Harris Boys ED Outstanding Ofsted Inspection

[Renata Hamvas]

Well done to staff and pupils at Harris Boys Academy East Dulwich for their fantastic recent Outstanding Ofsted

//http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/135816]Harris boys' Ofsted[/url]

Renata

[Carbonara]

Excellent news.

[taper]

I recall how vehement the opposition was to this school.

[skyblue]

This school has so much going for it, lots of recognised great teaching, good discipline, great facilities, fantastic location.

[Cora]

But no girls.....

[Dorothy]

And still only accommodating a fraction of the number of boys they will need to in the long run.

[The Nappy Lady]

Harris Girls is only ten minutes away & doing brilliantly....

[skyblue]

Would love the Harris east dulwich schools to be co-ed with split sites for the younger and older kids. However there is a lot of people apparently who don't want an east dulwich co-ed, or more precisely making Harris coed. so I have stopped going on about it.

[intexasatthe moment]

What skyblue said !

[lilaclou]

I'm not sure if the two Harris schools work together at all but it would be nice if there was some activities that were done together. For example school trips or extracurricular projects not sure how it would work but definitely beneficial for boys and girls to interact with each other.

[Curmudgeon]

I'm pretty sure most of the community would like the Harris schools to be co-ed

It certainly discounts them for my mixed gender children who I wish to go to the same school

The problem, I understand, is the parents / governors of Harris Girls' school

big big shame

I was extremely impressed by Harris Boys last year I must say

[The Nappy Lady]

Don't both schools have the same set of governers?

I think (may be wrong) that some of the Muslim parents may choose the school because it is girls only so changing this could cause issues for them??

[skyblue]

I think it was the Waverley school girl governors who did not want a coed. Those parents children are probably 16 + now so I can't see why Harris can't re consult. It just makes me so frustrated that living east of lordship lane rules out any chance of my kids being educated together. So now with Charter out of the question for east of eastdulwich Harris as a coed comes once again in to mind. That would be my choice. No buses, a walk, a stable community. That is what I would choose.

[Curmudgeon]

many muslim girls go to mixed schools but yes I would imagine that many existing parents, muslim or otherwise, of the girls' school would have imagined that going co-ed would detrimentally affect their girls' education, based on the available research out there regarding how much better girls do in an all-girl environment and how much better boys do a mixed one.

(sorry can't source that assertion - it's dim and distant memories, but if I had the time I'd locate the studies again)

[skyblue]

Or Harris boy's turns into the coed it was always supposed to be.... I'd send my kids there tomorrow. That was what the Eden campaign was all about. That would be a great choice for families who have kids of both sexes in the local area which Harris was set up to serve. it could allocate a safe walking basis and mop up all the kids that have no prospect of a local coed education, especially with the Charter readjustment that will mean no more kids getting in east of east dulwich and kingsdale being a complete lottery. The girls school can then stay girls- if that is what the parents there really want??

[Curmudgeon]

I agree - having toured the school - I'd gladly send my mixed gender children to Harris 'boys' - but I would be unhappy just sending my son there

[Carbonara]

Why do you wnat to send both children to the same school? (unless they are twins).

It makes sense at primary level, but by the time one gets to secondary they will have been at different schools anyway.

Just wondering - that I might be doing it wrong and have missed some vital factor in my planning!

I don't know anyone who went to the same school as opposite sex siblings.

But I do agree that it would be good to have another co-ed.

Mostly, I would like KD to admit on distance, ot at least within a certain distance.

[skyblue]

So many reasons. I personally can't imagine why you wouldn't want to. All kids at one school adds to much more family involvement with that school, especially if local. One school to focus on. Teachers know siblings even cousins. Walking to school. Sharing circles of friends. Growing up together with shared references.

[skyblue]

So many reasons. I personally can't imagine why you wouldn't want to. All kids at one school adds to much more family involvement with that school, especially if local. One school to focus on. Teachers know siblings even cousins. Walking to school. Sharing circles of friends. Growing up together with shared references.

[Curmudgeon]

skyblue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> So many reasons. I personally can't imagine why

> you wouldn't want to. All kids at one school adds

> to much more family involvement with that school,

> especially if local. One school to focus on.

> Teachers know siblings even cousins. Walking to

> school. Sharing circles of friends. Growing up

> together with shared references.

Everything SkyBlue says - I actually don't understand the opposite approach either. It is important to our family that our children attend the same schools; that they are there to look out for each other; that they have the same reference points as they grow up. That they have their schooldays in a mixed gender, mixed demographic environment that helps them develop as rounded individuals and understand how to get on with all sorts. We don't separate the genders in the real world.

[Carbonara]

I would choose co-ed, and have done where possible, but you know siblings (especially opposite sex siblings) will walk 800m and wait in the cold for an extra 20 mins simply to avoid even being at the same bus stop as each other on the way to school, right?

Fair enough, you would like your kids at the same school, but the whole relationship with the school once they are at secondary is so different. I didn't realise people felt strongly about having kids at the same school. I don't find it any practical disadvantage at all.

[Curmudgeon]

People do though - they can, as I'm sure you're aware, feel extremely strongly about it.

And some siblings do go out of their way to avoid their sisters / brothers during different stages of their lives, but equally some don't - both normal attitudes but as adults looking back on the same schooldays and teachers is a great feature of a shared upbringing

of course the relationship with school is extremely different from secondary to primary for the parent, but I think that's irrelevant if we're considering the children

[skyblue]

They may go out of their way to avoid each other- but even that is a part of growing up. I ignored my brother all of my secondary school life- but I knew he was there, knew he knew I was. We always kept an eye out. The relationship with school is different- but parent support of it is still crucial. It is easier to support one than two or more. I feel very strongly that this is what would be best for our family.

[DenmotherSmith]

My son is a year seven at Harris Boys, I wanted a mixed school for him ( I have three sons and a daughter)but he really liked the school and was not bothered about the lack of girls so we decided to give our fifth choice (grr) a chance and so far he has been very happy. I think the schools (Harris boys and girls) do have plans to become more entwined in the future.I get the impression that Harris wanted the boys school to make its own mark and the girls school to improve (Harris has only had the school for about four years) They do have a shared governing body and my son is going on a joint water sports holiday to Spain with yr7 Harris girls, he also was part of a joint choir that practiced at the girls school. I've heard there are plans to have a joint sibling entrance policy in the future. The sixth form is also mixed. Im happy for my daughter to attend Harris girls (she is three so still some time yet!)

I totally agree with the all siblings at same school sentiment, it definitely makes for an easier life all round, but I understand that it is not for everyone. I am hoping that with more encouragement and support from parents both schools will introduce a more mixed environment, realistically I think this would be joint after school activities, drama production, DofE etc.

Its what I will be asking for at parent forum meetings.

[Amethyst]

My son is also in year 7 at Harris Boys. I also have a younger daughter and while it would make life easier for her to follow my son into the same secondary school (as she did with primary school); I do not believe my daughters needs should be a deciding factor of which secondary school my son attends. They are very different children and might not necessarily thrive in the same environment.

The school achieved their outstanding inspection with boys only on the premises. Of course, there are no GCSE results to back up the OFSTED report as yet; but from my own personal experience, my son does not appear to be struggling academically, just because he is now in a classroom full of boys as opposed to a mixture.

Although I am not actually against the idea of a co-ed school, there will be parents who chose to send their son to Harris Boys' as it is the only local boys school; and I feel it would be unfair for the school to change it's intake or any other features to satisfy those who do not already have children at the school. Especially when some of those parents campaigned against it's very existence! (This is not necessarily directed at anyone in this thread)

I just feel quite passionate about the performance of the teachers, children and Parent Voice group, despite the strong opposition that it faced (and still faces, from some quarters) and do not feel that they should have to change, in order to be accepted by the majority of ED residents.

The Parents and children have accepted their place there, knowing that it is an all boys school and I feel that is how it should stay; unless academic results or other matters of concern indicated a need for a drastic change. However I would happily support DenmotherSmith's proposal, of joint after school activities etc; at the parent voice group.