3rd UPDATE ON GOLBORNE St THOMAS SCHOOL PETITION 7th March 2016 The Civil Service competency framework clearly states that performance is measured against ‘what’ (delivery of objectives) and ‘how’ (demonstration of behaviours, competencies and values) with equal weighting that means if you deliver all your objectives but hack everyone off while you are doing it your performance will be marked down. Statement from the Diocese of Liverpool: We are sorry to hear the news that the STADOS drama group has decided to cancel its pantomime. We know this will be a disappointment to all those who have been involved with organising and rehearsing for the event. We understand that the reasons for this is that it has not yet been possible to agree the terms for the use of the hall to meet the needs of what the drama group requires. Mrs Brindle’s reasons for the cancelation of the 2016 pantomime are as follows: Firstly the Letting Agreement Mrs Brindle (Head Teacher) sent the Letting documentation to the Secretary of the Drama Society in June 2015, however, there was a dispute over the terms of the agreement, and the Secretary of the Drama Group refused to sign it. Additionally, the Letting Document had not been ratified by the Governing Body so why was an un-ratified document submitted to the Secretary. Incidentally the Letting Document was not submitted to the Governing Body for approval until the end of January 2016; Mrs Brindle had had the document in her possession for 6 months and took no action! Furthermore, our local Councillors had secured Council Funding to cover any expenses that the un-ratified Letting Agreement would incur, so there should be no problem, all bases covered! Secondly there was no Key Holder available! The Church (Sunday school room) was used for the early rehearsals, but it was necessary to use the parish hall stage for rehearsals in the run up to the pantomime’s public performance. 17th October 2015 Mrs Brindle insisted that the Site Manager must be in attendance at all times but will be on holiday at February half term. The Site Manager only started work in December, is he entitled to any holidays? Mrs Brindle will facilitate entry to the building but insists that she must be leaving the premises at 10pm; this is too early as the cast need to change, remove make-up and tidy the building before we leave. When we explained the time required in order to set-up the technical equipment and have a technical rehearsal followed by a dress rehearsal, over the weekend, we were told we were being ridiculous. 16th December 2015 the pantomime will have to be cancelled. Councillor Richard Barber (Chairman of the Governing Body) had made arrangements with Tina Christmas (Business Manager) for us to sign the Letting Agreement and for the Rector, John Reed, to have a key to the School to let us in and stay with us until we were ready to leave. Mrs Brindle later telephoned Richard Barber to say that there was no key available to give to the Rector and that the Letting Agreement could not be signed as it had not been put to the School Governors. The next meeting of the Governing Body will be at the end of January 2016 and we cannot wait until then for access or permission to be given. That the Chairman of Governors together with the Reverend John Reed (Rector, ‘late’ President STADOS, President of Governors and Trustee for the building) were refused a key is...‘astounding’ is the only word I can think of. Surely Mrs Brindle has overstepped her authority and must be outside of the requirements of the Civil Service Competency Framework. The Drama Society is almost 70 old and has been performing in the Parish Hall since 1959. Last January 2015 I was shocked when Mrs Brindle suggested to me that we would have to find somewhere else. My reply that we are Golborne St Thomas Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society did not change her opinion. She will not rest until we are out! There are children queuing up waiting for their chance to perform with us, which Mrs Brindle is depriving our children of this wonderful and educational opportunity. First, the nursery toddlers are maltreated and now more of our children being discriminated against. We have been informed that a new Letting Agreement is to be put in place but now Wigan Legal and Wigan Education Departments are involved. These Departments appear to have taken no action whatsoever in the conditions suffered by the nursery toddlers, which resulted in OFSTED downgrading of the good grade to inadequate of the St Thomas Playschool, why? Golborne will be a cultural desert when these bureaucrats have finish with us!