Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Standard claims local school endangering pupil health
Jade Goody's mother today attacked a Haringey school for banning jabs against cervical cancer, the disease that killed the reality TV star at the age of 27.
Jackiey Budden spoke after the Standard revealed Hornsey School for Girls headteacher Carol Jones had suspended the vaccination programme for 12- and 13 year-olds because it disrupted lessons, with pupils finding it "hard to settle" and getting "hysterical" after having jabs.
Full story in the Evening Standard
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by gilly on
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I am not happy myself, I feel sick that I have been pushed to the limit and feel so isolated in this journey, especailly as my natural way is to work together not apart and to come from the heart. Problem for me with mumsnet is that it has a strong middle class element to it which does not draw in the working class mum. The threads speak to themselves,' Nanny wanted' , 'cleaner wanted', 'tutor wanted'. I do not feel it is speaking to me and it concerns me that it will not speak to the majority of mums who need to connect in HSG. I have given it a try anyhow as I am going to be open minded and give it a try.
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Permalink Reply by maggie on
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This is very worrying. It is wrong for a head teacher to place any obstruction in the way of children receiving vaccinations which have been recommended by the Department of Health. If parents are worried about any issues regarding the vaccination they can discuss it with their GP and make their own decision. And as for blaming it on hysteria, how many times has 'hysteria' been used against girls and women in the past, it is very dubious, it sounds as if the whole situation has not been handled properly and that there needs to be rational scientific education on the whole subject for the head teacher and the pupils.
If the head is a homeopath then I think that she should state her position on vaccinations as there may be a conflict of interest here. There is a history of homeopaths being anti vaccination and offering alternatives to vaccines despite the Faculty of Homeopathy condemning the replacement of conventional vaccines with homeopathic alternatives as it leaves children vulnerable to potentially fatal diseases. Is there anyone asking the head for clarification on these matters?
Good point on vaccinating boys Pamish.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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Only girls can be hysterical after all - OldGreek for uterus is hystera. Wikipedia page has some fun facts.
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Its hysterical!.....the movement of the woman's uterus to various locations within her body as it became light and dry due to a lack of bodily fluids.....about as accurate as water having a memory!
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In fairness to the Headteacher of one of our local schools!
Any hysteria involved seems to be confined to the Standard reporter, one or two parents who do not gel with Carol Jones, and various posters on this and gilly's companion discussion with herself: 'Shame on HGSS . . . etc'
Any real evidence that Carol Jones suffers from homeopathic tendencies, John - other than her name ?
As Billy helpfully pointed out to gilly on the other silly discussion, HGSS actually has a helpful website which includes not only a list of Parent Governors but also, in its News section, the school's response to the Standard's hysterical report.
Declaration: No, I don't know Carol Jones from Adam or even Eve.
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Thankfully I have had many helpful replies including Billies, so thank you all for your support.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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I'm not taken in by the school's response, but I'm disappointed to see that you are. What is more important, examinations halfway through term one or vaccinations against a silent killer? Oh let me guess, the blazer swap was more important. Of course.
Carol is an ex Homeopath, I was being polite earlier. The same as Gina's ex running mate was her son-in-law.
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I did not sleep at all last night, I am finding this all very upsetting. OAE you did not have to read my 'silly' blog or my 'companion discussion with myself' if it so agrieves you. We all have different views on life and opinions. I was not going to reply to your thread at first but after a night of no sleep I have changed my mind.
Regarding your point about hysteria being confined to one or two parents who do not gel with Carol Jones I would simply say that you were not with me at a parents evening when most of the parents and children in the group were upset about the way the new uniform was introduced.
It was the lack of opportunity to have a say and become involved in this decision making process that upset many of us and it was the renaigned promise that was made both individually to myself and then to the hall of parents that began the disintegration of trust for myself and my daughter and I am sure we were not alone with this frustration. I made an attempt to express my feelings originally and open a dialogue, I did not want the frustration to fester however CJ did not offer an apology for the renaiged promise. Had I been given an open apology and reply to my questions the relationship with myself and the school would be different, it would be healthier.
I believe the lack of opportunity for parents to be heard and have a say does not help a cohesive community to develop and I believe a successful community school should involve parents and families and encourage this relationship and I feel that as a role model for the children CJ should not have gone back on a promise and if there was a good reason to do so she should have sent a letter explaining the reasons for the change of plan and offered a forum for discussion with parents and children should they have desired to have a say in the decision.
I have been in the dark with this latest thread on the immunisation but again I guess if this decision had been opened up for parents to respond with their views should they so wish perhaps this would again have opened up more trust in parents that their views are important even if it meant that some parents would not be happy with the response as it is clearly impossible to keep every camp satisfied.
I have been expressing myself here purely because I do not know where else to turn as the Chair of Governors nor CJ bothered to reply to the questions I asked. Which leads me to the 'helpful website' that lists all Governors. The Governor did not respond to my questions nor to MP Katherine Reeces letter in support of me requesting that I am offered a response. So how helpful is a list of Governors if they do not respond?
It is also not very helpful if you do not know how to corresponded with Governors and do not understand any of the procedures and it does not help if you have not had the opportunity to meet any of these faceless Governors and have no idea of the personalities that you are connecting with. I am sure the school would respond saying letters are sent to parents during voting processes etc but for many overstretched parents this just gets left behind especially in Secondary schools where parents no longer connect with other parents.
In defence of the school myself they did open the beginning of a teacher and governors training day up to parents to attend last year which was a great step forwards, I think this was not open to all parents and there was still little space for parents views to be heard but it was a good start.
That said I am relieved I deleted my post before receiving your response OAE and as a new member on the site I will be wary in future of posting as your response is not pleasant.
Regarding deleting my post it is done and dusted! There will be no more posts on HSG. I apologise to any of the teachers or staff who may feel offended and would like to say that there have been many positive experiences within the school as well and some wonderful staff, sadly the negatives have weighed heavily and I return to hoping that this changes.
I live in hope that my greivances are heard and understood and that they can be grown into the ethos of the school which at heart is well meant.
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Gilly, I'm sorry if my mildly robust response has had this unintended effect.
Let me briefly declare my position and to some extent, I suppose, my prejudices in the sense of pre-judgements.
For more than thirty years I have held Hornsey School for Girls in high regard as a local school. That regard was based on reports from others, mainly in the teaching fraternity/sorority, on the evidence of a few incidental visits from time to time, and from common knowledge of schools in the area.
As a retired teacher, I have no familiarity with the school's current administration. However, I get a little fed up when I read on this site and other local media scathing reports on local schools, or on those who administer them, based too often on the incidentals or accidentals of school life, or on the ancillary services they offer, or fail to offer, or deliver in ways that not all parents or students agree with.
Yes, typical old teacherly attitude, you might say. But wouldn't it be nice, just occasionally, to hear a good local school being assessed or weighed up on a balance of what schools do, or what they're for, and how this particular school measures up? I'm glad to see you've included one or two more or less positive experiences from HSG.
No doubt, the incidentals of uniform can rank too high with some schools, and changes in uniform, without adequate consultation or at least notice, can impinge on parents' feelings and purses. And, true, the informal communication you were accustomed to at Primary School, with teachers and other parents, doesn't happen at secondary level. I still think that (at least some of) the Parent Governors at HSG must have been elected through some form of Parents' Association or PTA, through which communication should be possible.
The other topic (which was not your concern), the Standard's claim that HSG, or its Head, is endangering its pupils' health, leaves me less sympathetic than John or others on here. Yes, we've all had jabs of various kinds at school, or even at our workplaces. It can be convenient for the Health Service. If it proves inconvenient for a school or workplace, then surely the Admin have a right to find a way around it. Unlike John (with whom I'm usually in close agreement) I accept the school's response to the Standard's Jane-Goody splash story. I feel sure that any parents enlightened enough, or sufficiently sharp-elbowed, or catchment-area-lucky enough to have their darling daughters enrolled at a school like HSG or Fortismere etc, are also organised enough and sufficiently concerned over their DDs' health and wellbeing as to be capable of making an appointment with their local Health centre/Clinic. I know of one such establishment almost on HSG's doorstep. I'm sure the Standard's claim (reproduced in this discussion's title) is arrant nonsense.
I accept John's info that Carol Jones practised as a homeopath in a former life. (Must we now become accustomed to a new modern sin/crime of homeophobia?) Has anyone unveiled evidence that the HSG Head's arrangements for the smooth running of the school has anything to do with her attitudes to 'vaccination' / immunisation ? If not, let's not help in pillorying her.
Oh, and if any of her students want to skip off to attend today's University Student March, should she be allowed to lock the school gates?
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OAE, it is on this point: "I feel sure that any parents enlightened enough, or sufficiently sharp-elbowed, or catchment-area-lucky enough to have their darling daughters enrolled at a school like HSG or Fortismere etc, are also organised enough and sufficiently concerned over their DDs' health and wellbeing as to be capable of making an appointment with their local Health centre/Clinic."
I think you're being naive. HSG takes girls from all over Haringey, Fortismere does not. I expect a significant number of missed vaccinations, dangerous STIs and a few years down the track, sadly preventable deaths from cervical cancer. As I said earlier, Grieg City Academy are not having a problem administering these vaccinations.
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No, not naive, John - just maybe a bit hyperbolic in that particular sentence.
But isn't it even more hyperbolic to continue blaming HSG for endangering pupils' health/lives - and even hyper-hyberbolic to suggest Ms Jones may be doing so for some sort of ideological reasons?
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