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Original poster

Dame Alice Owens- Racism

33 replies

orangeblosssom · 10/05/2021 06:40

I understand from a current DAO parent that there has been a protest at the school by students that have suffered from racial harassment from their peers. I was horrified to hear that students have been called the N word.
The headteacher has not been particularly supportive of the demonstration and there has not been any repercussions for the racist perpetrators- current year 10 students.

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KnowlWay · 11/05/2021 12:22

Did they notify her of the demonstration?
Have the racists been reported formally?

What was the issue there a couple of weeks ago with the police?

RainingZen · 11/05/2021 12:31

I'd be surprised if there have been "no repercussions for the racist perpetrators" if the proper processes have been followed it would be bizarre for nothing to have been done about it.
What is the evidence for this, and has the school issued a statement?

And hardly a surprise the head course isn't going to be excited about a demonstration that a) makes it look like racism isn't dealt with effectively in the school and b) thereby makes the HT look weak and c) damages the reputation of the school by airing its dirty laundry in public.

Is it a surprise that some children are racist? No. Children can be extremely nasty, exactly the same as adults.

Should it be dealt with firmly if the racism occurs at school, or on social media between pupils out of school? Absolutely yes.

Does holding a protest help at all? I doubt it.

NiceGerbil · 11/05/2021 12:35

I heard about this from my kids that are at a different school. Apparently videos of the demo are circulating on watsapp etc.

Also they said some kids took knives in. Not sure if that was at protest or another time.

This is all hearsay obv.

To the pp it's nice to assume that schools do the right thing but of course they don't- look at all the reports about sexual assault and rape in schools and nothing done that's been in the news recently.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 11/05/2021 16:36

You are assuming that what you are hearing is fact and not hearsay.

NiceGerbil · 11/05/2021 19:00

I said this is of course hearsay in post Grin

NiceGerbil · 11/05/2021 19:06

To dismiss it as nonsense is as silly as assuming it's fact!

Just asked DD she has seen a short clip with a loads of children in uniform having a demo 'shouting a lot' and she said it was something to do with racism and not getting told off.

Why do hard to believe that a school would not deal properly with a situation like this? Look at all the stuff in the news lately about rape and sexual assault in schools.

And of course DAO have a reputation to protect.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 12/05/2021 10:14

@NiceGerbil, no I didn't mean to dismiss it as nonsense. But it is often difficult to find out the truth with hearsay playing a part.

NiceGerbil · 12/05/2021 10:18

Yes sure.

Something has happened though. And it's being gossiped about all around the local area by children by the sound of things.

DAOmum · 13/05/2021 17:55

The student in question has been excluded. Hopefully this sends a strong message. Parents also need to speak to their children about bad behaviours.

Sladurche · 13/05/2021 20:38

There were racist graffiti scrawls all over the year 10 block. Several students have been making complaints. The group of kids concerned got a lunchtime detention.
Similar issues with discrimination against LGBTQ pupils.

School does nothing about it, basically, except slapping wrists.

NiceGerbil · 13/05/2021 21:01

Christ almighty.

I mean yes unless you have seen it yourself (?) then it's hearsay but for sure something has gone on and different sources are all saying the same thing roughly.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 14/05/2021 09:33

Oh dear that doesn't sound good.

Sladurche · 14/05/2021 11:13

"Also they said some kids took knives in. Not sure if that was at protest or another time." This was an incident where kids from another school came in with knives in order to intimidate a DAO student. The police were called. Nothing to do with the protest, though.

I am concerned about the hearsay going around about this. We all know what children are like and whispering/gossip distorts the truth.

As far as I know from my child the protest was an organised activity by the BAME student association, the school had been warned, their parents were aware and supportive. 800 children participated; that's over half the school. My child had been telling me about the recent incidents, and had witnessed one herself, had taken pictures of the graffiti and had also been subjected to bullying because friends are part of the LGBTQ student group.

It used to be a very inclusive and fairly liberal school when Dr Davison was there (its founding ethos was to do with giving equality of opportunity), but under this headmistress it's now become an academic hothouse and this goal has become all-encompassing to the point where they will not tackle the racist/sexist/homophobic bullies strongly if they are academic high-achievers (slap on the wrist, breaktime detention) but will admonish less academic students harshly who break the uniform code, have a weird haircut or forget to bring in homework (one girl was excluded and made to do her GCSEs at a another school because of having coloured her hair).
Priorities all wrong.

Original poster
orangeblosssom · 15/05/2021 10:50

The headmistress mentioned in previous open days that if a child has special needs, then DAO would not be the best fit.

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NiceGerbil · 15/05/2021 23:17

Omg orange I was just coming to say that!

We went and heard what she had to say and I had real problems with it. I was shocked tbh.

The bits I remember being Shock at were.

If your child has SEN them then this school is not suitable for them. There is plenty of other provision in the area for these children.

Then a long bit about how it's not just the students who have to work hard. They expect parents to be very engaged with the school. (I felt donations were being hinted at but that's just me, there have been massive probs with that in the past round here). That parents would be expected to support their children with their homework and this and that.

And the way it came across was. This school is not for clever and hardworking children if they come from homes where the parents are at work a lot/ don't maybe have top notch English language skills / or have a chaotic homelife/ a parent with serious health issues that they care for etc etc etc. This school was NOT for them.

Jesus you should have heard me ranting to DH on the way home. I was totally completely shocked. I think the SEN message is illegal?!

Interestingly my friend who went as well thought that they had chosen children who had very posh accents to give some the talks about what the school is like. She felt that it sent a message that it wasn't for people like them.

I didn't pick that up - we have different backgrounds- she was sincere in feeling that was the intention.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 16/05/2021 12:25

That is dreadful to hear @NiceGerbil and certainly sounds illegal. Whatever happened to children with SEN bringing the positives of difference to learning and the classroom?

NiceGerbil · 16/05/2021 13:46

In the case of schools who are well known for academic excellence and fiercely protect their reputation, then that outweighs anything else.

In general (not about Owens) there's been all the news about sexual abuse and take in schools and them doing nothing. Started with private schools who have s financial drive to keep it quiet. Schools in general though don't want the reputational risk, the questions asked, the parents all getting worried. So under the carpet it goes.

With Owens though I was really surprised she said it so openly to prospective parents en masse. So that's just mind boggling tbh.

Sladurche · 19/05/2021 11:43

DAO has so many awards and a reputation, but its dirty little secret is that:

  1. the majority of its student intake have either passed an exam, or are the siblings of students who have passed the exam. Out of over 1,000 exams taken, the top 102 get places. (65 for catchment, 22 from Islington, 15 for music). The other 80 are siblings of students who have passed the exam in previous years.
  2. the 22 "local pupils" come from an area roughly 400 metres from the school and the houses in that 400 metres are far more expensive than those further down the road.
  3. there is a far lower than average proportion of free school meals and children with EHCP.
  4. Those students not meeting the grade are strongly encouraged to seek educational provision elsewhere before GCSEs. Look at the intake in year 7 compared to the number doing GCSEs- you can see the off-rolling.

It's a highly selective grammar school dressed up as a comprehensive. That's deliberate. When you compare it with other grammars, it's on a par with them, or slightly lower. When compared with comprehensives such as Mount Grace, it's far higher.

Superficially it's a phenomenal school. In actuality, one wonders what value they are adding to a group of already highly-academic, privileged students.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 19/05/2021 21:09

That sounds rather like Graveney in SW London @Sladurche.

sammyvine · 21/05/2021 10:56

This is sad to hear.

The new headmistress is Jewish as well. You would think she would take racism seriously.

Original poster
orangeblosssom · 03/06/2021 06:58

www.whtimes.co.uk/news/dame-alice-owens-racism-protest-7970784

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NOTANUM · 04/06/2021 13:31

Interesting article.

DAO is unusual in his cohort in terms of economic and ethnic backgrounds. It is predominantly a white middle-class school (with many Jewish children) which on paper is comprehensive so universities love it but is actually pretty selective at year 7 and very selective at sixth form. I've heard a teacher say that once one kid from a family makes it into DAO, the parents are likely to be motivated and therefore their siblings are deemed "suitable". I know very happy parents who love the school and view getting a place like winning the lottery. If that means it's not ethnically or socially diverse, most don't seem to notice or perhaps even care.

Original poster
orangeblosssom · 04/06/2021 15:17

Well done to the brave girls who were willing to voice their concerns and hopefully lead to some major changes in how the school tackles racism. If a work colleague called someone the N word, they would face disciplinary action. Children should not have to tolerate this behaviour in school either. The changes need to come from strong action from the head and school board

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sammyvine · 04/06/2021 16:11

@orangeblosssom

Well done to the brave girls who were willing to voice their concerns and hopefully lead to some major changes in how the school tackles racism. If a work colleague called someone the N word, they would face disciplinary action. Children should not have to tolerate this behaviour in school either. The changes need to come from strong action from the head and school board
Exactly

The headteacher by all accounts only cares about grades and not about how the kids are actually being 'raised' by the school

Thats why i always say the headteacher of a school can literally tell you what a whole school is about and how he or she runs it.