Is this fair?

[Katharine]

I am sure that those in authority are well aware of this Forum, and this particular thread too. It should not be impossible for Someone to at least set minds at rest that there is no fundamental change in the ethos of the school. They want OBs to be intouch with the school, preferably by giving lots of money, but seem to operate the "mushroom" system of management. I am deeply upset by the present troubles.
Maggie

You're not the only one, Maggie

[kerrensimmonds]

Ditto. And if a substantial raise in fees has been implemented this year, it would be no surprise that parents who were already struggling to pay (I'm grateful for LJG's post) cannot rise to the increase (if you will forgive the expression). It's not just the school but everyone who is suffering from the Credit Crunch - yet one would have hoped that Christ's Hospital, being supposedly 'the richest school in England', with an ethos of care, might have found a less draconian and more facilitative way of demanding higher fees for its pupils, without punishing those whose parents cannot meet the raise (or even if the parents 'will not' - for whatever reason).

[J.R.]

We await for a response from someone in authority and in 'the-know' who reads this web-site with interest.

Holding breath time, folks !

[Great Plum]

Well, who knows...

I know that the school can't afford (literally) to lose the support of Old Blues... I don't know how many cases that there are that are similar to this case, but it certainly isn't unique...

Oh, and the BSB did tell me that they have never helped out in the case of school fees...

[J.R.]

Thanks Matt !

[Eruresto]

I have, being mostly confined to the various "Blog" threads, so far watched this matter develop without posting. However, things are now set in motion in such a way as to make me feel that I ought to speak my mind.

It is deeply sad that things have gone so far in this direction. It seems that there has been a general raising of the fees at all levels save that of "N/A". I am given to understand that a great deal of the school's income is derived from property, and that as the credit crunch develops, money is naturally flowing less fully that it had been. As this situation has developed relatively rapidly, the long-term financial plans of the school seem to have had to be aborted or postponed. This seems to have hit both the family and school side of the relationship, and so both parties have less money with which to pay or to subsidise bills. It seems therefore that while what is being done is naturally awful, the school does not seem to be able to foot the bill (no pun intended) in these circumstances. One particular problem is that of precedent. If one set of bills is paid for by the school when the bill requested is not N/A, then surely all the others in that bill category will step forward as well and ask for their bill to be waived.

I have heard of "donation governors", who pay for a child to go through the school. With the number of highly successful OBs out there, perhaps this, or a foundation such as John & Frances West, is the answer. The telephone campaign raised a fair amount of money this year; perhaps a campaign (perhaps not limited merely to OBs?) for more Sponsors is the way forward?

JJB.

[kerrensimmonds]

'Donation Governors' do not pay to put people through the school, Josh. They pay the school a certain sum which gives them the right to select a child for presentation and provided the child passes the entrance exams, they are in. Other children enter the school competitively. So someone on a presentation has an easier ride at admission - and is probably only chosen on the basis of need coupled with and indication that they will benefit from the academic/social/cultural/sporting life of the school. I learned today that all entrants (whether presentation or competition) are assessed for fees in exactly the same way, against exactly the same criteria - so whatever the family circumstances the fees would be the same.
Fire alarm
Gotta Go
Kerren

[Eruresto]

'Donation Governors' do not pay to put people through the school, Josh. They pay the school a certain sum which gives them the right to select a child for presentation and provided the child passes the entrance exams, they are in. Other children enter the school competitively. So someone on a presentation has an easier ride at admission - and is probably only chosen on the basis of need coupled with and indication that they will benefit from the academic/social/cultural/sporting life of the school. I learned today that all entrants (whether presentation or competition) are assessed for fees in exactly the same way, against exactly the same criteria - so whatever the family circumstances the fees would be the same.
Fire alarm
Gotta Go
Kerren

Oh right. My mistake. Do those of the kind I was misnaming exist under a different title?

[kerrensimmonds]

Josh, I guess there may be private sponsors who would be prepared to support a family in paying the assessed fees for a child at school, but I don't know any of them and I am not sure that there would be any publicity about it.
Before the fire alarm (I stood out in the cold for a while then thought s*dd*t and got in the car and came home via the fish and chip shop!) I was going to add to this thread that I also learned today that the school DOES have careful and supportive strategies for dealing with parents/guardians who genuinely come into difficulty in paying the fees (even if they have been raised) - and that these strategies are extraordinarily generous. Sadly, however, there are some parents/guardians who simply do not pay the fees that have been assessed for them - either this is deliberate or they are not prepared to divulge their circumstances. Sadly, it is in these cases where the parent/guardian is eventually (after lots of warnings, offers of help, etc. etc.) asked to withdraw the child. So to come back to the start of this thread, the poor intending Dep who cannot return to school must have been asked to withdraw because the school knows of no genuine reason why their fees cannot be paid - after some lengthy period of attempting to negotiate with their parent/guardian.
Anyone who genuinely comes into difficulty with paying the fees is advised to make a personal (not written) representation to the Finance Office, laying all their cards on the table, and being open to advice and support.
And though the BSB will not pay fees, it will support the children of Old Blues through grants for e.g. school trips etc. The parent has to apply. And the school administers also the Necessitous Children's Fund (inaugurated by the then Clerk, Albert Robinson, following the untimely death at school of his grandson, Simon Randall). This provides funds for kit, trips, all sorts of things, for which the parents/guardians cannot pay. But of necessity (ha ha) its details are kept confidential (and I am not sure who administers it).
Finally, I know that one OB friend of mine managed to get three children through Lancing College by continually, year on year, going to the Bursar's Office with all her paperwork and pleading for support on top of the various grants, scholarships and fee waivers, and the help always came. (As an aside, Christ's Hospital would accept only one of her twins, and in any case was too expensive so neither of them went to CH, to my great disappointment. Ironically, although the successful twin ended up in Oxford, the rejected twin went on to gain a First Class Honours Degree from Durham - and yes I am VERY PROUD because he's my Godson. And he is now in Oxford, for his postgraduate training - living 2 minutes walk from his twin. So CH's loss was Lancing's gain)
I wonder if Matt's intending Dep WILL return to School in time to complete their education?
Kerren

[Jo]

I was going to add to this thread that I also learned today that the school DOES have careful and supportive strategies for dealing with parents/guardians who genuinely come into difficulty in paying the fees (even if they have been raised) - and that these strategies are extraordinarily generous. Sadly, however, there are some parents/guardians who simply do not pay the fees that have been assessed for them - either this is deliberate or they are not prepared to divulge their circumstances. Sadly, it is in these cases where the parent/guardian is eventually (after lots of warnings, offers of help, etc. etc.) asked to withdraw the child. So to come back to the start of this thread, the poor intending Dep who cannot return to school must have been asked to withdraw because the school knows of no genuine reason why their fees cannot be paid - after some lengthy period of attempting to negotiate with their parent/guardian.

I was going to keep out of this because my thinking seemed to be so at odds with everyone else, but you have said what I suspected, Kerren. I don't know why everyone jumps to conclusions so quickly on what seems to be the evidence of one sixteen-year-old. I'm sure that from time to time there will be parents who just won't pay up. We don't know if that was the situation in this case, but we don't know it wasn't either. In fact, we don't know enough to form a judgement.

And while I'm at it.....<rant alert!> sorry to whoever posted it, but the story about the person (or was it the same one as above) whose parents were struggling to pay because they'd just had their 5th child..... I mean, words fail me.

[nastymum]

Aaaah.Jo, so glad you couldn't stay out of it. I went mad today because my mother had to buy a winter coat for my daughter.
I remembered that my mother never had a winter coat because the school fees came first .

[midget]

I know of one girl from a fairly affluent background (by the standards of most of us) whose fees were paid by the Lodge to which her (deceased) father had belonged. On my first day at CH we were met at the gates by seniors who detached us from parents and escorted us to the Infirmary, where we were examined by the doctor before being allowed to mingle with the rest of the school. One girl proclaimed proudly that her father fiddled his income tax, and saw no reason why he should not do the same with school fees.

[kerrensimmonds]

I don't think that would happen now, Maggie.
I learned today of one girl of my generation whose family never paid any fees because year on year they declared that the family business had made no profit (whether or not that was true could not have been challenged at the time).
I also know of people 20+ years ago who moved into a smaller house so that their child at CH would not be charged at a 'bigger house' rate. The school pretty soon cottoned on to such deviousness and the assessment for fees was made more equitable. As I am sure it is today.
Kerren

[Momto2]

I don't think that would happen now, Maggie.

Believe me, I have heard of all sorts of "ways and means"!

[Sallz]

I had a Donation Governor who helped me through Ch with things like Housefunds and trips, but as far as Im aware this is very rare, most Governors help the child in and thats more or less it. I was also one of 5 children and we managed, even though by the time I left we were more or less paying full fees (I had started on virtually no fees).
I think it is a shame that this girl is not allowed to return, although I can see from the schools point of view. The school cannot waive the fees unless there are exceptional circumstances. I would like to think that the school gave this girls family a fair chance before taking this action, but seeing as we don't have the full story it is very hard to judge.