Harris Boys Academy East Dulwich - Planning Committee Lobby this Wednesday

[DagmarJ]

Southwark's planning committee will be considering the latest planning application by Harris for the proposed boys school on Peckham Rye (corner Friern Rd, aka the lower Waverley site). EDGE (East Dulwich for Good Education), a group of local residents and parents, will be attending the meeting to oppose the current application. If you are also concerned it'd be good to see you outside the Town Hall on Wednesday, from 18:30 (meeting starts at 19:00).

We are all for a new school, and are supportive of a school on that site, but there are huge concerns, e.g.

1. the current plan and the lack of consultation around it (950 boys on a tiny site which Southwark's own feasibility study said could only accommodate a maximum of 600; completely separate from the Girls school at the top of the park when originally it was meant to be one school with one head teacher and mixed teaching from key stage 4)

2. the notion of a sports specialist school when in fact all outdoor sports will have to take place off site with lots of bussing to and from the site but no sensible place for loading/unloading etc.

3. a building which Southwarks design panel felt has 'unresolved issues in the way the building's key features are handled fundamentally affecting one's experience of the scheme'

What we hear from most people is huge support and need for a mixed community school over both sites. What is currently on the table is a compromise too far away from that wish and that's why we are still investing our time and energy to present our concerns, and it'd be great if people could join us on Wednesday.

Dagmar

PS: we do have a web site if you want some further information - it's not totally up-to-date but you can join our mailing list there if you are interested. EDGE school campaign

[EDSOC]

Please note that I sent in my correct current email address to the Forum some time ago.

It is NOT a onetel address.

The correct address is [email protected]

Messages for the East Dulwich Society can be received at this wanadoo address.

Very sorry for any confusion the onetel address goes back many years to when our Society founded the East Dulwich Action Group which saved Lordship Lane and North Cross Roads as shopping centres and North Cross Road as a Market Street.

Ref. The proposed Harris Academy Peckham Rye.

East Dulwich Society fully supports the EDGE Campaign and deplores the lack of proper consultation , the size of the proposed school population and the apparent trespass onto the grass verges which are common land.

We urge all our members who may see this posting and support our objections to the proposal ( not to a school ) to turn up at Planning Committee the Town Hall at 6.30 pm on 2nd July.

Sincerely,

Ken Hoole Chair East Dulwich Society

[AllforNun]

Er ..what is a mixed community school ?

[Muttley]

AllforNun Wrote:

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> Er ..what is a mixed community school ?

Mixed means there are boys and girls.

Community means the local population getting involved.

And a school is where young people go to learn things.

If there's anything else I can help with, do let me know.

[brendapermaul]

I have just been out petitioning local people. The overwhelming view is that they want a school, but do not want a 950 boys school on this site.

Join the lobby tomorrow and let's get a decant local school !

[brendapermaul]

Update on the petition - we have about 250 signatures, with more to come - we also have new people coming to the lobby - come and join us - numbers are important.

[tiddles]

I am in complete agreement with all the discussion about this school - by golly we need it but the plan is seriously flawed - we are short changing the children who will be attending. However this is a done deal and I very much doubt that the powers that be give a monkeys about what parents/locals think or feel about this. As long as they tick the boxes the career politicians and councillors will spout the usual number crunching stats without ever answering the questions put to them.

I applaud you brendapermaul, Edsoc and Dagmarj for your unstinting efforts however this cynic feels that we haven't got a hope in hell and it is going to become a sink school before it has even opened. squash them in - as long as it ticks the boxes, who cares what actually happens to these children.

[Ondine]

And what would happen if we all decided to get behind this school....?

[tiddles]

I think most people want the school but not if it means squashing the pupils in, with not much space for exercise and fresh air at play times. Maybe there are plans for the children to be allowed to use part of peckham rye for recreation/sport?

[AllforNun]

Hi muttley,

So having a Boys School on One Side and a Girls school on the other side of Peckham Rye, ticks your mixed community part. I am sure the parents of all the children going to these schools and who live in the community do and will take an active part in the schools. I know lots of parents who are involved in the Girls academy and it's a great thing to. And yes your right Children will go and learn things at this school, why would they not ? Have you personally taken responsibility for hiring the teaching staff? are they all rubbish ? if that is the case then your issue is surely with the teacher training colleges ?

Just another thought, if this school leads to the badly needed updating and investment in the National Sports center at Crystal palace the surely that is a great thing. I know that Jags (4th best performing school in Britain), Alleyns and Dulwich College all used to bus their children regulary to the Sports Centre for swimming lessons. Lots of other schools in the area still do, most of them on busy and congested roads.

Is your concern about this so called pre labelled 'sink school' the fact that there may only be a couple of parents riding to the school on fashionably contemporary yet old fashioned bicyles with whicker baskets on the front and EDT oraganic bags slung over the handle bars ?

Hope this has alayed your fears and i am glad we agree that we are both talking about the same thing. See you at Harvest Festival.

Any questions , just pop your collar and ask.

[Muttley]

Allfornun, you're trying your best to pick an argument, but my only point is that 950 is in my belief too many for that size of site. If you can name any state school with an emphasis on sport that has successfully operated on this model, I'd be pleased to know about it. End of story.

[first mate]

I think kids from the other Academy adjacent to Peckham Rye are already using the Rye for Sports Events.

I for one seriously hope that sections of the Rye do not become permanent extensions of the school/s. Regular use in this way could seriously impact on the park and its other users. It was not meant to be used in this way and it is an easy get out for Southwark Council/ Harris etc..

I don't object to occasional use. It's the notion that large sections of the park are given over to schools/sports academies that bothers me and I believe there is an intention to do just this.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I noticed a running tracked was painted a couple of weeks ago at the top end. Even at 400 metres, this didn't stop there being enough space for everyone to carry on as usual, and I for one think it's quite fun to run round (as long as noone is looking!)

[first mate]

Sure, as I said, occasional use is okay. But if it becomes regular and you have a second school doing the same thing, that is going to take up much more park space. Plus when you've got lots of kids in one area you have to start looking at restrictions, health and safety and so on.

It's the thin end of the wedge, in my view.

[AllforNun]

Hi again mutley,

I think you need to define this notion of sports. I think the idea is to use sport in an innovative to underpin an already established curriculum. You seem to all be implying that there will be 30mins of 100m followed by a double period of Pole Vault before ending the day on shotput sessions. I think this link to the Girls Academy will help inform everyone a bit better.

http://www.hgaed.org.uk/index.php?page=epage61

And as had been stated many times before it is infact only 750 full time students

[AllforNun]

400m or 1000m ?

[brendapermaul]

Well, despite all of our efforts and 513 signatures on the petition, we lost.

The behaviour of our local councillors was pretty awful and needs to be reported !

Councillor Toby Eccersly (Conservative) was very keen to support the school - but equally keen to make sure that the coaches taking the pupils off site for sport didn't upset his constituents in Dulwich VIllage.

Councillors Richard Thomas ( Lib Dem) and Robert Smeath (Labour ) spoke about their support for the school and how the public wanted it. However, when asked about what they had heard from their constituents, Smeath nervously talked about them being less concerned about this design than the previous one. Thomas made his usual accusation about people opposing the school being a coalition of minorities - 500 isn't a minority !He never mentioned the number of emails he had been sent in favour of the school - so draw your own conclusions!

Finally 'local resident' George Leahy, also spoke in favour of the school. He neglected to mention that he is also a long term member of the Labour Party and heavily linked with Tessa Jowell. He also talked about how he had wanted to send his boy to a local school, but couldn't because there wasn't one. Again, he forget to mention that he could have sent his daughter to Waverly, now Harris Girls, but actually CHOSE to send her to a Lewisham school.

Where do these people come from and why do we elect them ?

Surely there must be other candidates to vote for in two years time.

In the meantime, any ideas for continuing the campaign ?

[Administrator]

There are three separate discussions on the Academy, so to avoid confusion I am locking this one and please use Harris Academy for boys on Peckham Rye approved to comment further.