Education, Education, Education

[Smiler]

Allocating based on distance just leads to high house prices so wealthier people buy or rent a place by moving near their preferred school - see the prices near heber, for example.

[intexasatthe moment]

And learn how to fake home address ,if my experience of Charter is anything to go by .

Moi ,bitter ? Noooooo.

[prickle]

A very interesting article. The system is in a mess and the victims are those children who are let down by not getting a place in school. :(

[skyblue]

This article is shocking and I cannot imagine the effect that this ordeal must have had on these children.

So why is it when there is a school in SE22 that this postcode has 77% of all the children from Southwark who where not allocated a school place in the first round? It must be because families in SE22 are not choosing Harris.

Why are SE22 families not choosing Harris and instead choosing schools that they can't get into? I know from conversations with other parents at school and on my road that they do not want a single sex school for their children so Harris is not selected.

I understand Denmothersmith's point that six years ago it was the families of the girls at Waverley girls who voted against it becoming co-ed. This was in the face of the EDEN's campaign started by families of primary school children around ED and Nunhead who desperately wanted a co-ed.

The girls of the parents who did not want a co-ed have now left the school. I believe that a new consultation should take place within the wider ED/Nunhead community asking parents from all the ED/Nunhead schools from nursery to year 6 what they would like the SE22 school to be - it is these children's local school.

I know that there may be difficulties but there is every reason why this school could be a Kingsdale/Charter of the East - there could be so much community support for this school.

Also an upper and lower school could, as some one has said, ease the year 7 and 8 into the world of secondary it really is on our door step.

I am thinking of making a Freedoom of Information request to Southwark to get to the bottom of the 77% figure does anyone have anything that they would like to be put in the request?

[skyblue]

Further point re children who are currently at these Harris single sex schools. Did the parents choose these schools because they are single sex or because there was no co-ed available to them?

[redjam]

Good for you, skyblue. I'm completely supportive of your campaign to make the Harris School(s) on our doorstep the best it can be as it does seem like the most realistic option for improving our chances of having a really good secondary school in our area that SE22 kids can actually be confident of getting into. I love the idea of a brand-new school too, of course, but that just doesn't seem like it's going to happen in the current climate. And really it does seem to be the case that if we all get behind our closest option, we can make it the community school we all want. I, for one, think a co-ed school split over two sites ('lower' and 'upper' schools) would be great.

As for your FOI request, I'd love to know how many families in SE22 didn't get any one of their preferred options (even if they got offered a different school elsewhere).

Frankly I'm astonished that the council aren't more concerned about this as it does seem like a problem that's only going to get (much) worse, given the huge numbers of extra kids that have come into this postcode recently as evidenced by all the bulge classes in primary schools. So good luck with your campaign, skyblue...

[Dorothy]

Skyblue - I would like to be involved in any campaign you get off the ground. Will pm you. I have a girl and boy, in years 5 and 2, and don't live within spitting distance of Charter. I very much doubt I am even going to bother applying to Kingsdale next year - it seems like an utter waste of time. I would be ok with single sex education for my daughter, but NOT for my son; it would not suit him. It seems to me your proposal is emminently sensible. I would be happy to put time and effort in to campaigning for this.

Incidentally, I think in your 11.12 post you meant to say "Did the parents choose these schools because they are single sex or because there was no co-ed available to them?" ?

[skyblue]

Thanks Dorothy for pointing out that rather crucial typo!

I know that James has arranged a meeting with Harris boys and he has said that he will report back. I have asked that he raise the issue of co-ed with them. I am also aware that Renata is investigating the position. I am sure that together we can have a good go at this - as long as we can take our community with us!

[prickle]

Skyblue, you might like to approach Dan Moynihan who is the CEO of Harris Federation with the suggestion of Harris going coed. He is the man at the top (other than Lord Harris). I knew him many years ago (he started as a classroom teacher) and he was a nice guy and approachable then.

[Moi23]

Skyblue, I'm totally in agreement with you. It's mad that there is no local co-ed in peckham rye area. My husband went to an all boys school and he's dead against our sons going to a single sex school, ruling out at the moment Harris. My 2 are still very little, but as you say, now's the time to act! I would like to be involved too.

[toast]

I would also love co-ed but we do need to ensure proper consultation and evidence of clear strong local support, this would help James and the Rye and Nunhead reps make their case to Harris and Southwark. Maybe a facebook page like the one for the primary school campaign? I'm a bit campaign shy following the primary push but it might be an idea for someone to set up a facebook group page?

[reren]

I wonder if someone with more experience of these things might give a sense of how a campaign like this might work? What parents can do? Surely there must be hundreds of parents even of tiny babies who would like to see a fantastic secondary school on the doorstep? Is it a question of petitioning harris? Is that why a facebook page would be a good idea?

[toast]

Its just an effective way of demonstrating strength of public feeling. The local councillors can make a much stronger case if their is quotable statistical support for an idea........ I think.

[fleurie]

I think a facebook campaign is definitely a good start. My children are very little but I would absolutely love a decent mixed comprehensive.

[DenmotherSmith]

It would be really useful to contact instigators of the original EDEN campaign. I attended a couple of meetings and I seem to recall the initial thrust of the campaign was the lack of local secondary places for boys, not primarly a desire for a co-ed. I think this is why the the boys school option was pursued by southwark when waverly becoming co-ed ceased to be an option. The two schools were to be federated but this also became lost along the way. My son will be starting at Harris boys in September so co-ed to late for him, but have a two year old girl so lots of reasons to see it through. Harris have a parents forum so will sound out opinions from other parents.

[joobjoob]

I think it's a great idea, good for you sky blue for initiating it. I would say the first point of call would be an informal chat with some of the education officers at the council. They or Harris should be fairly upfront about what it would take in order to change the structure and admission criteria. I agree that the problem probably lies with SE22 kids not applying for Harris girls. No surprises since I believe it was closed by the police for gang related problems a few years ago. (http://londonist.com/2006/09/peckham_academy.php) I suspect that the demand to separate the sexes was a well intentioned desire to protect daughters. However this incident illustrates rather well that isolating girls does not make them any safer from social problems. Perhaps splitting the sites into a lower and upper school and merging the sexes would create a more balanced and less divisive atmosphere for the community. Merging the schools as a co-ed, would also force Harris to broaden their specialization, increasing the appeal across the social spectrum. Keep us posted when the campaign goes live!(tu)

[skyblue]

Toast, I think that your idea for a facebook page is excellent as it can easily and quickly demonstrate that there is community backing for a co-ed for SE22, Peckham Rye and Nunhead. What should it be called? 'Educating the Rye' - any other suggestions? Would any one be able to work on it? - I am happy to contribute to the content along with others but some one else would need to do the setting up. Perhaps we could have a link from the Forum if that would be ok with the management?

Denmothersmith, it will be really interesting to hear the feedback of what the current Harris families think.

Should the next step be for James and Renata to call a joint public meeting at our community centre to discuss the issues which face our local community regarding secondary schools, discuss the stats and try to get to the bottom of why SE22 families are so badly served? It may be helpful if Catherine McDonald could be there too?

As Tara higlights in her post of 1st April, Southwark is the second worst council in the country in the allocation of school places in respect of choice, and in Southwark over 77% of the children who failed to be allocated any secondary school place in the first round of admissions came from SE22.

Perhaps James and Renata could invite Don Moynihan, (thanks for the suggestion prickle) the CEO of Harris, to attend too and to answer questions? It would be interesting to hear what Harris Federation's view is on a Co-ed.

If this suggestion gets support I will bring this post to James and Renatas' attention.

One further thought - if families stop moving out of SE22 at the time of secondary school transfer this may finally reduce the number of estate agents on Lordship Lane -Foxton's may even resort to serving tap water...

[intexasatthe moment]

joobjoob - When I read your post I thought heck ,didn't realise Harris Girls had been closed down because of gang activity .

But having read the link you posted ,it seems that one Friday afternoon Harris Girls and Peckham Academy ( presumably the Harris Academy@Peckham ) closed an hour early because of fears of gang activity targeting children leaving school .

Which ,to me ,gives it a slightly different emphasis .

[toast]

The problem is that however much we would like of co ed there may well.be many opposed to the idea. No one wants to steam roller a campaign that may be against the wishes of a lot of the community. This is why a proper consultation is needed. If I were a mog who was keen on all girls schools I might find this thread rather threatening. The lack of people posting against the idea is encouraging but we do need to consider how to get a full picture of local demand.

[Dorothy]

Toast: surely this thread, the facebook idea, and skyblue's suggestion that our local councillors try and set up a meeting with Harris, is just the start of trying to get a full picture of local demand. Of course there are going to be people against the idea. I'm not certain I'm 100% for it, I need to find out more. But we do need to get the ball rolling somehow. Otherwise this will be just another wasted opportunity to actually do something about the terrible lack of choice in state secondary education locally.

[skyblue]

Toast, I agree there needs to be a full consultation of local primary school families and present Harris families. There is no point doing anything that is against our community's wishes. In my opinion regardless of the Harris coed issue Southwark needs to engage with Se22 to get to the bottom of our secondary school problem. Also inviting Harris to an se22/rye parents meeting is a way of reaching out to families with young children and making the school more engaged with the community it serves however it may be structured. After a consultation what ever the outcome is the very debate may refocuse local families into putting Harris up there as a choice, and go some way to solve our secondary school problems.