Gower school islington

[BeenieBaby]

Anyone have any experience of this school? We're keen on a Montessori education, but this school seems to have a bad rep, we weren't sure why... Anyone know firsthand what it's like?

truthseeker

With respect, you are far from the truth...

You couldn't be more wrong in your understanding of TGS; this debate raises concerns peculiar to the school and as people have experienced it. Your diagnosis is way off the mark; shocking too in respect of this thread. You clearly do not know the school, or its workings, at all.

It might be a good idea to re-read the thread, don't you think?

TGSs*

I am moved by your post.

Some parents often complained about their children being hungry.

My child, now elsewhere, is never ravenous when school finishes.
At lunchtime seconds (and thirds!) of main course is offered; the same for pudding. I can't believe it! It is truly a shock just how much food is available to the children. Also, there is an amazingly good value tuck shop mid-morning with lots of toast, crackers, fruit etc - carbs for those bouncy children that really need them.

I am not assailed with tears at pick up time because of hunger.
And I am not stressed either.

yes Mercymeee, mine was somewhat of an understatement...!!

At almost every meeting we had, we mentioned food, and the lack of it.

Over the course of a year the average family spends £437 on school lunches per child (source www.gov.uk published: 17 Sept, 2013).

I wonder what how much TGS actually spends on school lunches/pupil.

To all the teachers posting on this thread in what is so obviously a personal vendetta, I have a number of questions:

1. If you have a genuine grievance, why don't you take it through the proper channels instead of airing it anonymously on an internet message forum?

1. Did you ever go through the proper channels with regard to the grievance procedure during your time at the Gower School? If not, why not?

1. If you did, did you seek union representation? If not, why not?

1. If you did and your grievance was upheld, did you take it further? If not, why not?

1. If you can prove all these allegations about the Gower School, why not seek legal recourse now?

1. If you were aware that children were not being fed properly, did you bring this to the attention of the proper authorities? If not, why not?

1. If you were aware that children were not being fed properly, did you bring this to the attention of parents? If not, why not?

1. Do you understand that failing to bring such matters to the proper authorities makes you complicit in what you allege to be mistreatment of children?

1. Were you sacked from the Gower School or did you reach an agreement with Emma Gower that she would release you from your contract?

10. If so, why? What did you do?

In the interests of transparency and balance, maybe you would be kind enough to answer these questions.

It isn't at all obvious to us that the teacher's posts are 'personal vendetta(s)' and we are the people directly affected. Who are you?

truthseeker2014

With respect,
I find your post both aggressive and defensive.

Things clearly are not what they seem.

O -
If the teachers respond to your questions, they will reveal themselves.

Is this your aim?

I'm someone who knows what goes on behind closed doors in independent schools in London.

I'm someone who knows that teaching is one of the most heavily unionised professions in the world, and that if a teacher had a genuine grievance, he or she would have their union in there like a shot and the school would be taken to task.

I'm someone who knows that under Every Child Matters, teachers have a moral, ethical and yes, legal obligation to blow the whistle when they witness instances of children being mistreated in schools (including not being fed adequately). I'm someone who knows that there are ways for them to do this anonymously.

Finally, I'm someone who knows that if any of the answers to my questions posted above were yes then:

1. Emma Gower's registration with Ofsted would have been revoked and she would be under investigation for child neglect;

1. The Gower School would be in special measures;

1. The former disgruntled staff members posting anonymously on this internet forum with the obvious intent of trying to ruin someone's livelihood would have taken Emma Gower to tribunal and won.

To the poster above who wrote this:

"If the teachers respond to your questions, they will reveal themselves."

Absolute rubbish.

Oh! So the intention of your post is to establish a record that ex-teachers are posting in order ruin someone's livelihood?

truthseeker2014

You don't persuade me at all. Methinks you do protest too much.

Truthseeker: You can't possibly know what goes on behind closed doors at any school other than ones you've seen. That's a ridiculous generalisation and your post is arrogant. The teachers at TGS are wonderful - which you'd know if you had a child there or knew anything about the school - and the idea that they are somehow holding the senior management to ransom is laughable.

TGS Management hold all of the power within the school. It's laughable that you think anyone could hold TGS senior staff at random, you have obviously not visited the school.

The fact is, our children are taught well and treated well by the passionate teachers who are not treated as they should be; and not just by EG herself but by other members of management, as well.

This is fact.

Truth seeker- There is a huge difference between one ex Gower teacher posting as opposed to a couple posting on this thread. Please have a good think about your post. Teachers by nature are in the profession because they are truly passionate in what they do. They are not teachers to be corrupt. That is a very warped way of thinking. If EG believes she is the victim in all this, then nothing will ever change. Being at TGS can really play with your mind. Get out when you can!

There are several teachers and ex members of staff posting on the thread.

Truthseeker "teachers are the most unionised professions" you are using the statement as a negative comment. Are you for real? No because for a moment I thought you were the ghost of Margaret Thatcher...
The point of the thread is to discuss what is wrong with a school acting in a way that may be considered outside the parameter of the laws.
What is not clear to you? There are more than 300 posts and you are still seeking the truth?? I am sorry....

The people acting outside the parameter of the laws here are the teachers posting on this thread.

If there was any substance to their allegations, they would all have sought legal recourse and taken The Gower School to tribunal, with the assistance of their unions.

Edited to add:

But you carry on posting, because this thread says a lot more about you and your disgruntled ex-colleagues than it does about The Gower School.

And perhaps you haven't noticed, but there aren't any parents responding to your posts. I imagine they are asking themselves the questions I posted above.

I fail to see how attacking teachers at TGS could do anything except create further bad feeling and animosity in the TGS community. And I note that your posts have only provoked more unrest. Well done.

You seem to have insider information truthseeker. Do you know if TGS has an organised and recognised union? My experience has been that the level of support one receives from a union often relies heavily upon wether or not there is an organised chapter within your workplace, non? If not you are often left with very little support from the union you have been paying fees to.

But then you know this, don't you?

I have never known a union to have an 'organised chapter' within any school.

All teachers organise their own union membership and schools have nothing to do with it.

I have no inside information on The Gower School, but I do know what goes on among teachers in independent schools in London. I also know that the teachers posting on this thread do not have the backing of their unions. If they did, they would be advised against doing something so blatantly libelous. I wonder why this thread hasn't been taken down yet? Do you think it could have something to do with The Gower School giving you enough rope to hang yourselves?

That's the other thing about corrupt teachers who work in independent schools in London - they think they are more intelligent than they actually are.

I am not a nutritionist, but I can appreciate that vegetarian diets do require a lot of thought to ensure that all the the necessary dietary requirements are met for children, especially the under 5's. Given that TGS is nut-free, it must be terribly difficult to the achieve the recommended level of:

1. Protein intake
2. Energy Intake
3. Vitamin b12
4. Iron

As a constructive way forward, perhaps TGS will allow parents to send in a packed lunch.

At my child's new school one can take a packed lunch one day and have a school lunch the next!

As we all know, children can be very picky eaters.

I think it would make everyone happy if parents had that option open to them.

Yes to packed lunches here too! Would solve the problem of 'curry day' or pizza day when there's not enough to go round.