Charter East Dulwich

[Sol]

My daughter has been offered a place at this school and I would be grateful for opinions from parents with children there. We did not go to the open days unfurtunately. It wasn't our first choice as were concerned because the school is not yet fully established.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Sol,

the parent I know with a child there is happy with the school. If you accept your place there, you will still remain on the waiting list for the higher placed schools on your CAF application; a place may still come up one of your other higher placed choices.

Renata

[hellosailor]

Would you be prepared to say where you live Sol? I?m curious about how far charter ED catchment is going to go with the shake down of places xx

[EDmummy]

My son is from the founding year of this school and is incredibly happy. The Head Teacher is inspirational and with only 2 years in the school at the moment, very accessible. We have found the teaching of very high quality and very child centered. My son has not given me any reports of class disruption. The kids are really looking forward to moving to their new school at the end of 2018/beginning 2019. If you didn't go to see it, why not see if there is an opportunity for you to do so now.

[Sol]

Thank you very much. This is very helpful. We have accepted the place. I don't think we have much chance in the other two choices as we were 160 and 64 on the waiting list a few weeks ago.

I believe we are about 1100 meters from the school as the crow flies. I mean from the new premises.

[Houseoflego]

Hi,

I?m in and out of a lot of schools and Charter ED is quite exciting. Teaching is excepionally strong, the curriculum is innovative and dynamic. They have put thinking skills at the heart of the curriculum which is great. Their enrichment curriculum is one of the best I have seen.

The kids are in small classes, never bigger than 25 and it?s a small site so it currently has the cosy primary school feel. Because there are no bigger kids to make them more timid they still play a lot of primary games at break time. It is quite cute that these big kids playing hide and seek.

It will be a challenge when the new y7 arrive as there are so many of them but it?s only for one term and then they will move to the massive new building (which is going to feel very light and luxurious).

Sorry we to go on but it is an interesting place.

[hpsaucey]

Seconding all the positives above (son currently in year 8).

There will be many on the waiting list wishing they were in your shoes.

HP

Hasty reply - edited to add staff lovely, current intake of pupils in years 7 and 8 lovely, teaching really thoughtful and imaginative and set to teach them more broadly and i a questioning fashion as has been said above, staff very open, inspirational and responsive to emails. Soon to be in a lovely new building which has the advantages of being planned from scratch.

[Scruffy Mummy]

My child goes there and here are my two pence worth!

Positives:

- High quality of staff - most are experienced teachers and all recruited in the first year are still there which contributes to sense of stablity in the school.

- Staff really KNOW the children - probably because it's small but I feel like my teachers really know my child. He had been abit disaffected and had abit of a attitude in year 7 - now he is pretty engaged and in his weak area he has been encouraged and had targetted intervention so he is much more confident.

- Community and family feel of the school.

- Fantastic music programme and arts focus.

- Alex Crossman is an excellent leader, obvisously brings so much from his background managing in other sectors. He always seems to be reflecting and improving on what is working and what isn't which is fantastic.

- Lots of committed parents helping with everything from fundraising (both community fundraising through the Friends and professional fundraising parents helping to write substaintial bids) to helping with sustainbility in terms of design at the new school to organising an annual Southwark to Sea walk

- Diverse intake of children and families.

Downsides

- Temp premises has been limiting particularly in terms of sports and DT.

- Lack of dedicated PE teacher has been frustrating, doesn't feel like sports particularly after school sports has had someone 'at the helm'. They are recruiting a dedicated PE teacher for next year so this could change.

- There could be a danger of school becoming complacent with it being so oversubscribed. Founder parents and families were really involved and reached out to and encouraged to feel like they were part of the vision of the school ... feels less so the following year. However, this is only a danger and it feels like the potential to be more of a truely community and family school has alot of buy in.

- While there is a great focus on high achieving students (they do a PhD type project as a way to stretch them) and on interventions for children that are struggling has meant that some children who are in the middle could be overlooked (not my experience but I've heard this from a couple of people)

[Zone2]

hi - also endorse the positive comments above and agree with the potential downsides - overwhelmingly though our child has thrived and enjoyed his experience so far (currently year 8)

Great leadership; good teaching (in our experience); always being the oldest in school is something one could argue either way as a plus or a minus- but we feel positives have outweighed negatives.

Music and arts v good - sport's been a bit disappointing (partly due to temporary site - but lack of dedicated head of PE has been an issue) - to be fair though this is now being addressed. The school encourages feedback postive or negative and the leadership always get back to you. I doubt that's the case in many much larger schools, and hopefully with growing students numbers that will continue..

First term of next year will be a squeeze for sure but the new site should be amazing - no doubt staff are as keen as students to move there!

Certainly feel the school offers something special and feel very lucky to live near it and to have secured a place. The focus on 'thinking skills' shows real foresight on behalf of the (excellent) Head. He stresses how important it is to prepare the students for the world they are going into, not the one we as parents grew up in. Spot on...

[charity007]

I have to echo pretty much most of Scruffy Mums post but to add my 2 cents in.

I chose this school over kingsdale because i felt my son needed to have extra attention partly because i felt very let down by our primary school in this regard. we found out he is dyslexic and the teachers have been great at reaching into his mind and encouraging his strengths and managing his weaknesses (talking).

he has become a confident (albeit an annoying teenager) and i feel the school has really helped him on many levels.

I really hope the school continues to develop and grow into something truly fabulous (easily surpassing ND)

[Sol]

Thank you very much. These are all very positive comments apart from a few issues regarding the temporal premisses which hopefully will be sorted next year.

[mrs.lotte]

My son was one of the founding cohort and I have watched him flourish from a quiet child unwilling to put himself forward to a confident young man who puts his hand in the air to volunteer to be a mediator and mentor.

The fact that the school is "not fully established" i.e fairly new is, in many ways, its great strength; small class sizes, dynamic teachers, a nurturing atmosphere amongst students and staff, a lack of bullying/intimidation, involved parents excited to be part of such a successful launch and, very soon, shiny brand new extensive facilities right on our doorstep.

Alex Crossman is an excellent leader; he has an air of calm efficiency without being arrogant, is dynamic and approachable. He has the respect of students, staff and parents.

The school was our only choice for our daughter (and first choice for the majority of her friends). we feel very priviledged indeed to have a place.