Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting

[LondonMix]

There is a lot that goes into ensuring a school's admission policy is meeting broader goals but that is entirely for the community to comment on as a whole after the schools explain their strategies to ensure their intake will be comprehensive and t coordinated with other local schools for a coherent local strategy.

[parentsteeringgroup]

The parent steering group for the local campaign for a new secondary school for East Dulwich would like to thank all its supporters, followers and friends and invite them to come along to

Haberdashers' Aske's Consultation Meeting for parents and carers

7pm on July 10th at Goose Green Primary School, Tintagel Crescent SE22 8HG

Please reserve your place using the form at this link: www.haaf.org.uk/ED-IM or using this email address: [email protected]

At the meeting will be representatives and senior staff from Haberdashers' Askes, Southwark Council's Cabinet and local Ward Councillors. This is another opportunity for parents and carers to have a say about the local need for a secondary school and to let Haberdashers' Aske's know your views on admission policies and other issues that can help shape the proposed new school. The consultation meeting will be led by Haberdashers' Aske's Federation and provide more information about the exciting proposals for a new school for East Dulwich.

Afterwards from 8pm all are welcome to stay and join the speakers and the steering group for tea and coffee and a chat with other parents to ask additional questions and find out even more about the campaign for the proposed site of a secondary school on the Dulwich Hospital site.

We are pleased to offer a cr?che service (reception age upwards) provided by the Goose Green After School Club so no one need miss out on this chance to come along, so please do register if you need places in the cr?che www.haaf.org.uk/ED-IM

Once again thank you for all the support throughout the campaign so far.

Follow us on Twitter @NewSchDulwich

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/NewSchDulwich

[Otta]

In my day you could live in East Dulwich and go to school in New Cross. Aske's in fact. There were lots of kids from SE22 at Aske's back then.

Oh how times have changed.

The thought of a school just for one specific post code is funny though.

This is a local school for local people!

[mrs.lotte]

Leaflets advertising the public meeting on 10/7 being put into letter boxes as we speak!

The leaflet from Haberdashers states that it welcomes parents views on what the admission policy should be so I guess those who would like to express an opinion should come to the meeting or contact Habs on the details they provide.

[clux]

Thanks. I'll be there.

[James Barber]

I'm particulalrly please a creche is being provided for the public consultation 7pm 10 July at Goose Green School that Haberdashers' are leading.

[James Barber]

Latest number of supporters is 647 conservatively counted (counted only once per family and only one child per family.

[James Barber]

Just to confirm that the final governance hurdle for the Haberdashers' Aske's Federation internal agreement with their governing board to proceed with a free school bid for our Hatcham East Dulwich has been confirmed.

I never doubted this would be agreed but it is still a helpful milestone towards our new East Duwlich secondary school happening.

Well done to everyone for supporting our campaign and making it happen.

[sophiesofa]

Is the proposed school now going to be called Haberdashers' askes's Hatcham East Dulwich then? Such a mouth full! Is that to try and disassociate themselves from haberdashers's askes knights academy which is not that far away?

[Shuggy]

Slightly alarmed by tweet just now from Peter John, leader of Southwark Council, claiming Southwark LibDems have voted AGAINST a new secondary in ED.

"@peterjohn6

Amazing - @swklibdems vote AGAINST Labour's motion for a new secondary school in East Dulwich. Whose side are they on?"

Then Southwark Lib Dems tweeted saying LABOUR have opposed their amendments.

James, could you clarify what this is all about please?

[bawdy-nan]

I find it deeply depressing. It makes the process of local government look petty and self-serving.

[bawdy-nan]

southwark lib dems seem to be saying that labour were denying there was any need for more primaries (which is right, I think isn't it?) and that is why lib dms voted against new secondary - what an utter shambles

"@swklibdems: Of course that is only half the story... Labour motion was party political & denied there is also a need for new primary schools."

[LondonMix]

There is no need for new primary schools in East Dulwich! That's borne out by the projections and the report produced in March by the council.

What a shambles.

[anna0]

Good news,James. It helps to me.

[LondonMix]

Anna you signed up to the forum today to make that post?

James, can you clarify how you voted on this matter as well as provide more details regarding the amendments your party wanted to make to the original motion?

[James Barber]

Hi LondonMix,

The short answer...

Initating and leading the secondary school campaign in East Dulwich I/we are still 100% in favour and jumping through numerous hoops to keep pushing for it on all space not used for new health facilities.

Some sad hypocrisy was going on last night with the Labour motion.

I took parents from the new ED free secondary school campaign steering group to meet Labour Cllr Peter John and Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle to try and convince them of the need for a new secondary school. He agreed as we had over 500 families supporting our new school and officers agreed to write a report supporting the need. But the takeway I took was that he thought our new secondary school could be more vertical ensuring space for other non medical and school uses. Based on his comments I've been beavearing away with a pro bono architect working out how to prove we'll need all the remaining space after new medical facilities for our new secondary school.

So I was perplexed and delighted Labour now suggest they support 2/3rds of the hospital site for our new secondary school.

To be fair Cllr Peter John had no recollection of his comments but I have a very vivid recollection and it resulted in a number of discussions with the parents steering group and others as to how we would counter this.

The Labour motion was about trying to create controvacy that isn't there and we proposed an amendment to try fixing it. As the opposition we lost the votes. I/we voted for the amendment and against the unamended substantive motion.

We need all the proposed free primary schools and expansions, one of which is the Harris Nunhead. The ideal site for that is on the Harris Girls East Dulwich Academy - preferred by Harris and the EFA. It is for Southwark to decide whether to allow that or not. An alternate site would be 520 Lordship Lane but as the Dulwich Estate control that it would also need Southwark to help make this happen. The EFA got its fingers burnt with how the Dulwich Estate acted against the Judith Kerr Bilingual free school and wont countenance trying to work with Dulwich Estate without the council helping.

The motion pretended that it was the government that holds the cards in this situation. It is Southwark Council as the planning authority whose actions will either see the Harris Nunhead school on the Dulwich Hospital site or at another better site.

The motion was to distract from that and try and make political capital out of parental worry for secondary school places.

PS. The same officer report Labour councillors were quoting state we have enough primary schools places locally also says we have no shortage of secondary schools places until 2018. Also states the council have asked Charter Schools and both the local Harris Boys and Girls academies to expand by 180-240 places per year group.

PPS. Reference to Ivydale. We think Ivydale is going from strength to strength and wish it well. But doubling it to 840 pupils creating a supersized school we believe is not in the interests of pupils or ensuring this schools success over the very long term. A new free primary school would be a better solution - perhaps provided by Ivydale as a seperate school or another provider a la new Belham free school. It would also see all the money to make it happen coming from central government and not need Southwark to spend the ?5M. I've had casework about Bellenden New School a Southwark controlled school leaking like a sieve - so the saving could be really well spent fixing such maintenance issues.

[Shuggy]

Thanks for the explanation and the background James. I'm not sure I understand what the actual motion was though and why you objected to it?

[samstopit]

This is the motion:

MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR CHARLIE SMITH (Seconded by Councillor Helen Hayes)

East Dulwich Secondary School

Council assembly:

1.Notes that there is clear evidence of the need for a secondary school in the Dulwich area in order to meet local demand and that the Dulwich hospital site has been identified as the only suitable site in the local area.

2. Notes that two providers have put forward proposals for a new secondary school on this site and that both are backed by strong local parental campaigns and have the full backing of the council and local MPs.

3. Notes that the need for primary school places in this part of the borough is being met through a number of new local free school proposals and the expansion of existing primary schools, including Ivydale School, which is the preferred choice of local parents.

4. Supports the view of local parents that what is needed on the Dulwich hospital site is a new secondary school, not another primary school.

5. Believes that it is completely unacceptable for the coalition government to be progressing plans for a primary free school on the Dulwich hospital site without consulting local parents or the local authority.

6. Believes that blocking a new and much needed secondary school in this area would completely go against the coalition government?s own policy of responding to local need and demand, as well as the free school aspiration of parent led schools with a diversity of providers.

7. Calls on cabinet to press the Education Secretary to be open and transparent about his plans for the Dulwich hospital site and to listen to the views of the local community and their elected representatives who have been campaigning for a secondary school on this site.

8. Calls on councillors from all parties to stand firmly with local people who want a secondary school in East Dulwich, rather than supporting another primary school, which would limit rather than increase parental choice, in an area where the council has worked hard with popular local schools to expand places and meet demand.

Note: If the motion is agreed, any proposals will be submitted to the cabinet for consideration.

[parentsteeringgroup]

For those who couldn't make last week's meeting, and those who may not have had a chance to fill in a feedback form yet, we thought it would be useful to post the link to the online form: http://www.haaf.org.uk/New-East-Dulwich-Secondary-School-1

This is your chance to tell Haberdashers' how you think the school should work. Many of you have particular views on admissions, and there is scope to share your views on that as well as other issues, such as how the school could work with the community, and what facilities it should have. On the admissions point, Haberdashers' would be interested to know, for example, whether you live in what you consider to be a secondary schools black hole, and whether you would support the idea of "nodal points". Those who came to the meeting may have picked up on the mention of nodal points, but for those who aren't aware, a nodal point is a point outside of the school site from which distance can be measured and admissions determined. i.e., a way to open catchment up in black holes.

Haberdashers are currently in the process of evaluating all the data, and if you have time to go online and fill in a form before the summer holidays kick in, then it all helps towards informing their application when it goes into the Department for Education after the star of the new academic year. We know everyone is busy with the end of term and preparing for summer holidays, but if you do want to have a say on this, then now is your chance. It's also an opportunity to register your support for Haberdashers, if you wish to.

Many thanks - and do post if you have any questions. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter too: https://www.facebook.com/NewSchDulwich?ref=ts&fref=ts

@NewSchDulwich

[LondonMix]

Thanks Samtopit for detailing the motion.

James, what exactly in the above did you object to and why?

[James Barber]

I'm not sure inflicting this on the thread will help but here goes:

The agenda and most papers can be seen here for last nights council assembly. The Lib Dem amendment is in supplemnetal papers no.2 which isnt on the web yet - [moderngov.southwark.gov.uk]

The motion with my comments added in []:

MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR CHARLIE SMITH (Seconded by Councillor Helen Hayes) East Dulwich Secondary School

Council assembly:

1. Notes that there is clear evidence of the need for a secondary school in the

Dulwich area in order to meet local demand and that the Dulwich hospital

site has been identified as the only suitable site in the local area.

[not according to council officer reports - the next one to cabinet next weeks talks about a surplus and that officers have asked 3 local secondary schools to expand by 180-240 pupils per year - so how can the Labour council support a new secondary school while asking other schools to expand to provide the supply of the new secondary school. Or is it expecting the free school applications to fail? We clearly don't need 12-16 forms of entry locally]

2. Notes that two providers have put forward proposals for a new secondary

school on this site and that both are backed by strong local parental

campaigns and have the full backing of the council and local MPs.

[We're not clear both campaigns have strong local parental support. The Charter campaign hasnt yet been transparent on how many parents have signed up to its campaign.]

3. Notes that the need for primary school places in this part of the borough is

being met through a number of new local free school proposals and the

expansion of existing primary schools, including Ivydale School, which is

the preferred choice of local parents.

[The Harris Nunhead is the second primary school resulting from our campaign attracting over 250 local families support. Without lots of local parental support the EFA would never have agreed to fund it or the Harris ED free primary school - at no point have parents been asked their preferred method, the system however barmy doesnt work like that. Equally we think expanding ANY primary school to have 840 pupils isnt a great idea. Imagine being a young child faced with a school bigger than many secondary schools. The professional advice we've had from several sources is 60 primary pupils per year is ideal. 90 before the Pupil Premium was introduced to give more financial flexibility was acceptable.]

4. Supports the view of local parents that what is needed on the Dulwich

hospital site is a new secondary school, not another primary school.

[ironically the use of the Dulwich Hospital for a Harris Primary school was the original suggestion. NHS Property were so crap that we couldnt make it happen in time and sadly the East Dulwch Police station was vacated and after a lot of fighting we secured that. To help make a Harris primary school happen on the Dulwich Hospital site the CE of Southwark Council and the Labour council issued a letter allowing the Dulwich Hospital to seperate out a planning application for a new Harris primary school if necessary rather than wait for the whole site planning app. So the council have previously given a green light fo a primary school on this site. Tessa Jowell's original letter to Michael Gove in fact suggests a secondary school and/or a primary school on the site. Peter John was orignally convinced the site could host new medical facilities, a new secondary built upwards and other uses such as housing. So lots of hypocrisy]

5. Believes that it is completely unacceptable for the coalition government to

be progressing plans for a primary free school on the Dulwich hospital site

without consulting local parents or the local authority.

[the coalition government isn't progressing a primary school. What Michael Gove has said is that once the NHS property people have concluded their work the only currently approved free school without a home may be negotiated to go there - but we know the timing is such that one or both secondary schools will be approved before those negotiations are formally started].

6. Believes that blocking a new and much needed secondary school in this area would completely go against the coalition government?s own policy of responding to local need and demand, as well as the free school aspiration of parent led schools with a diversity of providers.

[no blocking. but also two other better sites for the Harirs Nunhead exist and Southwark Council are the arbiter of whether they happen or not through use of planning powers].

7. Calls on cabinet to press the Education Secretary to be open and transparent about his plans for the Dulwich hospital site and to listen to the views of the local community and their elected representatives who have been campaigning for a secondary school on this site.

[but he has been open and transparent. They will listen through free school applications and Southwark as the planning authority will consult with the local community].

8. Calls on councillors from all parties to stand firmly with local people who want a secondary school in East Dulwich, rather than supporting another primary school, which would limit rather than increase parental choice, in

an area where the council has worked hard with popular local schools to expand places and meet demand.

[How would adding another primary school in the area limit choice? in extremis both schools could be housed on the hospital site BUT the ideal location for the primary school is in the gift of Southwark Council].

Hence why we didnt vote for the unamended motion. It was pure scare mongering and scapegoating Southwark Council not getting on with helping find a suitable site for the Harris Nunhead. I predict they'll drag feet to stretch this out egging on the community. Politics at its most cynical.

Now can we please concentrate on making a secondary school happen. Southwark Council need to amend is Dulwich Hospital SPD to ensure this happens on 2/3rds of the site.

[LondonMix]

James point blank-- do you support a Harris Nunhead school being opened on the Dulwich Hospital site despite there being a surplus of spaces in ED from 2016 onwards that could already meet a shortfall in Nunhead (if a Harris Nunhead didn't open in Nunhead), yes or no?

[bawdy-nan]

actually the motion seems pretty straightforwardly accurate in its assessment of the situation but I guess that's why local politics makes me feel a bit queasy

[hpsaucey]

LondonMix Wrote:

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

> James point blank-- do you support a Harris

> Nunhead school being opened on the Dulwich

> Hospital site despite there being a surplus of

> spaces in ED from 2016 onwards that could already

> meet a shortfall in Nunhead (if a Harris Nunhead

> didn't open in Nunhead), yes or no?

Hang on - isn't THIS thread about the Haberdasher's Proposal for a secondary NOT about whether or not a local councillor supports the opening of a completely separate primary school?

HP

[LondonMix]

If the councillor supports the school opening on the same site as the secondary school, then it matters in my opinion as it fundamentally impacts what facility either Habs or Charter will be able to develop as part of the offering.