How to get to Queen Ethelburga's

[Ladymom]

Hi, We visited and just want to share our experience to save the 'pain' for future parents.
Because Queen Ethelburga's is really remote! A long drive 50 pounds! from Leeds airport!
We took the train from Paddington thinking the train link would bring us to near the school. But even the nearest train station (as advised by the school) is not near the school.
Best book a taxi in advance before arrival. Do not expect taxi queues like in Asia, there was no taxi in sight!
And for return, the school will book a taxi for you but at a premium price. There's this taxi company that serves this 'premium' school and therefore pay premium price.
Impression of school, staff are snooty - we entered the office and the staff chatting did not bother to ask what we there for. So we sniffed around and asked before we were asked to wait.
To us, it is a business as some said.

Camper: You asked «I see the 'interesting' articles in the Yorkshire Post run out at the point where the matter was referred to Crown Court. Anyone know what happened?»

I don’t, but I saw that the case was supposed to start on 10 July, but I did not manage to find it on the court website. Anyone?

And yes, clearly some changes have been made, but I don’t know enough (from mere googling) so cannot confirm whether or not he (the accused) or his family still has any involvement in governance, as employees or (ultimate, beneficial) ownership of the school or properties. Does anyone else know?

I’m sure the school SLT, staff, parents and pupils all hope to be able to put the allegations (despite most or all ties having been cut by now?) behind them asap. Probably the owners, whoever they are, so as well, as this must be hampering business at least to some extent: Many UK-based parents would (in my opinion) be all over this like a rash until entirely satisfied and reassured. I see the thick safeguarding policy has been revised several times recently. And given also e.g. the existence of the Wikipedia page on this - which is very easy to find for anyone, but may not be entirely correct or complete for all I know, so please don’t sue me if it is not! - the school should really stop the (in my opinion) counterproductive effort to keep a lid on this using legal threats to MN and posters who mainly just want to help other parents keep kids safe, happy, and ideally also well educated.

Again, this is all personal opinion and mere references to allegations made in other places - and even without any links - so hopefully this post has no legal exposure for MN or myself whilst also enabling parents who care about the more substantial issues raised —not including cabfares— to see what’s going on and reassure themselves

It can be seen on LinkedIn that Amy Martin is the current CEO of the Thorpe Underwood Estate.

She would also appear to be a registered director of a number of companies which include Queen Ethelburga's in the company name:
www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/director/490402/amy-martin

There was an application to vary bail conditions hearing on 21 Aug 17 ?

"Pardon us for not being familiar with the rails. QE website is not of much help, neither the school which says the nearest station is Cattal (no mention that it's a really local, quiet station).
Also pardon us who don't drive so the only way is through trains and taxis."

Except of course, if you'd read the website - verbatim helpfully already added to this thread - you'd have seen that your options were not just train/taxi and the school meets and drops visitors at the local station.

This is not a point where the school is at fault or unhelpful.

On this point, the school are not at fault at all.

You call them, they organise collection from the station. It’s actually very helpful of them.

Not a school on my shortlist when I was living abroad and planning on my eldest coming back to board. There are so many other schools that do pretty much everything better in my opinion, but they don’t organise pick up from the station which QE helpfully do. That’s what makes this thread so funny for me! You are criticising their good thing!

I wasn't criticizing QE. It was their website information which could have been more helpful. Just my opinion really, especially for international visitors like myself.
Most of us just been to major cities like London so really not familiar with the farther end of England.
Anyway as said my post is for visitors like myself. Just so they know to book cab before going as seems local cab companies are not necessary from that area, as in where we come from, and could take hours.
But yes, we did thank and appreciate QE for picking us up. And the office lady.
But the school is not for DD. Also purely personal, in comparison to other schools we also visited.

I don't see how it could be more helpful tbh. You just need to be able to read and understand it.

I agree elf.
Whatever issues people have with the school, it's sort of obvious that it is rural and they do give decent travel information. It's hardly a shock.

Honestly @Ladymom, I don’t see how they could be more helpful or clear on their website!

Good luck searching for the right boarding school though. Most great UK boarding schools are not for profit, and so all money is invested back or put to enable a wider variety of pupils to attend. That was the kind of school that appealed to me.

I see Amy replaced her father on the Board of Governors.

And seems to run a range of independent businesses from the school site. Insurance companies, and other 'service' companies.

Sounds all very successful.

Does the letter to past students still exist on the website?

It was fascinating - all about wherever they were in the world and whatever the circumstance, they could always use one phone call to St Ethelburga's

Made them all sound like potential international diamond smugglers, it was ace.

I think it got removed after the last debacle, Feenie. There must be a cached version somewhere though.

I may or may not work there...

I don't think the school can be blamed for your lack of location awareness op. Yabu

You can't leave that sentence hanging, Noneed

There's no question that it's a funny kind of place, very inward looking in lots of ways. But the teaching is fantastic, genuinely, and the results aren't fudged. As a PP said, the school is now very upfront about splitting into college and faculty at KS4. Happy to answer questions if anyone's really that interested

I loved 10 minutes from there as a kid :)

This is all fascinating. And people pay the price of a house every year for it?

* It was fascinating - all about wherever they were in the world and whatever the circumstance, they could always use one phone call to St Ethelburga's Made them all sound like potential international diamond smugglers, it was ace.* 

Given the context of the stuff mentioned in the other threads, I’d say sinister is a more appropriate description than fascinating.

Suppose you have not lived in Asia where convenience is the key. Visited other schools and they were easily located.
Am laughing heartily at this sentiment!
Some British schools are older than lots of other countries... they're located where they are- take it or leave it!

Camper/others:

Let me correct myself - I am no longer so sure that there has been any ownership change: According to the UK holding company, Care & Recreation Holding, it is (still) ultimately owned by Foxlow Limited in the British Virgin Islands - this is from the 2016 annual report filed as recently as 6 June 2017. (Shareholdings in Foxlow in BVI may have changed, of course).

Googling "Foxlow Limited" brought a surprise: Panama Papers! The website created by ICIJ, The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, with documents from Mossack Fonseca... Not joking!

I can call this allegations if it makes the lawyers less unhappy.

I worked there many years ago. It was in interesting experience! It's changed so much since I was there though.

Their lawyers are very slow this week. I might even manage to dig out the redacted thread by the time they get wind of this thread.

Do not expect taxi queues like in Asia

I had a huge argument with a taxi driver in Beijing. He refused to put his meter on because it was raining, and I refused to get in the cab because I don't get in cabs without the meter on. The entire argument was conducted using hand signals and numbers typed into our phones, as he didn't speak a word of English and I can't speak Chinese. I'd have gone to the taxi queue and got into a different taxi. Only there were no taxi queues, anywhere. I'd walked around in the rain for over an hour looking for one, as this was Asia, right? Or have I got my geography wrong again? Damn.

Haha, you need to know a few more countries in Asia