I have a few questions that I am intrigued to have an answer to...
- When you go onto this site what are you hoping to read/find out about?
- What stops you from posting, even if just to say, gosh I am shocked and surprised
- What would you like to happen at St V? We have a pretty alarming view of the Head, and no confidence at all in the Governors and Bishop Stack, so if it is in our hands (parents that is) what shall we do?
Come on readers! Let's hear from you, I promise you will not be smitten with plague...
14 comments:
TZ you say your children are happy at school - so what's the problem. I suppose the reason I've never posted before is because I like to think I have a life!
in reply to anonymous -
could it be that TZ is thinking of the huge damage that has been done to many teachers and other staff, who felt they had to resign rather than stay at a school they had loved? Is TZ maybe thinking of parents who did not like the new regime and withdrew their children? Maybe TZ thinks wider than their own family...
And can I just get this right - you have a life so you don't usually post, but you still waste your time visiting this Blog? Weird...
Recently I read a book about 'life behind the Iron Curtain' and how the people responded to regimes that seemed to have their best interests at heart, as stated so impressively in all communist manifestos - power to the people, partnership with the leaders, open dialogue, freedom of speech and thought. As we all know, the reality for the people was that they experienced their regimes as 'not listening, not feeling, not caring, and above all, not tolerating differences of opinion and thought'. The effect on the general population of these countries was to live in fear and give up hope that they could make a difference - moaning about the leaders became the national pastime.
This is my experience of life at SV. The moaning is dreadful and demoralising and I don't really want to hear it anymore. At the same time, 'the leaders' do not seem to care a jot about the people; complaints are not handled well by the management and differences of opinion are considered 'unpatriotic'. Recently this was made manifest in a newsletter where parents were told 'not to contribute to this blog' - watch it governors, you are treading on the verges of legality here! When I last looked, there was freedom of speech in this country and this blog is simply an expression of that.
All the bad smell surrounding Mrs Cleugh - whether it be true or not - seems to have left the governors and the diocese unmoved. Are we dealing with sinister characters who are up to no good or are we simply dealing with good, old Catholics hierarchists who will not tolerate airing their dirty linen in public now that various people seem to have to have incurred the wrath of Mrs C and have stumbled across her past, littered with 'moaning' teaching professionals and parents.
It's very simple really - those in leadership should deal with the difficulties and create open dialogue with all who are interested - Mrs C should probably not be invited to these discussions as they would be largely about her management style and subsequent outworkings of said style.
PS - have you ever visited other institutions' blogs? They make this one seem tame and toothless - nevertheless I am sincerely hoping the leadership of SV are sitting up when they read this and are, quietly it would seem, working these problems out behind the scenes. In the absence of ANY communication from them (other than the bit mentioned earlier) should we conclude that they think ALL parents are terrorists and should not be negotiated with?
Come one, govs, give us your thoughts - the blog is as good a place as any, or otherwise a meeting room in the school? Over to you, governors ....
PFA is still waiting for Mrs C to explain why she accused us of 'tirades of abuse' when she attends the meetings. This is an odd way of expressing gratitude (as printed in the front of the summer fete brochure this year). I have never seen any PFA member subject Mrs C to 'tirades of abuse' - none of us would dare! She is a formidable opponent when crossed. You could find yourself and your family all of a sudden accused of all sorts - being abusive parents, being on the verge of having your child excluded (without the knowledge of the parents - that's clever, isn't it?).
The PFA did a fab job this year, again, of putting on the summer fete. I played my little part in helping out on the day as did many parents - we want this school to work well because our children go there. Where else would we send them? Derwentwater is pretty good, I hear, but it ruins your chances of Catholic secondary school. So we are stuck at St Vincent's - until recently, happily so.
have you heard the saying "Evil flourishes where good people do nothing"?
It may be very apt for our situation. Many people seem to whisper in corners about not being happy with the current head and anxious about the rumours, but seem to prefer to do nothing.
I have heard that at Hillingdon there were other schools that parents could, with effort, send their children to if they were unhappy with Mrs Cleugh. We don't have such a choice. I was talking to a mum about a week ago and she has gone to Mount Carmel to enquire about places as she is so saddened with St V now, but they are full up, no possibility for her child to move there. So this mum is putting up with St V because she has no other choice.
Sad
Have all you unhappy parents contacted Andy Slaughter, our local MP? I have - it's really easy. Just follow the link in the top right-hand corner and fire off your email to him. Took me 5 minutes ...
Hopefully this independent route will clear the way for some clearheaded handling a what seems to be a hotbed of cover-ups for a head teacher who would have been out of a job in no time had she been employed in a non-faith school.
Come on parents, power to us!
You ask what I am hoping to find out. That I am not alone in thinking there is something very strange going on at St Vincent's; people who are good people behaving very weird - governors really.
What do I think should be done? Sort it out those who have the power - governors again, I suppose. Meanwhile, I like reading but until today not posting because I have this vain hope that someone somewhere is going to wave a wand and make it all better - perhaps that man at the 10 May meeting, the one from the diocese with the unusual name, Mr P... Can he come back please and perhaps parents could have a word with him?
Someone help us please ....
Past parent commenting here. I check the blog every week - it's well worth keeping this on. Why not go legal and consult an educational lawyer - sounds like St. Vincent's parents would have a great case. As our Bishop/governors are whitewashing the decimation this woman has caused, try another route.... I feel so sad for all you parents because my eleven years were all wonderful.
I contacted Andy Slaughter's office, leaving my details. They rang back quite promptly. They advised that there is an investigation going on, and a report will be issued with the findings. I've left my details requesting a copy of the report.
hello current parent here...teresa roscow, you might remember a few postings from me recently.
I went to see Mrs Cleugh a couple of weeks ago, and I had an interesting conversation with her. Firstly there was a note taker because she possibly anticipated I was going to cause trouble - other parents who have gone to see her don't get a note taker. Well, I asked her re Bishop Stack letter and my lack of understanding about decline in education standards...I can't go into details but Mrs Cleugh told me some falsehoods, which I know to be falsehoods as I have gone to the trouble to inform myself of both sides of the argument. And to round off the 45 minute meeting, Mrs Cleugh offered me the following observation - that Secondary School Heads might hear that there are disruptive parents at St V and might not want to take children from a school with such disruptive parents. Now, I have a choice here - do I panic and think Oh my Gosh, I am ruining my child
(ren)'s future by blighting the reputation of St V, or do I think, golly gosh Mrs Cleugh are you threatening me? Well, those of you who know me will be able to work out how I reacted. I was gong to post this anonymously, but I am just not prepared to put up with this "anonymous" nonsense. Mrs Cleugh - I know you read AND respond to this blog as I recognise your narrative in some of the Blog posts - would you like to give me a response?
From ex-staff, families and friends of St Mary’s Uxbridge
To our brothers and sisters of the St Vincent’s community
Please accept our sincere and deepest sympathy on the tragic circumstances that you now find yourselves in:
A SCHOOL WHERE:
•gospel values are no longer promoted
•unhappiness, fear and distrust pervades
•there is a web of lies and threats
•pupils, parents, staff and governors continue to leave
•relationships within the parish community are being destroyed
•governors are weak and ineffective
•staff who remain “loyal” are being offered “enhancements”
•there are concerns re provision for special educational needs
•there are concerns re financial practices
•the Diocese refuses to listen
•meetings and surveys are held to placate people
•there is retribution for anyone who “disagrees or asks questions”
HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
We suffered the same at St Mary’s. Some will never recover from the treatment they received at the hands of Mrs Cleugh.
We have spoken with members of St Joseph’s community in the Wirral, who to a lesser but significant degree endured a similar regime during Mrs Cleugh’s first Headship.
OUR QUESTIONS ARE:
Why is no-one listening? Is there a cover-up?
We want to know!
Another question and a more serious one:
Will St Vincent’s ever recover – we’re not sure if St Mary’s ever did?
I read this blog because I am a very concerned parent of St V's and have realised that this is the only way I am going to find anything out. I don't read it for gossip. I read because I am worried. I can no longer trust the governors. They have completly let their fellow parents down (I know not all governors are parents). They have allowed Mrs C to come into our community and wreck it. By my reckoning there will be 2 full-time teachers left in September who were here when Mrs C joined a year and half ago. Pretty good going Mrs C!!
2 more governors have resigned, though I don't know why. Does anyone know? If I had an alternative my children would be out of St V's in a flash. Since the governor's meeting in May we have heard nothing from Mrs Blyth. The promise of improved communications simply hasn't happened. Our web-site is a joke. I checked it out today and all we have on it now is our crest. How has this happened? Mr C told us that the site had been "locked", though of course we know this was one of her many lies.
Yes, I like many other parents (and I'm sure governors) rely on this site to find out what is going on. I wish I was brave enough to get more involved - perhaps I will. But whoever is looking after this site, please keep it going.
(I am yet another anonymous!!) I am pleased that someone has decided to take the initiative to complain about the head teacher. I am not a parent, but a childcarer who has been dropping off/picking up from St Vincents for 4 years. In the last 18 months, I have seen Mrs Cleugh just 5 times in the playground at the end of school, in the previous 2 1/2years I would see the previous head teachers nearly every day - as you do at many other primary schools. I also have a problem with not being allowed into the junior playground in the mornings, I am technically in charge of any children I take to school until they have been "handed over" to the care of the teacher at 8.50, but that means I must now wait out in the street with them (and any other children I have) or leave them in the playground and stay in the street myself and watch for a teacher to appear, or not stay and not carry out my responsibilities properly. Also, why did she change the school times, making it really difficult for those who have children at nursey or other schools? Why do they now finish at lunch time on the last day of term? Whats with the "house points" system? I am sure she is trying to make St Vincent's like an exclusive secondary school, just like I believe her husband is head of!!(St. Benedicts?)
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