Dear Editor

The Gazette mentioned last week in relation to the JKHS data loss that I am involved in Mental Health and am in touch with parents, running a Facebook group.

As someone actively helping with mental health and hence deeply empathetic to those who suffer with stress and mental health issues, I am absolutely gutted for all the pupils and teachers who are upset to have lost so much work and extend my deepest sympathies.

For many pupils who have worked extremely hard on coursework to be told examination boards have been contacted and they won’t have to redo it is little consolation.

Sadly, all this seems as if it was completely avoidable by keeping a simple ‘off the network’ disconnected backup.

I wrote to Nigel Griffiths twice with concerns about the security breach. Whilst finally a reply of sorts came some nine days after, I have no idea why this very short letter took the school so long to write, or why it came from David Boyd for that matter.

In his letter, David has replied for Nigel, as I see it answering some things and not others, predictably par for the course in my experience when communicating with Mr Boyd. As such, I have requested the direct contact details for their Data Protection Officer to talk to instead.

Nigel Griffiths is an incredibly difficult man to get hold of!

I have requested multiple times to meet with Nigel to talk about Mental Health and Safeguarding, with no joy or even reply.

From my own experience and from talking for hundreds of hours with so many others about their experiences with the school, I am in zero doubt that there is a positive and constructive opportunity to improve lives, to benefit vulnerable pupils and staff.

I find it disturbing that the school’s Headteacher is both expected and instructed to listen to parents and the community over their concerns, but when reached out to their standard approach has been to completely blank me when simply asked to talk one-on-one.

I have spoken to many others who have found it virtually impossible to get into a meaningful dialogue with Mr Griffiths of any kind.

Perhaps through the medium of your newspaper I could once again invite Mr Griffiths to lunch, at a 100% independent venue to simply sit down one-to-one and talk. He can even have a dessert!

Mark Finning

Ross-on-Wye