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Original poster

Harris Westminster Complaints

28 replies

concerned123456789 · 16/01/2017 19:25

My son studies German, Physics, Maths and Further Maths at Harris Westminster. His German class is at the Westminster School.

In early October, I was asked to sign a form agreeing for him to go to Munich in July 2017. After I signed the form, we discovered a summer programme in Physics at Cambridge. He really hopes to go.

The Westminster School said he was "not allowed" to miss the first few days of the three week German trip to Munich, eventhough he lived in Munich for six months 2 years ago. Harris Westminster called me today to say that unless he goes on the trip, he will be required to withdraw from German and will have to go to the library. Moreover, at the end of year 12 he will have to leave Harris Westminster as he will not have 4 A levels.

Is it just me, or is their position not equivalent to blackmail?

OP posts:
CauliflowerSqueeze · 16/01/2017 22:42

Interesting.

Your contract is really with Harris Westminster. They are presumably "outsourcing" their German teaching to Westminster.

However, you signed permission for the trip. There must be conditions written into that trip regarding dropping out?

I don't think their stance of saying that unless he goes on the trip he will be dropped out is acceptable, and it does seem to amount to blackmail.

What if you were unable to afford the trip? They cannot insist on you paying, surely? It must be something they recommend but cannot insist on?

However, he is lucky to be attending one of the best schools in the country (I assume for free) and sometimes when you sign up for things you have to commit; organising for a student to arrive on Day 4 is a lot of hassle and they would be responsible for his journey which he couldn't do unescorted.

So I can see both sides.

MuseumGardens · 16/01/2017 21:23

Are you ok with your son's school seeing this post? You might be, which is fine, but just in case you prefer them not to you could delete and repost the same question without the name of the school.

mintthins · 16/01/2017 19:29

That is a little inflexible. I'd suggest you also post this to the Y12 thread - you might get sensible feedback there.

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