Sunday, 9 June 2013

GOVE CHALLENGED OVER HOLLAND PARK SCHOOL

The Dame has received  a copy of a letter sent recently to that scourge of glossy, architect driven schools, The Rt Hon Michael Gove. 


The Dame has been promised a reply soon. It is fallacious to suggest that Mr Gove intends to send his brood to the school.....

38 comments:

  1. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 11:16

    Why is it taking the Secretary of State for Education so long to reply? The letter was sent more than two weeks ago.

    It is clear that this school is a scandal of Cockell's ego driven vanity in every dimension. Planning undertakings broken, a Headmaster running out of control and an enraged Residents Association and a furious Kensington Society. Even the useless Labour opposition is saying that it is angry.....

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  2. Person Familiar With The Situation9 June 2013 at 11:20

    A good letter. Gove was "bounced" into this visit by his Department. It was only in the Official car on his way to the appointment at Holland Park School that he realised that he would be compromised. Maybe it is connected, maybe it is not. But Gove recently got rid of his Permanent Secretary at the Department Of Education

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 11:22

      Gove did not "get rid" of his Permanent Secretary. He fired him. A signal to the rest not to screw around with the Minister

      Delete
    2. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 17:46

      Gove was not bounced into the visit. He visited with his wife as a potential school for their children. They visited my child's class at Holland Park and liked what they saw, Mrs Gove in particular seemed impressed and was charming and gracious to the children.

      Gove also appears to praise Mr Hall's leadership in this talk to the Social Market Foundation in February this year, subsequent to his visit to the school.

      http://www.smf.co.uk/media/news/michael-gove-speaks-smf/

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 19:35

      By the way, the letter writer should get his/her facts right. The school did not have "much loved playing fields", it didn't have any playing fields, just a sprawling hard surface playground.

      It will have playing fields for the first time in the near future.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 20:15

      Good to see some balanced and accurate comment. For a change

      Delete
    5. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 21:46

      17:46
      Stick to the thrust of the letter...HPS school breaks the three rules imposed by Gove. That is incontestable.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 21:55

      19:35
      One mans much loved playing field is another mans.... 'just a sprawling, hard surface playground': one that could have been beautified at little cost, rather than flogged off to developers who seem not yet to have paid for it. And when they do, intend to develop it for yet more dodgy foreigners, from countries you don't want your gap year daughter to be sending postcards from....
      and 17:46...what a vapid comment. Did you expect Mrs Gove to be rude to the children and make them cry?

      Delete
    7. Anonymous10 June 2013 at 07:55

      Of course when the Council spends £88 million to rebuild a perfectly good school it will be a magnificent architectural indulgence and it will stand out from other schools where the benchmark cost is £25 million. ie the average cost to build a new school in Britain according to Government statistics is £25 million. The extra £63million spent on Holland Park School means that £65 million was loaded onto Council Tax, or it was taken away from help for the elderly, or it was not available to build a hospital, etc. Budgeting and capital allocation in a democracy is based on "fit for purpose" spending. Splurging on this scale is an abuse of the democratic process and a failure of public policy. But we now know that Dictator Cockell wanted to make a "statement" and draw attention to himself.

      Delete
    8. WASP10 June 2013 at 08:11

      And of course the Headmaster, Colin Hall, was laughing all the way to the bank. Free meals used to happen in Kensington and Chelsea

      Delete
    9. Anonymous10 June 2013 at 08:17

      Kensington and Chelsea is the wealthiest Borough in Britain and there are no checks and balances on the public purse. It is a scandal that ego driven maniacs like disgraced ex Leader Cllr Cockell can get their hands on public funds - supping and splurging like there is no tomorrow

      Delete
  3. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 11:24

    In these early days of his Leadership, Cllr Paget-Brown needs to fire a few of his out of control Officers in the Town Hall. Sign of a strong Leader and a message to all and sundry that he is not to be messed with

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  4. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 14:28

    Residents are continually 'sold' promises that are not fulfilled by 'new builds' . This is just another one. The Council probably now has no power to force the head teacher to allow residents whose money actually paid to build the monstrosity to use the pool. But of course they didn't think of that when Cockell sold them all up the river. Perhaps the developers and the school should be made to pay compensation to residents for breach of promise.

    Head Teachers are notoriously territorial and view their schools as their Empires not for use by the communities in which they sit. And this head teacher is clearly one of them.

    Don't expect to get through the gates... you wont.

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    Replies
    1. Muppet9 June 2013 at 15:08

      Lets see how this one develops. The Press is on to it. The Labour Opposition is on to it. David White, Chairman of Campden Hill Residents Association is on to it. Amanda Frame, Chairman of the Kensington Society is onto it. Outraged residents are on to it. Maybe something will happen?

      Delete
  5. Friend Of Dorothy9 June 2013 at 15:12

    This Headmaster is clearly a short arsed little runt and needs to be brought to heal

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 15:13

      Is Colin a friend of Dorothy? We should be told

      Delete
    2. Fly On The Wall9 June 2013 at 15:15

      Ah ha! Certainly a close friend of David C

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 15:16

      A nasty pair

      Delete
  6. Person Familiar With The Situation9 June 2013 at 15:20

    A previous Director of Education at the Town Hall had some forthright confrontations with the Headmaster about certain matters

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 15:42

      Jackie left the Town Hall with a £100k payoff and a gagging order. The Mafia ganged up against her

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10 June 2013 at 17:54

      Jackie Griffiths was forced out by the gay mafia in Hornton Street

      Delete
  7. WASP9 June 2013 at 17:40

    This is getting rough

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 17:54

      The refusniks should anticipate a full frontal attack - no holds barred

      Delete
    2. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 18:34

      Calm down dear. And all the other bleeders on this blog. In the fullness of time and the not too distant future, residents will be able to sprint up and down the Olympic pool

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 19:14

      Oh do stop this unoriginal Winner rip off...if you can't be witty then stop being witless

      Delete
    4. Anonymous9 June 2013 at 21:57

      This 'Calm Down' stuff was tedious when emanating from Winner...from you...excruciatingly boring

      Delete
  8. Fashionista10 June 2013 at 18:10

    The underlying scandal here is that Holland Park School is increasingly taking on the air of "exclusivity" which is not appropriate for a State school. Not appropriate at all.

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  9. Anonymous11 June 2013 at 07:05

    Yes, God forbid that state school children should inhabit a £80m building.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous11 June 2013 at 08:03

      What a daft comment! The point being made was that it was unfair for the children of K&C, yet in other parts of the country-because local authorities stick to the cost guidelines- children have perfect good schools which cost half the price.
      If every local authority wasted the maoney on a school K&C have taxpayers would be furious. Now do you understand?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11 June 2013 at 08:05

      should have read 'unfair the children of K&C have a £80 million school, yet....

      Delete
    3. WASP11 June 2013 at 08:25

      You have missed the point. The idea of state funded "exclusive" and over the top designer schools is ridiculous. We cannot feed everyone at the Ritz on taxpayers' money. Get it?

      Delete
    4. Fly On The Wall11 June 2013 at 08:44

      Quite so. Nicholas Paget-Brown, the new Leader of Kensington and Chelsea is partial to a bit of "class and pomp" and is doing his best to continue subsidising the "great glory of London" with £1 million a year of tax payers funds. Royal Borough councillors recently attended a gratis performance of Holland Park Opera at £70 a pop times two for partners and "meaningful associates". In the great tradition of exclusive K&C, with tax funded baubles like Holland Park Opera and Holland Park School, Nick has it in mind to introduce a change in local Planning Law so that only Rolls Royce taxis can be licensed in the Royal Borough. The Council will give taxi operators a subsidy to enable them to keep charges low and enable residents to ride in style

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    5. Outraged Resident11 June 2013 at 08:48

      What humbug. It is outrageous that the Town Hall continues to give free tickets to Councillors and friends to attend Holland Park Opera. A frippery that is costing the council tax payer £ millions. The next thing is that disgraced ex Cllr Phelps will be invited to the Town Hall again for official parties. Sharpen your pen, Paget-Brown. The Dame is watching you

      Delete
  10. Anonymous11 June 2013 at 08:59

    What does all of this trash have to do with Michael Gove?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous11 June 2013 at 09:21

      Think about it you thick piece of ordure

      Delete
  11. Anonymous11 June 2013 at 11:58

    That other Secretary Of State, Tony Benn, sent his kids to Holland Park School and his wife Caroline became a school Governor. Look where all that led to. History about to repeat itself?

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  12. Anonymous15 June 2013 at 09:38

    What has happened to the Anthony Gormley statue that the Council was going to buy for the School/soon to be an independent Academy to put on its wall?

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  13. Anonymous16 June 2013 at 10:27

    Holland Park School is a boring ugly mess. It looked better in it's previous incarnation.

    ReplyDelete

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