Secondary School Allocations

[Renata Hamvas]

To update you on Harris Boys ED.

They have 9 bands, after looked after children and those with special medical and other needs, the next priority is siblings and they applicants are ranked on distance. Currently (Thursday 17th), places offered under distance, range from 700m to 3km as the maximum distance within a band from the school's front door . This is subject to change, as places come up during the shakedown. The school did consult three times on it's admissions policy (with local primary schools etc), and parents can look at it on their website. http://www.harrisdulwichboys.org.uk

There were some boys who didn't attend the banding test, and therefore weren't allocated places as both band and distance are used to ensure a truly comprehensive mix in the school intake.

Renata

[Ma]

Dear All

Can anyone participate in a questionnaire about school admissions please? I am trying to reach a quota of 10 more participants. This will really help me in my research on the transfer from primary to secondary school.

If you can help, please private message me your details...

Kind regards to you,

Ma

[skyblue]

Hi Renata

I am sure that everyone is grateful for all the work you are doing on allocations - thank you.

Would you be able to give an update the building of the Rotherhithe Secondary School? James Barber has reported that the funding has been confirmed and I imagine that as such progress re commencement of the project now rests with the Council.

A new school in Rotherhithe would provide 200 new places for our children. I understand that it is around 200 children in Southwark who were not allocated places. Progress on this could mean much less pain for families north and south of the borough next year.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Skyblue,

what James Barber has said isn't quite correct. I'm not an expert on the Rotherhithe Secondary School situation, but here is what I understand the situation is on this:-

Last summer, the government reviewed their commitment to BSF funds to LA's and with devastating consequences to many communities, withdrew funding from many school building programmes across the country. Southwark were informed by Michael Gove that all of our twelve projects were safe. In November this was in part retracted, as we were then told that money would not be made available for a new school in Rotherhithe (nearly 20 million pounds had been pledged for the Rotherhithe School Project), as, following an assessment, it was deemed that there was an insufficient demand for a new five form entry secondary school (150 places per year) in the area and funding it would not produce sufficient value for money (a claim that Southwark has rejected). It was reported that yes, that there is a demand for extra secondary places in the Rotherhithe area, but only for two forms per annum (60 places), ie insufficient for a new stand alone secondary school. Southwark have had not been given any information as to how much additional funding if any had been designated to us or when this will be available. Last week a BSF spreadsheet emailed from an official in government to an officer in the council included a line on Rotherhithe suggesting that the government had still allocated the full ?19.6m to a new school in Rotherhithe, despite cancelling it in November. The council has requested an urgent update on the situation and have reiterated there is a requirement for a new secondary school in the north of the Borough.

Simon Hughes is Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats and the MP for Bermondsey and North Southwark. He has been mentioning a 10 million figure for building a school in Rotherhithe. The Council however, haven?t had any information from Government to this effect. As the MP representing Rotherhithe residents, I hope he will work with the council to solve the problem of the shortage of Secondary School Places in his constituency.

So basically, we don't know how much money, if any is being given to Southwark to address the shortfall of secondary school places in the Rotherhithe area. Sorry if your hopes for immediate action by Southwark on this matter have been dashed. Once I know more I will let you know.

Renata

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi again Skyblue, it was 44 children who were without school places initially, some of these do now have places.

Renata

[skyblue]

Sorry Renata I understand that it was 200 that did not get any of the 6 'choices' that they had put down. A new school in Southwark will help all children in Southwark due to the knock on effect of the allocation of places - but party political issues seem to be delaying its construction.

Surely a partial answer to the immediate issues that the East Dulwich/ Nunhead/Camberwell area face is that Harris becomes co-ed with lower and higher schools split on the two sites. Families want/ need co-eds. I remember them even telling Tony Blair this when he popped in for breakfast with a family on Upland Road.

I hope that all the local parties are following this forum closely as the choice system for Southwark kids is a disgrace.

[westof]

Do either Harris Girls or Harris Boys have a problem filling their schools though? If not, I can't see why they would change.

I don't know the history behind either school though - are they single-sex because they were replacing existing single-sex schools? Or just because Harris wanted to try out single-sex schooling?

[skyblue]

There is no co/ed that is available to the east of lordship lane families. Many families want co eds and as such choose schools further away that they have more difficulty getting in to. It does not solve the shortage of places but may give a more realistic option to local families. I want my son and daughter to be educated at the nearest school and travel there together- perhaps even walk! Yep and I will send them there if this choice is given to me. I want my family to be part of our local community not teenagers who have to travel miles every day on buses.

[Renata Hamvas]

Skyblue, you are correct that 200 children did not initially get one of their choices (many did use their six choices). With the movement with school lists, this number is now lower and will reduce until the autumn.

In terms of the Harris Girls and Boy schools, both EDEN (East Dulwich and Nunhead Education Network, a group of local parents) and the Labour administration who was in power until 2002 wanted a mixed school. The plans were for a four form mixed secondary with a lower school on the current boys site and the upper part on the girls site. The governors of the existing girls school, Waverley turned this down on the grounds that they wanted it to remain as an all girls school. In 2002, Labour lost control of the council, but EDEN and Labour group continued to support the concept of a mixed school for ED. A plan for mixed entry with single sexed lessons (similar to the Haberdasher's Aske's system) was also turned down by the Waverley Governors. Plans were then initiated for a separate boys school,to be built on it's current site.

The boys and girls schools are now Harris Academies, and therefore under the control of the Harris Federation. I know a mixed sixth form is planned for the schools once the boys reach year 12. I have been in contact with admissions at Harris Boys and I can confirm that the school is oversubscribed with waiting lists for all bands.

[Renata Hamvas]

Southwark have put in an enquiry to find out whether there is any money available for a new school in Rotherhithe. The most recent official communication we got from central government, in November, was that the funding had been scrapped.

[skyblue]

Renata

Many thanks for your full response. Is there any possibility of an approach to Harris to sound out whether there is any possibility, as they now have control of both schools, to revisit the co-ed idea? The infrastructure is all there.

It could be a realistic and great choice for families who want co-ed but are out of Charter catchment or are not lucky in the Kingsdale lottery.

I assume that the labour council would support this idea, given it did originally and James would you support it?

[skyblue]

concerning the Rotherhithe school I understand that Simon Hughes has confirmed that there is now funding available to build this school.

James could confirm the position?

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi skyblue, the most up to date information I have is from Cllr Catherine McDonald (Cabinet member for Children's services) last night, and at that time, no confirmation had been issued to Southwark about funding for the Rotherhithe School.

I will raise an enquiry about the Harris Schools.

Renata

[Mark Dodds]

@Renata. Dear Renata, you're really well informed. Might you and Catherine McDonald have an interest in looking at the possibility of Southwark administration getting some political will behind setting up a new community school for the Camberwell/East Dulwich area? Could some aspects of this thread combine with the other well viewed one on secondary education: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,640809,page=4

[intexasatthe moment]

Renata - am I correct in believing that Southwark have been unable to offer a secondary school place to aprox 40 children ?

Is this unusual ?

And if Southwark is short of secondary school places was it really wise for one of it's Academies to reduce it's intake by 60 places ?

[Renata Hamvas]

Some updates-

I have raised an enquiry to establish if there are any plans for Harris Boys and Girls to merge and highlighting that this is what some local parents have expressed a wish for.

In terms of the 44 places shortfall in the Borough this year, this would not have occured if it hadn't been necessary to closeSt Michael's and all Angels to new entrants this year. Following rebuilding, it will open in 2013 as a new ARK run all boys school. As well as this there wil be a new mixed Academy in Walworth on the site of the previous Walworth lower school. This is planned for a September 2014 opening. It will be non-denominational and is planned to have a STEM speciality (science/technology/mathematics).

Renata