New primary school in Southwark/Lambeth?

[James Barber]

Hi cornelia,

I see them as complementary. I hope we have three new schools one being the German/English school.

Mrs.Lotte,

I have a formal question lined up to explore secondary school places. But not reached the stage of bulge classes at our secondary schools and don't yet have a forecast that shows we need another 2 to 3 primary schools.

It is immensely frustrating that the past forecasts have been so wrong. After 40+ years of getting it right the forecasting is still showing such rapid changes.

Hi LondonMix,

the Dulwich Hospital from memory is 27,000m2. The ideal land for a primary school is 5,000m2. So the site could take two schools. Equally I understand they've shown interest in other sites in SOuthwark and Lambeth. I sincerely hope they success and are based in the Dulwich area. The worst possible case is that one day we have a surplus of primary places and some schools bulge down to two form entry. We're probably decades away from that.

[Northeastview]

Just thought I'd add that I'm really pleased about the bilingual school and have registered. My son goes to the near by German Kindergarten, we waited 2 years for a place there so it must be pretty popular. We are not German but I would like him to keep up his language now he has started (it also keeps me practicing) and moving to Richmond to go to the German school is way out of our budget.

[LondonMix]

Sorry James, I didn't mean to imply it was zero sum but rather that both were interested. I think a bilingual offering would be wonderful locally but that at least one school gets on this viable site is important.

[sand12]

I am very interested in seeing a new school in the area, since we have a young one getting ready for nursery next year. I would have some serious reservations though about opening a school for young children on the site for a former hospital. The hazardous waste and chemicals used in these facilities for years can remain if not disposed of properly. I am not sure what the history of the dulwich hospital site is, but I would want some very good assurances that the site was tested for any potential harmful hazchems before it was chosen as the site.

[James Barber]

Hi northeastview,

Excellent you're one of 89 to register support for the bilingual school so far. Do get friends and families to add their support. The more from Dulwich the great the chance it would be create here. But we need 2-3 new schools.

Hi LondonMix,

The Dulwich Hopsital site is 27,000m2 from memory. Health people have said they'n need someting like 7,000m2. This leaves 20,000m2. But other local sites exist but would be more complicated to acquire.

Hi sand12,

Any planning application would come with conditions about ensuring the soil is clean. Equally no one would want to devleope a contaminated site, if it is found to be, and then house a school their - the liability would be huge.

Please do email me your support for a new school - I need your name, childs DOB and home psotcode.

[mrs.lotte]

Of course stats must be collated but it doesn't take a genius to work out that if there was a sudden explosion in demand in primary school places in 2008 then it is a certainty that there will be a corresponding explosion in demand in secondary school places 7 years later.

The squeeze on primary places is being accommodated, albeit with a lot of goodwill, by bulge classes.

I repeat, what is being done to address the inevitable increase in demand for secondary places.

I agree with Cora, a ticking timebomb.

[James Barber]

I wish it was quite so crystal clear. Historically fmailies have left Southwark for better secondary choices. In many cases for primary school choices. The housing market recently seems to have seriously affected this and the birth rate itself has changed.

Secondary school places in Southwark - we've recently had ED Harris Boys, one school is closed for rebuilding on Cmaberwell New Road and Rotherhither looks likely ot have a new seocndary school. Together that adds 450 secondary places into the pot.

But my priority is to get the primary schools we need underway. But without sufficient local support we'd just see ever more clas buldging which eventually will have a negative impact on school results.

[Alec John Moore]

It's right to point out that we should be taking a longer view. It is quite complicated though. According to a couple of Southwark bods who came to our kids' primary in Camberwell to talk about the expansion of that school, there has been a change in demographics in London. As I understand it the churn effect is less so families are staying in London longer rather than heading out to the provinces to bring their children up. Although anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise and it may not be sustained. So, the situation regards demand for school places is perhaps less predictable than before.

Aside from that, and a more complex in my view, is the relationship between parents and children's desires and aspirations for secondary school and the schools' admissions policies. Cora makes the point well and we found just that situation when our son was in year 5. He ended up getting in to Kingsdale but that may not be a viable option for children who are now in years 3, 4 and 5.

I think the case of Harris Boys in East Dulwich is interesting in terms of how decisions are made about secondary school provision. As I understand it, parents lobbied for there to be a new secondary school in East East Dulwich and got a Harris Boys academy which is no use to those who wanted to be in a co-ed school. I know this can never be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties but Ofsted isn't the only way of judging whether a school is suitable for your child. I would have wanted our son to go to Deptford Green where he was offered a place. He and I both liked the ethos and the headteacher's views on learning and pastoral care but it is two bus journeys away from East Dulwich so not something we could accept at the time.

So, it was complicated for us partly because where we live is outside of the Charter catchment zone otherwise Charter would have been our first choice.

But, my main point is that it is difficult to accommodate the needs and interests of parents and children in this process in a meaningful and effective way, partly because the process is so political. I don't have any answers I'm afraid.

[reddulwich]

Of course Dulwich has loads of schools - its just that none of them are for anyone who wishes their kids were state educated.

Mr Barbers party suggest we should open free schools. So maybe the Dulwich Hospital should become a free school?

[Chillaxed]

James, the 89 figure you quote is for parents who have registered their children to attend the bilingual primary next year. There are many more parents who support the school who have not registered (because their children are not yet of school age, or who are awaiting confirmation of the school's location).

Chillaxed

James Barber Wrote:

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

> Hi northeastview,

> Excellent you're one of 89 to register support for

> the bilingual school so far. Do get friends and

> families to add their support. The more from

> Dulwich the great the chance it would be create

> here. But we need 2-3 new schools.

[James Barber]

Hi Chillaxed,

Manythanks for clarifying. I thought I was being positive by saying 89 are supporitng it.

Hi reddulwich,

My party is suggesting free schools are the only pragmatic mechanism so we should use it. That's not the same as you've suggested. our views on these nationsal policies will not get in the way of us trying to use the system to best advantages for local children.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Mrs Lotte and other bringing up Secondary above. Southwark are aware of the impending demand for extra Secondary places, particularly from 2016 onwards (current year 3s). There is planning going on for this. It will involve a mixture of new schools and expansions of existing ones.

One of the most difficult issues for the South of the Borough is where to put New Schools. Currently there is no site earmarked to put a new primary in the South of the Borough. As the future of healthcare in South London still lies in the balance, there is no reason to assume that the Dulwich Hospital Site will become available for a new school. It is an NHS site, not owned by the council. I am taking a cautious route on all of this. Yes, there is a forecast of increasing numbers of pupils, however, it takes more than free school providers waiting in the wings to set up new schools. They need a site to accommodate the pupils. The lack of a site near Borough station meant that Southwark Free school moved several Kms to the East from their original proposed location. Yes, they now have a school, but with I suppose a totally different set of parents than those who supported them and the school is Currently in a Tenants and Residents Hall. Not an ideal situation at all.

Renata

[Jessie]

Thank you Renata for addressing the secondary question