School calling children piglets?

[GoToSleepBabyPlease]

Came across this on another thread but felt discussing it there would constitute a derail, so bringing it up here.

On a school website (link below):

'To make table manners fun at Hanford we have devised the ‘Manners Table’, a ranking system of eleven different levels with ‘Piglet’ at the bottom and ‘Royal Guest’ at the top. Each level has a different name to describe the behaviour, for example, a messy eater will be a ‘Panda’ or even ‘Cave Lady’ whereas those girls who have mastered dining rather than merely eating will be a ‘Favourite Auntie’ or ‘Best Granny’. When new girls join they start somewhere in the middle with the aim of working their way up as quickly as possible. If they should become a ‘Royal Guest’ they are allowed to bring their own jam to breakfast. Every Friday after lunch, Miss Morrey reads out the week’s manners rankings. If a girl is moved up then they are given a sweet while others may be warned or some even moved down.

1. Royal Guest (allowed to bring their own jam or other spread and can also move people up and down)
2. Best Granny (allowed to move people up and down in manners)
3. Favourite Aunty
4. Primrose
5. Panda
6. Cat (can go to Tuck Shop on Sunday)
7. Squirrel
8. Hyena
9. Boa Constrictor
10. Cave Lady

10. Piglet'

AIBU to think that referring to children as piglets doesn't exactly model good manners?

hanfordschool.co.uk/wellbeing/manners/

I can see a ‘celebrity boarding school’ programme set there ? Although I do note actual alumni saying it was a good experience. Interesting.

@HeronLanyon you have no authority here. No AUTHORITY AT ALL!

The thread hasn’t started until the chair says it has started.

The mealtime manners ranking system is bizarre and alarming enough, and I imagine an invitation to bully, but the other stuff about girls being innately less likely to want to play with a ball but quite useful for being hostesses... what century are we living in?

I don't know what to think. It's quite funny in a way. Although I doubt I would have made it far past piglet at school 🤔

Piglet is kind of cute so I think it's ok. But Boa Constrictor/Cave Lady/Hyena is very weird and uninspiring. And why do they want to be Aunty/Granny?

I would like to see their science and technology block ?!
Tbh it’s the type of school I would have loved to go to as a kid - major chalet school etc fan although there they were so active skiing etc. Rather different to handing crudités to the huntsmen.

summer - now phoning Brian and Roger etc madly. Also checking that pc contract for flower beds and making sure it is all sewn up nice and tight. You are a Cynthia.

(My hero)

@HeronLanyon there's a lot of swimming (in the outdoor pool), tree climbing, riding (ponies) and general running around - as well as handing out crudités . . . (actually I never handed out crudités. But then I wasn't exactly shy or retiring.)

There's nothing like handing out crudités to build confidence.

I remember my mum telling me about this happening when she was at (a different) boarding school.

Although she was born in 1951!

@roguetomato the names were dreamt up years ago. But some of them make sense in a way - you could be made a hyena wolfing your food too fast for instance, cats are very tidy eaters, etc. But the names were in place when my mother was there, so . . . .

That’s not just weird but definitely open to being used by bullies- both staff and children. They’re basically giving bullies a legitimate way of humiliating their victims. This is definitely something I can imagine certain arseholes I went to school with doing. Fucking awful.

@gladysthegroovymule there was no bullying when I was there, or when either of my sisters were there, and I know that if any was seen it would be clamped down on very fast. Truly, it is a really lovely school with a really lovely atmosphere where kindness and politeness are both hugely valued.

Utterly archaic!

but the other stuff about girls being innately less likely to want to play with a ball but quite useful for being hostesses
Surely the gels play lacrosse at these schools.

Unless I've missed it, in which case apologies, I can't believe no one's referred to the most objectionable thing which is the misuse of the apostrophe in "manners" - see below!

I love this, think its great. Really doubt children are going to be traumatised by being called a piglet in this setting. Mine would think it hilarious which is good as they most certainly would be Piglets

I think it sounds nice 🤷 I wouldn't send DD to boarding school but I wouldn't have an issue sending her as a day student.

snowballer my husband picked that up immediately and apparently several other rudimentary mistakes. He is a pedant. But not such a great look for the school.

@Dingleydel

snowballer my husband picked that up immediately and apparently several other rudimentary mistakes. He is a pedant. But not such a great look for the school.

I don't think anyone would be in the wrong for being a pedant about incorrect grammar use on a school website, particularly not one that parents pay through the nose to send children to!

It looks lovely. The piglet term seems to come from Winnie the Pooh.

I can't get past "delicious eats" myself.

#pigletandproud