Repeal major detrimental changes at Christ's Hospital

[englishangel]

Shouldn't it be abolition?

[Jo]

I think Craig's reply says pretty much all that I would want to. What you are seeing is a coincidence of

i) as you get older the school looks less and less like the one you knew because it inevitably changes but your experience of it is frozen in time. It happens to all of us, usually starting from a couple of years after we left To someone like myself who left Hertford in the mid 70s it no longer looks anything like the same school, right down to the physical location. (Fortunately, I think that's a good thing!)

ii) there are always a few fairly rapid changes under a new Head. I also experienced this during my time at Hertford. People who feel they have been around for longer than the new Head invariably feel as though they are more attuned to the place, and resent any attempt to change things by an "intruder". I doubt he will have done things without consulting at least the senior staff, and from what I hear it wouldn't do any harm to tighten up the discipline.

As for the financial considerations, some parents are saying on here that their fees have increased dramatically with no warning and no room for negotiation, so that they can no longer afford to keep their children at CH, which is hugely disruptive to the children's education. If charging some people full fees can avoid that situation, then maybe it's the lesser of two evils. The money has to come from somewhere and in the present financial climate the income from donations and investments may well have dropped dramatically.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I think I am probably to be excuded from sensible comment on this .
See my Topic, last year, on "EXIT CH -- EXEUNT TRADITIONS "
All schools change, over the years and Centuries --- CH is, obviously not as it was in the 40s and this is a GOOD thing --- to quote Sellers and Yeatman's 1066 and all that !
However, I believe that certain Traditions should be un-assailable. To introduce Full Fees, at whatever percentage, seems to contradict the whole essence of the School's Foundation.
Increasing the Socio= Economic status of Old Blues should certainly benefit their response to the "Charge" but is this the right way to do it ?
May I be really provocative?, and suggest that if Finances are short, then how about fewer Pupils, but ALL on sliding scale Fees --- including some FREE, as it used to be ! ?
I shall now take cover from Accountants, Consultants, Educationalists, and the like ! but will raise the Banner for Common Sense ! I shall be there on Saturday !
BaB 1940-1946

[CHAZ]

Some American sociologist (another one) called Spencer Johnson wrote a book on CHANGE called "Who Moved My Cheese?"
2 mice and 2 humans find themselves in a maze and the key to their survival is to find another zone of cheese when the current zone of supply runs out. All very nice to see the mice acting on instinct and the 2 humans being more cautious and to an extent less adventurous. The cheese symbol could be anything...

In short:

CHANGE HAPPENS
ANTICIPATE CHANGE
MONITOR CHANGE
ADAPT TO CHANGE QUICKLY
CHANGE
ENJOY CHANGE
BE READY TO QUICKLY CHANGE & ENJOY IT, AGAIN, AND AGAIN

This might not be appropriate for CH s current situation but if you take the cheese as being a symbol of whatever is important to you, then you can face problems and find opportunities.

This is an age of instability everywhere, where managing change is everyone's job.

[Foureyes]

May I be really provocative?, and suggest that if Finances are short, then how about fewer Pupils,

The trouble is that it ain't so easy. A very large proportion of the costs of running the school are fixed, such as maintenance of the estate, heating, lighting, etc. Thus, reducing the number of pupils would not make a significant reduction in costs unless it was of the order of 60+ percent and included selling off half the estate, reducing the teaching staff by 50 percent, and so on.

Personally, I am unhappy with the "peripheral" expenses, although these are probably small in relation to the overall costs. Can a school in financial crisis afford to send 56 students and eight staff to Australia for 23 days? I know that they have been fund-raising but a lot falls back on the parents, who are already being so tightly squeezed over fees, and the school must be footing at least part of the bill.

The CH Club had 4,900 fee-paying members, made an operating profit every year and had £320K in the bank. It paid for all events, paid virtually all ther costs of The Blue, and had enough left over to have a donation governorship and support some parents in financial difficulties. Today, the CHA is open to virtually anyone at no cost to them and the entire bill (about £90-120K) is borne by the Foundation (ie, the school). Does this make sense?

I see that the first-ever "actor in residence" has recently been appointed. I refrain from comment.

[blondie95]

Some American sociologist (another one) called Spencer Johnson wrote a book on CHANGE called "Who Moved My Cheese?"
2 mice and 2 humans find themselves in a maze and the key to their survival is to find another zone of cheese when the current zone of supply runs out. All very nice to see the mice acting on instinct and the 2 humans being more cautious and to an extent less adventurous. The cheese symbol could be anything...

In short:

CHANGE HAPPENS
ANTICIPATE CHANGE
MONITOR CHANGE
ADAPT TO CHANGE QUICKLY
CHANGE
ENJOY CHANGE
BE READY TO QUICKLY CHANGE & ENJOY IT, AGAIN, AND AGAIN

This might not be appropriate for CH s current situation but if you take the cheese as being a symbol of whatever is important to you, then you can face problems and find opportunities.

This is an age of instability everywhere, where managing change is everyone's job.

thats what the charity i worked for used whe it went through a major re-structure-we all had to have cheese training

[Jo]

May I be really provocative?, and suggest that if Finances are short, then how about fewer Pupils,

The trouble is that it ain't so easy. A very large proportion of the costs of running the school are fixed, such as maintenance of the estate, heating, lighting, etc. Thus, reducing the number of pupils would not make a significant reduction in costs unless it was of the order of 60+ percent and included selling off half the estate, reducing the teaching staff by 50 percent, and so on.

Personally, I am unhappy with the "peripheral" expenses, although these are probably small in relation to the overall costs. Can a school in financial crisis afford to send 56 students and eight staff to Australia for 23 days? I know that they have been fund-raising but a lot falls back on the parents, who are already being so tightly squeezed over fees, and the school must be footing at least part of the bill.

The CH Club had 4,900 fee-paying members, made an operating profit every year and had £320K in the bank. It paid for all events, paid virtually all ther costs of The Blue, and had enough left over to have a donation governorship and support some parents in financial difficulties. Today, the CHA is open to virtually anyone at no cost to them and the entire bill (about £90-120K) is borne by the Foundation (ie, the school). Does this make sense?

I see that the first-ever "actor in residence" has recently been appointed. I refrain from comment.

I completely agree with your first two paragraphs. As you say, unless the reduction was drastic, fewer pupils would just reduce the income still further, for little reduction in costs.

I wasn't ever really aware of the CH Club as I've only been taking an interest in CH again over the past few years but it does seem an odd situation. Maybe the thinking is that free access will draw in a wider audience of OBs, who then might be persuaded to make a donation. It's certainly true in my case - I wouldn't have paid to join the club, but now I am aware of the CHA and receive regular communications, I have started a monthly donation. But from the figures you give, the CHA would have to draw in huge additional donations to make it worthwhile.

[Ajarn Philip]

I see that the first-ever "actor in residence" has recently been appointed. I refrain from comment.

If it's on the same terms that were being offered about 8 years ago (has there not been one until now?), I wouldn't think it will make much of a dent in the funds!

[J.R.]

I noted I was signatory 121.

Many more needed, I fancy !

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I agree JR, I had not realised that the CHA was not contributing to the School as did the CH Club.
Does anybody know why the change took place ?
I confess that I just moved seamlessly, from one to the other
If the Club was contributing that much to Funds --------- When does it re-start ?
Could any of this be due to the "Conveyor Belt" of Clerks etc. ?

[blondie95]

there has always been an actor in residence or musician in residence

[CHAZ]

there has always been an actor in residence or musician in residence

SINCE WHEN THEN AS IN THE 80S THERE WAS NOT!

[Ajarn Philip]

there has always been an actor in residence or musician in residence

SINCE WHEN THEN AS IN THE 80S THERE WAS NOT!

To try to clarify this, my own reference was to 2000-2001. As I understood it at the time, this was to be a new post involving a drama school graduate. I have no idea if it actually started in that year or later.

[J.R.]

I certainly don't recall an actor in residence in my time.

One or two 'Luvvies', yes - But actor ? Never

[Foureyes]

I wouldn't have paid to join the club, ... donation.

If I might say so, that seems a bit contradictory. There was no joining fee for the Club. The ANNUAL fee/subscription was £18 per year, and I would be most surprised if the monthly donations you refer to above come to less than that. As I said, there were 4,900 members, so they must have found something satsifactory about it, and I doubt very mnuch that there are anything like that number of active members of the CHA.