Mariamadeit

Note that the places for Harris ex are currently on distance from the lordship lane site, not the temp site.

Yes there is height restrictions but there is also age limits for several rides, my daughter was asked several times how old she was, she was nearly 3 but as she said she was 2, she was refused entry.

We are on therapia, my son started at Harris ED in sept. We didn't get a place at any of the closest schools (fair lawn, horniman, Goodrich, ivydale, Heber) but were offered hollydale (nunhead). Whilst it is at the temporary site, it is very convenient and we feel very fortunate to be there. Not sure what will happen in a few years time though when it is established on lordship lane. These roads, as well as several others in ED will remain black spots.

Lego land is better in the spring/autumn when the crowds aren't there and when your younger one is three as this is the cut off age for some rides, my daughter wasn't 3 at the time we went and got v frustrated at not being able to go on rides with her brother. Tesco do great money off vouchers for Lego land too so we got in at a fraction of the price.

If you have lots, the baby and children's markets are good, next one in dulwich is may I think, or you could try the se22/se23 mums fb pages, lots of similar items go on there.

We use Abel and Cole, they deliver around here on Mondays. You can tailor your box to avoid things you don't like and they do some fab meat boxes and other groceries too. They often have great offers on too, worth calling and asking! Also if you have children at school, they do a fab veg bag fundraising scheme, I run it at our school, check out farmers choice for info.

Welcome peckhamryemum and sol? There is expected to be more info re the police station site after the election when things can get moving again.

@shaggy I am also a teacher and have worked locally, in other counties and abroad. Yes it does sound like other schools doesn't it, which is why I am unclear on the negativity that seems to be being banded about. For us, the small class sizes have been advantageous and as there will only be reception and year one from September, that provides opportunities to the school that other schools do not necessarily have. @martspec yes everybody has a right to their say, but so far you haven't actually given any tangible examples of problems, other than there being supportive parents. May I suggest that your "friend" either does this herself or brings it up with the head or via the parent forums that the head has set up for these circumstances so that the school has an opportunity to address them.

Fuschia do you have a child at the school? As I understand it, Harris were the only people who wanted to create a school when James Barber was spearheading a campaign to create a new school in the area. And I am thankful that both James and Harris were able to create this school for us. They have a proven track record of running schools, unlike other "free school" groups. I am not sure exactly what "current problems in education" you are referring to and what your reference is regarding "most parents would prefer a proper community school" but all this negativity is very unhelpful. This thread is about sharing experiences of the school to help prospective parents make a decision on where to send their child. So far, all of the negativity appears to be coming from people with no first hand experience.

We turned down a local school in favour of Harris last year, the advantages as I see them to Harris over other schools are: 1. Much smaller class sizes but the same or better teacher ratios (though it looks like the new reception class will be full) 2. Teachers and teaching assistants (some of which also hold teaching qualifications) are friendly, good at their jobs and committed to the school (the first head left as a result of a Harris internal reshuffle which is not expected to happen again, he is still involved in the school and one teacher left unexpectedly over easter, as explained above). 3. The Head is experienced and full of ideas for reaching the target of outstanding when OFSTED visit, she is balanced and approachable and is very well liked by the children and parents. She is at the school gate almost every day and is very hands on with the children. 4. The open plan nature of the reception class allows for free flow between the two areas and the space is changed regularly with various activities set up for the children. The space is far bigger than other classrooms I viewed on open days. 5. Although the outdoor space is small, children do have access to more space (tennis courts for PE) and it is very well set up with various resources, parents were involved in planting and developing the space. 6. As it is a small school, the children know each other, there are no issues with much older children bumping into little ones etc as I have heard can be a problem in other schools. The teachers know all of the children well. 7. The resources, books etc are new and well cared for and the Head has been adding to the resources regularly, my son particularly enjoys the building area which has toy cement mixers, bricks, hard hats etc. 8. The PTA has recently been set up and has been very successful in raising extra funds for the school, which shows the commitment of parents to helping the school. 9. With the small number of children, lots of trips have taken place and are due to take place including zoo, farm, library, wildlife centre etc. 10. The Head of our school and the Girl's school have been working together to ensure that the best opportunities are provided for our school, for example, at Christmas, the children performed eir nativity play on the Girl's school stage, they are also able to use the girl's school facilities. Yes there are issues with the new site and there are challenges to be overcome with fitting the new reception class on the current site, but I am confident that the Head is doing everything possible to ensure that this goes as smoothly as it can. Yes there are people who have been offered places at their preferred school and have subsequently moved, but this is normal around here isn't it? Yes there are parents at school who see the negatives rather than the positives, but isn't that the case everywhere too? Yes there have been teething problems but nothing you wouldn't expect from a new school, the water pipes froze and school was shut for a day, a member of staff left... All of these things have been managed professionally and parents have been informed. Not every school is going to suit every child and the difficulty is that parents must decide for their family, what is going to be best, it is a difficult decision but I can say wholeheartedly that we are very pleased with the decision we made in choosing Harris, my son is happy and thriving at the school and for me, that is the best outcome.

Sounds like you are best to stay put then :) I would ask some questions about how they prepare children for school and ensure that you are happy with the answers.

We also live nearer to the temporary site than the LL one but it has been fab having the park across the road this year and being able to walk to school etc, the most is being made of the temporary site and the head has lots of plans for making more space for the new reception intake :) happy for you or anyone else to pm questions if you want to.

Hello, you need to call individual nursery schools now as places will be allocated shortly. If you opt for a nursery in a school, it doesn't give you priority on a place at the school so worth bearing in mind if there is uniform etc to buy.

My daughter has just turned 3 so she and your daughter will both be in the same school year. My daughter is at Blossoms, the Montessori nursery which her brother attended and was very well prepared for school so I am confident that she will be too. It might be worth you asking at your daughter's nursery what they will be doing in terms of pre school and if you are happy with that. We decided against moving either child to a school nursery as we just didn't know which school we would get and we are very pleased with blossoms. If you are confident that you would get a place at the school then nursery might be good in terms of settling in and getting into your routine but it isn't necessary and doesn't give you priority for places at the school so go with what you think is best for your daughter. The school admissions process for their reception places will start in sept, you register on the e admissions site and then during the autumn term, the schools hold open mornings for prospective parents to go and look around, you often need to book these by calling the school directly in September. You then have until early January to decide on the six schools you want on your list and the results come out this time next year. It is worth researching which schools are closest to you and finding out the last place offered on distance for your closest schools to check if you have a hope in getting a place as many catchment areas seem to be ridiculously small. It is then also worth looking at any undersubscribed schools in the area and maybe consider putting one as your sixth choice (if not higher) as an insurance otherwise if you are too far away from your six schools to get a place in the first round, you will be allocated a school somewhere in the borough. Don't panic if initially you don't get what you want as there is always a lot of movement but it is important that you put the schools in order of preference on your list. If you are in any doubt, it is worth speaking to James barber or renata hanvas on here who are local councillors who know the system. Hope that helps.

Yes the new site is the police station and I think they do judge the catchment from there.

Last year I declined a place through the eadmissions website, IIRC there is a button next to the offer with accept/decline on? but also needed to call the school as they started sending me welcome packs etc, not sure how long it takes for the message to be filtered through.

My son is also at HPED and I would echo what bubble bob has said, we are also very pleased, and feel extremely lucky to have our son at the school.

Good luck everyone and congrats to those families who will be joining us at Harris Primary ED :)

If you can get to the SE London sling library or the Greenwich and lewisham one (Google them) that would be best as you will be able to try a range on and see which suits you best, everyone has different preferences. You can also hire something to try v cheaply from them. Go for something ergonomic rather than a narrow based high street carrier as this won't last as well or be as comfortable. I have travelled with mine since they were 8 weeks old, some airports are fine with you going through security wearing the baby, others insist you take the baby out. Also on planes, you will have to take the baby out during take off and landing and use the special lap belt, but other times, the baby can be in the sling. For young babies my preference is a stretchy, but as you said your lo is big, you might be better with something more structured/ woven wrap or ring sling. For the older child, have you considered a trunki? I never took a buggy with me, trunki got my son around the airport and had some space to keep stuff in...

Hi yes we are still here, there is a fb group too which is where meet ups etc are arranged, see niwi's post just a little bit above. For those on second or third babies, does anyone fancy a mid week meet with older children? First timers welcome too...

Maths revision at the dish and spoon, see their fb page...

Have you tried jelly tots in Herne hill? It is lovely, the soft play area is small but perfect for little ones, we had our daughter's birthday party there this weekend. The cafe is lovely and the manager is really friendly, well worth the drive, free parking in neighbouring streets. Pay as you go.

Herne hill Google for the website it won't let me post a link sorry

We had our daughter's third birthday party at jelly tots cafe today and we were really pleased, the food was great, the manager and assistant were lovely and couldn't have been more helpful. The children loved the soft play. Highly recommended.

My 5yo has suffered with it for quite a long time now and the gp just kept giving us various emollient creams and low dose hydrocortisone. Before Xmas he had a big flare up and it got infected, we ended up in a&e after seeing a knowledgeable gp who sent us straight there. Once there we saw Dr Higgins (kings dermatology) and after a short stay and iv antibiotics, he was discharged with oral antibiotics and we haven't looked back, she prescribed a heavy duty range of creams to try and keep in the cupboard in case of a flare up. We are now at the point of not needing cream every day, we use aveeno in the bath, but don't bathe every day and his skin is unrecognisable.