Jump to content

LondonMix

Member
  • Posts

    3,486
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by LondonMix

  1. Yes, though when Roke was put on special measures they said it was based on a computer failure or something if memory serves. They disagree with the decision but acknowledge that they had no records to support that they were adequately monitoring pupil progress etc and this along with a dip in performance is why they were given notice. While this is good reason to put a school on notice to improve, I strongly disagree that this is enough to convert it to an academy. The draconian nature of Gove's current policy on this lacks enough nuance for specific circumstances. Given that achievement is broadly average still, giving the school a chance to deal with these issues would be more appropriate. With that said, it seems like the Yorkshire school is suggesting absolutely nothing they did was wrong and Ofsted had no basis for suggesting there were any issues with the school. That's a much more serious allegation as it suggests systematic corruption.
  2. Thanks for that. So Judith Kerr is more likely to be in Herne Hill. That might relieve some pressure on the village schools (Hamlet and DVI) hopefully expanding their catchments further into ED.
  3. Which school does your son attend if you don't mind sharing? Also, regarding the Guardian story, while in general I share the concerns raised about the policy of converting failing schools so quickly and without engagement with parents, one fact in that article is glaringly incorrect. The government announced last summer that all schools on special measures should be converted so the actions (for better or worse) are in line with official policy. It's surprising for a paper like the Guardian to get such a key fact incorrect. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/27/every-failing-primary-school-become-academy_n_1629702.html
  4. Do you have the original link? It would be interesting to know the name of the school in Yorkshire in question. These are some very serious allegations of corruption involving multiple institutions and should be taken very seriously if true. Your 2nd link has been discussed on another thread in the family room before in great detail. I won't go over old ground again but there is absolutely no basis to suggest that Harris isn't operating as a charity and when analysing its performance, the value add scores of its schools (which are the best measure of individual pupil progress) stand up to scrutiny and are not able to be 9influenced by any of the tactics the link suggests are being used to manipulate its performance.
  5. It sounds like the Judith Kerr Free School is moving forward and the Harris Primary is likely to get DofE approval. I know both were considering the Dulwich Hospital site. Does anyone know when the location of either of these will be clear? Thanks!
  6. Saffron Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Certainly children are affected by what they read, > just not always in the ways which we interpret as > adults. > > Plus, I don't think it's necessary or even useful > to stereotype girls who do like pink, dressing as > fairies etc, as conforming to what some adults > possibly perceive as a media-driven frenzy of > thinly-velied antifeminism. Being feminin --in > whatever form be it pink or otherwise-- does not > necessarily relate to being subservient, meek, > weak-willed etc. Couldn't agree more...
  7. No, I don't think that's what people (or at least me) are trying to say. Some people just don't see what others have read into it. WM at one point suggests that Cinderella's reward is swapping dictators. While its an interesting interpretation of the two characters mutually falling love over the course of two balls and then getting married, it wouldn't be unkind to call that interpretation of the story unusual and perhaps over thinking the plot. Also, ED History's question of which version is important. The version I read growing up doesn't contain the beauty = goodness message that WM has an issue with. In Perrault's version, the step sisters are not ugly (in many versions they are pretty actually) but are vain and selfish. At the end of Perraut's version he states what the moral of the story is and I quote- Moral: Beauty in a woman is a rare treasure that will always be admired. Graciousness, however, is priceless and of even greater value. This is what Cinderella's godmother gave to her when she taught her to behave like a queen. Young women, in the winning of a heart, graciousness is more important than a beautiful hairdo. It is a true gift of the fairies. Without it nothing is possible; with it, one can do anything. cashewnut Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > In the end I don't think the question about > whether girls and boys will "revert to type" in > the toys they used can be settled by quoting > anecdotes, but I just wanted to point out that > there were counterexamples. This is obviously > going to be hugely affected by the other > influences on a child. > > As for the point about over-thinking, are people > saying that: > - fairy tales/stories are just a fun part of a > child's life and don't have any influence on their > attitudes, or > - fairy tales/stories do affect children's > attitudes in life but that's not worth worrying > about, or > - they just don't care one way or another?
  8. Exactly. Its a shelter more than a hotel. They normally get calls from social services!
  9. I think Canela's post hits the nail on the head. Culture plays a part but in truth you can't stop children from being who they want to be. I got barbies and never played with them. I just wasn't that kind of girl. Trying to prevent a little girl who likes playing with barbies from doing so would have been as futile as trying to get me to play with one when I was little. Let kids be who they want to be while living the reality / values you want them to adopt.
  10. I don't agree with it either as such! I'm not Christian. However these messages permeate all elements of Western culture includig fairy tales.
  11. Cinderella being nice to people regardless of whether they deserve it is a reflection of the highest virtue in Christianity and is a theme not just in Western fairy tales but in Western literature. If the only thing you can see is a tale of a girl being weak in that story, my guess is its because you tend to see most things in gendered terms rather than because that's what the story is about.
  12. I agree with you there WM. I just don't see the gender element. It's more of a christian parable than a reflection on women per se. It comes up over and over again not just in fairy tales but in Western literature and the bible itself. Charity (in the classical sense of the word) is seen as the highest of the Christian virtues (wiki extract below): Generosity, charity, self-sacrifice; the term should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving. In Christian theology, charity?or love (ag?p?) -- is the greatest of the three theological virtues. Love, in the sense of an unlimited loving kindness towards all others, is held to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and reflect the nature of God. Such love is self-sacrificial. Confusion can arise from the multiple meanings of the English word "love". The love that is "caritas" is distinguished by its origin ? being divinely infused into the soul ? and by its residing in the will rather than emotions, regardless of what emotions it stirs up. This love is necessary for salvation, and with it no one can be lost. Edited to Add: I also agree with Buggie.
  13. I think Cinderella being kind to those who mistreat her is more of a Christian virtue sort of thing more than a good girls are weak message. Whether you buy into that is a totally different story but I can't see the role gender specifically plays in that element of the story at all. I think one element missing from all of this is that different children genuinely have different personalities and are attracted to different things. My two neices couldn't be more different from each other. One loves princesses / dresses / make-up / magic / barbies while the other is what most people would call a "tom boy". Their parents have neither encouraged nor discouraged either personality type because thye believe its an organic expression of who these girls are as people. Nothing at all is shameful or wrong about a girl or boy liking to play with barbies / liking pink etc. Nothing is inherently better about a child wanting to play with trucks. There was an article the other day saying that some rediculously high number of girls self-identify as tom-boys (maybe 35%) whereas there is still a lot of shame surrounding boys who express an inclination towards what society considers "feminine".
  14. That is the explanation ScoopED themselves gave here on the forum (you can do a search for the thread). Whether its true or not, I don't know but I can't see why they would lie about it...
  15. Agree with that. What the OP is looking for is not an au pair job. 250-350 net depending on experience isn't unfair but it could be even more depending on exact requirements.
  16. Food and accomodation (as long as the accomodation doesn't have its own front door) is not usually charged as a benefit in kind for tax purposes. There are online nanny tax calculators that will help you convert the net to gross figures people will quote on here. Pay varies wildly depending on experience and the exact requirements of the roll. Norland nannies doing there probation year is one option if you can't afford someone with lots of experience. A friend of mine went down that route as the nannies have lots of support / training etc before and during the probation year and were really dedicated to being child care professionals usually with significant (non-nannying) experience. As they don't have to travel to and from work, typical live in roles are 60 hours a week plus one evening babysitting and doing food / laundry / tidying for the children only. For a probation Norland nanny, the current gross salary for a live in position where you provide room and board and standard household bills is just over 17k per annum. The accomodation / food and bills is generally felt to be worth around 8-9k as a benefit in kind and is therefore comparable to a live out nanny on a gross salary of circa 25k. Remember to budget between 150-200 a month for extra food and don't forget about extra heating and electricity costs as someone will be home during the day. Good luck with you search.
  17. ScoopED had to leave its shop for 6 months as the freeholder wanted to renovate the flats above the shop. They have posted on here saying they hope to reopen.
  18. They are the ice-cream shop taking over where Sally's (the florist) was.
  19. That PTA Mom comes from a very specific sub-culture (that is tragically behind the times) but I really don't think most people feel that way or that its even factually correct. There was an article about this in the NY Times recently but I can't find the link. At least in the US, the financial crisis now means that women are the primary breadwinners. More job losses in manufacturing (dominated by men) than the service industry (dominated by women) combined apparently with a greater willingness for women to retrain is why. This article that I could find says 53% of women are the primary earners in the US now. I know lots and lots of couples where the woman is the primary bread winner. At least for my generation, those stats feel very accurate. In big US cities, educated young women out earn similarly educated young men according to the NYT. I can't believe that the UK is that far behind the US. http://www.livescience.com/21549-women-primary-earners.html http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/03/nyregion/03women.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
  20. Renata do you have any update on the expansion of the 3 schools mentioned earlier and the funding? Thanks
  21. WorkingMummy do you really think this is true: Result: gold standard, world respected standards for the treatment of pregnant women and new mothers, in which doctors, surgeons, midwives and most mothers are fully invested, with procedure and protocol based on what has proven to be best for mother and child. The comparison with the US really isn't a good one. Like many others have already said, comparisons with Europe would make more sense and all of my EU colleagues think maternity services on the NHS are a disgrace and have (after initial engagement) chosen to go back to their own countries for the birth. Is this really just prejudice on their parts?
  22. Anyone heard if they are willing to change the redevelopment plans or will M&S abandon the idea if they can't get the extra space required by expanding into the parking lot? Didn't James mention at the beginning of the thread that Waitrose would take the space as is (presumably for less rent)? What are the prospects of Iceland now remaining or the site becoming vacant? Any news / gossip welcome!
  23. Perhaps because he's interested to see the formal opinions of his constituents?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...