SES SCHOOLS ACTION: INQUIRY UPDATE

Discussion of the children's schools in the UK.
Alban
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Postby Alban » Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:43 pm

I believe the submissions date has been moved forward by a month, but what people should be submitting, how they should be submitting it, and indeed the terms of reference for the enquiry (which is the fundamental driver for any submissions) have all to be tied down and agreed as yet.

I appreciate that there are a lot of people in the dark, but I promise that as soon as anything concrete is agreed upon, it will be posted up here, and to anyone on the SES Schools Action mailing list.

Regards

Alban

Matthew
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Postby Matthew » Mon Feb 28, 2005 4:37 pm

gadflysdreams wrote:I was never actually beaten and therefore could not participate


Emotional abuse counts too

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mike_w
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Postby mike_w » Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:08 pm

gadflysdreams wrote:I fear that C. Betts will have received some positive feedback from ex pupils - most of whom will now be members pf SES - who will have been to some extent prompted to pass on how well they believe themselves to have been educated (in "general" terms). Those of us who were given strictures within which we have felt it useless to participate will not have bothered - particularly if there is the added risk of upsetting members of our family, and friends who are still active members of SES. Unfortunately this will be interpreted and publicised in a manner which does not reflect the actual feelings of victims of unreasonably violent disciplinary proceedures conducted within the SES Day Schools for children. I was never actually beaten and therefore could not participate, but would urge those who have to bombard C. Betts with details by e mail NOW - cut and paste what is on this site - surely that would do for starters. The abuse suffered by the likes of Clara Salaman and T.S should certainly be included. All the best.


Surely, even those who consider that they were not abused themselves can find it in their hearts to come forward and support their former classmates? They may remember incidents which were of no consequence to themselves, amusing even maybe at the time, but in reality caused great harm to the victim.

I would caution anyone from sending in details for now, register an intent to participate by all means, but do not submit details to an as yet unknown process.

Those who have bravely posted their experiences on this site have done so in an attempt to get the ball rolling. Others may not yet have the courage to do so.

Shout
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Legal Relationships

Postby Shout » Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:21 pm

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Last edited by Shout on Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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adrasteia
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Re: Legal Relationships

Postby adrasteia » Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:38 am

Shout wrote:Also does anyone know what documents/ information schools are required to keep records of over time, and which of them do Ex-pupils and current Parents have a right to access?
Are independent/private schools exempt from any laws?


Here's a link to the details of the Freedom of Information Act:
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/20000036.htm
I hope that's helpful.

Shout
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Postby Shout » Mon Apr 04, 2005 4:27 pm

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Last edited by Shout on Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Shout
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Postby Shout » Sat Apr 09, 2005 4:58 pm

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Last edited by Shout on Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Keir
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Postby Keir » Tue Apr 12, 2005 7:49 pm

Hi All,

I've just read the posts on this thread and it occurs to me the opportunity has only just become available to seriously discuss what went on at the schools in the name of 'education'. As such it is unlikely that there will be a uniform concrete response. Surely to have everyone stand 100% behind every opinion would be clone-like and a most fitting swansong to the SES's desire to eradicate the individual. What I hope we can agree on without too much difficulty is that where abuse took place it needs to be brought to light. It sickens me to read Vian's post and to think that that sort of response to abuse is all too believable and possibly still in place. To worry about disturbing the current school's pupils, while worthy, misses the point that truth and reconciliation, alongside righteous conviction for perpetrators of abuse, is surely a comforting thing to a child. And if all of the problems that are being discussed on these boards have miraculously disappeared from the staff at the current schools they have nothing to fear. If we go to the press, they are more likely to want to take it down a damaging and sensational route because their business is selling papers, not psychological health. If real 'closure' is what is wanted then it seems to me that the inquiry is a waste of time. It is the governers enquiry so it will do the governers' bidding. As for public enquiries I think we were all around for the whitewash over the BBC enquiry....

The very existence of this site has already started to get ex teachers to re-evaluate their behaviour and apologise publicly and face to face with ex pupils. Given the smug nature of the upper echelons of the SES and the fact that the school headmaster worked in PR before I doubt whether this will be the beginning of an avalanche of apologies. Someone suggested the NSPCC in an earlier post and I think the knowhow and resources of a national charity would put more of a fire under the relevant parties. Maybe the trades description act might yield a way to encourage an explicit openness about the Schools link with SES. By waiting for a spin professional and interested parties to agree to our terms of reference to an enquiry we are allowing ourselves to be ruled by their agenda and at their whim. I am not a legal or marketing professional but getting embroiled in THEIR enquiry seems to be taking the initiative behind this BB away.

It is great to have a place to vent and to discuss what went on but if it is going to move forward towards providing a concrete result there also needs to be a more organised log of remembered abuses written with a view to being used in a cogent way as part of a prosecution or official complaint.

You know what they say "talk quiety but carry a big stick".


:black:

SES Schools Action
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ST JAMES AND ST VEDAST INQUIRY ? INQUIRY DEADLINE

Postby SES Schools Action » Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:16 pm

ST JAMES AND ST VEDAST INQUIRY ? INQUIRY DEADLINE

SES Schools Action?s position on the Inquiry:
As previously posted, last autumn a number of former pupils were contacted by David Boddy, the current Headteacher of St James Boys Senior School, concerning the intention of the Schools? Governors to establish an inquiry into allegations of abuse. The Inquiry is neither our instigation nor was it our idea.

For the past 7 months we have been urging that the Governors (if they wish to establish an inquiry) should do everything to ensure the inquiry is set up in a way that is transparent and that ensures it has credibility.

Our position on the Inquiry has been consistent. It is that any inquiry instituted by the Schools must:
1. Have sufficient scope to allow all complaints to be investigated
2. Enable the participation of all former pupils who have complaints
3. Be impartial and demonstrably ?independent? of the Schools who have commissioned the inquiry and of SES
4. Enable the Schools (and SES) to take ?institutional? responsibility for wrongdoing as well as hold named individuals to account
5. Publicise its findings

The Governors have taken a number of very limited steps towards enabling a more independent and credible inquiry to take place. We believe, however, that not enough progress has been made for us to have faith in the Inquiry the School proposes. The process of setting up the Inquiry to date leaves a lot to be desired.

We are withholding a decision on our participation in the Inquiry until the Chair has been appointed and the Terms of Reference finalised.


The Governors? deadline of 29th April 2005:
The Governors? (third!) deadline will soon expire. The Governors require former pupils to submit the full details of their complaints (via email to C Betts) by this deadline. The Governors have stated that this is necessary in order for them to be able to assess how best to set up the inquiry.

Whilst it may indeed be helpful to the Governors to have an indication of the volume and type of complaints, it is completely inappropriate to ask former pupils to submit their full complaints to the Governors of the institution which their complaints are about. Complaints are for an Inquiry itself and the Chairperson, not for sifting by the Governors.

We believe full complaints should only be submitted when:
1. the Terms of the Inquiry have been made available, and
2. the Chairperson has been appointed, and
3. there is sufficient information about the how the inquiry be conducted and how information and complaints submitted will be handled, and
4. a range of mechanisms for contributing to the Inquiry are established, and
5. it is clear that the whole process has integrity and sufficient ?independence?


Suggested action BEFORE the 29th April deadline:
We are concerned that David Boddy and the Schools will ?spin? what may be a limited number of complaints received by the time of the deadline. They will likely claim that this is evidence that few former pupils actually have genuine complaints against the Schools. To counter this we believe it needs to be made clear to the Schools that there are a substantial number of complaints.

We therefore suggest that other former pupils who have either specific or general complaints against the SES Day Schools consider notifying the Schools (if they have not already done so).

We suggest that you:
1. write / email the Schools to inform them you have a complaint(s)
2. do NOT provide a detailed complaint(s) to the Schools ? although you may wish to give a general indication of its/their nature
3. request an acknowledgement that your email/letter has been received
4. raise any concerns you have about the setting up, process or proposed conduct of the inquiry

You DON?T have to give your name ? if you prefer to stay anonymous at this stage say so, and use a junk email address.

Contact emails:
C Betts (Clerk to the Inquiry) - vedast@vwl.co.uk - please make sure that it is clear your correspondence is addressed to the Governors.

David Boddy (Headteacher, St James Boys Senior Schools) - d.boddy@stjamesboys.co.uk (asking him to forward it to the Governors).

Postal addresses:
C Betts, Clerk to the St James and St Vedast Inquiry,
Veale Wasborough,
Orchard Court
Orchard Lane
Bristol
BS1 5WS

Mr RJ Pincham CBE, Chairman of the Governors,
c/o St James Senior Boys' School,
Pope's Villa
19 Cross Deep
Twickenham
Middlesex
TW1 4QG

Thank you to all former pupils who have already written to the Schools. If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in this posting or would like further information about SES Schools Action, please email us at enquiries@SESschoolsAction.org


SES SCHOOLS ACTION - APRIL 2005


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