Queen Ethelburga's Harrogate anyone?

[TessTing]

We just had another prospectus brought home from DD's state primary for QE. The idea is quite appealing but not within our budget. It seems very expensive but mentions possibility of discounts through various bursary's and scholarships. Does anyone have any experience of this? Is the school to be recommended? (middle and high school age)

iseenodust
But the 2014 results data, as validated by the exam boards and DfE does not come out till January.
The re-marking is still going on.
So QE come top based on self reported results.
Hmmm.

Hi, my step son is currently boarding in Benedict House at QE, we are so very worried about him, he really dislikes the school and is very unhappy, I wondered if our concerns are founded?

Some children just do not take to boarding. Some children don't take to particular schools.

There's no way of telling whether this school is a good fit for your DS (who you have not described in any way).

I think you might be better off starting a new thread about him, and your concerns about him, and then people with boarding experience might be able to advise you (I think your query may get overlooked at the end of such a long thread as this).

Also many will be reluctant to post on this particular thread as QE's legal dept quickly threaten legal action against anyone who says or even remotely implies anything negative about them.

They managed to score a mention on their bedrooms in The Economist this week !

This thread has been heavily Bowlderised at the insistence of QEs lawyers.
Probably best to start a new one.

Looking at the latest report from ISI, QE does not meet a number of important regulations and standards. I was really shocked by them having cameras where under-5s are changing. I dug a bit deeper and, according to the BBC, Brian Martin, the former chair of governors, was arrested for voyeurism, perverting the course of justice and indecent assault on a child. Of course he is innocent until proven guilty but that ISI report certainly had alarm bells going.
media.qe.org/pdf/2015/report-2015.pdf
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-34792452

This is an old thread.

Probably best to just leave it alone now.

These defamation threats are almost certainly just hot air. Just pick up a tabloid any day of the week and see the many dreadful (and often clearly untrue) things they write about individuals and organisations. Most libel actions are defended on the grounds of opinion / "fair comment", i.e. the statement was a view that a reasonable person could have held.

Incidentally, I am based in the United States, only have a DS aged

I am afraid the defamation law is significantly different in England and Wales from the United States. There is no defence of "fair comment" as far as I know, but perhaps someone on Mumsnet, who unlike me IS a lawyer will be along to clarify.

The basic problem is that if someone sues you for defamation the onus is entirely on the person sued to defend themselves, and this is very expensive, which leads to the phenomenon of "libel bullying"

EYDavis
I was on the sharp end of the threats.
American law is VERY different from the UK.

I guess the "fair comment" defence is the equivalent of the "Honest opinion" defence which is allowed in the UK under section 3 of the Defamation Act.

And QE's lawyers cannot object to our pointing out that this has now reached the national papers - www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3323805/Private-school-slammed-inspectors-hundreds-CCTV-cameras.html

Gruntled
Lots of us were threatened. I was one of the stubborn ones who refused to have my comments removed as I read up on "fair comment" and am bloody minded. Many others were intimidated.
I have a copy of the thread before all the posts were removed.
The impact of the ISI inspection will do them far more harm than a few random comments from us lot.

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/12004297/Surveillance-concerns-over-private-school-with-500-CCTV-cameras.html

English and US law are very very different on defamation. The UK Defamation Act however does allow people to make statement which are true. So you can state facts but not insinuate or make things up.

deogratias
If only it were that simple

but I somehow suspect that QEs lawyers have more important issues on their hands than us lot

I think QE will be well aware that if they took any of this to court the ensuing publicity would be pretty disastrous for them. I think the teeth of those threats have now been drawn. Perhaps MN could reinstate some of the deleted posts?

I have the whole thread with all of the deleted posts on my PC : can upload it any time
as then the paranoia of the school will become even clearer

Please note that one of the recent threads about the school has just had to be deleted by MNHQ.
Be very careful what you add to this one as it would be a great shame for education transparency if it were to go as well.