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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask about the Jeremy Corbyn controversy with his choice of son’s school?

81 replies

HeronO · 02/01/2025 15:49

Hello all. Considering secondary schools for DD in Camden/Islington after move to be near DP’s family for support. I’ve got no family on my side apart from DP and DD!

Have chosen a school, thanks in part to some constructive advice on Mumsnet! It was the school DP went to when it was an old boys school but is now mixed and changed name.

DP’s talked a bit about his school over the years and DD very much wants to go to her Dad’s old school but I was literally yesterday years old when I learned that Jeremy Corbyn apparently split with his wife over sending his son there!

i don’t remember this news story at all but then again I don’t take much interest in politics!

Does anyone remember this? Don’t worry - it won’t influence our decision as it’s convenient for everyone in DP’s extended family, DD wants to go there and it’s currently top of our list.

… and me and DP definitely won’t be splitting up over it !

OP posts:
Ablondiebutagoody · 02/01/2025 15:51

I don't understand the AIBU.....?

madnessitellyou · 02/01/2025 15:56

People will always have differing views of schools. You see it all the time on social media. Someone will ask for an opinion of a school and you’ll get responses that say it’s great and others that say they’d be crazy to send their child there. I wonder if there’s any small possibility that something similar happened in the Corbyn household.

Op if you like the school and have a decent chance of getting in it really does not matter if the once leader of a political party argued with his wife over it.

This is possibly one of the daftest things I’ve read here.

madnessitellyou · 02/01/2025 15:56

Ah, I see the “issue”. Yeah op, kindly, get a grip.

Dotjones · 02/01/2025 15:57

I guess if you were/are a Corbyn fan, send him to the school, if you were one of the many who didn't trust his judgment to run the country then it's not a good idea to trust his judgment over school selection.

It's over 25 years ago though - the school will have got worse since then, of course that's true everywhere.

LoveSandbanks · 02/01/2025 15:59

It's fee paying and as a labour MP I'm guessing Jeremy didn't want his son to go to an independent school. I actually like Jeremy Corbyn but I can't help thinking that divorce is a hell of way to solve the problem of which school to send your son to. I also wonder if it wasn't just a divorce to prevent him being painted as responsible for sending his sons there.

As left wing as I am I also think your children needs should come before your own principles.

ThinWomansBrain · 02/01/2025 16:00

Why be so concerned about the opinion of one parent in 1997?
It's nearly 30 years ago.

Original poster
HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:03

Thank you for the links guys - will read.

OP posts:
Original poster
HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:04

LoveSandbanks · 02/01/2025 15:59

It's fee paying and as a labour MP I'm guessing Jeremy didn't want his son to go to an independent school. I actually like Jeremy Corbyn but I can't help thinking that divorce is a hell of way to solve the problem of which school to send your son to. I also wonder if it wasn't just a divorce to prevent him being painted as responsible for sending his sons there.

As left wing as I am I also think your children needs should come before your own principles.

Thanks - its not a fee paying school now

OP posts:
Growlybear83 · 02/01/2025 16:05

LoveSandbanks · 02/01/2025 15:59

It's fee paying and as a labour MP I'm guessing Jeremy didn't want his son to go to an independent school. I actually like Jeremy Corbyn but I can't help thinking that divorce is a hell of way to solve the problem of which school to send your son to. I also wonder if it wasn't just a divorce to prevent him being painted as responsible for sending his sons there.

As left wing as I am I also think your children needs should come before your own principles.

It's not a fee paying school - it's a selective grammar school. Jeremy Corbyn opposes selective education, and whatever you may think about his policies, I really admire him for sticking to his principles, unlike Harriet Harman, who sent her sons to a super selective grammar school. I don't think his wife's insistence at sending the child to a grammar school means that there is anything wrong with the comprehensive school, just that she believed her son would get a better quality of education at a grammar school.

AlohaRose · 02/01/2025 16:08

I don't understand, your only question in your original post is whether anybody remembers this news story? It's 25 years old and I doubt it even made much of a splash at the time, given that the parents had already split up and the child had been in the school for a year before it came to light. Are you suggesting that this should in someway influence your decision or the decision of other parents to send their children to a school which now bears no resemblance to the one from 1999?

Original poster
HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:09

Growlybear83 · 02/01/2025 16:05

It's not a fee paying school - it's a selective grammar school. Jeremy Corbyn opposes selective education, and whatever you may think about his policies, I really admire him for sticking to his principles, unlike Harriet Harman, who sent her sons to a super selective grammar school. I don't think his wife's insistence at sending the child to a grammar school means that there is anything wrong with the comprehensive school, just that she believed her son would get a better quality of education at a grammar school.

Edited
Show quote history

It’s not the selective grammar school that we are sending DD to - it’s the one that used to be Holloway Boys - the previously failing comprehensive - but now it’s a mixed school and has a different name.

My DP when it was Holloway Boys but before the late 90s

OP posts:
Original poster
HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:14

AlohaRose · 02/01/2025 16:08

I don't understand, your only question in your original post is whether anybody remembers this news story? It's 25 years old and I doubt it even made much of a splash at the time, given that the parents had already split up and the child had been in the school for a year before it came to light. Are you suggesting that this should in someway influence your decision or the decision of other parents to send their children to a school which now bears no resemblance to the one from 1999?

No won’t influence our decision at all it’s just my DP has said quite a bit about his old school - Holloway - but didn’t mention the Jeremy Corbyn connection - hence I was surprised- but influence our decision ? HELL NO! it ticks all other boxes

OP posts:
3WildOnes · 02/01/2025 16:15

Beacon High? I'm not surprised that Jeremy Corbyn's wife refused to send their children there. It gets pretty appalling results with a progress 8 score of -0.9 and doesn't have a great reputation.

AlohaRose · 02/01/2025 16:17

I'm not surprised your husband said nothing about it, there isn't a Jeremy Corbyn connection! His son went to a different school! What age was your husband when this news "story" was around in 1999? Was he even aware of it at the time, never mind now?

Original poster
HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:20

3WildOnes · 02/01/2025 16:15

Beacon High? I'm not surprised that Jeremy Corbyn's wife refused to send their children there. It gets pretty appalling results with a progress 8 score of -0.9 and doesn't have a great reputation.

Edited

Yes was Beacon High. My DP went in 80s when it was Holloway Boys - he said they then introduced girls and when it was already a mixed school they changed it to Beacon High.

You’re speaking in the present tense - I thought the school had improved - but it’s ideal in terms of location - DP’s family are from Camden and its Islington but near Camden border

OP posts:
Original poster
HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:23

AlohaRose · 02/01/2025 16:17

I'm not surprised your husband said nothing about it, there isn't a Jeremy Corbyn connection! His son went to a different school! What age was your husband when this news "story" was around in 1999? Was he even aware of it at the time, never mind now?

No - he would been in his 20s in 1999 so went way before then

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 02/01/2025 16:23

HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:20

Yes was Beacon High. My DP went in 80s when it was Holloway Boys - he said they then introduced girls and when it was already a mixed school they changed it to Beacon High.

You’re speaking in the present tense - I thought the school had improved - but it’s ideal in terms of location - DP’s family are from Camden and its Islington but near Camden border

Show quote history

OP have you looked at the results

https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/100453/beacon-high/secondary

Beacon High - Compare school and college performance data in England - GOV.UK

You can find schools and colleges in your area. You can also view exam and test results, financial details and Ofsted reports.

https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/100453/beacon-high/secondary

Original poster
HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:25

LittleBearPad · 02/01/2025 16:23

Show quote history

Ah no I haven’t and thanks I appreciate you sending the link

OP posts:
JHound · 02/01/2025 16:26

HeronO · 02/01/2025 15:49

Hello all. Considering secondary schools for DD in Camden/Islington after move to be near DP’s family for support. I’ve got no family on my side apart from DP and DD!

Have chosen a school, thanks in part to some constructive advice on Mumsnet! It was the school DP went to when it was an old boys school but is now mixed and changed name.

DP’s talked a bit about his school over the years and DD very much wants to go to her Dad’s old school but I was literally yesterday years old when I learned that Jeremy Corbyn apparently split with his wife over sending his son there!

i don’t remember this news story at all but then again I don’t take much interest in politics!

Does anyone remember this? Don’t worry - it won’t influence our decision as it’s convenient for everyone in DP’s extended family, DD wants to go there and it’s currently top of our list.

… and me and DP definitely won’t be splitting up over it !

I think I remember that it was a private school?

Camdenish · 02/01/2025 16:26

Beacon High? I’m surprised that it’s still going seeing as there are so many other local secondary schools. But I’ve never heard anything bad about it, not first hand anyway. And I doubt it would have been the most likely secondary to where the Corbyn’s live anyway.
Have you looked at Acland Burghley too?

Original poster
HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:28

Camdenish · 02/01/2025 16:26

Beacon High? I’m surprised that it’s still going seeing as there are so many other local secondary schools. But I’ve never heard anything bad about it, not first hand anyway. And I doubt it would have been the most likely secondary to where the Corbyn’s live anyway.
Have you looked at Acland Burghley too?

Edited

Ah yes it’s still going

OP posts:
Original poster
HeronO · 02/01/2025 16:29

JHound · 02/01/2025 16:26

I think I remember that it was a private school?

Show quote history

Was an all boys grammar, then all boys comp then mixed comp

OP posts:
Flughafenkoenigin · 02/01/2025 16:29

The only Corbyn connection with Beacon is that it's in his constituency.

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