Zaardvark

Thanks - kumon looks much better for students who are a little older and can appreciate that practise makes perfect. I have got a reading system book compatible with the school's phonics and am planning to do that with my daughter in lessons. I was not relying on the school to do everything by any means, but I am surprised by how little they seem to do doing. We cannot afford to go private so suuplementing the teaching at the school by both our efforts and external ones seems to be the thing to do. External ones would seem to be aimed at older kids in the main so our efforts and Maths Whizz will have to suffice for now. Thanks all for the advice. edited for spelling

Hi Ann, We have been trying Maths Whizz online (maths in the form of interactive games based on the curriculum, which my daughter thinks is "really good"). I was worried about Kumon being too much at this stage for her and this seems a lighter alternative. Best Z

Hi, I was looking at options for evening or Saturday classes to supplement school for a 5 year old. There appears to be two options locally: Kumon (ED and Camberwell - one hour session at their centre each week and worksheets everyday) and Civitas (http://saturdayschools.net/location.php) who run thursday evening schools in Cambridge House in Camberwell. Are there any options I have missed? I know a little about Kumon but has anyone sent their child to the Civitas school? Best Z

Is there much ice of the footpath from the top of DKH to Sainburys? Is it open? Thinking of going with my school-less 4 yr old.... Best Z Edited to add: went and was surprised by an ice free footpath

Southwark schools' closure/confirmed open list can be found at: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/YourServices/educationandlearning/closures.html Lambeth schools' list can be found at: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/AboutLambeth/AdverseWeatherServicesUpdate.htm Perhaps useful as a sticky at the top?

deleted due to dimness....

Does anyone know? BUMP

Hi, Our daughter was/is milk and soya (she is now 4 and, we hope, growing out of her milk allergy). Is he is not soya there will be a lot of things he can have as there is a whole world of wheat and dairy free soya based products, if she is then it is not the end of the world by any means. You will have to do a lot of experimenting/learning new recipes and invest in tupperware. Visit smbs food on LL to source some things and simply buying and cooking from first principles your food will help lots. Rice milk is okay to give to kids but there have been recent scares about it containing trace arsenic which mean it should not consistently be (imvho) their daily drink. There are calcium alternatives such as this stuff http://www.health4youonline.com/health_supplements_biocare_calcidophilus_20390.htm. Best Z

Hi Our daughter is going full time there from Sept. I wondered if anyone can advise if picking her up at 3.10 allowable if they finish at 3 - is there a grace period or will the staff get very grumpy if we do that? Best Z edit to remove real name

My confidence was restored by the posts here and the sats results. The letter from the school was very unreassuring in that it did seem not to take seriously the results of the inspection or set out the plan of action to improve what the inspectors criticized, but the inspection report was also written in a rather oblique fashion so the whole thing did leave me puzzled and worried. The lack of criticism on this thread does show the school is doing a good job (or that the EDF people are overly-optimistic folk, but that might be a bit of a stretch.. ;-)) Thanks all. Z

Hi, I could not afford to go private, nor would that be my inclincation. If the new SATS are a good bunch then that is cool, and will reassure the new parents like myself. Best Z

Hi, I did look at the ofsted grade, rather than the sats as I appreciate how the differing socio economic status parents have will influence the SATS results. We also picked it because it offers Spanish and the pupils seemed very well behaved when we toured. The main problem I see in the school is that it's academic standards seem low, going on metrics. It is one thing not to teach to the test, it is another to be one of the lower scoring schools in the area. Shouldn't they aim for some sort of minimum level - maybe 250 or so? The school is also not small - this stuff the school says about levels varying between intakes is reasonable only for smaller schools. The metrics and intakes should be more stable for a larger school. The value added metric also does not seem to indicate that it is doing well. I was willing to take some years of bad sats but bad ofsteds also indicate that something is going wrong. Best Z edited for speellinhg

well a letter signed by 25 people might have a reasonable effect. This is probably his direct boss. best Z

Right guys: I have found an address we can write to: Paul Cumbers, Garage Manager, 5 Progress House, Mandela Way London SE1 5SS I suggest a bunch of us write and sign one letter? Best Z

People have tried to complain to the bus company but it has been ignored. Beyond complaining to the bus company, what is there to be done? Best Z

Hi - this guys is seriously and bizarrely rude. I have experienced it about 6 months ago from him when I was with my daughter and got on the 185 at victoria. The oyster reader failed to register my card and then as I dug in my pockets for change he told me that he could not accept payment as, in his words, "you need to buy a f***ing ticket before boarding at this stop" in a highly agressive manner. He then continued to abuse other passengers while I went and charged my oyster and the bus was still there when we got back - and then we found it was the oyster card that was broken not people's cards being empty but not one word of apology was forthcoming. He is not a normal bus driver - I have never, ever seen a bus driver be so rude to passengers. He should not deal with customers. How come every other bus driver I have ever seen in my life was not so rude? Presumably their working lives are just as difficult? Best Z

Hi, I am trying to talk to other parents via this thread. Where did the message clarifying the PTA thing go? I might be going mad but could swear there was quite a long post after my previous message? Was it too revealing? Best Z

Hi I think the PTA thing was due to an internal dispute within the organisation rather than a school thing. Still, it can't have helped. My worry about the SATS results and their 'not teaching to the test' attitude is that then we are left with bland assurances that things are okay. I should have hoped that 250 or 260 would be the minimum achievable for a good school not teaching to the test. Best Z edited for speellinggn

Hi, As many of you will know, DKH got quite a bad ofsted report (went from grade 1 to 3). What are other parents thinking? Why the sudden drop? Should we be very worried? Our daughter is in nursery there - due to start reception in Jan. Best Z

Hi Vik, I was going to post but then saw you had to decide by Friday. What was your decision? Best Z

teams for tonight's game Sharks: Stefan Terblanche; Chris Jordaan, Andries Strauss, Riaan Swanepoel, Luzuko Vulindlu; Monty Dumond, Rory Kockott; Deon Carstens, Skipper Badenhorst, Jannie du Plessis, Steven Sykes, Johann Muller (capt), Jacques Botes, Jean Deysel, Keegan Daniel. Replacements: Craig Burden, Patric Cilliers, Albert van den Berg, Michael Rhodes, Charl McLeod, Guy Cronje, Lwazi Mvovo. British and Irish Lions: Lee Byrne (Ospreys/Wales); Shane Williams (Ospreys/Wales), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster/Ireland), Jamie Roberts (Cardiff Blues/Wales), Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster/Ireland); Ronan O'Gara (Munster/Ireland), Mike Phillips (Ospreys/Wales); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues/Wales), Lee Mears (Bath/England), Adam Jones (Ospreys/Wales), Alun-Wyn Jones (Ospreys/Wales), Paul O'Connell (Munster/Ireland, capt), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers/England), David Wallace (Munster/Ireland), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster/Ireland). Replacements: Matthew Rees (Scarlets/Wales), Phil Vickery (London Wasps/England), Simon Shaw (London Wasps/England), Joe Worsley (London Wasps/England), Mike Blair (Edinburgh/Scotland), Riki Flutey (London Wasps/England), James Hook (Ospreys/Wales).

Considering how long the council seem willing to allow footpaths to be littered with borken glass (min 4/5 days in my experience) and so on, this seems ridiculous. Z

Yes for me Roberts, Bowe, BOD, Phillips, Ferris, Monye or Fitzgerald, Jones, all welsh front row (but perhaps with Sheridan forcing his way in) look likely. The springboks are not letting any intls play for their prov. teams so I think it very much cat-and-mouse at the moment with these games but it ought to be a very close series by my reckoning. Z

A thread with the proper name of the team to discuss the games. (Sorry Admin but the other thread is a small bit objectionable for any green blooded Lions fan (Irish, that is, not Vulcan). Bizzarly different games from the team so far - have to say Shane Williams look like he is not getting into the test team. Ferris did well when he was on the park but I guess that what was a brand new team would be very badly affected by a binning versus a more settled test side. I half wonder if they are deliberately underplaying/sticking to trying to get their playbook straight rather than winning by the maximum margin as the team and managment certainly did not seem too concerned by the performance in the post match interviews. Best Z

Why don't some of you who have ripped off report these guys to trading standards? Best Z