Struggling Battersea school St Mary's Primary comes under scrutiny by the Evening Standard
By akadri | Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 14:14
Have you seen the Evening Standard's campaign to help St Mary's Primary School in Battersea?
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The Evening Standard supports St Mary's Primary School in Battersea
The newspaper wants to support the new head teacher Jared Brading in turning the school around after it's been revealed half the school is failing to reach the expected standards.
Billionaire Kostyntin Zhevago, the Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange, has donated £100, 000 to the newspaper to train volunteers who will read with the children.
From next week, they will go into the school to help in the battle against illiteracy.
Sir Bob Geldof's daughter went to Newton Prep, the private school across the way from St Mary's. He said reading was the key to changing these children's lives.
Do you know anyone at St Mary's school? What do you think of the paper's campaign? What do you think of the standard of education in Battersea. Please leave your thoughts below.
Comments
Thanks for your comment. Where did you get this quote from?
By akadri at 18:27 on 26/11/11
ReportHere is the very disappointing and Christmas humbug response by Newton Prep that regards the issue as being worthy of "chip wrapper".
Real leadership and humanity would show compassion to the children immediately and perhaps loan books to St Mary's or open the Newton's library to St Mary's as an interim goodwill gesture. Instead Newton will let them eat cake in next year's street party..
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"From the Headmaster (Nicholas Allen)
Newton Prep and St Mary's RC Primary School
Stories in editions of The Standard this week highlighted the dramatic differences that exist between some schools in the maintained and independent sectors. Not all of The Standard's facts were entirely correct, but that is to be forgiven. It was not the purpose of the articles in The Standard to throw light on the cordial relations which exist between St Mary's and Newton Prep, nor the offers of help and co-operation made and accepted, nor the past support of reading initiatives at St Mary's given by members of our community and PTA. On Tuesday evening, Mr Jared Brading, the Executive Head of St Mary's, and I had an entirely amicable conversation on the telephone, initiated by him, as he felt The Standard's articles had unfairly put Newton Prep in an invidious position. I simply said that I was pleased St Mary's had received some publicity that would swiftly work to the advantage of its pupils; regarding what was written about Newton Prep, I took the view that yesterday's headlines are tomorrow's fish-and-chip wrappers.
Earlier this term, I had a meeting with St Mary's in which we shared initial ideas about joining forces for the celebration next year of HM The Queen's Diamond Jubilee with a street party akin to the one held in 2002. Newton Prep will continue to work supportively with our nearest neighbour, for whom we have the greatest respect, doing what we can, quietly and without fuss, to help St Mary's in their dedicated work."
By pfscsw11 at 17:09 on 25/11/11
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