Coach Beth

Absolutely pounderwoman. You summed up my thoughts exactly.

I have also seen that Harris Girls are proposing now to change their admissions back to a distance only policy from it's previous admissions - it's gained in popularity with local parents and it's a very good school - really inspiring headteacher I've heard. Also Deptford Green is becoming more popular and is co-ed but a bit further away of course.

It's going to be great... so looking forward to my son going there after two and half years on the temporary site! Teachers and staff will be packing up and moving stuff over while the kids enjoy a massive long xmas break (they finish on the 14th December and go back to the new school on the 10th Jan) The main school building is ready as is the gym. However, there will still be building work on site for the next phrase of development which is the sixth form centre. And buiding work on the new health centre which is directly in front of school will be going on for a few years!

The Friends of Charter School East Dulwich aren't having a Christmas Fair this year (but look out next year when we will be holding the fair at the new school!) but come visit us today at our stall at The Christmas Cracker on Northcross Road (opposite the Thai Corner). We are selling cakes, hot chocolate, chutney & the ever popular Jolly Jam Jars! Keep Cups are also availble in line with our sustainability commitment. All funds raised will help to fund activities and equipment at the school

I think it's a very good school. It has excellent results and they have moved into a brand new site. I've been there in a volunteer capacity for the Red Box project and have been impressed by the staff I met. It has a higher than average number of pupil premium students AND has excellent results which I think makes it more impressive than schools with a lower than average number of pupil premium students. It used to be further away from East Dulwich - near Peckham Rye Station so not many children from the area went there (my own son went to Goose Green Primary). Now it's situated nearer, perhaps it will become more popular.

If anyone sees a black knapsack full of school workbooks, please pm me. Likely to be in the Bellenden/Maxted Road/Copleston Road area.

In our experience the answer is that a cat is brillant for getting rid of mice. We suffered with mice for years in East Dulwich and the exteminator said that the only thing that would stop them would be a cat. (like you we didn't have an infestation where they set up nests in your home but they just kept getting in as it's an old house). That convinced my partner who really wasn't keen on the idea. We went to Battersea Cats home and got a youngish (1.5 year old) friendly black cat. We have NOT LOOKED back! We don't have a mouse problem because she is a brilliant mouser. She is absoluetly 'on it' everytime a mouse dares to creep in but I do think that if they are bright, they do avoid coming in but that said, they still sneak in but now they are dealt with straight away by the cat. It is hard when she plays with them before she kills them but we are so relieved not to have to be constantly dealing with poison or traps ... both of which must lead to a slower and more painful death. One downside is that she does occassionally kill birds and bring them in. That is horrible. But it is not very often. I have heard that you are better off getting a female cat... and that the neutured males just can't be bothered with mousing whereas netured females are good mousers. I don't know if that's an urban myth. I also think the fact our cat is a relatively young cat helps - still pretty lively and up for a challenge! And my partner quite likes having a cat about the place now and it's good for my son to have a pet so win-win all around.

You are correct Whisper. She is not a US citizen untill you register her as a US citizen. I had to first register my son as a US citizen at the embassy (also my British partner had to come along to for some bizzare reason) and then get his passport. I did wonder if this was wise as it means a lifetime of him having to do a US tax return from age 18(although like me, he will probably never have to pay a dime but going through that ridiculous exercise every year is annoying) but I decided that it would be good for him to have the option to live and work there if he chooses (i.e. he might be in a career where working in the US is advantegeous) ... however it is unlikely the way things are going and when he is old enough the US might truely be Gilead! Anyway, it's a little known fact that most countries require you to use their passport on entry - I'm a triple citizen (US/Canadian/British) and I was mildly told off when I went into Canada on my British passport when I realised my Canadian was expired. I assume the same would happen on entry to the UK - but it makes more sense to enter the country with the passport of that country as it's easier!

My 13 year old son walks my friend's dog when she is working late or wants to go out straight after work. It has been good for him as he has had to take responsibility for going to her house, unlocking the doors, getting the dog on a lead, then round Goose Green Park, pick up the poo & dispose of it properly and then back to hers to wash his hands, feed the dog and lock up! He gets bit of money for this which he saves along with any birthday money to buy whatever he wants so he is learning the value of money The dog is a lovely, well-behaved greyhound so that's fine. I wouldn't want him to walk dogs of people we don't know so well at his age as it is alot of responsibility I think but maybe when he is older he could do this. My friend's daughter who was 14 took a primary school age child to her primary school as it was on route to her secondary school for abit of cash.

Great campaign and I resolved in January to reduce our plastic use. I've just switched to glass bottles for milk by having delivery from Milk & More. It is an extra cost but it is much more convenient to have doorstep milk delivery and no more plastic milk bottles! Bought a Keep Cup for buying coffee when I'm out and about and a water bottle for myself and my son from Karavan Eco Shop on Lordship Lane - which is great because we've gone from buying at least 3 plastic single use bottles a week to none.

You'll probably get a waiting list place although remember that this this is a tricky year as it's the year that many of the primary schools have an extra class in year 6 due to the bulge classes put on when these year 6 classes were in reception. So there are more children needing secondary places than ever before although the new ED Charter addresses some of that. And there are undersubscribed schools and you can be allocated a school outside Souhwark so you won't be without any place... I knew someone who only put 3 very popular schools last year and they ended up being allocated a school they had never heard of in Catford .. Sedgehill I think. I believe at the last minute - beginning of September they got a waiting list place at a school nearer to Ed. Good luck!

Sure. But there is no point. It won?t get you another place as Southwark have dischargered their duty by offering you a school. It also will have absolutely no bearing on your place on the waiting lists. So if you turn it down and your daughter doesn?t get into another school on a waiting list place she could end up with no place at all. Then I suppose you could apply for a place at another undersubscribed school even further away if you ended up in that situation.

Yes they will give you any other school in Southwark if you don?t get the ones you put on the form. It will likely be a school which is undersubscribed and had places - I think they try to do the nearest school that still has I allocated places so probably you will get Harris Academy Peckham as that has tended to be undersubscribed. You should be put on the waiting lists for the schools you did put on the list. And yes you can stay on all the waiting lists.

As others have said, your appeal will NOT be more likely to be successful if you don't put down all schools. Successful appeals are very rare and always on some grounds to do with the admissions criteria of the school and nothing about whether you have another place due or not will be taken into account. Best put 6 down you are relatively happy with... rather than put down just 3 and then find the council has sent you to a school miles and miles away that you have never heard of.

Just give you some perspective ... my child was at GG in year 6 two years ago when things were at the low point. No consistency with year six having different teachers thoroughout the year and although we had been big supporters of the school since our child was in reception if he hadn?t been in his final year there I would have moved him. Two years on, he is in year eight and doing well academically. He is on par with many of his friends who come from all the other primary schools and is not behind in anything except maths and that is particularly challenging for him due to a mild learning challenge that makes holding and processing mathmatical calculations abit harder. Personally it?s given me a lot of perspective which I wish I had more of when he was in year six! One really positive thing I can credit GG with is nurturing his talent in art - he has taken this to secondary school and his art teacher there has been hugely encouraging about his talent and also his technique which I wholly credit to the amazing art teacher at GG who is still there Anyway school seems like it is much more stable - I chatted to friends at the annual carols on the green last night and people seem pretty happy with new head. Lots of parents sticking with the school which is a vote of confidence.

I can recommend Matt Fishwick - he has been teaching my 12 year old drums since he was 8 years old. He teaches in East Dulwich on Saturday morning and early afternoon in a room in the back of the music shop on Grove Vale. You can reach him by texting him on 07531 123437.

My son goes to Charter East Dulwich (now in Year 8) but he also got a music scholarship for Kingsdale (he is a drummer too!). We were very torn because my partner is a professional jazz musician (jazz guitar) and knows many of the staff in the music department at Kingsdale - many of them are top notch jazz musicians so if your daughter is into jazz, she will get a great jazz music education there. Don't know about Sydenham though! Ultimately, we choose Charter ED because he preferred it and also we thought the small nature of the school (at least for the first few years) would serve him well. Plus he is getting lessons from Matt Fishwick (a top notch jazz drummer) outside of school and if he wants to do music when he is older, he won't really have a problem as he is surrounded by it.

Personally I have always experienced mainly friendly service - with a very odd exception - at the local charity shops. I always ask if I can leave what I have brought - sometimes they have reached capacity and I either take it to another one or take it home. Sometimes the volunteers get abit overwhelmed I think. I don't take offense when once in a while a volunteer in a charity shop is a bit off and I don't expect every bag of my cast offs to be greeted with high praise and gratitude. To be honest the shops are doing me a favour as I can't be asked with EBay and I feel guilty binning clothes. (And yes, most of the bags through doors are businesses making profit. Although some aren't.)

There are a lot of kids who get the 343 from Peckham Rye - the bus is pretty crowded with Charter ED students according to my son in year 8! I think they still run the minibus from sainsburys but this year they are charging for it.

I've have a friend who has been very happy with Harris Girls and it seems like it has good results. Other ones to try would be the University of Engineering (it's a secondary school but run by South Bank University).. might have spaces as it's a relatively new school and it's particularly good on STEM subjects... abit further away as it's at the Elephant and Castle. I liked Deptford Green went I went round and have a friend that is happy with it...it's a bit of a fuff to get to though. Also make sure you go on the waiting list for the two Charters, you never know, someone could move or decide to take up the offer of another place etc.

Just a reminder about the picnic tomorrow in the Peckham Rye picnic area!

Oops.. it's Peckham Rye Park Picnic area!