Category: Governance

Bournemouth and Poole College criticised for leaving A level students in the lurch

(Post made again in a personal capacity.) As reported in the Bournemouth Echo today (see https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18424165.bournemouth-poole-college-will-not-offer-new-a-level-places/?ref=twtrec) the College has been criticised by parents and teenagers after announcing that it will stop offering several A level courses at the end of this academic year, including for several children who are only part way through their courses. … Continue reading Bournemouth and Poole College criticised for leaving A level students in the lurch →

The Bournemouth and Poole College’s poor compliance with the Freedom of Information Act continues, having failed to reply to internal review requests after almost a year

(Post made at 1618 UK BST time on 6 Jun 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests).The Bournemouth and Poole College is extremely late in responding to two Freedom of Information Act internal reviews:How often have fire drills taken place at the Centre for Wessex Young Musicians? (see here).andDiscrepancies in … Continue reading The Bournemouth and Poole College’s poor compliance with the Freedom of Information Act continues, having failed to reply to internal review requests after almost a year →

Bournemouth and Poole College’s Centre for Wessex Young Musicians Facebook page still claims it is a charity …if so, since when?

(Post made at 1900 UK time on 05 Jan 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests). Further to my previous post, the Facebook page still claims that the CWYM is a charity.  The normal rule is that organisations with income exceeding £5,000 and claiming to be charities need to be registered … Continue reading Bournemouth and Poole College’s Centre for Wessex Young Musicians Facebook page still claims it is a charity …if so, since when? →

The Bournemouth and Poole College’s Wessex Youth Orchestra spent just under £2,000 on extra players for two concerts

(Post made at 1412 UK time on 02 Jan 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests). On 3 December 2016, as still then Chairman of the Society for Wessex Young Musicians (SWYM), I was very surprised to be asked to sign cheques totalling just over £3,000.  This included just under … Continue reading The Bournemouth and Poole College’s Wessex Youth Orchestra spent just under £2,000 on extra players for two concerts →

The Bournemouth and Poole College’s Centre for Wessex Young Musicians Facebook page claims it is a charity – I don’t believe it is one

(Post made at 0855 UK time on 02 Jan 2018 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests). The Centre for Wessex Young Musicians (CWYM)'s Facebook page, set up by the Bournemouth and Poole College early in 2017, is at https://www.facebook.com/cwymwyo/.This states that it is a "Charity in Poole, Dorset" (click on the … Continue reading The Bournemouth and Poole College’s Centre for Wessex Young Musicians Facebook page claims it is a charity – I don’t believe it is one →

"Even though I’m deaf, it does not mean I can’t play the violin!": a touching, but also troubling story

(Post made at 2110 on 24 Dec 2017 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests). I must confess to ignorance here: I knew about virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, but before reading a recent article in the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) magazine, I did not know that deaf people could … Continue reading "Even though I’m deaf, it does not mean I can’t play the violin!": a touching, but also troubling story →

I have made contact today with the Bournemouth and Poole College’s Board and I was also contacted by Ofsted

(Post made at 2246 BST on 26 Sep 2017 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests). I have just managed to contact a member of the Bournemouth and Poole College's Board directly (as you recall the College refused to pass on my concerns to that Board). I have asked for a … Continue reading I have made contact today with the Bournemouth and Poole College’s Board and I was also contacted by Ofsted →

Bournemouth and Poole College: a failure of governance because of a lack of accountability and little apparent concern for ethics

(Post made at 2245 BST on 25 Sep 2017 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests). In my opinion a flawed complaints system (which is being used to silence criticism rather than address it) is preventing accountability for poor practices.  In what way is the College accountable for what I believe … Continue reading Bournemouth and Poole College: a failure of governance because of a lack of accountability and little apparent concern for ethics →

My concerns about the current operation of the College’s Complaints Policy

(Post made at 1957 BST on 15 Sep 2017 in a personal capacity.  Please see here for important background and disclosure of interests).  In my opinion, based on my recent experience, there are many things about the current operation of the Bournemouth and Poole College's Complaints Policy that are inconsistent with good practice. Here are some of them:The … Continue reading My concerns about the current operation of the College’s Complaints Policy →