Err:
Like Prescott, I failed and I still find that hard to confess, along
with millions who never forget the day the failure letter landed on the
mat.
Polly failed the 11 plus? Does that explain a lot or what?
And I thought she went to a Comprehensive? Holland Park one wasn’t it? At the time of maximum social mobility as she said some months back?
And enquiring minds still want to know the answer to the Boris J question. Were Polly’s own kids privately educated?
In
False Memory Syndrome, I think. Imagine being Polly’s shrink!
she could have gone to a secondary modern that subsequently went comprehensive.
Her step-daugher went to a comprehensive and then to Westminster. http://www.literaturefestival.co.uk/2000/a_amy.htm
But that’s her step-daughter, not her own children.
Ah, the highly selective and shifting memory of the champagne socialist. It can be so entertaining. Of course, one is a complete and utter facsist for ever pointing this out.
Can anyone remember how the Horst Wessel Lied goes?
RM
Does she get her health care from NHS?
“Does she get her health care from NHS?”: Prof Froward.
She may be insane but she’s not suicidal. The NHS is for the little people.
Holland Park was the first purpose-built comprehensive school in London, so if she went there, she went to a comprehensive. It opened in 1958 and Polly Toynbee was born in December 1946, so the dates match up; she would have taken the 11-plus in 1958 and most likely been in the first year of intake of the newly opened comp. There were comprehensive schools in London before 1960 and Holland Park was one of them. So I think a couple of apologies might be in order from commenters on this thread.
From the bottom of my heart, dear – I apologise.
Now where did Polly send her kids ?
“Outside some city-centre disaster zones …” do I detect a cop-out coming on in a Diane Abbott (‘state schools fail black kids’ stylee ?)
Holland Park Comp used to be one of the best state schools in the country. As I recall as soon as Shirley Williams daughter left the 6th form she allowed full rein to the mixed ability classes none shall fail centralised educationalist driven bullsh*t that is the real problem with our school system. It is now and sink school despite being in one of the most expensive parts of London. Local parents try and avoid it (and contrary to stereotype would love to send their kids to a free but good quality school they can walk to) and most of the kids are bussed in from White city. The 11 plus scare is in the manner of the 2 tier health system, a red herring to distract from the failures of the centralised provision of services and the extent of producer capture.
It isn’t a sink school. There’s been a lot of immigration in its catchment area but it is “above average” compared to similar schools according to its latest Ofsted report. It’s also now a flagship for the “Excellence in Cities” project of the DfEE, whatever the hell that is.
I also don’t agree that Holland Park is “one of the most expensive parts of London”. Going by the four digit postcode it looks like flats around there were going for about £230k in 2002. That’s what I paid for my flat in Camden and this feels about right; Holland Park is a mid-quality Zone 2 area, with a solid middle class resident base but bordering on some rather rougher areas (“bussed in from White City” is a bit much, btw; that school can’t be more than ten minutes walk from White City tube) which are reflected in the local state schooling system.
Finally I don’t agree that our state school system is run on the basis of “mixed ability classes none shall fail centralised educationalist driven bullsh*t”, whatever Melanie Philips thinks. We don’t actually have a centralised system for teaching plans (apart from that phonics bollocks that Tim is so keen on) and the national curriculum is not all that prescriptive. Different schools choose different methods. I personally think this is a bad thing and we should standardise and centralise like the French do with a lot of rote learning, but there you go.
D2
The nice thing about being a completely fascist bastard (as defined by those of the left) is never having to say “sorry”.
RM
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