Student in front of bus almost causes an accident

Today, Matt Casey was observed by a parent driving Carenne's bus along George Street with a student in the front seat without a seat belt. The student grabbed the steering wheel, yanking it causing the bus to swerve narrowly missing a median strip.

The parent said she was shocked the student wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was in the front of the bus.

According to a department official questioned by Carenne Gate, teachers should be in the rear if the vehicle supervising students while the aide drives. To not do so is a breach of child protection guidelines.

Student in hospital after Cranston and Casey's negligence

A student at the much maligned Carenne Special School was taken by ambulance to the hospital on Friday after falling down a flight of stairs. The student, who has difficulty walking without assistance was unsupervised at the time with his teacher Matt Casey and aide Angie Cranston in the classroom when the accident happened.

The student was believed to have been laying outside in a pool of blood for five minutes before staff contacted the school's first aid officer and the ambulance.

Gretel told Carenne Gate that she believed Cranston should be sacked.

"Angie has been involved in so many dramas at Carenne it isn't funny. She was the aide on playground duty and for the student who was attacked with a cricket bat, she was the aide for the student who was supposed to be receiving therapy and wasn't, she was the aide when Ellen Sutton fell down the drain and she sent kids back to the school unsupervised and she was the person blamed for at least two bullying complaints by staff. She's a real problem."

It is not the first time that students have been injured due to poor supervision at Carenne. In 2008, a student was hospitalised after being attacked with a cricket bat due to the poor supervision of Kelly Thompson and Angie Cranston; In 2009, a student was rushed to hospital after overdosing on Louise Smith's pain medication that was left in the classroom and in 2010 a student was raped by another student due to poor supervision by Sandra Lynch.

It's time that Peter Harvey sack Angie Cranston, who's history at Carenne is nothing short of appalling and that an independent inquiry be established into the very serious issues at Carenne Special School.

Is Angie Cranston the aide from hell?

The Carenne Saviours have contacted Carenne Gate concerned about staffing adjustments being made at Carenne Special School due to her relentless bullying and harassment of other staff. Despite a history of incompetence, sexual misconduct, misuse of school equipment and being named in bullying complaints, Neil Moon does nothing about Cranston's misconduct.

"Angie is part of Neil Moon's inner circle" said one Saviour.

The Saviours allege that Angie Cranston, along with Simone Russell, Michael Auld and Margaret Rowe was responsible for spreading rumours throughout the school that Prue Luffman was having an affair with Peter Richards, leading to Mrs Luffman's nervous breakdown and resignation from Carenne. They also claim that along with Lucy Thornton, Angie Cranston hid or destroyed evidence that Carenne Support were not providing therapy to students which they had claimed they were doing therapy on.

The Saviours claim that Barbara Woolfe resigned from Carenne after working with Mrs Cranston, who made several serious allegations about her including claims that Mrs Woolfe was abusing children.

Earlier in the year, Kelly Thompson, a teacher highly regarded by parents was forced on to stress leave after she was bullied and harassed by Mrs Cranston. The department has since relocated her to Bathurst West Public to take her out of the stressful environment at Carenne.

The latest teacher to fall victim to Mrs Cranston is Matt Casey, who now refuses to work in the class despite being offered block work on that class. According to the Saviours, Mr Casey claimed he could not work with a woman like Mrs Cranston who pushed staff around and who neglected the welfare of students.

The failure of Neil Moon and Peter Harvey to take action against Mrs Cranston shows the special treatment members of the so-called Carenne Klan receive from the department.

Teacher status not checked prior to employment

Posted September 27th, 2009 by jules85 on Sydney Indymedia

Claims that Child Protection protocols at Carenne Special School in Bathurst are not complied with have been strengthened with the employment of a teacher librarian whose teaching authority lapsed before the working with children check scheme was introduced.

The librarian, employed by former school principal Lynette Duncan was employed before inquiries were made into his status with the Department of Education and Training. After several weeks it was revealed that the teacher's authority had lapsed and he was stood down.

I made inquiries with Peter Harvey, Bathurst Schools Director who confirmed that the teacher had been employed while his authority had lapsed. The teacher involved is in the process of applying for a new authority to teach in NSW schools. The Schools Director advises that the error at the school has since been resolved.

While it seems as though the Department of Education and Training is treating this as a minor error of process, it must be viewed in light of the circumstances. All people employed in child-related employment are to be subjected to background screening to ensure they do not have criminal convictions or employment notifications which would deem them unsuitable for the position. These checks are done to ensure the safety of children.

When a school such as Carenne Special School which is already facing allegations of not following child protection guidelines and is engulfed in a student sex affair employs a person without their teaching approval being current they are demonstrating that the protection of students is a secondary concern. To employ a teacher who's authority is not current is nothing short of negligent and each person involved in the process must have their employment terminated as the department claims that the "protection of children is paramount consideration" in employment.