I know what the germ of the idea was, all right. You worry what type of environment men are cultivating as CEOs, if you know how they behaved in their youth, Moon says. All new staff, Governors, part-time staff, volunteers and Praepostors will receive appropriate Safeguarding and Child Protection If Im not too tired I shall give you a good drubbing this afternoon. He was not angry, nor was he joking. WebSavage discipline, along with sexual confusion and formalised bullying, are so common in the schooldays memoirs of the British elite in the 19th and 20th centuries that you have I am wearing knickerbockers that button at the knee. Leaders must seek assurances that external support to check the quality of safeguarding in the school provides an accurate overview of record-keeping and associated follow-up actions.". While Moon says that some schools embroiled in the allegations have met with her, others have failed to take any recognition of the allegations. Novelists were telling of the dark and brutal times to be had at boarding school much earlier than the essay-writers. The more tyrannical the schoolmaster, the more those who lived in fear of him would rush to placate him and to anticipate his moods. The fictions and cartoons of Nigel Molesworth, of Paul Pennyfeather in Waughs Decline and Fall, and numberless other chapters of English literary folklore have somehow made all this mania and ritual appear normal, even praiseworthy. Inspectors said arrangements for safeguarding were "not effective". If we had not been certain that we were better off than the oafs and jerks who lived on housing estates and went to state-run day schools, we might have asked more questions about being robbed of all privacy, encouraged to inform on one another, taught how to fawn upon authority and turn upon the vulnerable outsider, and subjected at all times to rules which it was not always possible to understand, let alone to obey. Moon was expecting a handful of replies but what ensued was a tidal wave of allegations, 14 pages in fact. Vanity-helped to tie our tongues. For he had his favorite victims, boys who could do nothing right. I think I wish I had not been introduced so early to the connection between obscure sexual excitement and the infliction or the reception of pain. 2023 BBC. There wasnt much food and we hadnt been given any water for quite a while. Published on Aug 1, 2021. Published: 08:21 EDT, 30 March 2021 | Updated: 11:22 EDT, 30 March 2021. Robertsons essay about Sherborne School for Girls The Potting Shed of the English Rose sums up the ethos: Run about, girls, like boys, and then you wont have to think of them. It is a portrait of a prison-factory designed to machine the girls into spiritual clones reliable spouses for rulers. And so to Hogwarts. All involved in education have a responsibility to recognise that we can and must do more so as to effect meaningful and sustained change, for the benefit of all young people. 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This means that their actions are not always providing the help that pupils require when they need it.". The heat was absolutely ferocious. Concentration Camp In an open letter attached to the dossier, Ms Moon said: 'My experience of a private education has taught me many things. Inspectors said they had taken into account the impact of COVID in their evaluation of Bishop Chavasse Primary School, which included "deep dives" into subjects, the views of 17 staff and 46 parent. One of the most awful reproaches in the schools arsenal of psychological torture Orwell catches it very well in his essay Such, Such Were the Joys was the one about ones sickly ingratitude: the selfish refusal to shape up after all that had been done on ones behalf. All these ushers (except the one who stayed less than a week) were obviously as much in awe of Oldie as we. Indian officials wife distraught as his killer is freed. The great man then gave him one terrific crack. The information they record is not always clearly presented and is not always shared appropriately with other agencies and professionals where necessary.". Hugh Wortham, my huge and dominating headmaster and introducer to the dark arts of corporal punishment, was a lifelong bachelor, but some of the local mothers found him handsome, and Yvonne gaily said that he put her in mind of Rex Harrison. They also said: "Staff have a high awareness of potential risks that pupils might face and importantly know that no concern is too small. "Leaders are working to develop the expertise of all adults who teach reading," said inspectors. Her 15-page While the books dont have any flogging in them, they do have other key elements, including the arcane ritualistic training to join an elite. A popular Tonbridge school teacher who taught thousands of teenage girls has been exposed as a sex offender. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. We had scarcely the equipment with which to express the idea, and anyway what would this awfulthought make of our parents, who were paying as we were so often reminded a princely sum for our privileged existences? WebTonbridge School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our boys, and recognises the important role that all staff play in spotting the warning signs and identifying the risk factors associated with incidents of self -harm. Lewis I have read of boys in the same predicament who welcomed such things as signs of growing up; I had no such feeling. I was already doing Latin exercises (as taught by my mother) when I went there in 1908, and I was-still doing Latin exercises when I left there in 1910; I had never got in sight of a Roman author. Jan 2022 - Present1 year 4 months. Watt went on to recall an interview with that other old Asia hand E.M. Forster, in which hed been asked, as an old boy of Tonbridge School, whether he would ever agree to write an article for the school magazine. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line. WebIt is not clear from the 16 anonymous testimonies concerning Tonbridge School pupils, when the alleged incidents happened. There was nowhere to hide. Tonbridge School had a very strong academic program. James Priory, the headmaster of Tonbridge School, reportedly read Moon's open letter and described the alleged behaviour as 'incompatible' with the schools ethos, according to the Times. Document details. Moon says that for far too long social media was a part of the problem, in allowing students harass each other online. Collective punishment was something I learned about swiftly: Until the offender confesses in public, a giant voice would intone, all your privileges will be withdrawn. There were curfews, where we were kept at our desks or in our dormitories under a cloud of threats while officialdom prowled the corridors in search of unspecified crimes and criminals. The anti-authoritarian pranks of Stalky and his friends reappear again and again in subsequent English fiction not least in the post-second world war tales of British officers in PoW camps, fooling dim German guards. It turned out to be some dormitory sex-game from which though the fools in charge didnt know it I had in fact been excluded. Gulliver agreed: 'It's this idea that you would be laughed at for trying to speak up, which is intimidating almost. According to a survey published by Plan International last month 58% of girls aged 14 to 21 say they have been publicly sexually harassed in their learning environment. The report said: "this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.". Again I stress the matter of sheer scale: the teachers were enormous compared to us and this lent a Brobdingnagian aspect to the scene. This often feels as if it happened to somebody else yet I can be sure it did not because I can recall the element of sadomasochism so well. C.S. Good luck - don't forget to share your results with us! It is significant that at this time if I woke in the night and did not immediately hear my brothers breathing from the neighboring bed, I often suspected that my father and he had secretly risen while I slept and gone off to America that I was finally abandoned. And a few weeks ago actor Jodie Turner-Smith launched the account @sexismonsetuk, which shares anonymous allegations of sexual harassment, assault and everyday sexism experienced on UK film and TV sets in order to give fellow womxn a voice in a way where they feel safe'. Website. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. A number of further initiatives are in advanced planning. It was always sexualised and with a sense of entitlement.'. If my parents knew what really went on at the school, I used to think (not being the first little boy to imagine that my main job was that of protecting parental innocence), they would faint from the shock. WebFormer teacher faces trial accused of historic abuse at Tonbridge School, and Southborough PE teacher is struck off # Tonbridge # TonbridgeSchool # Teacher # Trial Kevin Wells, 53, of Bishops Oak Ride, was jailed at But a protestation of my innocence would have been, as in any inquisition, an additional proof of guilt. The writer is Roald Dahl, on his school, Repton, in the early 1930s. There are concerns over how the anonymous allegations can be verified on the account, but in a culture where sexual violence is so often stigmatised and rape rarely spoken of, giving a platform to survivors is necessary. Although state schools have been embroiled in the scandal, the initial focus was on behaviour at elite private schools. Kevin Wells, 53, of Bishops Oak Ride, was jailed at In a 1934 volume of reminiscences, The Old School, edited by Graham Greene, writers including WH Auden, the diarist Harold Nicolson and the novelist Eileen Arnot Robertson compared the bulldozing of children into conformity at their schools to fascism. I myself was rather a pet or mascot of Oldies a position which I swear I never sought and of which the advantages were purely negative. Last year, there was the anonymous Instagram account (@standrewssurvivors) featuring students' allegations of sexual assault at the University of St Andrews, which prompted the university to encourage students who have 'experienced sexual misconduct to report details to the University or to the Police', reports The Independent. Not all pupils made strong progress in reading and those who were struggling were not yet receiving the support necessary to "catch up quickly". Now I am choking and sweating, itching too, in thick dark stuff, throttled by an Eton collar, my feet already aching with unaccustomed boots. These top schools near Tonbridge are ranked by their School Guide Star Rating, which is 100% based on official performance data including exam results and Ofsted inspections. A spokeswoman for Bromley Council said "normal safeguarding procedures" were followed as soon as police informed Ravens Wood School that an investigation was under way. I had to take a snap decision to prevent panic, so I ordered the sergeant to slap him and wake him up. The most important fact at the moment is the horrible clothes I have been made to put on. You have let yourself down. To myself I was frantically muttering: Now what? Annually the whole School raises over 130,000 for local and international charities. After the murder of Sarah Everard last month, activist Zan Moon is on a mission to protect young students from harm, He followed me everywhere, grabbed me by the neck, choked me, and then proceeded to put his hands down my pants.. "The school's own investigation and that of the police found no evidence whatsoever of any wrongdoing connected with the school, its pupils, staff or equipment.". But I must say they taught it very well.. My laughter at this, for all its brilliant timing and understatement, was very slightly awkward. All this Yvonne saw, or I suppose I should say she somehow intuited, at a glance. But in the late 1960s, 150,000 British children were boarding, about a third of them female. 'One time I finally caved after saying no so many times and the picture got shared around Eton. That may be in part because physical violence was less common, though the emotional abuse and neglect they encountered could be just as damaging. The Princes Trust charity worker, who attended the all-girls Benenden school in Kent, herself says she was assaulted by a boy from another school aged 15. Indeed, I often have difficulty convincing my graduate students that I really did go off to prep school at the age of eight, from station platforms begrimed with coal dust and echoing to the mounting whomp, whomp, woof, woof of the pistons beginning to turn, as my own trunk and tuck box were loaded into a luggage car.. 'We continue to encourage current or former pupils with concerns to come forward with the confidence to know they will be taken seriously and that we can provide support. Former Dumbarton Boarding School Probed in Historic Child Abuse Inquiry Such was his temperament that when he exclaimed, as he frequently did, Therell soon be nothing for it but the workhouse, he momentarily believed, or at least felt, what he said. Can you correctly name these Kent celebrities in our quiz? All 30 of them turned around and sang 'Get your t**s out for the lads'. These appear to have been as traditional an element of the curriculum for the privileged child as were fagging, rugby, chapel and Latin. The 24-year-old, who is a former student at the private girls boarding school Benenden in Kent, recently shared her experience of assault on Instagram and put a call out asking whether others had suffered anything similar from students from two fee-paying British schools, Eton and Tonbridge. 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Then, as the prelude to execution, he muttered, Come out, come out, come out. When really angry he proceeded to antics; worming for wax in his ear with his little finger and babbling, Aye, aye, aye, aye . The Telegraph (Link). Sevenoaks strengths would be its diverse and international sixth form and its experience with the rigour of the IB. James Priory, Headmaster, Tonbridge School: I have read this open letter with significant concern. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. She believes those who have been assaulted or harassed should be given counselling, perpetrators need rehabilitation so they dont re-offend and survivors should not be forced to share classes with alleged perpetrators. and play the game! the refrain of Sir Henry Newbolts immensely popular poem Vita Lampada was a guiding motto for everything from war to marriage. But as a boy, I was considered pretty, and in the boarding-school world that I grew up in, that meant only one thing: being regularly molested by other boys at prep school and again at the public school in Hampshire, the school to which generations of my family had gone and my parents had a close connection. Follow this publisher. So I followed John Smyth to the shed, the man Id met through the schools then newly revitalised Christian Forum. WebCleaner Operative (Former Employee) - Tonbridge - 17 October 2019 Boarding houses are only cleaned thoroughly when there are parent visits with potential new students, shower rooms and toilets are moldy and unhygienic and there is not enough time to clean affectively. The arts and technology subjects are located in a superb new building with the most modern and up to Admires strong sporty top grades types, but a surprisly high percentage of boys from Tonbridge are total assholes. We always report all concerns that fall within the appropriate statutory guidance.'. The dossier also contained a claim of rape against a student at Exeter University, and another allegation about a Bristol University student groping a woman in a nightclub. Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life Today, as a middle-aged man of 56, Im not particularly good-looking. We follow safeguarding policies and procedures in respect of all allegations brought to our attention, including notifying the relevant authorities. One said: 'I was groped and had a hand grab up my skirt on multiple occasions by multiple different Tonbridge boys in one night. Ms Moon said: 'The worrying reality of this situation is that many of these young boys grow up to land some of the most powerful leadership roles in society.'. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Location Tonbridge, England, United Kingdom Work Moon says that some believe the issue of rape culture in schools is a countrywide issue, rather than solely affecting those who attend private schools. The recent attention that has been focused on the alleged abuser John Smyth and the subsequent claim by his son, PJ Smyth, that he had no knowledge of the abuse caused me to think of two books I have read, one by Christopher Hitchens, the other by C.S Lewis, in which they spoke of the abuse they encountered while they attended boarding schools in the UK. If the parents in each generation always or often knew what really goes on at their sons schools, the history of education would be very different. Like JK Rowling, Blyton did not board and Brazil only did in her late teens. This curious scene took place in the dormitory, though I cannot remember why. All new staff, Governors, part-time staff, volunteers and Praepostors will receive appropriate Safeguarding and Child Protection He was a head of year seven at Ravens Wood School, in Bromley, when arrested in February. TONBRIDGE-SCHOOL.CO.UK TonbridgeUK @TonbridgeUK instagram Tonbridgeuk. Organized games, except for endless rounders in the flinty playground, had long been moribund and were finally abandoned not very long after my arrival. Looking back, it is the masochistic element that impresses me more than the sadistic one. Meanwhile, and speaking of books, the school possessed its very own library, and several of the masters had private collections of their own, to which one might be admitted (not always without risk to these mens immortal souls) as a great treat. Silence is compliance, far too often people are bystanders in this, she continues, citing her Instagram initiative as a way to hopefully combat that secrecy. WebA former teacher from Tonbridge has been sentenced to nine years in prison for a series of child sex offences, including rape. Tonbridge is very alpha male and has been for generations. Connolly, Waugh, Betjeman, to name only a few, have pungently described the disenchantments of schooldays I do not wish to appear less competent than my contemporaries in making creep the flesh of the epicure of sado-masochistic school reminiscence. Moon's letter follows the initiative Everyone's Invited, an Instagram account which was set up 10 months ago now with 42,000 followers cataloguing rape culture in British schools. 'It is finally coming to attention how boys from the most elite schools and universities have mistreated girls for years, and somehow got away with it. We did not even try very hard. ), strong fear of a repeat offense that I could not predict or avoid, the emotion of relief colliding with the feeling of unworthiness. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? He admitted later that, detecting other peoples reserve after returning home from these wartime nightmares, he had developed a manner of discussing them apotropaically, as it were, so as to defuse them a bit. 'Specific allegations are always taken extremely seriously and we work closely with the relevant external authorities when necessary. Major Kent road closed in one direction after crash, Celebrate coronation with afternoon tea on steam train through Kent, New map shows latest Arcturus Covid cases in UK, 'Inflation is making it harder to grocery shop on a budget - even at Aldi', Some items at Aldi - like many other stores - have increased in price over the past months, Stunning Spanish galleon ship heading to Kent, Father-of-six among those remembered by loved ones in Kent's death notices. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. The conventional word that is employed to describe tyranny is systematic. The true essence of a dictatorship is in fact not its regularity but its unpredictability and caprice; those who live under it must never be able to relax, must never be quite sure if they have followed the rules correctly or not. Then came the third crack of the cane At the end of it all, a basin, a sponge and a small clean towel were produced by the headmaster, and the victim was told to wash away the blood before pulling up his trousers.. We pay our respects to Kent residents who have died in recent weeks. Not only that, but that I wore corduroy shorts in all weathers, blazers with a school crest on Sundays, slept in a dormitory with open windows, began every day with a cold bath (followed by the declension of Latin irregular verbs), wolfed lumpy porridge for breakfast, attended compulsory divine service every morning and evening, and kept a diary in which in a special code I recorded the number of times when I was left alone with a grown-up man, who was perhaps four times my weight and five times my age, and bent over to be thrashed with a cane. Later this month, when the Easter holidays end, more than 4,000 children under 10 years old will say goodbye to their families, shipped off to where there is the promise of adventure, but not love. To most of the class that used them, the private schools were factories that would reliably produce men and women who would run Britain, its politics, business and culture. Kevin Wells, 53, of Bishops Oak Ride, was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court after pleading guilty to 14 charges. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The school for 269 pupils aged four to 11, opened in 2017 and is a Church of England School, thus part of the Diocese of Rochester. Crucially, our current pupils male and female have been taking a key role in these actions, with our pupil-led Inclusivity Committee leading the conversation this year with further developments already planned for next term and beyond. Meet Zan Moon, The Woman Behind The Instagram Account Highlighting Rape Culture In Schools, Why Its Not On Women To Protect Themselves, Rupi Kaur and Amika George in Conversation, Naples Is This Year's Coolest City To Visit, Sutton Trust and the Social Mobility Commission. Apart from one fact, it isnt remarkable: it echoes accounts of boarding school stories in the 19th and 20th century that tell quite blithely of extraordinary violence and psychological cruelty. The Daily Record (Link), When I was an adolescent schoolboy at boarding school in the 1950s we all knew where we stood on the intriguing issues of sex and sexuality that were opening up in our lives. Please take off all your clothes, he said calmly. Nothing in my experience had ever suggested to me that it was nicer to be a schoolboy than a child or nicer to be a man than a schoolboy. WebTonbridge School aims to provide an environment in which there are effective procedures for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all boys in our care. He was a big, bearded man with full Ups like an Assyrian king on a monument, immensely strong, physically dirty. His rages would shake the windows and make small boys turn white: his good moods were a hell to endure and a challenge to manipulate. We are in low spirits. we are in a four-wheeler rattling over the uneven squaresets of the Belfast streets through the damp twilight of a September evening, 1908; my father, my brother, and I. I am going to school for the first time. Play it now! Webimplement policies and to train staff for the purpose of protecting children from sexual abuse o assault. The report and rating has been published today (March 30) for Bishop Chavasse Primary School. The science department has well equipped labs and classrooms.