Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

We are missing your learned analysis, Richard. (of that which shall not be mentioned)

Nearly there, nearly there...

Nice distraction there.

Does anyone know the status of That Will Shall Not Be Mentioned? The cause list is vague and I don't understand it

Interesting. She clearly enjoys her job and that enjoyment probably positively affects her pupils. However I do wish teachers, politicians and the like (including this lady) would PLEASE use conventional English and not spout do-gooder verbiage.

We have Year 12 peer mentors to provide another means of support while those involved also learn life skills. We also have house parents, heads of year, a head of personal, social and health education, a pupil wellbeing coordinator and weekly welfare team meetings to decide on strategies to help pupils experiencing difficulties. This holistic approach involves a range of people working together to provide the necessary support.

As Kit used to say, "call a spade a spade and not a bl**dy shovel"

DazedandConfused wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:18 pm Does anyone know the status of That Will Shall Not Be Mentioned? The cause list is vague and I don't understand it

I will put something together to explain what is going on and see if the mods will allow it to be posted.

Thank you, that would be much appreciated.

I haven't always found myself in agreement with Sejintenej but I do agree that the vague and modern-day jargon-esque language used is what you might expect from a politician asked by a newspaper for a quote. Or even from a Deputy Headmistress asked to justify an educational system that only seven percent can access. My old English master David Herbert would sometimes send my essays back to me with a note in the margin saying: "Stop waffling and give some examples".

I'm confused by this

I’m so proud that 98 per cent of our leavers, many of whom have faced high levels of adversity, leave us as confident young men and women, having secured places at top universities and who often later return to help future generations of pupils either financially or through advice.

What about the other 2%? Are they lacking in confidence or failing to get places at top universities? How many top universities are there in the country?

rockfreak wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:51 pm I haven't always found myself in agreement with Sejintenej

I think we had noticed - ROTFL

but I do agree that the vague and modern-day jargon-esque language used is what you might expect from a politician asked by a newspaper for a quote.

The fault of teachers like this. The American marines have a saying about deceased enemies " "They are not wasting our air" - I wish politicians would cease that bad habit..

My old English master David Herbert would sometimes send my essays back to me with a note in the margin saying: "Stop waffling and give some examples".

Although he was laid back enough to seem horizontal he was my housemaster and taught me enough Spanish in under a year(in the back of a german class!) to be able to speak it. Evidentally he had some good reason - did you learn from that?

sejintenej wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:25 pm Interesting. She clearly enjoys her job and that enjoyment probably positively affects her pupils. However I do wish teachers, politicians and the like (including this lady) would PLEASE use conventional English and not spout do-gooder verbiage.

We have Year 12 peer mentors to provide another means of support while those involved also learn life skills. We also have house parents, heads of year, a head of personal, social and health education, a pupil wellbeing coordinator and weekly welfare team meetings to decide on strategies to help pupils experiencing difficulties. This holistic approach involves a range of people working together to provide the necessary support.

As Kit used to say, "call a spade a spade and not a bl**dy shovel"

I don't see much wrong with the language in that quoted section. Apart from 'holistic' which makes me feel itchy and think of plant oils, 'mentors', 'support', 'life skills', 'wellbeing', 'welfare' are fairly straight forward and common vocabulary. We were all taught not to repeat words in the same sentence or paragraph so there has to be a variety of verbiage that one can draw on that might mean the same thing.

Just to be difficult and stir the pot it might be an argument that if a person genuinely believed in anything regarding children's welfare they wouldn't be encouraging parents to send their kids away. And it might be that a genuine interest in children's growth, development and wellbeing etc. would see people working towards the abolition of selective schools and every effort put into the education of each child regardless of ability or financial status ...

richardb wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:15 pm

DazedandConfused wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:18 pm Does anyone know the status of That Will Shall Not Be Mentioned? The cause list is vague and I don't understand it

I will put something together to explain what is going on and see if the mods will allow it to be posted.

Much appreciated, richardb and mods. (And rockers if applicable.)

Katharine wrote: ↑Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:50 pm I'm confused by this

I’m so proud that 98 per cent of our leavers, many of whom have faced high levels of adversity, leave us as confident young men and women, having secured places at top universities and who often later return to help future generations of pupils either financially or through advice.

What about the other 2%? Are they lacking in confidence or failing to get places at top universities? How many top universities are there in the country?

She doesn't actually say top universities IN THIS COUNTRY. Obviously there are international students at CH who probably return to their own countries for further study but I would advise any UK student from CH who comes from a background where his/her parents have a low income to consider applying for a scholarship at a 'top' US university. Many UK students are now doing this as it means that they do not leave university with a huge debt (or indeed any debt at all). Maybe the 2% she mentions are students who have realised that maybe university is not for them (as they do not want to be saddled with a debt or leave three years later with no guarantee of meaningful employment) even though they may have the necessary qualifications to gain entry? There may also be a few students who are not so academically able but who nevertheless will gain much of benefit from their time at the school?

Janey Jam-Jar wrote: ↑Sat Jun 30, 2018 9:23 am
I don't see much wrong with the language in that quoted section. Apart from 'holistic' which makes me feel itchy and think of plant oils, 'mentors', 'support', 'life skills', 'wellbeing', 'welfare' are fairly straight forward and common vocabulary. We were all taught not to repeat words in the same sentence or paragraph so there has to be a variety of verbiage that one can draw on that might mean the same thing.

I see interpretation problems with many of those words. Let me take one - "life skills" which I read as being able to handle the general things that are going to hit someone at some (or many) times in their life. Let me throw just a few examples such:
wire a three pin plug and understand the difference between a mains fuse and a trip switch
be able to deal with arterial bleeding and dealing with lacerations, puncture wounds and cuts in a public forum (such as a car crash).
Write a cheque
Work out the cheapest / fastest route by pubic transport between two places
Use a fire extinguisher
Be able to analyse politician speak and be able to argue for one candidate or the other
Be able to choose articles of clothing appropriate to a named situation (such as corporate dinner, relaxed business meeting, rave) which do not clash in appropriate situations
Have an understanding of savings, morgages, bankruptcy, executors / administrators of estates.
Understand "small claims courts" and council trade complaints bodies.

I am sure contributors could add a hundred other things which CH did not set them up for.

Wellbeing; is that mental or physical? - a definition please
welfare: yeah, that is what is being exploited by too many who often cannot be bothered to try to help themselves. That is another word for "support" which is the excuse used by state busybodies who could also be called mentors - a title being given to older CH "support" pupils.

Look back to Kit's statement engrained in most Col A pupils