DulwichHamJnrSchool

Please see the attached information sheet for further details of arrangements for the Belham Primary School's 2015 location.

Dulwich Hamlet Educational Trust is delighted to confirm the Belham Primary School's temporary location for the academic year 2015-16 will be Faith Chapel halls at 198 Bellenden Road, directly opposite the permanent school site. The decision to be based at Faith Chapel for the first year will allow building contractors unrestricted access to the main school site, with works complete on the refurbishment and extension of the Grade II listed Victorian building by September 2016. Faith Chapel halls will be converted to vibrant zoned classrooms with brand new learning resources, creative play areas and Early Years ICT equipment. An outdoor area will provide children with space to play, grow plants and observe nature. Children will also be regularly taken to Warwick Gardens and other local green spaces and we hope to work with a local outdoor adventure company to offer 'forest school' activities. The school will use Bellenden Road Scout Hut for movement and games. Free hot school dinners will be cooked by chefs at Dulwich Hamlet Junior School and transported in thermal containers to Faith Chapel at lunchtimes. Breakfast Care will be offered from 7.45am and After School Care until 5.45pm, at low cost and with a flexible booking system. Applications are now being accepted for Reception (60 places) and Year 1 (30 places). For 2015 entry we're managing our own admissions using our own application forms, available to download from our website www.thebelhamprimaryschool.org.uk - or contact us at [email protected] if you'd like a form and prospectus posted to you.

Great to meet some of our prospective 2015 Belham parents yesterday at the Hamlet. Applications are now being accepted for Reception (60 places) and Year 1 (30 places). In our first year we're managing our own admissions using our own application forms, so the sooner you send your application in the sooner we can get your address measured, and the sooner we'll be able to notify you of the outcome following the deadline for receipt, Thursday 15 January 2015. For those of you who may think you live too far away from the school, please do still apply - in our first year distances could be larger than you may think, and with no older children in the school the sibling policy will not be applicable to Reception places. There is nothing to lose in applying as the process is separate from Southwark Council's central admissions - you have six choices on your Southwark application, not including the Belham which should not be named as one of those choices. New to the area or sending your child to a school far from home? We are offering 30 Year 1 places for those children who started school this September. Again, there is nothing to lose in applying so don't let distance put you off! If you have any questions about admissions or for further information about the school please contact us at [email protected] Application forms are available to download from our website www.thebelhamprimaryschool.org.uk, or email us at the above address if you'd like us to post you a form.

Next Belham open information events this Wednesday 22 October, 6.30-8.00pm and Thursday 23 October, 9.00-11.00am. Both events will be held in Faith Chapel Pentecostal Church Hall, 198 Bellenden Road (opposite Old Bellenden School). Meet the Head Teacher and other members of our team, view updated plans for the building's refurbishment and find out how to apply to the school. Events are informal and open to all - whether or not you are a prospective parent or carer. Prospectuses and application forms for September 2015 entry will be available at the events and can be downloaded from our website www.thebelhamprimaryschool.org.uk. To add your details to our mailing list or to request further info please email [email protected] www.thebelhamprimaryschool.org.uk www.twitter.com/TheBelham

Planning to attend our information event on Tuesday 30 September? Reply here to let us know!

Plans continue apace for The Belham Primary School, opening on the site of Old Bellenden School in September 2015. We are holding our first drop-in information event at Old Bellenden School on Tuesday 30 September, from 6.30 to 8.00pm. This will be an opportunity to meet the Head Teacher and other members of our team, see plans for the building's refurbishment and find out how to apply to the school. The event will be informal and open to all - whether or not you are a prospective parent or carer. Prospectuses and application forms for September 2015 entry are currently being printed and will be available to pick up at the information event. They will also be available to download from our new website, going live later this month. Please note that in September 2015 the school will open with 60 Reception places and 30 Year 1 places. Applications for both year groups will be made on the same application form. To add your details to our mailing list or to request further info please email [email protected] If you will be attending the information event please register your interest by the same email to help us plan this and future events. IMPORTANT NOTE: If applying for a Reception place it is important that parents additionally apply for other Southwark schools to ensure their child has a school place for September 2015. Please see www.southwark.gov.uk for further informaton. Please note that if both your applications are successful your child will receive two offers, one from The Belham Primary School and one from Southwark Council. You will need to notify us and Southwark as to which offer you accept. From September 2016 entry onwards applictions will be made via Southwark primary admissions. www.dulwichhamletjuniorschool.org.uk/thebelham.htm www.twitter.com/TheBelham

Thank you to all who were able to attend the meeting at St Faiths yesterday evening, as well as to those who have been in touch but were unable to make it.It was good to see Cabinet Member for Children's Services in attendance as well as some local councillors. We were thrilled by the interest and enthusiasm you showed in the project, and the number of skills that have been offered to help us in the opening stages. We will shortly work our way through the "expressions of interest" forms and develop a strategy on how best to utilise all this Bellenden talent. There is a lot of work to be done as we explained. The process now requires us to apply to become a Free School, with the application form to be submitted in early January 2014. We know we have the active support of Southwark Council and clearly huge support from the local community. We presented our educational vision/approach to learning, and hopefully communicated how that was transferable. We also made clear that there is considerable work ahead in regard to capital investment in the building and refurbishing the internal space(s) to make them fit for purpose. But very exciting, nonetheless. Keep supporting us- if you haven't yet expressed interest, please do so.

Just a reminder regarding the public meeting being held tomorrow in the Faith Chapel Pentecostal Church hall opposite the old Bellenden school building. The meeting starts at 6.45pm and is an opportunity to hear more about the proposal for a new school opening in 2015, a chance to ask questions and to offer any skills that will support the project. There are no refreshments in the hall but know there are local places in the vicinity that you can retire to afterwards. Contact [email protected] for further information.

Thank you to all who have emailed in support of Dulwich Hamlet Educational Trust's proposed new primary school on the site of the old Bellenden school. We will be holding a public meeting to discuss the proposals on Wednesday 2nd October at Faith Chapel Pentecostal Church, 198 Bellenden Road. The meeting will start at 6.45pm prompt with an expected finish of no later than 8.30pm. The current Chair of Governors at the Hamlet, Simon Burton, and the Head Teacher, Sonia Case, will be in attendance with other Hamlet governors and Southwark representatives. Please note that we will unfortunately be unable to provide refreshments, but are aware there are several local establishments people may wish to visit for refreshments before or after the meeting. Please circulate this information to anyone who may be interested in attending. We will be distributing flyers to local businesses next week. We also have a contact form which will be available at the meeting, but that you may wish to complete and email back to The Hamlet in advance, or print and bring along on the 2nd. The form is available if you email [email protected] We hope to meet as many of you as possible on the 2nd. If you are planning to attend, we should be grateful if you would reply by email so that we have an idea of the numbers expected.

We attended a briefing at the council offices in Tooley Street today regarding Southwark's performance across a number of key areas including education. It was great to hear the Leader of the Council, Peter John, express his obvious support for opening a new school in the Old Bellenden buildings,working with Dulwich Hamlet. It was also exciting to hear about the sheer amount of regeneration in the borough including in the Peckham area. It seems that the amount of energy, artistic talents, and commitment to change from local residents, will result in a school that is well suited to provide for the future generation of south londoners. Please keep emailing your interest and details as we are building our database and will be contacting those who have been in touch in regard to a public meeting. [email protected]

Sorry Renata, I haven't confirmed that at all! We are not planning to open a nursery which involves separate funding streams, and my current hope is that we open 2 Reception classes (60 children) and 1 Y1 class (30 children) in 2015. That's my personal goal as Head Teacher - but there's alot of work to do before then. It might be better if the councillors do NOT post on my behalf. One line of communication can be more effective and avoid unnecessary confusion. [email protected]

Thank you to all the parents who are contacting the school regarding their interest in The Hamlet setting up a new school within the old Bellenden school - let's call it The Belham so as not to confuse it with current Bellenden school. Please keep those emails coming - it's lovely to hear that so many of you are as excited as I am - a chance to spread our creative vision to more children has got to be a good thing. Unfortunately there is an awful lot of process to get through before we can even get to the practical stuff. 2 routes - a Free School or the LA choosing us as their preferred "sponsor" over other sponsors that might apply, once they open the competition. The School Governors are meeting in a couple of weeks to talk about the process and the implications and then I hope to call a meeting of interested parents to find out from you what you want for your children and how you might also be able to help get things going. We are in productive talks with the LA but recognize that there are the 2 official processes to the same end and it is necessary to explore both of them to ensure that we achieve the best outcome. You can contact me on [email protected]

Funding for bulge classes and proposed permanent expansion comes from "Basic Needs Funding": "?800 million of basic need funding to local authorities to provide school places where needed in their area, in all categories of taxpayer-funded schools" from the Dfe website. So Mr Barber is being a little foggy in the distinction he makes between Free Schools and existing schools which have been asked by Southwark to take bulges or permanently expand. Funding does not come from Southwark council tax. Mr Barber has never spoken to DH regarding permanent expansion so should be careful about expressing opinions on our behalf. As Renata said previously, we would expand by 4 classes and not 7, if we were to expand at all.

Never thought it was possible to get the words "santa" "hijack" and "grotto" into the same sentence until tonight: this is the start of a great new parlour game.. Oh and by the way, thanks went out to the wonderful, generous and kind contributions made by Hamlet parents and others in the Dulwich community, almost a month ago. There's a photo on the website. I expect the boxes are now in transit to Eastern Europe. Thanks again and thanks to minder for reviving this thread.

Dulwich Hamlet PTA is holding a Christmas Fayre between 4pm -7pm on Friday December 14th and is very keen to hear from all types of stall holders especially ones appealing to children. Please email [email protected]