New primary school in Southwark/Lambeth?

[LondonMix]

There are not enough school places. Schools are having to take turns creating bulge classes often housed in temporary facilities which are straining school resources and resulting in suboptimal learning environments. That there are not enough school places is a mathematical fact. Also, the idea that building schools encourages people to have children is odd. School building right now is only trying to catch up with the demographic reality.

[alice]

there are not enough primary school places - true but this proposal seeks to take children who already attend local schools year 1 and 2 to fill its roll. and we are paying. crazy.

[LondonMix]

Why crazy? Would you like it to start running with only a reception class? The school will be fully constructed and there are minimum economies of scale for operating the premises. Once up and running for a few years it would be fine, this is just a start up issue. Anyhow, in an ideal world, kids transferring from existing schools to the new school would reduce pressure on schools currently accommodating bulge classes (often in facilities not designed for that purpose).

[alice]

its not going to be kids from 'bulge' classes that get priority is it

[gstump]

I think that generally German is a less attractive language than say French is. So maybe if we encourage our children to learn German rather than French then the next generation will be less "vavavavoom" and more "nein, nicht heute Abend" and hopefully finally solve this "problem" of too many prams and children causing havoc around East Dulwich!

[LondonMix]

Like I said, its a set up issue. It makes no sesne for anyone (including the gov't) to run a school with only a reception class. With your thinking, no new school could ever be set up without running at a massive loss.

No, bulge students won't get priority. But to the extent that there are too many children in the existing schools, moving some out creates room for movement more generally. Ideally, this would help the existing schools but ultimately it might not. Either way, its not an argument against opening the school.

[alice]

charter and harris academy both started up as one year only - the school grew with them - that is how it works

[LondonMix]

Yes, you can do that and run at a loss. What is your point? What harm is done by creating spaces for children in other years?

[James Barber]

Whichever group/s decide to apply to set-up a new school will decide how they want to do it. It's a 130 page form.

If they choose to just start with reception - highly likely as most owuld start in temporary accomodation - or open classes across year is frankly up to them and the parents that support them.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I was baby boom child. We had mobile classrooms in the playground. A temporary measure for a temporary problem.

We dont need more schools, just better managed existing schools.

[sillywoman]

But all the playgrounds have been sold off or built over now MP, as have a lot of the schools that the BabyBoomers went to.

[first mate]

I feel a little concerned about a hospital site not being used for that purpose. One gets the feeling that NHS services are oversubscribed. We also need to think about protected/social housing for the elderly in the area. Clearly we need to look after the future of our children but a balance needs to be struck and it sometimes feels it tips more in the direction of catering for younger members of the community and less for the elderly and for the physically and mentally disabled.

[LondonMix]

MP, I would agree with you if this were a temporary issue but it doesn't appear to be. It appears to be part of a growing trend across the city for couples to remain in London when starting families rather than moving further out. If this is the case, it is sensible to adjust services and facilities accordingly.

[James Barber]

Local East Dulwich councillors have asked the Harris Federation to deliver one or possibly two primary schools for our area:

http://jamesbarber.mycouncillor.org.uk/2012/12/04/new-primary-schools-for-se22/

To make a new free school happen we need 80 families with 1 or 2 year children to state they would consider using a new school/s in 2014 or 2015. Please see attached leaflet.

If you support a new school then please email me your name, children date/s of birth, your post code.

[Chillaxed]

Why Harris, James? How will this affect the possibility of the German school adopting East Dulwich?

Chillaxed

[James Barber]

Hi Chillaxed,

It now appears clear that we have increasing demand expected to peek in 2016 for an extra two or three schools in the area.

The German/English school is considering possible sites across Southwark and Lambeth. That lack of certainty about location means we can;t rely upon it being one of the two we need but possibly the third.

Why Harris? 9/10 of its schools are rated outstanding by Ofsted. So an amazing track record of producing outstanding schools. They also are very well connected with the government so if anyone can swing having a 1/5th of the Dulwich Hospital site they can. The second site to the east of East Dulwich gets more interesting. But Harris think they can come up with a practical solution.

So far I have 10 children's families for a new school of the 80 needed for the first school and of the 160 needed for two schools.

[Cora]

What secondary schools do all these extra primary school kids go to?

[James Barber]

Hi Cora,

We're awaiting answers about secondary school demand.

But primary school places are more urgent and locally it was only 3 years ago that the Harris boys secondary school opened. Initially pupils have generally come from out of the area so locally we have sme capacity it would appear.

[LondonMix]

James, would the second site (not the hospital) be in East Dulwich or would it be further east (Nunhead) but potentially serving the eastern section of ED?

[ahoffman]

Second possible site is in Rotherhithe, so not v. helpful for E. Dulwich.

[mrs.lotte]

Really James? That's not what I hear from ED parents who cannot get into Harris. The children coming from out of the area are doing so as a result of banding not because of a lack of local demand.

The strain on primary places began 4 years ago at a time when the local council totally failed to see that it was going to happen and failed to make provision for it, causing enourmous stress for parents that year which has never been as severe since given the pre planning of bulge classes. Those children will be leaving primary in 3 years. There is already a problem with secondary places now, that is going to get worse, i predict that there will be little or no foresight or provision for the local secondary education for those children currently in Y3.

If you are able to provide some information to the contrary i would be grateful.

[LondonMix]

No, that's the potential non-ED site for the German/English school. I think the idea is there will be 2 new primaries in our local area (one on the hospital site) run by Harris plus potentially the German / English school if they decide to set up in the area based on a similar thread in the family room.

ahoffman Wrote:

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

> Second possible site is in Rotherhithe, so not v.

> helpful for E. Dulwich.

[cornelia]

So, to be clear, are the Harris primary and the bilingual school in competition for the hospital site?

[LondonMix]

Well James has said that he thinks Harris has the connections to secure the hospital site. The German / English school have also named the hospital site as a possible location within Southwark so draw your own conclusions. If you read all the threads it appears Harris have a better shot at the hospital site and could open up another school serving Nunhead and the Eastern part of ED if they can show parental demand for two new free school primaries run by them. Between SE22 and SE15 the projected shortage totals 235 so realistically to stop the need for bulges up to 3 new large primaries in the general area would be needed.

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1011288,1011807#msg-1011807

[Cora]

I have three boys and no car. My local choices are Charter (unlikely to be close enough for their catchment) and Harris Boys. As I wish them to have a co-educational education I have no local choice and further afield will mainly be penalised because of catchment. The yr3 kids Mrs Lotte talks about will be looking for places in 3yrs - that's not long if we suddenly find a dearth of local secondary places. I think in the past you have suggested that the wealth of single sex girls schools locally means that we need to balance up with single sex ones for the boys which doesn't offer a proper co-educational choice and, in my opinion, penalises boys in particular, as research shows they do better in co-eds whereas girls do better in single sex schools.

I would be really grateful if you could clarify the figures, demand and strategy for local secondary provision. I fear it is a ticking bomb being ignored and I cannot support the use of valuable land/capital for primary places when they will have nowhere to go to six later.