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?

[EcoRI]

SDT85 we have heard of a vaguely similar incident. The parents removed their DC double quick.

[summerday76]

I think that parents are getting together. There are the ones that are not willing to challenge the status quo but hey that is life. The majority will stick united.
I think that it is about time to have an uprising and challenge how things are managed at the Gower School.
The Head has to realise that it is not "her" school but that the school really belongs to the community (made by teachers, children and parents). If she is not willing to listen, then too bad. Many people will leave.

[SDT85]

Summerday76 - the reality it is HER school, she is the owner. Behind the scenes it is run like a business.

Devoted parents have obviously tried, and nothing has changed. The handwriting is in the wall.

As a parent it is important to find the setting that is best for your child. Sometimes that means shifting course. At a minimum, it never hurts to have an exit strategy if things do not meet your satisfaction. I wouldn't hold off in looking at other schools though, simply because there might not be a place (and let's face it, TGS does not exactly open any doors as a premier academic institution).

[SDT85]

If you want have a completely objective third party weigh in on your concerns, Kidscape is an excellent sounding board. Linda Frost in particular is a fantastic resource and advocate for children and their families.

[girlfriendinacoma1]

Enough is enough.

I've never seen so much vindictive tripe as on this particularly thread, particularly with the unjustified insinuation of the post today at 14:48:40

It would probably be useful to concentrate on the facts rather than hearsay and speculation.

TGS (the school not the nursery) was started in 2007 and therefore only this year can anyone who was there at the beginning have gone all the way through the school.

And there was only a "full" intake, around 20 children per year, from 2009.

Six children took the 11 plus this year and between them were offered 20 places (including scholarships) at some of the best secondary schools in the country, including City of London for Girls, Highgate and Channing. Being at a Montessori school doesn't seem to have been "a liability or closed doors" for them.

As with the children the teachers can only have been there a maximum of 6 and a half years.

The school has been physically developed over the years with a huge investment (£1.4m since opening across 3 phases completed in 2010).

Now for the perceptions:

Does TGS have a higher staff turnover than comparable inner city schools? Where are the figures? Knowing the school since 2009 I know that many of the key members of staff are still there.

Also consider the context. Montessori is relatively unknown in the UK so many of the Montessori qualified teachers are young, female and foreign born. This means that for many of them London is a stopping off point on their tour of life experiences.

Pupil turnover - again where are the figures? Yes children have left but the overwhelming number of leavers have actually left London, not gone to the local underwhelming state primaries. London is a transient location, parents get jobs all over the country and across the globe and when they return they get their children back into TGS.

Likewise the teachers and members of staff who return and recommend their friends to join TGS.

Parent Representation - on the one hand I read that the parents are such a dynamic, forthright and talented group but on the other hand note that they are unable, or unwilling, to organise themselves to approach the Principal. If things are that bad and the parents are that brilliant, why has nothing happened?

Where the mc professional background does come into its own is the ability to complain loudly and at length (if the cap fits ...) when they feel mistreated. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the admissions process. The waiting list for Foundation entry is huge, so that not all graduates from the TGS Nursery and siblings of existing children can always be accommodated. "Hell hath no fury like a hopeful TGS parent scorned". This is before "external" applicants push the ratio of applicants to places to 5:1. Amazing for a school with such shortcomings ....

It is thought that there are certain individuals who have made it their life's mission to undermine the work of TGS and have set up multiple accounts on social network forums to vent their spleen. Don't get taken in by these people.

No TGS isn't perfect by a long way but it's not nearly as bad as some (under all their aliases) would have you believe. Look at the facts, not the prejudices.

And finally, as for all the removed posts doesn't mn have a clear policy on what is acceptable or not? Even if anyone connected with the school complained surely mn would have consider such a request against its own code and not simply remove them without question?

[EcoRI]

You seem to be taking this very personally gfiac

[frogs]

First ever post on MN? Hmm.

Btw Ofsted disagree with you about the local primaries being underwhelming: Hanover, Thornhill and Prior Weston are rated Good, Tyndale and St John Evangelist are Outstanding. Winton and Vittoria, though less fashionable, are also rated Good.

Just saying.

[EcoRI]

And a 5:1 ratio is not too dissimilar to some of the local state schools. Just part of being in that bit of London.
FYI this is an anonymous forum - everyone uses an alias.

[Playfortoday]

Since Giac wants to deal with facts, there are three families of gower refugees at my children's 'underwhelming primary'. As far as I know, there may be more. I don't know any private that has so many leaving to go state. As far as I know none were for financial reasons.

[CarolineKnappShappey]

Girlfriend...If you say 'enough is enough' does that mean we all have to be quiet now then? That's us told.

Your post was quite a brilliant example of an authoritarian approach to things.

Tell everyone to stop
Cite your own evidence
Suggest a conspiracy.

[SDT85]

FYI everyone - Kidscape is an an excellent sounding board for a wide variety of concerns, including but not limited to situations where parents simply feel frustrated or marginalized with a school. I mentioned the organization because they are objective and understand school-related dynamics. BTW, they offer a 1-day assertiveness training course for children. Well worth the 20 pound donation to participate.

[EcoRI]

Is London really that 'transient'? There was no staff movement at DC nursery (aside for a maternity leave..) and negligible at school. We have friends with DC at nearby independents (St Paul's and Lyceum) and they haven't mentioned it as a problem.

[SDT85]

"Montessori is relatively unknown in the UK so many of the Montessori qualified teachers are young, female and foreign born. This means that for many of them London is a stopping off point on their tour of life experiences." I just have to wonder about that statement. A skeptic would say that ANY organization that hires foreign born, newly qualified individuals for short stints is looking to keep their staff costs razor thin. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with that (especially in certain industries). It is what it is.

[Northernlurker]

I don't think Montessori is 'relatively unknown'. I think it's strikingly WELL KNOWN actually.

[Mercymeee]

Girlfriend, I know of several support staff, assistants and administrative staff who have been there since 2009 but can't think of any teachers who have lasted that long. Not including nursery, that is. I could be wrong of course.

But you are right to point out that there are many positives about the school such as the huge investment in the facilities. They are lovely. And the children on the whole are bright, confident and engaging little people to be around. It is my experience that the teaching is excellent. Clearly the ethos of the school attracts talented teachers.

[silverandgold]

Girlfriend in a coma. Welcome.

But please draw a breath and hear this - you can't just tell people to stop and expect them to stop because you say so. I believe thats part of the problem. People have obv come here because they have felt no other way to express their concerns.

That's the first time I've ever heard you mention a PTA. Are you willing then? Really? To have a look at that? I think it would be the most fantastic start. Why not invite the parents to an event and get one started?

There are issues the parents want addressed. They don't want to be fobbed off with PR campaign or a rendition of positive facts. Why are so many of your teachers going? How about this - if all of them have left under favourable circumstances to "go and write a novel" or go back to their homelands - then approach them. Explain to them the current awfulness of this thread and, frankly, how it's keeping you up at night. Ask them to provide a letter of support, detailing how they left with no bad taste in their mouth and not for matters related to TGS in any way.

I'm not meaning to try and prove you wrong. I'm simply saying:

Your customers are not happy
Unhappy customers must always be heard
If you are lucky, and they are decent, they may also listen to to you and what you are trying to achieve.

Seek to understand not condemn. And above all - do not order it to stop. Because stopping dissent is impossible and makes you look very bad indeed.

[summerday76]

@girfriend, you state "if things are that bad and parents are that brilliant why are nothing happened?"
Now this is a funny statement. Do you know if parents tried over and over again and failed to be heard to the point that they have left in frustration?
Don't you think that it is interesting to see how many TGS parents are on this forum?
Why are you so lest to trash us and not willing to analyse the facts? Is it normal to have so many disgruntled teachers? Is it normal to have so many frustrated parents? Is it normal to be dismissed by the head even if parents only try to give feedback about the school?
Even if we consider TGS only as a business ( which shouldn't be!) what kind of business does not listen to their customers? One heading to fail maybe...

[SDT85]

Girlfriend - with all due respect, busy, caring parents have infinitely more important things to do with their time then to make it their, "life's mission to undermine the work of TGS and have set up multiple accounts on social network forums..." I am sure everyone posting here is thinking of the DC's best interest.

[Doub1967]

After reading the comments about The Gower School I am astonished and horrified that a school is allowed to practice in this way. Are parents actually paying for this?
Why is there no PTA? Who is held accountable?
Why has the issue of high turnover of staff not been questioned by Ofsted or the ISI?
I am sure parent view is now a major part of the grading.

How sad that it seems the staff have to work within a culture of bullying. My main concern is for the DCs who attend this 'school'. Surely the moral of the staff will impact on the development and progress.
As a member of a senior leadership team in a local school I am horrified to discover this practise is allowed to continue. It's almost Dickensian!

[CarolineKnappShappey]

It's a conspiracy, I tells ya!

[Mercymeee]

Thought others might be interested in the link to Parent View. This is an Ofsted survey asking for parents views on 12 aspects of your child's school. I believe the results only get shown or passed on after a significant number of people complete the survey. Please do read the terms and conditions before completing.

parentview.ofsted.gov.uk

[Mercymeee]

Posting this separately in case it gets deleted. As part of the Ofsted and ISI review process parents are consulted about their opinions and experience. All Ofsted and ISI reports for TGS state that parents only have positive things to say about the school. I have often wondered how they select the parents for these reports. There's certainly never been any blanket invitation for parents to voluntarily feedback to Ofsted or ISI. Of course it is possible that I have on these occasions missed this email? Are parents hand picked by the administration to feedback to school inspectors? Are there any parents out there who were chosen? What is the practice at other schools?

[SDT85]

Given our own experience, I know that IN THE PAST the parents were indeed handpicked by our school. Perhaps there is some variation between inspectors and schools.

Recently however (last term) an OFSTED notice was placed in DC's school bag as part of the inspection. It asked STUDENTS to go online and provide feedback (multiple choice questionnaire and a comments section) about their school. Completely anonymous, with just a school code to login. Given the age of DC, parents would need to help the child navigate through system. Although it was a "student questionnaire," parents could obviously communicate their views, particularly in the comments section. Even in this example, the results could be manipulated. I just assumed everyone got the notice, but I never thought to check with other parents. Also, there was nothing to prevent someone from completing the questionnaire multiple times, thereby skewing the results positively or negatively. I am wondering if Ofsted was piloting this online questionnaire. In theory, it seems like a good idea.

[frogs]

blimey, is this still going?

FWIW two of my dc's schools have had Ofsted in recently, and they sent home letters and emails/texts beforehand with links to the parentview website, asking as many parents as possible to login and post their views. I think they put a notice and link on the website as well.

That seems to be the standard way for state schools to do it, at least, the secondary schools we're currently looking at for dc3 also link to the parentview think quite prominently. In pre-parentview days, iirc Ofsted used to send out a letter and questionnaire a couple of weeks before the inspection, and then hold a meeting for parents as well.

[nlondondad]

Frogs, I think its still going because of the way in which critical comments were taken down.

Clearly getting things taken down was the wrong way to handle this situation.