Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

spiderlegs wrote:?)
This is what's at the heart of the original letter the Ridley Society has written. It isn't the routine costs of maintenance / fluctuations in the stock market etc that has created the present financial crisis at the school. It's an ill-conceived, poorly managed 'masterplan' that has drained away the millions.
And who was responsible for it? The Council of Almoners.

exactly, that is my main question, where/why/how has all the money gone?

would anyone from the elusive Council of Almoners care to give us their side of the story?

what are the details of the Ridley Society letter? can anyone copy the details of it onto this forum?

Ian Stannard wrote:The gravel issue is a huge red herring - this is chicken feed

Cheeky ********, I suspected as much! If the Grecians' houses are actually papier-mache, it doesn't surprise me that CH used bird food in lieu of tiny stones.

I think the letter is at the start to this thread...

Gravel/Chicken feed or not - it's not the expense that is at issue here, its how limited funds are made to work hard (or not)...

On another note, have the livery companies, who present many children to the school, been consulted on the proposed changes? It would seem that they would be fairly influential within the city...

In fact, who exactly has been consulted on the proposed changes?

Doh, got so embroiled in the messages that forgot to look at start of thread.



I am stuck on a public desk all morning serving rather dim students who are going to be teachers, I end up getting equally brain-dead by the end of it.

BTaylor wrote:Gravel/Chicken feed or not - it's not the expense that is at issue here, its how limited funds are made to work hard (or not)...

On another note, have the livery companies, who present many children to the school, been consulted on the proposed changes? It would seem that they would be fairly influential within the city...

In fact, who exactly has been consulted on the proposed changes?

Are these 'changes' anything but ideas at the moment?

Exactly - the Council of Almoners reports to no one. Any body controlling millions of pounds should surely be accountable for its actions and open in justifying them. Not even the Council of Governers (perhaps more in touch with the school) were asked to express an opinion in the matter.
The whole issue of day pupils has arisen as a means of generating more revenue to see through the floundering masterplan.
I think Ian Stannard should take his jest about being hauled in front of the Clerk more seriously - the Clerk has yet to supply any adaquate answers to the questions posed in the Ridley Society's letter. In fact, some would say, candidness on the topic is the last thing the Clerk wants right now in case the awkward questions keep multiplying...

So, from all of this, can I infer that the 'masterplan' was a naff idea and although the school needed a bit of work done to it, it didn't need the Grecians houses or the expensive overhaul of the boarding houses - a renovation would have done?

I remember speaking to Mr Poulton (the headmaster before Dr Southern) who was dead against the idea of the Grecians houses...

Great Plum wrote:Are these 'changes' anything but ideas at the moment?

Regardless, it would be better to appraise relevant publics of plans and ask for input, before they become irreversible...

maybe Ian should invite the Clerk to take a look at this Forum

actually, not many staff seem willing to join in ... wonder why that is

I don't think the Clerk has a computer...

quill and ink? would explain a lot

Deb GP wrote:I don't think the Clerk has a computer...

His secretary probably does...

I don't think CEO's not having a computer is that un-common. The Dean at my current place of work doesn't have one - although, yes, he's PA does.

A close source at CH has told me that there is no chance of day pupils at CH for the foreseeable future!