List of affilated schools

[adrasteia (can't sign in)]

I'm not sure quite as to the aim of the reasearch, but was wondering if you'd mind posting your results online? I think it would be good to see, but no pressure, I understand it's private.
Cheers
adrasteia

[Tom Grubb]

Nothing private about it! Also, nothing official or professional about it. It's just that, as a former pupil of St Vedast and a victim of abuse there, I'm interested in finding out what it is in the 'philosophy' and teachings of the SES cult that might have driven many of the staff at its St Vedast school to abuse their charges in such a nasty and vicious way. I'd be grateful if anyone has any ideas on this.

[adrasteia]

This is only an idea, based entirely on guesswork!
Well I assume that most of the staff were untrained Ses men, used to a 'pro-man' philosophy that was more potent than now. This would have encouraged them to feel all their efforts were right. Espcially if they had been called up for the duty of teaching by Ses itself.
If these men would otherwise never felt inclined to teach and did not neccesarily have characters suitable for being patient with classes of young boys, perhaps some had never been fathers even, then it might explain why some had extreemly short patience with the misbehaviour. I don't know how much they believed they were doing the right thing.
Anyway, just a suggestion.

[Misty]

Thanks, andrasteia!

It certainly is difficult to get any straight info on St James. It would be great if someone could post a detailed description of what goes on there these days.

Tom I have posted up (many times [perhaps on another username], and quite detailed in many cases) what goes on in St James 'these days'. Unfortunately it's not what you want to hear. You only want to hear what you want, anything else does not seem to matter, no matter how truthful it is. You seem to have this 'anything connected or related to the SES is bad' attitude. Am I wrong to assume all of which I have assumed?

[Misty]

Nothing private about it! Also, nothing official or professional about it. It's just that, as a former pupil of St Vedast and a victim of abuse there, I'm interested in finding out what it is in the 'philosophy' and teachings of the SES cult that might have driven many of the staff at its St Vedast school to abuse their charges in such a nasty and vicious way. I'd be grateful if anyone has any ideas on this.

I have an idea! Print out the messages of past Vedast pupils on this board, along with a letter asking what you have stated above. You are surely to get a reply. Perhaps you could send it to Mr Lambie the present head of the SES, he will surely be able to give you an answer.

[Alban]

LOL, Misty...do you actually read this board!

Maybe you should, and you will see that Tom, Matthew and Dan have been working very hard in this area already.

[Beetle in the Box]

It certainly is difficult to get any straight info on St James. It would be great if someone could post a detailed description of what goes on there these days.

Tom, why don't you go along and visit the school and see for yourself? I can guarantee you'd be very welcome at the boys' school, for a start. You could meet staff (currently about one third of them now in their twenties and thirties, and about one-third women, several not in SES - so there's a change), talk to pupils, look round, go into classes - and generally get a first hand impression of the place. As I'm sure you know, it's currently in a state of change anyhow, as Mr Debenham is leaving at the end of term, and it looks like quite a lot of new ideas are going to be brought in.

As to 'what goes on' - well, there's registration (statutory requirement), assembly (ditto), lessons, break, more lessons, lunch, games/art/drama/music and/or more lessons, depending on where you are age-wise, then we go home. Lessons include English, French, History, Latin (for some), Greek (ditto), Sanskrit (ditto - I think everybody gets a little, but it's not compulsory to continue), Class Civ., Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Music, Art, and in the Sixth Form Philosophy and Law are added options. All subjects are taught in a very broad way, leading up to GCSE and A Level exams, so we have to cover everything in the National Curriculum, even though we don't have to follow it in every detail. (This is good, because it means we don't have to do Key Stage 3 tests, which I've heard are very restricting and boring.) All this takes up pretty much all of our time. We do have meditation every day for 10 minutes for people who have chosen to do it - but obviously no-one can be forced to meditate, and you can just sit and dream instead if you want to. (You do have to sit throught it, though.) We also have two extra-curricular courses, one half hour period a week each: Citizenship - which includes things like current affairs, law, the consitution - and Philosophy, which yes, is loosely based on SES philosophy but can take off in pretty much any direction, depending on what the class is currently interested in.

There is a certain amoung of bullying among the boys, even though the staff try to stop it. It's very difficult to stamp it out entirely. But the relationship between staff and pupils is generally very friendly.

Anway, don't take all this from me. As I say, go and see for yourself.

[adrasteia]

Going to St. James you would get a very 'picture box' veiw of the place, not a true picture. But I would love to see people's reaction to your visit- older teachers from St. Vedast that is, especially if they've been following this site!
If you have any questions about the school now why don't you post them on a separate thread, then present pupils could all give you their different answers.
I'll answer any questions I can, think I've given quite a bit of information already!

he will surely be able to give you an answer

I think it might sooner be ignored, the Ses doesn't trouble to answer its critics in general. Although as they are now in talks with the school it might have some effect.

[Tom Grubb]

Thanks, andrasteia!

It certainly is difficult to get any straight info on St James. It would be great if someone could post a detailed description of what goes on there these days.

Tom I have posted up (many times [perhaps on another username], and quite detailed in many cases) what goes on in St James 'these days'. Unfortunately it's not what you want to hear. You only want to hear what you want, anything else does not seem to matter, no matter how truthful it is. You seem to have this 'anything connected or related to the SES is bad' attitude. Am I wrong to assume all of which I have assumed?

Yes, you are wrong to assume that! I honestly want to discover that the current St James senior boys' school is a well-run, friendly, happy place. However I remain sceptical that this is so. At least two of the current staff at the school were at St Vedast while I was a pupil there. Both behaved in a thuggish, violent manner towards the children they should have been educating and protecting. I appreciate that you have posted information about the schools but, with respect, I am looking for a little more detail than you have so far provided and particularly information about the senior boys' school. Also, again with respect, I am not about to base my opinion of the boys' school on information from a single source.

[Tom Grubb]

It certainly is difficult to get any straight info on St James. It would be great if someone could post a detailed description of what goes on there these days.

Tom, why don't you go along and visit the school and see for yourself? I can guarantee you'd be very welcome at the boys' school, for a start. You could meet staff (currently about one third of them now in their twenties and thirties, and about one-third women, several not in SES - so there's a change), talk to pupils, look round, go into classes - and generally get a first hand impression of the place. As I'm sure you know, it's currently in a state of change anyhow, as Mr Debenham is leaving at the end of term, and it looks like quite a lot of new ideas are going to be brought in.

As to 'what goes on' - well, there's registration (statutory requirement), assembly (ditto), lessons, break, more lessons, lunch, games/art/drama/music and/or more lessons, depending on where you are age-wise, then we go home. Lessons include English, French, History, Latin (for some), Greek (ditto), Sanskrit (ditto - I think everybody gets a little, but it's not compulsory to continue), Class Civ., Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Music, Art, and in the Sixth Form Philosophy and Law are added options. All subjects are taught in a very broad way, leading up to GCSE and A Level exams, so we have to cover everything in the National Curriculum, even though we don't have to follow it in every detail. (This is good, because it means we don't have to do Key Stage 3 tests, which I've heard are very restricting and boring.) All this takes up pretty much all of our time. We do have meditation every day for 10 minutes for people who have chosen to do it - but obviously no-one can be forced to meditate, and you can just sit and dream instead if you want to. (You do have to sit throught it, though.) We also have two extra-curricular courses, one half hour period a week each: Citizenship - which includes things like current affairs, law, the consitution - and Philosophy, which yes, is loosely based on SES philosophy but can take off in pretty much any direction, depending on what the class is currently interested in.

There is a certain amoung of bullying among the boys, even though the staff try to stop it. It's very difficult to stamp it out entirely. But the relationship between staff and pupils is generally very friendly.

Anway, don't take all this from me. As I say, go and see for yourself.

Thanks very much for the info, Beetle! By the way, I am hoping to visit the school at some time in the not too distant future. I will certainly keep you posted on this.

[Beetle in the Box]

Something I forgot to mention. One of the reasons that things at the boys' school have had to change is that these days very few of the parents are members of the SES - about 17 per cent currently, I think. Also, the school now has a 2 form entry. One class comes up from the junior school, and one comes from the local community in Twickenham. You can bet that if anything dodgy went on, parents would very quickly kick up a fuss. In fact, judging by the people who and visit on open days, most parents seem very pleased with the place.

[adrasteia]

I know the parents do have power, but is this separately or together as a unit?
What about the parents who are happy with St. James untill they find out about the connections with Ses?
Also, do parents who are in Ses have less power or more generally?
How much can they know about school politics?

[Beetle in the Box]

I know the parents do have power, but is this separately or together as a unit?
1. What about the parents who are happy with St. James untill they find out about the connections with Ses?
2. Also, do parents who are in Ses have less power or more generally?
3. How much can they know about school politics?

1. I'm pretty sure they are told about the connection anyway. They are invited to attend one of the philosophy courses free of charge if they want to.
2. All parents have the same power.
3. About as much as any parent with a child at any school gets to find out. Parents tend to know other parents, especially the ones with kids in the same class. They don't necessarily know who said what to who in the staff room, I suppose. But then, would you at any school?

[mgormez]

Old discussion on John Scottus School held last year (2003)

http://www.rollercoaster.ie/boards/msgc ... &forumdb=5

[Tom Grubb]

Cults.co.nz lists cults active in New Zealand. The Ficino School (a sister school to St James, run by an ex-St James teacher) is given the following rating by the site: "Danger: The group/person or belief/practice is considered dangerous due to mind control or particularly bad doctrine. These groups (or people) have a strong tendency to damage their members/followers."

This link will take you there: http://www.cults.co.nz/fl.html