| MESSAGE BOARD Thread 7 (3 replies so far) |
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ORIGINAL MESSAGE NAME: AnonDATE: 30 March 2005 CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1990s "In reality, from my first to my last day at Queen Elizabeth's, I experienced the place as a vile prison full of nothing but nastiness, stupidity, ignorance and pettiness. It seemed to me to be a very clear example of how the world should definitely not be." [He's quoting me from a page of my personal website - webmaster]. That pretty much sums up my experience of attending this hell-hole in the 90s, I can honestly say that QE was the worst five years of my existence. I always had, and still have, the feeling that QE was far more concerned about its league position and image rather than actually educating and inspiring pupils to achieve anything significant. I hated every second of it, from the very first day when (then headmaster) Eammon Harris humiliated a boy in the opening day assembly for the heinous crime of wearing a white shirt, through to the very last day when my friend and I were sent back to school for detention having been caught by Eric Houston and one of his prefect stooges on their routine drive around Barnet. Our crime? standing in my friend's front garden at 4pm wearing t-shirts instead of uniform. I also hated the embarrassment and humiliation which a lot of us had to put up with from our 'rivals' at Ravenscroft, East Barnet etc due to the school's insistence that we carry briefcases because QE is a school for 'gentlemen'. Obviously not in touch with the mindset of the teenage boy. Their idea: we look like upstanding respectable young boys. Everyone else's idea: we look like excellent targets for abuse. I also, like many, hated the fact that unless one was exceptionally academically inclined or good at sport, you were at best ignored, or otherwise vilified by the staff and sports boys Needless to say, the vast majority of those sports boys I knew are now a bunch of fat, coarse "I'm a real geezer" lager louts who all still live in Barnet and still dish out verbal abuse to other ex-pupils they might spot, despite having left school TEN YEARS AGO. I pity anyone who is unfortunate enough to attend the school now, I don't know if things have changed, but judging by what I read and hear, it was just as bad before I went and continues to be so. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I will be back. For the record, the other house was Pearce (purple tie). | ||
1st REPLY NAME: John ReimannDATE: 25 June 2009 CONNECTION WITH QE: victim 1960 to 1966 This thread really says it all - great thread !! I cannot believe that 30 years after my 'incarceration' at QE that another ex-pupil has the same awful experiences as in my era there? I hope the current Headmaster and the Boards read these threads! I remember a visit to the original school (next to Barnet College) to be shown the whipping post!! QE is a remnant of a nasty Charles Dickens type novel! By any world standards that disgusting 'Institution' should have been closed down in the 60's and all staff fired pending multiple investigations of personal abuse and it's pathetic teaching quality across the board! Most of those teachers at the time had no life experience - straight into teaching there after their own schooling/university. I will not pick on anyone but they were ignorant overgrown Dickheads continuing the 'Soppy' traditions of an Institution where they themselves were similarly nameless, worthless 'Boys'. | ||
2nd REPLY NAME: AnonDATE: 27 April 2010 CONNECTION WITH QE: Current pupil Just felt like letting you know, the school hasn't changed at all. The current headmaster still carries on these stupid routine checks around Barnet & on a snow day, while walking down Queen's Road with a friend who was carrying a ball of snow, he was told to 'drop it' by a member of staff. I have been suspended more times than can be counted on one hand for petty little things. I truly feel that someone should go to the newspapers about this school. | ||
3rd REPLY NAME: RobDATE: 28 March 2011 CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1980s & 90s This brought back a few memories - good and bad. I remember new kids being so scared of Mr Houston (Eric) that they carried liquid shoe polish in their briefcases in order not to get a detention for dirty shoes. Houston made my life hell despite my being quite good academically. He actually held me back as the work in the first two years was too easy (product of a good primary school) and so I got bored and got in with a crowd less interested in learning. The line-ups in the school playground of first year students (I think to do with smoking) were pretty intimidating. The sports teachers calling all football fans poofs and I remember a friend of mine being slung up against a wall by old glass eye (Mr Maughan/Vaughan?). To be fair most of the intimidation was for the first two years then we worked out the system and played the game in our own way. | ||
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