optimum

We always book a table at Si Mangia on Forest Hill Road when arranging parties for teenagers. The staff are always very helpful and their lunch special (served until late afternoon on Saturdays) is fantastic value. www.simangia.co.uk

Persepolis a brilliant shop on Peckham High Street. It's open every day until 9.00 pm and has a small cafe where you can sample Sally Butcher's fabulous Persian food.

A pair of solar specs are free with the March edition of the BBC magazine 'Sky at Night.' The magazine costs?4.99 and has a number of interesting articles about Friday's solar eclipse. I purchased my magazine at one of the large supermarkets.

Mrs TP - perhaps you could ask your friend to read the comments posted on the forum from parents who have a son at HBAED. "Their overall impression of the school was that it is run like an impersonal bootcamp with a lack of nurture towards the individual." This is not something that I recognise. There are many comments too on this and other threads describing the very personal support their sons have received. I'd be interested to hear how your friend was able to conclude that there was "a lack of nurture towards the individual" - was it something a teacher or student said?

Another satisfied parent with a child at HBAED. Since my son joined I have found his teachers to be hard working, dedicated and knowledgeable. My son is doing GCSEs. He enjoys all of his subjects and has good relationships with the boys in his class. Communication with teachers is really positive and emails are answered quickly. As it is a relatively small school the boys soon get to be known by the staff. There is time set aside every morning for everyone, staff and boys, to 'Drop Everything And Read', something I really like. Have a look on the Academy's website - it will show you the range of things on offer. Best of all it is a lovely modern building with great views across the Rye. I'm sure it will continue to develop a local identity if the parents of boys who live nearby choose to send their sons there.

How about a lesson in something that might interest him? Food related - pasta making, bread making ... wine tasting? A tour of a sports venue like Wembley or Lord's Cricket Ground? A pamper session - such as an Indian Head Massage? Or finally a subscription to a favourite magazine - golf or music?

We went through the process of visiting secondary schools a couple of years ago. We wanted a school for our son that was not too large, had good pastoral support, an attractive environment and above all teachers who were enthusiastic about their subject - so an extensive list! We visited schools in Southwark (where we live)and Lewisham. Originally we wanted a mixed school but then that became less important. What we found when we attended Open Days was that most schools were fine and that none were a perfect match. In the end we placed HBAED at the top of our list. Our son was very happy with this. He has some lovely friends at HBAED, is doing really well academically and has positive relationships with many members of staff. Communication with the Academy is good and teachers reply to any email queries promptly. He has a short journey and so there is plenty of time for him to do activities after school. The new Principal has introduced a rewards system which I think most of the boys have bought into. Our son does not seem to miss having girls in lessons. I think he benefits from the space to grow into a young man rather than spending time worrying about what girls might think of him. Different schools suit different children and so it's tough to make recommendations to others. However I struggle sometimes with the concept that schools farther away may be better. If we had greater confidence in our local schools and got involved I'm sure that they would become even more successful.

I'm currently reading 'The Reason I Jump' by Naoki Higashida with an introduction by David Mitchell. It's published by Sceptre. Naoki lives in Japan and the book was written when he was only 13 years of age. Naoki has little spoken language and has learnt to communicate his thoughts using an alphabet grid. It's a fascinating read and offers a real insight into the life of a teenager with autism.

We too are looking for a reliable cleaner ... we're in East Dulwich. Thanks

albert is right - the results for Kingsdale are awful and the value added is shocking. Yes there have been major problems with the English GCSE in 2012, but that's the same for all schools. My experience of secondary schools is recent - my child transferred to one in September 2012. I found it interesting to compare the content of the presentations at open days. The focus I felt at Kingsdale School was on as albert also mentions attracting 'bright children and keen parents'. I didn't hear anything about the quality of teaching and learning in the school or the procedures for tracking attainment and involving parents. Trying to change your intake by an unnecessarily confusing admissions policy and an unclear scholarships route can only take you so far in raising standards over time. Historically, the school was in a difficult position and the management I think has done well to make the school a popular choice. But the decisions they made five years ago to manipulate their intake now seems rather short-sighted. How have the local schools that have delivered far superior GCSE results to Kingsdale achieved this? My guess is by outstanding teaching and by nurturing high aspirations for all students no matter what their ability on entry was. Well done to them!

I think that rgutsell may be confusing the Harris Federation with John Harris of the Everyday Champions Church. It was this organisation which proposed a Creationist Free School to be called the Everyday Champions Academy in 2010. The Huffington Post UK reported the following in July 2012: 'A free school said to be run by creationists has been given the go-ahead after revamping its image, according to reports. The Exemplar Academy will open in Newark, Nottinghamshire, in 2013 and receive government funding, after an original bid was rejected last year. Since then the school's original sponsors - the Everyday Champions Church - pulled out and instead individuals from the church stepped forward to back the academy.'