Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Is there a Parents Association at CH?

I'm a teacher at a state school for those who don't know and we raised nearly £3000 this year with our school fete which is largely run by the Parents Association. Money from our fete goes back to the school for activities or facilities that are nominated by student council.

Does CH have anything similar?

Our Parents Association also has a voice at Governors meetings - do CH governors have parents on board?

There has been some discusssion on the 'other forum' about this.There seems to be interest but it gets stuck at the distances people live from the school. Some one has to bite the bullet and be the organiser so no takers as yet .As far as I am aware there are no parent governors at CH as there are in state schools .I don't think indies have to have them!

I have no experience of organising this kind of thing......wouldn't know where to start so am not offering though would happily join and help

Seems like there is a gap here. Am surprised there are no parent governors, or no requirement for them.

Hmmm ....... "clerk to the governors" here....though NOT of CH! Some private / public schs do have governors, others have a board, others have a council. Rules really depend on set-up of school, although I am NOT an expert. As you (of all people) know!!!! My old school was a limited company so had directors and an MD.

Think that with CH distance is the issue - would love to be more involved but a wee bit tricky from our neck of the woods. Would just like to be able to attend more events!

Maybe we could have an East Anglian/East Midlands branch????

It would be very tricky I think to have parents on the board of governors. I don't understand how it all works now that the Foundation is technically separate from the school...

Great Plum wrote:

It would be very tricky I think to have parents on the board of governors. I don't understand how it all works now that the Foundation is technically separate from the school...

The answer to 'how it all works' would appear to be 'not as well as it should do'!!

The separation between school and Foundation appears frequently to contribute to, and even to create, some of the difficulties faced by CH parents. On another thread I recently questioned the sense of a situation where the school spends time and money in selecting pupils, but the Foundation subsequently makes it impossible for their families to accept the offer. I myself have been told by the Headmaster that he 'doesn't employ the Foundation' and has no control over situations where there is a direct conflict of interest. It seems to me that there is a need for improved communication between the school and Foundation, as well as between the school and parents.

It is clear from this Forum that many parents are frustrated at the lack of communication and at the lack of opportunities to be involved in the life of the school. CH should give parents more of a voice; we have a lot to contribute!

I thought the reason for the school separating from the foundation was for improved methods of working!!

Great Plum wrote:

I thought the reason for the school separating from the foundation was for improved methods of working!!

I would imagine that must indeed have been the intention, and it may be that the separation is working in many ways. But I speak as I find, and my own experience has been very unsatisfactory. When a decision made by the Foundation impacts on your child's future at the school, it is deeply frustrating to find that no-one from the Foundation is available for parents to speak to, and that no-one from the school has any influence over the decisions being made!