Head of St Olave's suspended

[piggys]

Much more interesting than headteacher and chair of governor letters normally are - but it would have raised a huge number of questions in my head as a parent, had I been one that had not been aware that pupils were being forcibly binned at the end of year 12 for academic reasons.

As an educator, I find the whole idea of doing this repulsive whether it is legal or not, whether or not one was aware it is legal or not. And that it would happen in a state school, and a highly selective one at that, is even more repulsive.

We pay our taxes, and teachers and schools receive some of this, to educate children. Not for them to throw out children at such a critical point for the vanity of not having some on record who might not reach the very highest grades.

I find children being forced to drop certain subjects at the end of year 12 against "natural justice" too.

Maybe, the debates this sorry mess at st loaves fuels will re-focus people's minds about what schools are there for.

I do not buy "league table pressure" as an excuse for this type of policy. Parents will always choose schools that do their best to progress a range of pupils, not just the ones who can get at a star at a level in that subject with their eyes shut.

Absolutely. I am a teacher and I am repelled by the way that league tables and the obsessive drive for being top dog has transformed some schools and teachers into parodies of Gradgrind and M'Choakumchild. What are we telling these kids when we chuck them out and bin them off - that they are failures and we will no longer tolerate them ? really? As well as being educationally dim-witted, it's morally disgusting and a total dereliction of the duty of teachers and schools. The message being transmitted is divisive and the total opposite of what a school should be doing.

It's the educational equivalent of the dirty, grasping face of capitalism gone mad; Onic would appear to be the educational equivalent of Philip Green. One of them binned off all his loyal and hard working BHS workers so he could run off with all the money like a thief. The other one binned off a load of students so he could lie his way to the top of the league tables and bask in stolen glory

Allegedly.

[kenyancowgirl]

In classic HIGNFY style, probably worth adding:

"allegedly"

in Ian Hislop's droll Punch like style, after every comment....

[piggys]

Took your advice KCG

[kenyancowgirl]

[salsa]

It would be interesting to know if the headteacher's pay increase is tied to the school's performance.

Why do parents put their children there? Because nobody tells you what goes on during the one and only yearly open day. Moreover, if a parent or child complains they are thought of having been tutored intensely and not able to keep up. Even now that so much is getting known, parents are reluctant to believe it.

It does sound like fiction, though. Watch out for the book and the film rights being sold. St Olave's (what really happened).

Salsa

[Hershel]

From What I gathered so far is there is nothing wrong with the teachers or the school.
The pillar of the problem was the headmaster who now being suspended. Hope all the issues solved soon.
My sister’s son went here and he had a great support from teachers for his revision and UCAS application. He is now studying medicine at Imperial. He even did not like the headmaster but said that the teachers were excellent.

[stroudydad]

It does sound like fiction, though. Watch out for the book and the film rights being sold. St Olave's (what really happened).

Salsa

I would guess the film right would be owned by the same company as any trademarks...

[ToadMum]

It does sound like fiction, though. Watch out for the book and the film rights being sold. St Olave's (what really happened).

Salsa

I would guess the film right would be owned by the same company as any trademarks...

Shouldn't laugh, it will probably turn out to be true .

Re how much everyone really loves the HT, as suggested by blue_lotus. Sorry, but were that true, the reaction of the assembled students and staff to the news of his suspension would have been a moment's shocked silence, followed by an increasing volume of discussion. Not whoops of joy...

[piggys]

It does sound like fiction, though. Watch out for the book and the film rights being sold. St Olave's (what really happened).

Salsa

and

I would guess the film right would be owned by the same company as any trademarks...

He sounds like a narcissist so he would likely play himself in the film! after all, as well as being a Super Head he has allegedly told parents he is an accomplished concert pianist, a successful mountain climber and it would appear he also eats baked spiders in front of large audiences. Quick, someone call 'I'm a Celebrity'....

Joking aside though, let us hope that having weeded out the Head, the rest of the school can recover. There is no reason why it shouldn't. It sounds like there are a lot of decent teachers there, as well as good kids and parents.

[kenyancowgirl]

If you do a search on Google (blue-lotus, you may be interested in this - it's very easy.....) you get a huge amount of information on him, including his rather arrogant entry in Lady Manners archive where he has himself listed, and I quote: Lady Manners School (Head boy, of course)...but it does appear that he was a concert pianist and rugby player - unusual, although I suppose these things are not mutually exclusive.