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)

sounds like he's planning to publicly defend the school in court

Threatening people with court action and actually appearing in court making statements under oath are two entirely different things.

I wonder if any of the £2.4 million donated to the Collegiate for advertising is spent on legal fees?

My goodness, a school that resorts to legal threats on a forum site is not going to get a penny from me!

The GCSE results aren't any better than my local academy, but obviously having ponies on site is a winner.

Careful now catamongthepigeons. You'll be in line for an e-mail in a minute.

This is bizarre even for a QE thread.

ponies aren't even on site at the minute

What have the QE burghers done with them?

Have they been eating ponies again?

I'm going to get a message, aren't I?

Just cruel Rumours

That's superb.

That video is awesome.

Yes Breatheslowly. Your post should have said "have they been eating ponies?" That is mere speculation which can be refuted with the word "no". By adding "again" you're implying that they have previously eaten ponies which they may consider defamatory

Years

Of course a pony can also refer to a sum of money equal to £25.

I have asked for my earlier post to be deleted as my intention was only to be helpful to OP, not to end up in a dispute. I do not think the substance of what I wrote was the problem, perhaps seems there were difficulties with the way I put it. So, in case OP is still reading, I'll will repost a new and, I hope, unobjectionable version. As the school is clearly watching this thread, I am sure they will comment, either on thread or via another email to MNHQ if anything continues to present difficulties.

I was commenting in two areas based on the opening post.

A) OP said she would be relying on bursaries. QE says it offers "scholarships and awards". These may not be the same as bursaries (as generally discussed on MN), being more akin to discounts which may be repayable under some circumstances. I would advise OP to check carefully if such arrangements suit her current and foreseeable circumstances (which is actually prudent generic advice when embarking on any contract). Personally, I am not aware of any other schools which make awards in this way, and so would be interested if anyone knows how widespread it is.

B) Results. OP mentioned only 'QE' and it wasn't clear at that stage if she knew that the school divides into College and Faculty and that results of each are listed separately in tables, and there is a difference between them. As OP showed subsequently in the thread at she is interested in a range of schools in the area, I think this table for the DofEd might be the most useful to her in comparing performance. I also suggested looking at leavers' destinations (another bit of generic advice).

breatheslowly I could not find the Martin Family Charitable Trust (or similar names) using the search function on the Charity Commission website. I suspect however that they are referring to the Collegiate Charitable Foundation which is a registered charity.

But given the nature of this thread, I had better stress that that is only my assumption based on trustees' names and the stated charitable purpose, and it may be unconnected with trust as named on the school website. If anyone knows for sure, perhaps they will post a clarification.

Edith - that is a very interesting link. You can see accounts for the Collegiate Charitable Foundation on the Charity Commission website.

Just had a quick look at the accounts.

Rent of £1.7m received in 2012 from Queen Ethelburga's College Limited, and a further £2.5m from Faculty of Queen Ethelburga's Ltd. In 2011 £5.0m only from the College (nothing from Faculty)

Around £350k from Chapter House Preparatory School Limited

£1.1m from KM School Ltd. Donations of £200k back to KM School Ltd

£2.5m rent paid TO Thorpe Underwood Services Ltd. 'Services' of £300k paid to the same. This parent company is owned by Brian and Elizabeth Martin, also trustees of the school and its various related entities.

£450k to Buckedge Ltd. (Likewise)

£120k to Vinewood ltd. (Likewise)

Thorpe Underwood Services has various commercial interests, the main one seems to be www.eandl.co.uk, an insurance company owned by the Martins.

Martin Foundation is here:

apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/FinancialHistory.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1110184&SubsidiaryNumber=0

In 2012, they spent £4.5million. This breaks down as:

• £2.5 million spent on advertising 'following the continued increase in overseas marketing activities', this advertising spend was made to, er, Thorpe Underwood Services Limited.
• £1.9 million for school fees
• £100k for other stuff to Thorpe Underwood Services Limited (not explicitly described)

The charity's goals are:

"TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN AREAS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY TRUSTEES. THE PROMOTION OF EDUCATION THROUGH THE PROVISION OF AWARDS TO STUDENTS, PROVISION OF ADVERTISING AND OTHER DIRECT SUPPORT ON BEHALF OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, ALONG WITH ASSISTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF LOCAL FACILITIES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS."

It's basically a web of charities controlled by the Martins, and profit-making companies controlled by the same.

Here: forum.sazua.com/about3139.html is an article in rather broken English, but nonetheless worth reading, that would appear to shed considerable light on the marketing efforts (check the paragraph on BTECs).

Another: schoolplacementconsultant.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/why-are-some-schools-reluctant-to-reveal-that-they-recruit-high-numbers-of-international-students-part-1/

Agapanthers
Did you get one of the emails on Friday?
If not, be careful, you'll probably get one soon.
If so, be extra careful so that your posts are not seen to be exacerbating the "significant harm"

On the other hand, I'm finding the links highly amusing.
Charity Commission accounts often make interesting reading.

No I didn't get any email. I am trying not to offer any opinion in my posts, just sticking to facts, people can make their own judgements

In an unrelated issue, somebody is trying to remove the details of Queen Ethelburga's GCSE results (#254), and add their A Level results (#15, apparently) to their Wikipedia page. en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Queen_Ethelburga%27s_School&diff=594743645&oldid=594738323

I don't know who would do such a thing.

Somebody complained about the school's marketing to the Information Commisioner (twice in fact)

actnowtraining.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/872/

No follow-up on the outcome unfortunately.

Aga
The post of mine to which they took exception is from Thursday lunchtime.
Many of those which have been removed were similarly 'bland' (I have a copy of the thread before all of the removals).

Be careful what you post,
as it is more useful that this thread stays, with minimal further input, than that the nice solicitor lady finds an excuse to make MNHQ delete it.

In one previous legal action the school 'vehemently denied' allegations under-performing students were moved into the faculty. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/education/fee-paying-yorkshire-school-battles-scandal-claims-of-sacked-whistleblower-1-4267623

Take heed!