rid of it. I know this as I asked one of the parent governors what she thought of my letter and she said it hadn't been shown at the meeting. I took my child out of that school.

I get the feeling that the new Head at St O's is a similar personality. He took over a lovely school and is desperate to make his mark on it, but in fact is making it worse. The thee teachers they had who were excellent for pastoral care have all left, including the deputy head. The Head is in denial about problems and seems to care only for his own career. Iam not sure but I think he had a golden handshake when he joined. I think the governors made a poor choice appointing him, as what can be more important than the welfare of the boys or respecting the opinions of their parents.

[Mungo]

As for asking boys to leave at the end of Year 11, I phoned the school and was told 3 had not gone back but not why. .

It wasn't 3 it was 11. I know that as when I met my DD's class when she started gs a mum there had a son at St O's in Year 11 and he'd lost 11 friends in the cull. He stayed on but was very sad about it.

[MaverickAuthor]

[Sevenoaks19]

I'm afraid I'm less suspicious. I know that parents have been urging each other to complete parent view; I was reminded and my DH and I only did it last weekend. I spoke to a friend yesterday and asked if she'd done it and she said she hadn't but said she would do it that night.

[Mungo]

Is that because it was a poor show? The results for 2011/2012 (I've just had a look) only had 13 responses! And 38% thought it was badly managed.

My DD's school hasn't asked us to do the Parent View yet. Maybe it has to do with an inspection?