St Olaves Questions
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Re: St Olaves Questions
I stress again I know absolutely nothing about this school.
1. OK, well you can look on the OFSTED website about how to make a complaint to them - you have to read the website very carefully to find out the sort of complaint you can make to them - I can't remember the wording but it has to be something which would affect all children. Then you would have to send a letter with no contact details, and nothing in the content that would make it clear who it was - this is very difficult, and of course makes it almost impossible for a complaint to be investigated
2. Also, if the school is a community school you could write anonymously to the responsible education officer at the LA. But this isn't really an official complaint route, and LA's don't have much power even over community schools. Also you have the same problems as outlined above
Of course the disadvantage of complaining anonymously is that you don't know if your complaint is being dealt with in any shape or form or not.
If it were me, I would be brave and follow the school complaints procedure, and then go to the Secretary of State if you get no satisfaction from the governors. Sure a lot of complaints get ignored and not dealt with, but at least you'll know you tried. It is unlikely to be taken out on your child .... your child is old enough to tell you if the staff's attitude changes towards them. It is also unlikely that all those different subject teachers would behave badly towards your child because you had dared to complain to a school about their pastoral care system - I can't imagine a load of teachers being told at a meeting "please be horrid to child x because their parent thinks our pastoral care is rubbish". I am not sure what it is that parents fear in this respect. It is more likely you that they will be unpleasant with you if they are going to be unpleasant. But what's the worst that could happen? Shout at you?
If your child is unhappy because of poor pastoral care it is worth the risk of you suffering some unpleasantness. And if your child really is extremely unhappy then it's not worth staying at the school. I'm afraid though that this last thing is probably the crux of it -- it will (rightly or wrongly) be viewed that if a child is unhappy because of the school "doing the wrong thing" the parent would either complain or move. It is, I know, possible to get stuck in the rut of daring to do neither because of not wanting to jump from the frying pan into the fire. Things can always be worse either at the same school or another school.
If people described the specific incidents that are bothering them on here, presumably they would risk being identified.
1. OK, well you can look on the OFSTED website about how to make a complaint to them - you have to read the website very carefully to find out the sort of complaint you can make to them - I can't remember the wording but it has to be something which would affect all children. Then you would have to send a letter with no contact details, and nothing in the content that would make it clear who it was - this is very difficult, and of course makes it almost impossible for a complaint to be investigated
2. Also, if the school is a community school you could write anonymously to the responsible education officer at the LA. But this isn't really an official complaint route, and LA's don't have much power even over community schools. Also you have the same problems as outlined above
Of course the disadvantage of complaining anonymously is that you don't know if your complaint is being dealt with in any shape or form or not.
If it were me, I would be brave and follow the school complaints procedure, and then go to the Secretary of State if you get no satisfaction from the governors. Sure a lot of complaints get ignored and not dealt with, but at least you'll know you tried. It is unlikely to be taken out on your child .... your child is old enough to tell you if the staff's attitude changes towards them. It is also unlikely that all those different subject teachers would behave badly towards your child because you had dared to complain to a school about their pastoral care system - I can't imagine a load of teachers being told at a meeting "please be horrid to child x because their parent thinks our pastoral care is rubbish". I am not sure what it is that parents fear in this respect. It is more likely you that they will be unpleasant with you if they are going to be unpleasant. But what's the worst that could happen? Shout at you?
If your child is unhappy because of poor pastoral care it is worth the risk of you suffering some unpleasantness. And if your child really is extremely unhappy then it's not worth staying at the school. I'm afraid though that this last thing is probably the crux of it -- it will (rightly or wrongly) be viewed that if a child is unhappy because of the school "doing the wrong thing" the parent would either complain or move. It is, I know, possible to get stuck in the rut of daring to do neither because of not wanting to jump from the frying pan into the fire. Things can always be worse either at the same school or another school.
If people described the specific incidents that are bothering them on here, presumably they would risk being identified.
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Growingtofast
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 9:41 am
Re: St Olaves Questions
In the Newshopper this week. Hope the link works otherwise visit Newshopper website.
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/broml ... t_Olave_s/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/broml ... t_Olave_s/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: St Olaves Questions
Goodness me - they won't get away with that headline will they? It misses out the word "allegedly". What is News Shopper when it's at home? Looks like the worst journalism around.
Re: St Olaves Questions
It is going to be difficult for Ofsted to sort out this problem because the percentage of parents who "strongly disagree" or "disagree" on question 7-11 are between 24%-31% which equals to 50-65 parents. Parent view is back. I think many parents are not aware of this issue, not even aware of parent view. Newshopper publication might draw the attention of some parents and teachers to what is going on but it will not make any difference as not many schools are producing the result St. Olave is producing in academic, sport and music. They are only competing with very few State schools and even better than some ind.
The governors might use this to check the head or review the whole system. As St. O is not an academy, I am expecting the council have an input in decision making. I am also expecting the council to have a governor in the board.
I am just hoping that things are sorted out soon.
The governors might use this to check the head or review the whole system. As St. O is not an academy, I am expecting the council have an input in decision making. I am also expecting the council to have a governor in the board.
I am just hoping that things are sorted out soon.
Re: St Olaves Questions
How did new shopper know ofsted was checking olive results for "fraud"? That article made me feel sorry for the head. Sounded like someone bitter about the scout thing. Still think parentview is a ridiculous tool which no one takes seriously. Waste of public money and should be scrapped.
Re: St Olaves Questions
What has happened to MaverickAuthor's posts on this thread?
Re: St Olaves Questions
Not half so interesting now after the 16 Feb blitz.
Re: St Olaves Questions
And now the NewsShopper story seems to have disappeared from its website!
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Growingtofast
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 9:41 am
Re: St Olaves Questions
Hi according to the NewsShopper the story has been removed only because the school is unable to give a response due to the fact it is closed for half term. They were not supposed to have run the story until next week.Jiff wrote:And now the NewsShopper story seems to have disappeared from its website!
Re: St Olaves Questions
Maybe they have been asked to change the headline or face legal proceedings. It was rather badly phrased. Also it wasn't clear how the author knew that OFSTED was checking parental responses for "fraud".
