Is Alleyn's School a cuckoo?

[snorky]

smash the bastions of privelige

knock off their top hats

the revulution begins now. make a difference, off a toff

[????]

F*ck me, don't they teach punctuation and grammar at these posh schools?

[vallajo]

Hey 'alleynsstudent' - CALM DOWN!

One of the wonderful things about this here internet is that anyone can say what they feel - that includes you and it includes everyone else in the world (except maybe China!). You need to accept that not everyone thinks private education is a good idea, and sometimes they have valid reasons for that. I don't want to kick off some kind of flame war here in placid East Dulwich webland, but I was a student at Alleyns, and can vouch for the fact that the private system does indeed have faults, some quite serious. If you don't like folks saying how they feel about it... well you just need to get used to it - you're going to here a lot of it in life.

And by the way - ???? is right. You're post lacks any and all grammar and punctuation which makes your education look like it lacks something! And given the attitude you take in your post, eg. "there is very little you can do about it" (what is THAT supposed to mean!) - you shouldn't try to intimidate people, it only shows you to be a fool.

[boswell]

I agree with Vallajo on some points, although I also see a similarity in alleynsstudent's post to that of other people on the forum when someone comes and complaines about bad service in a restaurant and gets a response of 'don't bitch about it on here, tell the management'.

However, I don't agree with ????. I always think it's such a cheap shot to attack someone's punctuation and grammar rather than their argument. Unless they're talking in complete 'text speak' so no one can understand their point I'm not sure it has much relevance. Unless this was an argument about whether Alleyns turns out exceptionally well educated people, which it isn't.

[intexasatthe moment]

Personally I think AlleynStudent comments about " little you can do about it " do smack of arrogance and the request to take matters up with senior management miss the point that much of the discussion has been on wider political issues.

But presumably AS is under 18 and perhaps hasn't honed his webdebating skills to the high level exhibited by some on this forum.

Give him/her a break - fair play for gettng involved ,I'd be thrilled if my teenage son took the time to join a similar debate.

As for punctuation and grammar - I agree it's a cheap shot.

[vallajo]

Oh wow - I go and complain about someone else's spelling and then spell here/hear wrong! Makes me look like an idiot...

Is it a cheap shot, pointing out punctuation/grammar problems? Perhaps, but if you're going to stick up for the upper end of the educated, surely you need to watch that aspect of your post, otherwise you leave yourself open to it? I don't think it's possible to discuss private schooling without addressing the idea idea that it "turns out exceptionally well educated people", as that's supposed to be the point of it surely? Any discussion will always circle back round to that. If you then go on a forum and make it look like you have no grasp of basic writing skills then someone will make the point.

Although yes, at least by getting involved you're contributing to the debate, even if it's in a clumsy and arrogant way.

[candj]

Since you are on a roll about spelling and grammar, allow me to show you your own post:

vallajo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

You're post lacks any and all grammar and punctuation which makes your education look like it lacks something!

;-)

[matthew123]

I thought AS's response was well written and cut to the point - the grammer and punctuation was in keeping with the usual punch of postings. An ability to step down and mix it with the locals should surely be applauded ;-)

[SteveT]

Not so much a cuckoo, more a ruddy vulture, when you know what they charge for an education.

Some of the teachers are very good, but there are some long term lemons employed there.

[marmaduke]

Yes it does employ local people - loads of them and takes local children. Their facilities can be used by the local community but you have to apply for community access and lots of groups do use them.

[Asset]

hmm, a hell of a lot of the staff drive to work so there can't be that many local.

[Zebedee Tring]

Although we didn't send our sons to Alleyns or any other private school (they went in gfact to the same comprehensive school as Julie Myerson's kids!), I don't have a major grouse against Alleyns pupils, who are in my experience a lot more normal than some of the snobby types that Dulwich College produce.

However, as a resident of a road near Alleyn's, I ask why can't Alleyns and JAGS arrange for the coaches that bring pupils to the schools to be parked on the extensive grounds that they own instead of causing obstructions when parked on the public roads?

[paulino]

not necessarily -- there are many lazy locals.

[Asset]

well they should be encouraged otherwise - also the pupils that drive to school, of which there are several.

I haven't got a particular problem with them or the school either (unexpected firworks at 10.30pm on a Sunday aside) apart from the massive congestion caused.

[AllforNun]

parked on public roads with public tax disks. problem is make residents roads not public by applying waiting retrictions (exclusion by any other name) and punish everyone else who is not local. very kings road.

[Asset]

it's not that Allfornun it is the total gridlock that occurs in the street at pick up and drop off

[????]

Of course, Private School were actually in steep decline until the 'fabulous' comprehensive system scrapped grammar schools in the name of lowest common denominator socialist dogma....dontcha love the 60s

[Townleygreen]

Indeed, quids, you are right, and Alleyn's was itself a grammar school until first the ILEA and then the government withdrew their support for such institutions. In 1976 it was - therefore - unwillingly forced to go independent. Previously it had taken masses of boys (in those times) from ED, as well as Peckham, Camberwell, Brixton, Southwark and so on.

How nice it would be if it was still free & a grammar school, open to the children of ED.

Thanks dogmatic politicians for achieving this so called progress.

[Amelie]

Actually Alleyn's was one of the first 19th C grant maintained schools. It was created as a result of the then new Charity Commission forcibly re-scheming Dulwich College after it succeeded in having Edward Alleyn's will broken in the courts.

[sillywoman]

Townleygreen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Indeed, quids, you are right, and Alleyn's was

> itself a grammar school until first the ILEA and

> then the government withdrew their support for

> such institutions. In 1976 it was - therefore -

> unwillingly forced to go independent. Previously

> it had taken masses of boys (in those times) from

> ED, as well as Peckham, Camberwell, Brixton,

> Southwark and so on.

I don't think that this is right - my husband went there from about 1969 - 1974. It wasn't a Grammar school then, or before. It was always independent. Though he did go there on a local boy scholarship, as did his brother. Shame they don't do them any more.

>

> How nice it would be if it was still free & a

> grammar school, open to the children of ED.

>

> Thanks dogmatic politicians for achieving this so

> called progress.

[Townleygreen]

No sillywoman, I can assure you Alleyn's was a direct-grant grammar school until 1976 when the new labour government abolished that status. I am not sure when it gained the status - maybe late 1950s.

It got around 75 free places paid by the ILEA and Bromley for boys who passed the 11+ in both areas. Others who got non-free places paid according to their income. If your parents were fairly poor, you paid nothing. if they got a good salary, you would pay full fees, which were regulated by the government - there was a max you could charge.

It only became independent in 1976.

You are right in the sense that it wasn't a grammar school run by the local authority. It ran itself totally, but (as I say) the government controlled the fees charged.

I can show you chapter & verse if you still don't believe me!

I wonder if I knew your hubby?

[AllforNun]

not sure it is actually gridlock, i am driving around in my van all the time and never have that many problems. Gridlock is the old kent road throughout the start of this year due to the entire water mains network being dug up by one man with a trowel.

[Asset]

I have seen gridlock in my street on many occasions, try it at 8.30am and 3.30pm. The street is too narrow for two cars to pass by each other when both sides are full of parked cars and when traffic is attempting to drive in from both directions = gridlock. I've seen motorbikes drive down the pavement and many times drivers having to get out of their cars and negotiate the manoeuvres to free the road. Not really ideal.

We had a letter through the door a year or so ago informing us that the parents' association (or some such body) had decided to attempt to effect a voluntary one-way system in the road where I live in an effort to ease the congestion. Hilarious.

[sillywoman]

Yeah, but they did nothing to follow it up. I've seen these voluntary one way systems be very effective, but it does need enforcing. The Parents Association needed to be out there in the first week following the instigation of this system, encouraging people to go in the 'right' direction. I wanted to do it but couldn't remember which way was the right way. Even a cardboard arrow on their fence would've helped, but nothing . . .they don't really seem to want to put their money where their mouth is. I don't get the impression that they're really that interested.

Regarding gridlock AFN I don't know where you drive but it's obviously not down the back of Alleyns at 8-9am or 3-4pm. It's carnage down there.

[AllforNun]

yes i do all the time and it is no different from another area of london during the school run where you have a concentration of schools. How about you stop going to ED sainsburys the week before christmas and i will stop driving anywhere near the back of alleyns for 1week of the year !