New Official CH Parents Forum

[ReallyMissingHer]

Sorry can't copy and paste.

but these new spaces are direct entry at a fixed price ie so middle/upper class parents who are paying large/full fees but wanting their children to go to a school with a mixed class base.

I am still a bit about parents who have £700k equity in their home not being able to afford private education or to move areas for better state schools. Am I really so out of touch with house prices? I live in commuter belt Surrey and £250k can buy you an okay 3 bed terrace, £350k can buy a 3 bed detached with nice garden across the road from me. £500k would get something okay in Weybridge tbh

[cstegerlewis]

Do you mean £700k equity, in which case there income may well be very small (eg house inherited??) as they only need to pay maintenance, or £700k value, which means they could have a huge mortgage costing £'000s a month to service and hence have no spare money for school fees? Either way, it could be a misleading statistic........

[ReallyMissingHer]

I mean £700k equity, that if they sold their house they would have £700k after any existing mortgage was paid off.........

Having that sort of equity and thinking yourself "poor" is sort of a bit to me. There again I was never one to be impressed with keeping up with the Jones'. I am getting estatic at the thought of getting a built in wardrobe with sliding doors so my husband and I can get a 5' bed into our bedroom. I don't think 6 people in a 3 bed house is overcrowded either (although smaller queue for the bathroom during term is nice) - perhaps my standards are just very low

[ailurophile]

ReallyMissingHer wrote

I mean £700k equity, that if they sold their house they would have £700k after any existing mortgage was paid off.........

The trouble is (and this point has been made elsewhere) that equity is not cash in hand. As an example, some close friends of mine are teachers, one working part time, so they enjoy a fairly average income. When they started a family 15 years ago they managed to upgrade from a tiny flat to a three-bed semi in west London which cost them around £160k. This seemed a huge sum at the time, but houses in their street are now changing hands for close to £900k!! So yes, if my friends sold their house they would have over £700k: but on the down side, they and their three kids wouldn't have a roof over their heads!!

Property prices being what they are I would guess that having a seemingly huge equity in property might not be uncommon for families in the London area, from which CH draws the majority of its pupils - but it doesn't necessarily make them wealthy!

[lonelymom]

This is the first time I've managed to get near the computer since my kids came home on Saturday! I just wanted to say that I have been told that the school 'frown upon' parents using this site, because it is 'unofficial' and some of the info on here might be incorrect and put off potential new parents, but I've only been told that by another parent, not a member of staff. Personally I don't think I've ever felt the need to let off steam or say anything bad on the forum (if I have I'm sure someone will find an old post to quote at me!), and I'm sure if any information on here was incorrect the staff that use the forum, such as onewestguncopse, would put us straight

[Katharine]

Ah lonelymum you might believe our stories and then think that exactly the same would be true now as then. They, the mythical they, obviously don't credit you with any intelligence of your own - strange that you managed to parent offspring bright enough to attend the Religious Royal and Ancient Foundation but can't be relied on to think!

[lonelymom]

I think most, if not all, of the current parents that use this forum are extremely supportive of CH. Obviously there are little issues from time to time, but ALL schools have issues from time to time! If we weren't happy with CH, surely we would be ex-parents, not current parents? I love CH, so do my girls!!

[cstegerlewis]

If 'they' didn't approve, I am sure pressure would be bought to bear on JT and others to increase the level of moderation, don't forget there are staff and members of the CH Association board involved in this. It wouldn't be technically difficult for the 'parents' section to be deleted would it

I suspect that freedom of speech is fully respected by the powers that preside.

[Mid A 15]

As I remember a few parents started posting here so JT created a new section for them.

I can't see the problem myself. The word UNOFFICIAL should be sufficient for parents to realise that this forum is not OFFICIAL!

Why shouldn't the two forums co-exist? They fulfil different functions.

[Jo]

As I remember a few parents started posting here so JT created a new section for them.

I can't see the problem myself. The word UNOFFICIAL should be sufficient for parents to realise that this forum is not OFFICIAL!

Why shouldn't the two forums co-exist? They fulfil different functions.

My view exactly.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I tend to agree with JR (On the subject of un-announced entry )but I only speak from a CAB experience.
Community Health Council Members had the right to enter ANY NHS establishment, at any time,day or night !
They have now been Abolished !!!
I am pretty sure, that it would have to be part of the original Contract, which also hands over care of the child to the School------ If it don't -- then they can't !

Any Lawyers on the Forum ? (Unpaid, of course !)

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

If the Board, don't like free ex[ression on this, or any other Forum, they are (Again) contradicting a, well established Principle at CH--- or used to be ? "You may say what you like" Provided it is not Treasonable, Offensive personally, and you are prepared to back it up !!!
The "Offensive, personally" has caused a few fights --- but ---- !

Should I be "Neill the Offensive ?"

[jtaylor]

If 'they' didn't approve, I am sure pressure would be bought to bear on JT and others to increase the level of moderation, don't forget there are staff and members of the CH Association board involved in this. It wouldn't be technically difficult for the 'parents' section to be deleted would it

I guess in some ways I'm a member of the "they"! I'm a member of the CHA Board, and hence part of the CH institution.
In the early days there was some doubt, cynicism and concern over the forum - but that dissapeared quite quickly.

I've always kept the two roles very separate. If pressure were put on me to over-moderate or control the forum, then I'd be leaving the CHA Board, rather than closing or undermining the forum (unless it got legal, in which case I'd do whatever I had to do to follow the law, obviously!)

I've not received any concerns over the last few years, and if anything the Unofficial CH Forum has bene seen as an asset to the purposes of the CHA and hence the school, providing a means of open opinion-gathering and discussion, and also a communication mechanism for us to share stuff...

Hope that clarifies the situation!

Julian

[cstegerlewis]

JT - Clarification - by 'they' I meant the SMT of the School or the Foundation, not the CHA!

[jtaylor]

Good - excellent!
Don't want to be seen as too much of the "they" - keeping on the periphery is good!