Forum Topic

Chiswick High School kids on high road

Walked past M&S earlier this evening. Half a dozen girls and a boy being spoken to by 2 women police officers. Names and addresses being taken. Aged 13-15 at a guess. One of them vaping. Most of them showing no respect to the WPCs. I suspect they were caught shoplifting. Whatever their actions, a sad reflection on our local state school, where the head is making such strides, despite the behaviour of a ‘minority. I wonder what their parents will say when they hear (assuming they are home)?

Emma Elizabeth ● 588d35 Comments

ACAB.The slogan a small but increasing proportion of our mainly young population are finding affinity.Depressing.

Denis I. Fox ● 587d

First they should learn to respect people older than them that was always good training for the future and secondly to respect each other.

Janice Evans ● 587d

Dear Emma Elizabeth,Thank you for bringing this to our attention. As Headteacher of Chiswick School, I take behaviour in the community very seriously, and I appreciate you sharing your concerns.We will be visiting Marks & Spencer later today to speak with staff and understand more about what happened. If any of the young people involved are our students, we will address the matter with them and their families to reinforce expectations around respect and responsibility.That said, I would love for you to visit the school and see for yourself how fantastic the vast majority of our students are. They are a credit to their families and the community, and I would hate for the actions of a few to overshadow the great things they achieve every day.If you would like to discuss this further, please do get in touch.Thank you, Laura Ellener 

Laura Ellener ● 587d

Fair play to you for posting that Laura, very impressed.

Mark Talbot ● 587d

Yes, encouraging.

Janice Evans ● 587d

Good response Laura.

David Burke ● 587d

When you have over a 1,000 pupils the school can do their best but you'll still get some wrong'uns. I went to a private school, and I know one OB who got 10 years for armed robbery, and another that got done for stashing dealing quantities of class A drugs in his sister's flat (she had no idea). Neither were hurting for money either. Michael Gove was another ex-pupil. I'll leave it to the readers to decide who was worse.

James Weatherley ● 587d

Just to say that many schools change buses outside M&S for various destinations. And it could have been the pound shop. Your bound to get something happening now and then. Id suggest a visit to richmond on a saturday night in the summer and its not kids from state schools.

Julian Pavey ● 587d

Laura, impressive response, which is what I would expect from you, going by the comments made by various neighbours who send their kids to your school. They all say you’re a class act. I think it would be worthwhile you speaking to M&S in case they are aware of the matter. Ideally, you find out who the WPCs were. It wasn’t a pretty sight - kids with attitude, vaping, swearing and giving the WPCs little respect - at least that’s how it looked on passing - whilst wearing CHS uniform. I know these kids will be in the minority at CHS now and no doubt it’s the parents who should take responsibility - rather than leaving it all to you. I am sure you are in high demand so ALL parents and pupils should show respect.  Good luck with your enquiry and hope the kids follow your example in future!

Emma Elizabeth ● 586d

"I wonder what their parents will say when they get hear (assuming they are home)?"So - now when both parents are both expected to work for even more years - and teachers are so stretched with more commitments than they may have had in the past - and so many clubs and sports venues either closed or are so costly - and it is now too late to put the clock back - what does the OP suggest should be done to interest and keep these young people amused and amusing themselves and out of trouble?

Philippa Bond ● 584d

We are not even sure what happened,why and even if it has anything to do with M&S but for the bust stops being outside M&S. Its all sketchy and hearsay while a school name is in the spotlight where most pupils are well behaved and the head has done a good job over time. Did the op contact the school direct or just come on here. I hate to say or generalise but a search does throw up a few questions on my behalf. But i no doubt will be shot down. Sorry but thats how i view it

Julian Pavey ● 584d

Julian. You're not alone in wondering.  Hence my post.

Philippa Bond ● 584d

Would have thought it best to contact the school first but as all the facts were unknown, it's a second option to post on here.

Janice Evans ● 583d

Philippa, Churches still run Youth Clubs, if they close there will be even less.

Janice Evans ● 583d

Its not a second option.You contact the school. When it comes to schools your putting every pupil and the schools rep into question over somthing that even the OP does not even know what or why.The head says she will visit M&S. I bet you it has nothing to do with them except the bus stop is outside."I suspect they were caught shoplifting" What because they were writing something down,might have been the victim of someone else. Its all hearsay while walking past in my view

Julian Pavey ● 583d

You forgot to mention the speculation about whether the parents would be at home Julian, though granted, that seemed to be speculation on the part of the OP, rather than hearsay.

Andrew Jones ● 583d

You're absolutely right - it's all speculation and it may be that the youngsters themselves were the victims of something.

Philippa Bond ● 583d

Yes the youngsters were probably the victims of bad parenting coupled with lack of brain cells.

Steve Taylor ● 583d

Thank you Doctor Spock.

David Burke ● 583d

Steve Taylor returns..how have we managed without the voice of reason?

Keith Iddon ● 583d

We've got Philippa, what more do you need?

peter king ● 582d

That being Newton's 3rd Law I suppose.

Keith Iddon ● 582d

There are some things I agree with Steve on (not many, but hey ho!) - the folly of Brexit, ULEZ and that Gimme Shelter is a better record than Layla.I also think that Richmond is a more interesting place to wander around, but they do say you appreciate what is in your own backyard less than elsewhere.He does use the word 'moron' far to often though - if I had a pound .....

Andrew Jones ● 582d

Emma sees some school kids being spoken to by police and assumes they are shoplifters and their parents are absent.Emma doesn't comment on their ethnicity - perhaps they were all white so she couldn't highlight it, or perhaps in these "woke times" she complains about, she didn't feel able to disparage them publicly because of their skin colour.That hasn't stopped her in the past complaining about "Romani types" or that "Brits are now the minority in London" due to Sadiq's "cunning". As Elizabeth so succinctly puts it:"Illegal immigrants + legal migrants + useless parents + light policing + cultural demise = theft on the up"Over and over Elizabeth complains that standards in Chiswick have slipped, crime is endemic and we no longer have respect for each other.The only time she gives a get out of jail pass is when it is a local councillor suspended for her bullying and abusive behaviour, and then it is all terribly unfair.It should come as no surprise that Emma is prepared to smear an entire school based on her prejudices - she's got form for smearing huge swathes of the population based on their place of birth, religion, ethnicity and politics.If the kids had done anything wrong then they were already being dealt with by the police (although not harshly enough in her opinion) - hardly the decline and fall of Chiswick of Emma's fevered imagination. 

Ed Saper ● 582d

That is why i put "I hate to say or generalise but a search does throw up a few questions on my behalf" And i just now realize that generalise is with a Z Ha,back to school julian

Julian Pavey ● 582d

You're OK Julian.  It is usually with an 's' in UK English and 'z' in American English but so long as we can all understand that is all that really matters!I remember doing some sort of test in the Science Museum I think years ago about reading what you see and presume in a piece of film... and what the actual truth of the situation is...As you say we don't know here.

Philippa Bond ● 582d

Look at the parent(s). Poor upbringing. Not taught to respect authority.

Juliet Hogg ● 582d

Oh Do you know the kids and the parents then ?

Julian Pavey ● 582d

Gosh, if comment leads to responses like Ed’s, then I will give this forum a miss! If he reads my post carefully, he will see that I praised the school AND gave particular praise to the outstanding headteacher. Call me old fashioned but I was just disappointed to see so many local kids of a similar age to my own kids behaving in such a way…swearing, vaping, and looking dismissive of authority. I guess there is a chance they were being questioned (and asked for personal details) about someone else’s offence, but even that would not change the ‘attitude’. Perhaps you are right that I should have raised the matter with the school, but isn’t the point of a forum to raise local issues and perhaps improve the local community? Otherwise, best folk write to their MPs and stop all talk of politics on this forum! Apologies for any offence caused. I just think we need to raise standards. Over and out.

Emma Elizabeth ● 582d

Laura. Hopefully I was clear that I often hear great things about the school and especially you from many of my neighbours. That’s why I was disappointed to see a small group behaving as they did. It wasn’t a good look and I just despair at the way some parents allow their kids to run riot. I cannot be sure the incident had anything to do with M&S nor 100% sure your school kids were at fault but that was the picture painted - and know you wouldn’t want young teens vaping and swearing on the high road in the early evening. Best of luck and keep up the great work.

Emma Elizabeth ● 582d

Personally I don't see any problem it got to the attention of the right people to deal with any problem, also I would never judge the whole school onthe behaviour of a few if they were in trouble or not.

Janice Evans ● 582d

Emma, I think most decent people will appreciate you posting your report of  bad behaviour on this forum.  Mr Saper obviously holds a personal grudge against you and he has, vindictively, gone into some of your past posts to vent his anger and frustration in a particularly nasty and personal way. Just ignore him as he is obviously a very unhappy person. Keep on posting your experiences and viewpoints.

Steve Taylor ● 582d

“ Look at the parent(s). Poor upbringing. Not taught to respect authority.”Juliette is 100% correct

Steve Taylor ● 582d

There was a hell of a lot of speculation contained in what Emma wrote, and a lot of jumping to conclusions by her without  any reliable evidence. And a tarring of the name of our local state school.Also, why was there any need to mention that it was a state school? Though I suppose that comment was undeniably true!

Andrew Jones ● 582d

Unbelievably presumptious - as if you actually really know ALL parents!

Philippa Bond ● 580d