Hi Amazing Grace,

You do realise we are all the same person?
The only way we can get you all to listen is if we use the carrot and stick approach. Now, you’re clearly erudite, and will understand we need to mention something truthful for you to listen. That’s the carrot.

Now for the stick, this is where Esme, Mirmac and I start posting diabolic nonsense and everyone in the forum laps it up. Do I care if you’re offended? No. Can you not tell that Esme is drunk when they post? That’s the account we use when we have a tipple. Fun fact, AG, Do you know 90% of household dust is made of dead human skin? That's what you people like you are to us.

Bon voyage.

AG thank you. We are certainly not the same person. For a start Esme and l tell the truth, are polite and we would point unlike SH we are educated.
Mirmac

Does anyone know when the BBC documentary on SMC is due to air?

Thanks to Lintar123 and the Greek.

And to Spyderhunter if it is truly Bon voyage have a nice journey.


Hi mulberry
a good question.
I personally don’t know but if it’s still on track to air the BBC may want to keep all the information confidential.

AG

For the record:

Cedars was not at all a good school and the grades could have been higher. The ethos was totally toxic with many feeling left out of the circle within a circle. This was especially when she who shall not be named reigned and only went downhill when her wee boy took over. There were mixed messages given out as he clearly struggled as he was not popular with other staff.
She who shall not be named often told the story of asserting discipline by belting a 5 year old when she first became a teacher. She regretted that the srap, tawse belt had been removed. But, the Vestry was there and that was used liberally.
How could they let that happen.? Shame on her

Cedars didn't have a grades issue. The average student who took a Higher recieved a higher result than the national average result. Where the school was below the national average was number of students who took Scottish Highers. This can be attributed to the quantity of students who attended with additional support needs. Some of these children couldn't go past a National 3. However, all levels were able to be catered for due to the class sizes and there was little bullying amongst classes. It was often cracked down rather quickly if it did arise. At the very least, it was an easier environment for these children than most other schools. That is not a jab at other schools. The inherent nature of larger class sizes just makes catering to their needs more difficult. It did also allow bright kids to thrive and go on to high paying jobs or demanding further education. This is in part to genuinely good teachers. Advanced Highers were one aspect the school couldn't really cater for with exceptions but for first year university its a far from essential qualification and can be avoided altogether without anything lost.

Struthers kids at the school may have had some advantage due to knowing the teachers better but some teachers made an effort to seperate these settings and treat kids equally. The ethos was not totally toxic but being in nature linked to the totally toxic struthers ethos, it wasn't entirely pure.

The successor to AS may have been appointed due to nepotism but was rather competant. That doesn't make the nature of his appointment right or even acceptable but credit where credit is due he did well with what he had. A highly intelligent teacher who had to deal with the nonsense of COVID when that came along and the difficulty every school faced in this very uncertain time. He wasn't a flawless head but did well considering the circumstances. There is no evidence the staff didn't like him. Many pupils did like him. Ideally these strengths should have come under fairer appointment standards. The management of the school in areas such as these was rather poor but it didn't hinder the pupil experience. It wasn't good but it would go unnoticed to pupils. Again, doesn't make it right. If anything good is to be taken from this its that AS didn't choose another certain person to be headteacher if the successor turned the post down.

As for AS, that statement is terrible if true and does paint the tyrannical extent she was willing to go to bully people into believing in her power. Its one that should be taken with a grain of salt but the mere fact its believable says a lot in and of itself. Utterly indefensible and revolting.

In brief response to the above so now its the fault of those with a Learning disability that the grades were really not that great for Cedars, comparing them with other so called schools of excellenc, although you claim they were marvellous!
Is it just possible your daddy was the head teacher of the toxic school?
Also 'those who had relatives in the school or were in the church were at an unfair advantage.' Let's consider let's say she who shall not be named relatives attending the school let's say that individual was Z.

Z's teachers--her granny, daddy, auntie, uncle, mummy on the premises daily. Now does anyone seriously, seriously think that was normal or healthy?
Again l state my case that school was toxic and some parents and ex pupils know it as well as the odd honest teacher!.
Again what is healthy about she who shall not be named ruling a school, church and commune where she controlled her own horrible, toxic Kingdom were there was no individuality, freedom or right to be one's true self! OH WE KNOW DIE TO SELF DIE TO SELF,!
Mirmac

AG we thank you for your clarity, honesty and for supporting a younger generation. We may not have put our experiences together as well as some others on the forum. We may have made a few minor errors re trusting a certain person who was incessantly PM. But Esme was very wise re that nonsense which caused someone to run around blabbing who Esme was, but my very, very wise Cuz gave her a pseudonym and the controlling individual has gone ape ever since.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone and remember, let's be kind, always.
Mirmac

Re the belt or tawse

AS did belt a 5 year child when she was a new teacher….told this ‘story’ often from the platform called it the ‘coinage of the age’.

Trip down memory lane

But most of the teachers in Scotland used the belt in a similar manner.
Some teachers had a range of belts ranging in size and used it liberally!

Late for class …got the belt
Forgot a ruler….got the belt
Wrong jotter…got the belt.
Asking your classmate for an eraser ….got the belt for talking.
Not standing in line properly or quietly when entering into the school…got the belt in front of your year group.

I got the belt on many occasions both in primary and secondary as did all of my school friends!
I remember a friend getting the belt from a PE teacher and their arm ended up bruised from wrist to elbow. This would be classified as assault today!

I think the difference now is most teachers from this era would not so openly admit to belting a 5 year old child.
Mary and Hugh Black also gave stories about using the belt and school discipline.

AG

A Web within a web:

She who shall not be named ruled over too much for far too long and yet went unchallenged.

Some wise individuals turned to their elders and betters but she had spread rumours, lies and the suckers fell for it. Where was the love of God in her on those occasions?

Why did she stomp out in a major strop Well let's have " Circle time". You who are not being named as we don't want folks being upset we're suspended by those who knew that the tantrums from you had to stop. What was the response she up and left having supposedly' GIVEN HER WHOLE LIFE BRoKEN IN PIECES, GIVEN ALL LIKE NOONE Else, WAS SUPERIOR IN EVERY SENSE AND YET Could not TAKE A MINOR FRACTION OF WHAT HAD BEEN GIVEN OUT FOR 35BYEARS. Many are happy and the churches grow l hear.
So we all happily live our lives and no one has to ever hear of that evil vision of, well let's not mention it.
No Vestry treatment.
No toxic school
No being told No constantly
No sense of webs in webs
No circle time
CON has been notified of issue, well one branch has and others will be notified very soon.
Mirmac