East Dulwich Schools

[Mick Mac]

The Governors do an excellent job at Goodrich and its parent fundraising body does an excellent job too. These are two plus points for the school. From personal experience I'd not put anyone off applying to join the school.

[Ohno]

'Duchess of Dulwich' - I think you're referring to me. I'm a Goodrich parent. I just don't have much time to post on this forum, which is why I only posted once. Anyway, I regret my original post as on consideration don't think discussion on this forum is helpful. It's basically gossip. Better to attend the meeting on the 1st to understand what the concerns are and judge things through my son's experience (he is happy, thriving and learning a lot).

[intexasatthe moment]

deleted

[Tony Rabbit]

I'm really pleased to have received some posts on Goose Green which came out of special measures recently. Formally known as Grove Vale School before the makeover it seemed almost for ever to have been the under dog in Dulwich.

To have turned round and compete for the leadership of best school in Dulwich so quickly can not be due alone to the additional amounts of funding thrown at the school.

Even from the limited number of posts on this forum and from local opinion it must have taken a great deal of effort from their new management, governors, students and parents to pull together as a team to achieve this outstanding result.

This success, built on teamwork, should be an inspiration to other schools that ALL parts of a team must stay related and pull together otherwise things will get pulled apart.

I haven't heard much about Heber. I don't think they went so far as special measures but they certainly have upped their game and have a waiting list for admissions.

Can anyone give any better information please?

[uplandsneighbour]

why, Tony Rabbit? haven't you (however unwittingly) caused enough mischief already?

[LynP]

My grandson goes to Goodrich and I really feel for the staff. They (well most are)are doing a tremendous job with moral at an all time low. The thing is for a school to flourish it needs good leadership!!??

[LynP]

Yes bjm..you've hit the nail on the head.

[LynP]

I think you have some very valid points Havana.Trouble is the teachers can only do so much. From talking to them, a lot have headaches from banging their heads against a brick wall.

[Justaparent]

I agree with LynP, I often hear so much negativity and snide remarks (from those that see themselves as parenting elite) and it spreads like wildfire. I think the staff do a great job and always try to accommodate parents needs. The staff should be supported more by the parent governors more and those with grievances should use appropriate channels within the school system / Southwark C to air complaints. NOT all parents the way you do and I am ashamed that you presume to sum up the views of other parents through your comments. This forum has been viewed over 6,000 times I want my child to feel proud of being at this school despite these behind the scene remarks.

[Emily]

Justaparent, the family that found the police on their doorstep courtesy of the head is one of the most committed families Goodrich has ever known, giving hours of their time and their considerable expertise to help raise a huge amount of money for the school. and their reward was untold stress and misery. That's the truth. So fecking sue me.

[zeban]

No offence Emily but I'm sure the school already has considerable expertise and were maybe fed up with being undermined by parents who think they know it all. I can imagine parents like that making a big impact on staff moral who spend every day teaching a lot of children.

Just an outsiders point of view.

[Emily]

I took myself off this thread but I see that it continued with ignorant mudslinging at concerned Goodrich parents by people that I doubt have done a fraction as much for the school as those whose situation is causing such concern to some of us. How many hours have you given to the school in volunteer fundraising?

[Emily]

Zeban, yes it's awful isn't it, working to raise thousands of pounds for the school doing boring stuff that nobody else would volunteer to do. Organising events, staying late at night to clear up after them. Sheesh, talk about grasping at bloody straws. Pathetic.

[zeban]

It continued because other Goodrich parents wanted to have their say on the positives of the school. It seems like you're presuming if a parent isn't 'concerned' then they somehow don't care. Maybe the 'concerned' parents should get a life and let the schools do their job. If you want to raise money for a school fine but do it out of goodwill not because you want greater power or say in how the school is run. It's simply not your job. And if not everyone is 'concerned' that means that maybe you're overstating the supposed problems. By the way, what are your problems exactly?

[Emily]

Nobody wanted greater 'power', the fundraising was done for many years out of pure goodwill actually. And was highly effective and beneficial for children. Many of things that one poster attributed to the school (whiteboards, books etc) were the result of parent-led fundraising. And the thread did not continue with people just being positive about the school. the posts were more concerned with spiteful, ignorant mudslinging at people who have been committed to the school for years.

[Emily]

Actually Zebun, if you are a governor and even if you are parent, then how the school is run IS your concern.

[Mick Mac]

It is amazing how much some parents contribute to fundraising activities at Goodrich and those who help deserve a lot of credit for the sense of community felt by the children who attend the school.

[Emily]

I am probably going to delete my posts because of the scary atmosphere at the school, but they are all 100% true.

[Administrator]

OK, I asked for people to tone it down but they didn't listen and carried on like I wasn't in the room. So sorry but I am forced to removed all the posts because of concerns raised and complaints about too many specific details given about individuals and organisations.

This is the Family Room Area which has a "lower tolerance of abuse than the rest of the forum" and I will not tolerate discussions becoming mud-slinging matches between unknown individuals discussing named third parties, that is unfair. Both myself and the Family Room Moderator are sat here ready to expel anyone who continues to make the Family Room a rather uncomfortable place to be in.