Just back from a rhapsodic week in rural France, ensconced in a 300 year old, three storey mill, surrounded by sun, sheep, donkeys, cattle, birds (including large woodpeckers), flies, ants, snakes, mice, the odd rat, a turgid stream, unlimited supplies of wine, champagne, delicious bread and andouillettes, which you all know is a appetising sausage made from the small intestine of pigs and which, if it does not smell strongly of shite, is not worth eating.
The news which I am about to relate is all over the front pages of French, Italian and German newspapers and will make your toes curl with delight. This tit-bit, so I am told is also in the Russian and Israeli press but that is only hearsay as I could not translate their stuff. So wait for it…..
The reason for the urgent government meeting a week ago, that had been called by our lovely, fluffy David Cameron, was because his best mate and Cambridge buddy BoJo, Boris Johnson the Lord Mayor of London, has been waving, prodding and yes, inserting his magic and over-used wand into David’s beloved Samantha. Not once during a coke-filled weekend at a country house party, not twice in a fit of exuberance after a satanic ritual they had both attended but on and off for about five years and according to the continental papers it has been more on than off. Samantha has been a busy girl, working overtime because it is well known that Dave likes his bit of nooky as often as possible. In the foreign press there is talk of a love child and they seem certain that their is film footage of the two non-contracted lovelies going hell for leather for the whole world to watch and judge on style and technique. They say the Mossad and the KGB both have copies and are urging Dave to come to heel instead of thinking the odd independent thought he is known to have occasionally.
It has been known for years about Samantha and her liking for coke and S & M sessions and obviously when she flashed those long slender legs at poor Boris, he had no option but to suffer the whip and the lash and offer his large, oversized phallic digit for Samantha’s devourment. So be it, it seems some kind of D Notice has been slapped on the whole scene in England and we decent underbaked Brits will never read of it, while the whole world quakes with mirth at the happiness of it all, the chatter of cafe society from Moscow to Messina, from Vancouver to Volvograd.
Enough of the absurd, I was trying to write this blog last week whilst sunning myself in Ruritanian France but some bastard(s) hacked my blog, for the fourth time no less and by the time I had alerted my technical people and they had righted the wrong, my window on the French computer system had been lost. So pardon me if what I am about to relate is old hat but it does need saying for the odd eejit connected to St Bede’s College in Manchester who still does not keep his ear to the ground in the present climate.
One of my whistleblowers who I am convinced lives in Danny Kearney’s back-pocket has sent me significant and highly disturbing news of recent events at Bede’s. The triumvirate of Quinlan, Kearney and Pike have become a quadripartite, the three having co-opted no less a power than Andy Dando, Director of Studies into their midst. Now Andy Dandy was dead against the bias towards which Bede’s was tending and was offering his obviously very bright young lad for adoption at the local comprehensive. Now that he has joined the club, having thrown his boy in as a bargaining tool and presumably getting free education for his mite, he is responding mightily to the new Bedian vision of QuinKearnike education.
They made a unilateral four-sided decision to create the middle school without referring to the parents; those bonkers who pay the piper. They met great resistance from Mrs Carr Deed, who had been working wonders at the Prep in her short time in charge. Her Prep has been thriving whilst the College is failing. They have appointed a Head of Middle School and side-lined Mrs CD, who has been left as a nursery manager. Her position has become untenable and she has resigned. Kearney, Pike and Dandy Boy are putting out false signals saying the root cause of the College’s failure in attracting new pupils is because of the Prep’s inabilities. The Prep and Mrs CD are the fall guys. Shades of Michael Barber’s removal; same instigators, same modus operandi.
The teachers all know of this horrible intrigue but are unable to deal with it. I have said before and it has happened before, faced with machiavellian opposition teaching staff disintegrate. It is not in their being to be strong, they are just sheep leading lambs. The great hope in this scenario is that a strong-minded parent, there must be one or two knocking about, takes up the cudgel and faces this quartet and asks the question WHY? Why are we paying £9,000 plus per year for sending our kids to an under-achieving institution? You will have the massive majority of the staff on your side who will then work out ways of removing the total bollocks that are now in charge. Unfortunately all the half-decent governors have now resigned, they will have no help from that clergy poxed group. The task for this latter-day Jeanne d’Arc is massive but it desperately needs doing. The ship has been torpedoed, is listing badly. It is all down to thee.
My third point to day is even older news, news that happened a week ago and as we know even yesterday’s news is boring but my point has to be made.
Last Sunday as I relaxed in rural France surfing the net, sipping cold dry wine in a balmy 23C which was cooled by a soft westerly breeze, I laughed and chuckled whilst reading the long interviews Barry O’Sullivan, Catholic priest of the Salford Diocese, had given to the national press. The idiot Bazza sensing his great moment had arrived gave it hook, line and sinker to the assembled hacks of the main stream media. His whole life story, his experiences with child safeguarding, his depth of understanding as a therapissed, what total rubbish. A heavy blanket of lies spread over a rickety framework of life. His best move would have been to say nothing like any self-respecting priest or therapist but he was lured by the golden apple of fame and made a complete balls of it.
I know and Barry himself knows that he had no more concern for victims of clerical child abuse than the man in the moon. The sole purpose of his job during his 10 year tenure in the Safeguarding Commission was to act as long stop. Not to let any claim against the Salford Diocese gain legs, except of course when the claim was reported to the police first as with William Green’s case. I could write a book about his antics and when I think about it I probably have, with all the blog postings I have dedicated to his memory.
His record as a therapissed bears out his utter uselessness. How could he not spot that the child murderer, Mark Bridger, was not an inveterate liar after 20 odd sessions of therapy. Barry is one total nincompoop and that is why the press gave him hundreds of column inches so that he could sink his already dirty feet into the midden. The Mail on Line mischieviously put Bazza’s photo alongside that of the murderer and as my lovely wife of 40 years said “They look like a pair of twins”.
Poor old Barry he has completely lost his way, not that he knew he had a way to lose in the first place. What is it about the Catholic Church and especially the Salford Diocese and St Bede’s College, that they cannot see the utter balls they make of every action they take. Nero and his fiddle and Rome come to mind.
Paul
I hope you had a good holiday. Yes you are a bit behind unusually!
Following the shenanigans of the last couple of weeks the ruddy faced cleric and his protege and deputy have been on a major charm offensive. By that I am told they are running round spouting their version of events, which I am reliably told bare no resemblance to the facts. I’m told by some outraged Prep parents that they even pitched up at two prep sports days last week. Possibly the first time that Msr Ruddy face was aware there even was a prep school.
Apparently Paul you even got a special mention from God’s representative at the extraordinary staff meeting last week. Still I makes a change from him refusing to answer Prep staff’s prepared questions on the ludicrous middle school a couple of weeks ago.
St Bedes college is failing badly and will not survive if the current loss of confidence continues, which I hear is in full swing with parents voting with their feet. It seems the management want the same fate for the Prep now.
A real shame for the decent staff, of which there a many.
Lions led by donkeys, one wearing a dog collar.
To be mentioned in dispatches by God’s representative is an honour I have not really deserved but when you see old florid face, thank him very much from one of his own parishioners.
Thinking about it yesterday after I had published that blog, I do not think there is a parent able and willing enough to stand up to this outrage. For the Prep parents it is easy, just transfer to another school. For parents of the College pupils it is more difficult, more emotional especially with children nearing public examinations but I would bite the bullet, get them out, for it is only going to get worse. Teachers should be starting to look for jobs elsewhere. Under the present regime you will be on the dole in two years. Pray for Man Utd, Bolton Wanderers, Stockport County and Bury to step in. Leave the place to the rich and famous and forget its illustrious past.
Paul
I was browsing around some old blogs on here when I found this. I wonder can anyone spot any similarities or a pattern emerging?
10 June 2011
Dear Parents
Earlier this month, Mr. Barber informed me of his desire to return to classroom teaching as soon as possible. He has, therefore, tendered his resignation as Headmaster of St Bede’s College from 1st September 2011.
In thanking Mike Barber for his sterling efforts over the last three years, I pay tribute to a transparently decent man, whose innate goodness and utter integrity endeared him to everyone within the Catholic family of St Bede’s. I wish Mike and his family every blessing in the future.
The Governing Body has appointed Mr Daniel Kearney, currently Deputy Head, as Headmaster with immediate effect. In addition, Mrs Sandra Pike becomes Deputy Headteacher. In speaking to the rest of the Senior Management Team, I have been assured of their complete support for the Headmaster. Furthermore, John Byrne (Headmaster 1983-2008) and John Moynihan (Head of Sixth Form 1983-2004) recently joined the Governing Body. Like all the Governors, they will be on hand to help Mr Kearney to provide the outstanding Catholic education, which we associate with St Bede’s.
Mr Kearney will articulate his vision for the College when he writes to you next week. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at the College should you wish to discuss this matter.
Yours sincerely
Michael R. Quinlan
Sean,
The interesting thing about this is that Barber supposedly asked to return to teaching and gave three months notice which is unusual. Is it not normal in teaching to give at least two terms notice. Then he left immediately presumably with three months salary in his pocket which was probably more than £30,000 and so the story goes having refused a gagging order of £100,000 plus. For a scene where according to Quinlan everybody was hunky-dory, the whole thing smells.
Obviously there seems to have been a lack of confidence in Kearney having to bring in Byrne and Moynihan to lend a hand and it goes against every grain of teaching that all this cloak and dagger work was completed within a couple of days entirely unlike the normal process of appointing a headmaster of such, as it was then, an important school. It was all very Borgia like in its machinations.
But I presume you are thinking of a different point, don’t be so succinct, spell it out to us dimwits. Is your point more Machiavellian than Borgia-like?
Paul
Distinctly Machiavellian.
I know for a fact Mr Barber made no such request for a return to the classroom, so either that statement is at best misguided and at worst a bare faced lie.
Mr Barber was deposed, moved on. Night of the Lkng Knives. He was devestated. I cannot speak to notice periods but it was in no way shape or form the norm. Of course he has returned to teaching not in the classroom but as a Deputy at a school 10 times that of Bedes.
I’m told in the aftermath of his disgraceful treatment the whispered briefings were of his “stress” and “not coping” a “failing school”.
Interesting that I have had reported to me that all those phrases have recently be repeated. Apparently the Monsignor is briefing that to anyone who can be bothered to listen to him about the latest antics.
In the meantime the crowned Headmaster is holding parent briefings defined by the trademark hands behind the back, blank look and a shrug of the shoulders.
Nothing will happen. I hope the good people get out and as you say leave it to the footballers and the wealthy.
Are footballers and the wealthy mutually exclusive from “good people”? As always, baseless, or even half-informed, speculation achieves nothing at all. I find it very difficult to believe that the corridors are as rife with political machinations and backstabbing as either of you would have us believe.
Have the last five years been difficult for St Bede’s? Yes. Have the last two headteachers experienced a difficult time? Yes. Is the school run by morally bankrupt, power-hungry spin-doctors? No. Are Mr Kearney and his team incompetent? No. Is this blog balanced, fair and impeccably researched – given the extremely delicate topic? No.
Well JamesJ the proof will be in the pudding. I hope, for the sake of fee paying parents, you are right. But…
I agree with Malpas (shock!). Dan and the Msr are doing their best to ruin what was a great school. I’m fact,to say they do it on purpose gives them too much credit. The senior management wouldn’t know good management practices of they tripped over them! Staff Morale is gone,and it’s time Dan and the Msr did too.provided they’re not replaced with Sandra or Dean. Good luck to the excellent staff of the college and prep.I think you’ll need it,unfortunately.
Bravo Zed for agreeing with me. I also am sorry for the majority of the staff who are doing their best in a lousy situation. the ball is in their hands, if they join forces with some forceful parents not all will be lost but it needs guts and determination and know how to rid the College of this terrible canker.
I definitely think the staff need to front up.they all think the same,they’re just afraid to say it.if one of the old guard of the teachers who have left recently,or who are due to leave ie someone with nothing to lose, publicly stood up to them,maybe the staff could unite under them.if one goes I’m pretty sure the rest will follow
Once again Zed, Bravo and thanks for the support. Look at my blog posting that I have just completed today and tell me what you think. The teachers have some soul searching to do and by God they need to be quick.
To Paul Malpas:
I fear not Paul, most teachers tend to be, by their very nature, not natural-born leaders. How many times have you heard of a school being ‘turned round’ by the appointment of a ‘Superhead’? In most cases, a large number of the staff remain, the school improves, usually because the Numero Uno is more able to direct and instruct his or her staff to do what they should have been doing in the first place. With correct leadership, much can be achieved. The sheep will follow the bellwether.
The natural reaction of the more able staff in what is deemed to be a failing school (I’m not actually saying Bede’s falls into that category) is to jump ship, same as it would be in industry. I don’t know the staff pay rates at Bede’s, but I would be surprised if they were lower than those at say state-funded Bog Street Comprehensive down the road. This alone would be a reason for many to stay at Bede’s come what may, I for one wouldn’t blame them for a minute if they did.
I don’t see anyone immediately stepping up to the plate, the probable consequence of which would be the immediate issuing of the dreaded P-45. If a headmaster can be unseated, as occurred recently, what chance does a mere teacher have of challenging the status quo and surviving? Where’s Spartacus when you need him?
You’re expecting bravery here Paul, where quite obviously for 60 years and more, it’s been conspicuous by its almost total absence. Sad to say, you’ll probably be disappointed.
We can only live in hope.