CH as an educational facility for West Sussex C.C.

[anniexf]

Many parents on council estates are not very interested in their children's education, so are even less interested in where they study.

What an extraordinary statement! Evidence, please?

[J.R.]

Excuse me John, but we live on what was a council estate, (now housing association).

We have always had our childrens AND our grand-childrens education at heart.

We are pleased to say that our youngest grand-daughter has just been offered a place at TWO universities !!

[jhopgood]

I was repeating something that I had heard and asking for confirmation.

Last month, after my mother had died, I returned to the Council Estate with my brothers and sisters to say goodbye to the place, which I probably know better than anywhere else. We were all surprised to find that the feeling of the estate has changed, probably because it is now mainly owned rather than rented. It is totally unlike the White City Estate where my son has a flat, and where it still has the feel of a Council Estate.

My point was that the main problem is the local Heads, something confirmed by an ex brother-in-law, who was Head of a Junior school in North London.

In view of what I had heard and seen, it made sense, but I was asking for confirmation.

[Fjgrogan]

I was also raised on a council estate. In those days children who did particularly well in the 11+ exam were notified by the LCC that they might be eligible to apply for admission to CH - perhaps many parents were unaware until then that such a school existed. I was fortunate that my father worked as chauffeur to a member of the Court of Common Council and therefore had heard of the school from him, so I actually had two possible avenues of admission, LCC and Almoners' Nomination (to this day I do not know which one actually got me in!). As someone else mentioned, head teachers in those days were aware of the value of CH and would encourage suitably qualified pupils. Apparently when my headmistress realised how low our family income was she expressed surprise because I was always sent to school clean and well dressed - henceforth I found myself getting free school dinners and the dreaded codliver oil!! Today, also as previously mentioned many head teachers have either not heard of CH or assume that it is an elitist foundation; sadly publications like the recent glossy brochure do nothing to dispel that impression. I was disgusted to see John's attitude - he is apparently as ignorant of council estate dwellers as those head teachers were of CH - I cannot believe that such an opinion would be expressed by an Old Blue. If 'council estate' children coming into the school were met by such bigotry it is hardly surprising that their parents would think twice about submitting their children to such an environment. I was lucky; I was teased at first for my 'sarf London' accent, but soon learned to adjust it to my surroundings, which apparently I still do unconsciously! However I was never made to feel in any way inferior because of my origins. Of course although many of my contemporaries would qualify as middle class, none of them were the children of wealthy overseas businessmen recruited for their financial advantage to the school! Were we not assured that admitting full fee-paying day pupils would have no effect on the number of places available for the 'deserving poor'? Presumably wealthy children from overseas are using boarding places, therefore leaving fewer available for those for whom the school was founded? As I have also stated, yes I know we need the money, but I suspect that there will never come a time when the school decides that the crisis is past and we can revert to its original ethos. Comments like John's make me even more despairing that the school which we all knew and loved has already ceased to exist.

PS having now read John's follow-up posting - my parents also eventually bought their council flat (when they were due to retire, the mortgage payments were less than the rent), but it didn't change their attitude. In fact when they later needed to sell it to move to somewhere smaller and more accessible my mother was adamant that it would not be right to sell to anyone who was buying with the intention of filling the flat with student tenants. It was quite a battle to get her to move at all, because she insisted that those properties were built for the use of poor families!

[Kit Bartlett]

I was interested in the comment that someone's child was now old enough to travel home on the train. In the pre mass car ownership era every boy ,practically, must have left the school at the end of term by train. I suppose some parents may have met their offspring in London but I do not recall any dictum laid down that ten and eleven year olds were not old enough to travel on their own.

[LongGone]

I was interested in the comment that someone's child was now old enough to travel home on the train. In the pre mass car ownership era every boy ,practically, must have left the school at the end of term by train. I suppose some parents may have met their offspring in London but I do not recall any dictum laid down that ten and eleven year olds were not old enough to travel on their own.

That was my thought as well: I don't remember anyone traveling with parents, other than the very first arrival.

[Fjgrogan]

We had no choice. The entire girls' school travelled by train at the beginning and end of term, accompanied by whichever staff had drawn the short straw. It was expected that we would be met at Liverpool Street by parents - those who could not were advised to employ the services of the Corps of Commissionaires. There was a tradition that as the train passed under the arches approaching Liverpool Street station we would sing 'Auld Lang Syne' - often to the bewilderment of the few members of public who had somehow strayed onto 'our' train. Towards the end of my time at Hertford we did somehow manage to persuade the powers-that-be that it was easier and cheaper for me to travel by Green Line coach which went from just outside the school gates to Roehampton Village, a short walk from home. It was more convenient but it took two hours and I was always travel sick; the first thing my mother wanted to do when I got home was feed me!! There were also a few girls who were allowed to fly home to Scotland. Of course, we had no half-terms or long weekends.

[DavidRawlins]

I am surprised that girls were flying to Scotland in the early '60s. Did the school help at all? At Horsham the headmaster had a discretionary fund (I gather he still has one) to help in similar situations. Not that flying was an option in my day.

[YadaYada]

was interested in the comment that someone's child was now old enough to travel home on the train. In the pre mass car ownership era every boy ,practically, must have left the school at the end of term by train. I suppose some parents may have met their offspring in London but I do not recall any dictum laid down that ten and eleven year olds were not old enough to travel on their own.

I posted this comment and I actually agree with you BUT when I first mentioned to CH that he might come home by train (when he was 11) they were not impressed. The journey involves 3 changes and going across London on the Tube. I reckoned he was up to it as we have always used the trains but it was not encouraged.

I encountered the same thing when he was at his primary school and had him walking to my place of work - alone - at the age of 8.

[jhopgood]

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/ ... bursaries/

Related to a previous comment.

[eowyn3099]

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/ ... bursaries/

Related to a previous comment.

Wow: Whichever junior school teacher came out with that statement, has a massive chip on their shoulder!

[Kit Bartlett]

There were always exceptions made as to the upper income limit for admission to C H. I am thinking of a parent in the Church or armed services. Also a number of CH Masters put their boy (s) through the school.
I am thinking particularly of J.E. Massen, R.A. Dean. W. Armistead and the Hon. D.S. Roberts whose faher was a Liberal peer

[J.R.]

I've never had a problem with staff-members putting their children through the school - HOWEVER........................