Today was a momentous day for Nat, because today he spend the day at the school he's moving to in Sept. After a full day on campus, the first thing he told us when he got home was, that he was mightily impressed with the quality of the catering!!!!!!!! Little (BIG)Greedy Guts. Subsequently it emerged that the rest of the school wasn't bad either. He was in Tudor House and Form G7 and that his new teacher Ms Lewis was "kinda mad" and very competitive. He's one luck SOB to get into Brockington, he's out of catchment, it's a brand new school (completely rebuilt in 2007) with special technology status (it's full of computers) and there's now a growing waiting list to get in: we must get Han's name down asap. Here are a few pictures to give an idea of how well this place is equipped. For more images click this link
Later it was the turn of Deb and myself to visit; at 7PM there was to be a meeting, in the main lecture theatre, for the parents of the new Year Seven starters. Afterward we were supposed to meet with the form teacher who taught the class group Nat was to be in. We arrived about 6:45 and just about managed to find a parking space. The parking area is minute, the Head assured us this wasn't the fault of the school but rather that of Blaby council's penny pincher's when the new school was being erected. We made our way to the main entrance meeting numerous parents, that Deb knew, on the way, I lie i did know a few. The common talking point, on the way in, wasn't about the school but rather about how good the performance of "From Leicester with Love" had been. When we entered we were both pleased to see that there were quite a few parents of Vipers players in attendance; Nat plays for the Vipers Rugby Club, so when term starts he will already know quite a few of the new Year Seven cohort and not just the children he'd come up from Millfield with.
The main meeting was very impressive, the school seems to know exactly what it wants from pupils and parents and what they, in return, will get from it. Rights and RESPONSIBILITIES were emphasised, rewards for good behavior and CONSEQUENCES for bad were laid out. There seems to be a perception amongst the public that there is no discipline in schools these days and that pupils can get away with anything; Millfield and Brockington give the lie to this idea. The children had to follow a strict dress code, girls were not allowed to wear make up, no one was allowed to chew gum or smoke on school grounds, bullying would not be allowed to flourish and disruptive behavior in class would be crushed with an iron fist!!!! Personally, I wasn't sure, at first, that these policies could be enforced but after witnessing the Head (Vanessa) bite the head off of a live chicken and bend a steel bar with her bare hands I was convinced that they could and would be, rigorously!
Parents had been told what form group their child had been allocated to (there are going to be 10 - eight classes of 30 and 3 of 31 - groups in Year Seven) and as each form teacher stood the parents followed them to their child's class room. We were unable to meet with Nat's form teacher because she was attending a similar meeting to the one we were, at her Son's new school; the deputy head stood in for her. Much of this meeting was a rehash of what had already been said, especially as the deputy head gave one of the talks, but it did afford parents the opportunity to ask questions, I asked a few. We were done for 8:15 and I thought I'd make it to work on time, we stopped to chat no less than five times on our way out.
Made it to work for 08:55 then spent 20 minutes finding a computer that was both functioning and not already in use; finally taking calls at 21:20 on A bank(!!!) luckily I'm on EA tonight so it's only until 10:45.
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