The Seventh Form?s Independent Inquiry?

Discussion of the children's schools in the UK.
Tom Grubb
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The Seventh Form?s Independent Inquiry?

Postby Tom Grubb » Fri Feb 04, 2005 9:35 pm

In case you haven?t heard of it, the Seventh Form (http://www.seventhform.org/seventh_form.html) is an association of former pupils of St James and St Vedast, ?run independently of the schools by a Committee of former pupils and exists primarily to help those who went to St. James and St. Vedast keep in contact with one another. The Association also tries to support the schools in whatever way it can from time to time.? (Interesting, by the way, how a third of this independent organisation?s committee members have taught at SES-run schools and one of them currently teaches at St James!)

In their NEWS section, the Seventh Form website has a message from David Boddy (headmaster of St James boys senior school) about an ?Inquiry into Discipline and Pastoral Care 1975-85?. Mr Boddy invites former pupils wishing to defend the good name of St James and St Vedast to participate in the inquiry: ?Any former pupil who does not have a complaint but who would wish to participate in the Inquiry nonetheless, should also contact Christine Betts outlining in general terms what other observations are to be made, and expressing a willingness to be questioned further.?

How strange! Contrast this with the post by Christine Betts on this forum?s ?St Vedast Inquiry? thread (http://www.whyaretheydead.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=238). Nothing mentioned here about the inquiry being willing to listen to participants defending the schools. Also, nothing about ?outlining? anything ?in general terms?. No, complainants are required to pinpoint events that occurred up to thirty years ago including such precise details as ?by whom and against whom?, ?in whose presence and with what effect? and ?when and where the incident occurred?. Is this the same inquiry?

If you?d like to tell the Seventh Form what you think (in general terms) you can contact them via their website (http://www.seventhform.org/seventh_form.html) or speak to their chairperson, Aatif Hassan, on 020 7348 1789 or 07956 665988.

Tom

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adrasteia
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Postby adrasteia » Fri Feb 04, 2005 10:38 pm

http://www.seventhform.org/seventh_form.html wrote:The Clerk to the Inquiry wishes for any intervention to reach her by 16th February to allow for decisions to be taken as to how much time will be needed to hear complaints.

What does this mean? Does this mean that any objections to the time limit on inquiries should also be submitted by the 16th of Feb? What is an intervention? Intervention of what?

Shout
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Postby Shout » Fri Feb 04, 2005 10:56 pm

_____________________________________________________________
Last edited by Shout on Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:47 pm, edited 5 times in total.

Tom Grubb
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Postby Tom Grubb » Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:47 pm

Shout wrote:The difference between this and other cults is that this one will be strangled in infancy by it's own ex-members.
Fuck 'em.
(Sorry Tom it just came out on this thread.)

That's all right, mate. Better out than in!

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a different guest
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Postby a different guest » Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:17 am

don't you love the wording on the 7th form site???

The decision to hold an Inquiry arose from a number of allegations made on an Internet website, about inappropriate punishment during those early years


"inappropriate"??? Is that what they call caning 4 year olds?

by a Chairman who has no connection with either school, or with The School of Economic Science, whose inspiration was behind the formation of these schools.


"inspiration" - nice positive term isn't it?

If mistakes were made during those early years,


'IF MISTAKES..." oh tut tut, there is a vague posibility of 'mistake'

and yes if you want to 'complain" then give dates times details witnesses AND even DOCUMENTRY evidence

however
A number of people have independently either spoken or written to me, saying that their experiences at St Vedast and St James were of a different nature to those being expressed on the website. Any former pupil who does not have a complaint but who would wish to participate in the Inquiry nonetheless, should also contact Christine Bett


just contact eh? that's all you have to do. no dates times evidence...

daska
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Postby daska » Sun Feb 27, 2005 8:54 pm

please complain about this item on the 7th form site. if the inquiry into the 'mistakes' is limited then the testimonials they seek should also be limited - i.e. specific incidents that are worthy of praise, only boys, only the years specified and they should have to provide dates/times/witnesses etc in the same way. I'm still annoyed that the schools haven't attempted to contact all ex-pupils, if they were really interested in the truth that would have been their first step.

Alban
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Postby Alban » Sun Feb 27, 2005 11:59 pm

Hopefully any independent chairperson will see praise for the school as totally irellevant as it is not what the enquiry is about.

daska
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Postby daska » Mon Feb 28, 2005 12:22 am

sorry, I wasn't making myself clear, I think it's important that the 7th form should be made to see that they have a responsibility to their members and that by publishing this they have dropped below the standards required of them. I too hope that the chairman will be independent and unbiased but will they be told that these positive endorsements were solicited?

Tom Grubb
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Postby Tom Grubb » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:56 pm

There's a predictable response to the Inquiry Report on the Seventh Form website: http://www.seventhform.org/seventh_form.html (in the 'News' section).

Mr Hassan manages not to mention a single negative finding, says he sees the Report as "an invaluable first step in resolving the concerns and complaints raised by former pupils" and ends on this jolly note: "I am delighted and yet unsurprised that the Report finds the current St.James school a 'happy place'". (Technically, the Report doesn't actually make that finding, Mr Hassan, but I'm sure it's nice for you to imagine it does.)

ses-surviver
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Postby ses-surviver » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:52 pm

Tom Grubb wrote:There's a predictable response to the Inquiry Report on the Seventh Form website: http://www.seventhform.org/seventh_form.html (in the 'News' section).

Mr Hassan manages not to mention a single negative finding, says he sees the Report as "an invaluable first step in resolving the concerns and complaints raised by former pupils" and ends on this jolly note: "I am delighted and yet unsurprised that the Report finds the current St.James school a 'happy place'". (Technically, the Report doesn't actually make that finding, Mr Hassan, but I'm sure it's nice for you to imagine it does.)


Seems a very small world these people live in - travelling from one Day school to another ...

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non-conformist
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brainwashed!!

Postby non-conformist » Sun Jan 22, 2006 5:08 pm

Tom Grubb wrote:....."I am delighted and yet unsurprised that the Report finds the current St.James school a 'happy place'". (Technically, the Report doesn't actually make that finding, Mr Hassan, but I'm sure it's nice for you to imagine it does.)


What really annoys me about this statement of Mr Hassan's is the overwhelmingly clear extent to which he has been brainwashed and continues to maintain a NIMBY stance on the whole thing. Perhaps he has been lucky enough to get through from one end of St James to the other relatively unscathed. However, somehow I doubt it. Does anyone know if our Mr Hassan is/was a member of SES? This would surely account for his clouded, rosy judgement of the current state of affairs... To me it feels as though he is discounting everything we went through on the basis that "things are different now". Well let me say this: it happened, I'm convinced it still happens, and it still hurts!!!!!

bluelight
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Postby bluelight » Sun Jan 22, 2006 7:38 pm

A superb posting from non conformist, short but accurate!
I have the following questions which for transparency, I feel, should be answered:

1) Some "masters" were unable to control their tempers- as some still are "masters" what has been done to rectify this?My concern is that an individual with a prediliction for this sort of behaviour will always have a deeply revolting tendency to carry on.

2) The current seventh form leader states the school is now a "happy place". With all due respect what the hell does he know about what went on? Has he actually asked the "old guard" about wht they did to us?

3) I notice some parents are now accepting responsibility for failing to act at the time.... Where are the rest of you (mine included)?

Bluelight

Daffy
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Postby Daffy » Sun Jan 22, 2006 7:57 pm

bluelight wrote:I notice some parents are now accepting responsibility for failing to act at the time.... Where are the rest of you (mine included)?

Bluelight, I raised the same question in this thread: http://www.whyaretheydead.net/phpBB2/vi ... .php?t=257

Have you discussed this with your parents, and if so, what did they say? Do they know about the Inquiry?

bluelight
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Postby bluelight » Sun Jan 22, 2006 8:36 pm

Daffy, I havent spoken to my "mother" for nearly four years, my "father" in months....the SES episode is a major part of this. I do know they are aware of the situation and have been for months.

Bluelight

Alban
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Postby Alban » Mon Jan 23, 2006 12:05 am

Tom Grubb wrote:...Mr Hassan manages not to mention a single negative finding, says he sees the Report as "an invaluable first step in resolving the concerns and complaints raised by former pupils" and ends on this jolly note: "I am delighted and yet unsurprised that the Report finds the current St.James school a 'happy place'"...


It was being sold as a "Happy Place" when we were there, and when people came in to see us, we dutifully behaved angelically. So for those of us who have successfully come out the other side, the phrase "Happy Place" means nothing. It's obvious that Aatif Hassan is still in his "happy place"


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