legalalien

Well, I can only go on personal experience of people I know, so not scientific, obviously. :)

I'm saying that some private schools locally are more socioeconomically diverse than some state schools locally. There's a big variation between state schools locally - as Ofsted measures of things like free school meals historically indicate. The suggestion seemed to be that my child should be sent to a "good" local school so that he could broaden his horizons (but that I wouldn't be expected to send him to a poor inner city type school) - which I find a surprising argument to make....

Seriously? My son (who doesn't go to Alleyns, for the record) spends most of his free time playing sport with kids from "good local schools" and their life experiences and outlook are no less narrow / more broad than those at his school as far as I can tell. Their parents are certainly less diverse,culturally and socioeconomically.

Mako I don't see that as a problem. I expect school to maintain discipline, demand at least a superficial level of mutual respect, and educate my children to a stated standard within the academic curriculum (i include stuff like sport, music, art here). Their moral education I consider to be primarily my domain - sure I want the staff to tell me if they're behaving inappropriately, but soft stuff like empathy, awareness of the world around them, etc etc I think is a parental responsibility. And I take it very seriously. Is that so wrong? I have plenty of life experience to share.

Actually just coming back to an earlier point, the bids don't just need to show that there's support for "a secondary school" on the site, they need to be tied to a particular secondary school and there needs to be proper evidence that those who have signed up have received reasonably detailed info about the particular option in question - or at least that's what the material on the new schools network site seems to indicate ( including the template survey which says it is approved by dfe). ( with my stickler for detail hat on it's not clear to me how the bidders are going to evidence this, eg there's little detail given on the online sign up form for Charter. Maybe email more detailed info to those who have signed up and give them a chance to withdraw?) Am sure those involved in the bid know what they're doing but having multiple bids doesn't seem to fit well with the dfe reqts. A pity that there couldn't be a single form, with people listing their preference... Intexas, this is why I don't think leafleting me makes sense. The question I'm being asked to answer isn't whether I think there should be a new school, it's whether I would choose Charter 2 over Charter 1, a decision I guess I would take in practice having regard to the likelihood of getting in to Charter 1. But given I am very close and the two schools will presumably be similar, how do I make that choice? By nominating Charter2 I'd be suggesting there was something lacking at Charter 1, wouldn't I? Enough on this - must stop googling....

I mean, the efficiency savings ought to fund an overpass over JAGS :)

But not difficult to cut around the back past Bessemer surely? How can it be sensible to have two parallel schools with the same governing body within 500m and not find a way to share facilities / merge?

But isn't it effectively one site? With just a playing field to cross ? Which is why I don't get it?

I tell a lie :). My pc had switched to miles!!!!

Actually less than 2 k as the crow flies according to www.daftlogic.com, which I have just become obsessed by. So possibly in catchment if it was on crow flies.....

Hopping over here after posting on the Habs thread. I live in the Existing Charter catchment and received a leaflet today about the new school proposal. I'm not personally affected (although i do have a Year 5 child so I guess could "vote"): is there an obvious reason why Charter are pursuing this as a bid for a new school rather than an expansion to the existing school? Has the LA already determined that there is a requirement for a new school? Does the funding for the purchase of the site / set up cost come from a different funding "pot"? Intuitively an expansion / facility sharing would seem much more efficient, especially if the catchment areas of the two schools look to be similar? The cynic in me thinks that from the point of view of parents within the existing Charter catchment, this looks like a very good opportunity to get some additional space / facilities, rather than an attempt to provide school places for those currently in catchment "black holes". It could of course be both :). I assume that parents with children currently at Charter / in catchment are not being encouraged to vote for the new school, as that would skew the info being provided to the LA, but the fact that I was leafleted suggests otherwise? (Not trying to be offensive, just struggling to understand the rationale for two separate but practically adjacent Charter schools....)

Don't worry - not offended! Hopefully I'm not going over too much old ground, just that I only started to pay proper attention to this when I was leafletted today! Will hope over to the other thread, but if anyone can enlighten me as to the number of new places being proposed by each of the bids I'd be interested....

I'm just idly speculating as I'm not personally affected. James, if you read this, does the funding for a new school come out of the same funding pot as the funding for a school expansion? Just pondering whether a "new school" proposal would have some obvious financial advantages to Charter over a proposal to expand the existing school? Or other advantages eg improved facilities for existing charter students? Just seems odd to have two similar schools run by the same provider so close together - surely there'd be obvious efficiency gains in merging them?

Hmm. But presumably you wouldn't expect existing charter parents to be supporting the proposal, as presumably they'll be sending younger siblings to the same school as older ones? Apologies, as haven't been following this to date, is the plan for the two Charter schools - if Charter is successful - to share facilities? Presumably yes - so that children at "old charter" would get the benefit of facilities at New Charter? Is that a factor in the Charter bid? Will/ could admissions be done on a combined basis eg so that children in the overlapping catchment area are encouraged to join one school or the other? Eg if encouraged to choose New Charter (or if decide to do so because New Charter has better facilities) then the Old Charter catchment would move westward towards Herne Hill and the new catchment would remain quite small on the ED side? Or am I confused?

Actually ignore that, I found the other thread discussing the 'first choice" wording issue. Also have answered my own question, found the DFE assessment criteria - pasted below. Not quite sure how the form on the Charter website is going to satisfy the second bullet point though -I would have expected the form to include some sort of "tick the box to confirm you've received and read info" thing on it? Actually, same applies to the HABS form. But I do wonder whether actively / expressly encouraging people to support more than one application undermines the school's argument / makes submissions look more like a "generic expression of interest". "Complete the parental demand table in the application form showing how many parents (or students for 16 to 19) would select your school as their first choice for the first two years of the school?s life ? Demonstrate that potential parents (or students for 16 to 19) have made an informed decision when choosing your school as their first choice. Please include the text you have used in leaflets or other promotional material for prospective parents (or students for 16 to 19) about the particular characteristics of your school. You must make sure that this adequately describes the school you are proposing; we will not consider generic expressions of interest in a new school to be sufficient evidence that there is demand for the school you are proposing ? Provide a map which shows that potential pupils (or students for 16 to 19) live within commuting distance of your school ? Provide details on the extent of any current or forecast shortage (basic need) or surplus of places in the relevant phase of education within the school?s proposed vicinity (if you have already set this out in the vision section, please refer to the relevant page) ? Provide a brief summary of the standards in local schools in the relevant phase using Ofsted judgements and pupil attainment and progression data (if you have already set this out in the vision section, please refer to the relevant page)"

I had a Charter flyer in the mail today. Interestingly, it says that even if I've signed up to the Haberdashers campaign, I still need to sign up to the Charter campaign as well, as each bid is considered separately. Fair enough. Except that the Charter new school form requires you to sign to say that ?I would select The Charter School Educational Trust?s East Dulwich School as the first choice of secondary school for my child?. Is that the statutory question? If so how can you support two bids? As it happens I suspect I'm in the existing Charter catchment, so wouldn't put the new school as a "first" choice and wouldn't sign on the basis of this specific wording. So why leaflet me? Is it the case that only parents likely to be within the catchment of the new school "count" for DFE purposes? This would help explain why Charter might want an overlapping catchment - they can rely on the support of parents within the existing catchment area who may already have a connection with the school? Doesn't affect me personally, just interested.

Hi Chris, Is that right? I thought that clubs needed to register a minimum number of players by 1 Sept, but could register new players as opposed to transfers thereafter provided the max squad numbers weren't exceeded?

There is a local girls' only team, the Dulwich Village Vixens. I believe they are looking for u11 to u13 players at the moment, see http://www.gumtree.com/p/community/dulwich-village-vixens-fc/1070249168. On the league point, wouldn't it be possible to enter a girls' only team into the SELKent league ie it wouldn't need to play in a girls' only league?

Hi all, In case you're interested, there are still a few spaces left in the holiday cricket sessions run by Dulwich CC at the Dulwich Sports Ground in Turney Road. The courses run from 10am until 3:30pm daily, from now until the third week of August, and are for children aged 7-11. They are open to both members and non-members of the club and can be booked on a daily or weekly basis. This year the club is also offering a few morning-only sessions for children who have just completed Year 1. I attach details, including the booking form. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Simpson Travel - periyali or mousses (I liked Mousses better, the food was better). Google it..

In case you're unaware, an AstroTurf wicket and new nets were installed at Brockwell Park last year. Might be worth touching base with friends of brockwell park / Lambeth who presumably dealt with similar health and safety issues?

We employed a nanny with her own child when my son was in reception. Her daughter was a couple of years younger, I did the school drop off and she did pick up/ worked until about 6:30 or 7pm. Probably the pay wasn't great for her during term time (because of limited hours), but we paid more in school holiday time, and she got lots of one on one time with her daughter during the day in term time, so worked well. I suspect it might not work so well on a fill time basis as parents might be suspicious that you would tend to prioritise your own child?

Just to add another point for parents to consider - at least some organised extra curricular sports set their age groups on the basis of age at 1 Sept rather than school year. If your child defers a year, and ends up playing club or representative football or cricket, for example, they would not be able to play in teams with children in their school year group, but instead would have to play "up a year". Something to think about if you think your child is going to be a sporty one.....

:) What group are they in? We will be wandering down there at various points in the next few days...

Where did I come from? I had this as a child, and got a copy for my son. Very matter of fact. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Where-Did-I-Come-From/dp/0230015492