former East Dulwich councillor - how can I help?

[skyblue]

Hi James, I should be grateful if you could let me know if you have met with Harris? If so did you raise the coed issue with them. Can you report back generally on the meeting? Have you had the meeting with kingsdale? Have our local councillors any general thoughts as how to tackle the Se22 secondary school issue? Are the minutes from the community council meeting available yet? Many thanks

[James Barber]

Hi skyblue,

I spent, with my ward colleagues Cllr Rosie Shimell and Cllr Jonathan Mitchell, Monday visiting ED Harris Boys Academy, Goodrich School and Kingsdale School. Really informative and useful day. All the schools were impressive in different ways.

Harris Boys has absolutely no thoughts about changing to coed BUT will be sharing it 6th form with the ED Harris Girls Academy. It plans to invest ?400k in Athenlay sports club to have closer sports facilities - change into PE kit at school and then job across the park to the sports club. I still think it bonkers that they book football pitches in Peckham Rye park but schools from further afield can. One day sanity will prevail. The years 7 & 8 boys were impressive and more advanced than I was at that age. I remember the plans for the school and its a lot bigger on the inside than I'd imagined. I will be amazed if its GCSE results when they start coming through aren't also very impressive.

The Harris Federation is looking to have primary schools join it. The head and the Harris Federation Chief Executive were both very generous with the time they gave us and had put together a fascinating and enjoyable programme to demonstrate the variety of teaching the school undertakes. Hearng about the Harris federation confirmed my understanding that they are now bigger than many education authorities with pronounced economies of scale and sharp focus on teacher performance.

Goodrich School head was great and I was completely taken by the Sunshine Centre and such a buzzy school of 700 kids and over 100 staff. Lots happening at Goodrich with new reception and entrance area opening on Monday 16th. New Sunshine office about to open. It was good to hear that the website is about to be transformed and I asked if past weekly newslatters could be stoed there. Fingers crossed SATs being taken this week will reflect all the hard work of kids, parents, teachers, governors etc. Goodrich appears to be being courted by both the Harris Federation and Kingsdale as they would like to be involved with such a sucessful school.

Kingsdale School was also particualrly interesting with the recent shortage of popular secondary spaces in our area. After siblings they had 15 applicants for every place. They approached three primary schools to forge much closer links - Goodrich, Ivydale and Langbourne. Depending on how close these primary schools forge such links, kids from these schools could be given better chances of going onto Kingsdale (subject to admissions criteria changing after a formal consultation). Kingsdale benefits from influncing its inputs more. This year they've reached 50% girls which is partly from their marketing and I suspect partly from ED Harris Boys changing the mix. The head and chair of governors spent 2 hours with me which was exceptionally generous of them.

If anyone has anything to add please od PM me. I'm not looing for this thread to expand on these reflections!

[skyblue]

James many thanks you for your time on this. If I have any other points I will raise it by pm.

[Sue]

Sorry if this is not the appropriate place to raise this, but I have spent a lot of effort and money in making the small space in front of my little terraced house look tidy, including having a recess built for my green wheelie bin and recycling stuff.

I had everything neatly stacked by the bin - blue box, blue bag, two bags of garden waste and some flattened cardboard boxes, plus some small sheets of wood which were part of the packaging in the boxes and which I was about to take to the tip.

I came out of my house after the binmen (I think they are all men) had been to find all the recycling just strewn all over the pavement, and the green bin just left there too. The recess was empty, but nobody could get past the mess on the pavement.

I was so annoyed that I actually took photos of it.

I know this is a bit Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells, but I want to report it to someone before it happens again, or to someone else. How do I go about that?

I suppose at least they didn't just fling everything on top of my plants.

[James Barber]

Hi Sue,

If you email me a choice picture and your full name and address, date time of happening I will get a full explanation of how it wont happen again.

[Fuschia]

James Barber Wrote:

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

>

> Harris Boys has absolutely no thoughts about

> changing to coed > Hearng about the Harris federation confirmed my

> understanding that they are now bigger than many

> education authorities

Oh what a shame that they are not subject to the same democratic process as a Local Education Authority, and the coalition govt is determined to lay waste to our education system till the majority of our schools are overseen by the private sector and the unelected

[peckhamboy]

James, it seems that works have started on Grove Vale and temporary traffic lights have been installed. As a result, and somewhat ironically given that the works are allegedly to improve pedestrian safety, the pedestrian crossing outside ED station is out of service with no replacement crossing point offered. Given that the nearest alternatives are the junction with Copleston Road or the Sainsburys crossroads, the result is that people using the station are obliged to take their chances crossing through the traffic. It seems to me that (setting aside the complete lack of consultation or information on the supposed improvements) this aspect shows an incredible lack of thought or planning. Could you please see if something can be done about providing temporary pedestrian crossing facilities close to the station?

[Sue]

Thanks James, will do once I've got the piccies off my camera :)

Thanks.

[James Barber]

Hi Fuschia,

I also feel quite concerned - free schools feel bonkers - Academies were a Labour idea which the tories have taken up a notch or two with no opposition from Labour. In a Lib Dem led Southwark we'd done a really job getting school results up and rolling out near universal pupil developement hubs in each school. But many council don't do a good job running education. So I can see the attraction of freeing schools up to fully run themselves. The key seems to be council offering the once held central services to see what the schools actually want to buy.

My biggest concern is the governing bodies coping without the council safety net.

Also, I can see primary schools going academy and linking up with secondary level academies. The latter are already curting the former.

Hi peckhamboy,

Yes, that does seem daft.

Several aspects of the proposals I formerly and privately have objected to but the Labour councillor in charge Barries Hargrove has the final say. A public meeting was proposed 24 May at the cafe at 39 Grove Vale. But with full council assembly being moved from 18th to 24th that Grove Vale now needs to change.

[Marmora Man]

My biggest concern is the governing bodies coping without the council safety net.

That would be the same council safety net that has delivered bureaucratic, dogmatic, expensive oversight and direction with little or no thought to pupil or parents needs over so many years. I'm not targeting any specific authority or LEA, they all have this tendency. Free schools can do a much better job, be more responsive and more flexible than state run schools.

I recall, with sadness, the history teacher in my son's school telling me in 2005 that the national curriculum meant that he should spend no time talking to his classes about the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar because it wasn't relevant to the periods specified for study. Fortunately, he was a cantankerous old b***** and ignored the guidelines, direction and headmaster's strictures to ensure that all his pupils learnt about this historic, iconic and turning point battle.

[James Barber]

Hi Marmora Man,

Hmmmm, free schools. Their are some really wacky people out their creating free schools - you only need to look at. Sme of the new academies created with fundamentalist religious beliefs denying respected scientific theories.

So personally I don't likes the concept of free schools.

[Marmora Man]

JB - you make the mistake of arguing from the particular to the general. Yes some free schools may be wacky, may promote strange beliefs - but the central argument is about freedom, for parent to choose what they want for their children and not for the state to apply a rigid, doctrinaire approach to every child in the country.

[James Barber]

Hi Marmora Man,

Parents have more choice but tax payers don't. Not all tax payers want to pay for unusual schooling for the public good.

We already have 90% subsidised religious state schools.

Happy to continue via PM but ideally this thread would be kept to issue and problems in East Dulwich that I can help with.

[James Barber]

I've had a complaint from a Dunstans Road resident about their hedge.

They received a letter from Southwark Council officer asking them to trim back their hedge within two weeks.

They asked for a slight extensino due to other commitments.

They trimmed the hedge back partly.

After the agreed deadline council officers checked and decided it was still partly blocking the pavement and instructed contractors to trim it back. As officers can only trim back to the property line they did. It looks savaged as had clearly been left unattended before the current residents took over the property.

So, if you have a hedge please do maintain it correctly to ensure pavements are kept open and to avoid any such hassle. If you need any help let me know and I'll try and put you in touch with organisations to help.

[James Barber]

A resident had their primary school application form lost in the post.

Has any one else had this problem this year or is it truely a problem for one family?

[dazeykat]

Hi James I found out who to contact about the special needs sessions at Peckham Rye adventure playground. The sessions are to continue with funding until November, perhaps beyond.

[James Barber]

Well done dazeycat. Sorry I didn't get the answer before you did.

[dazeykat]

No problem, I'm glad the answer is positive.

[James Barber]

Dulwich Park outdoor gym kit - rowing machine and seated chest press were repaired on Saturday by Fresh Air Fitness.

I'm sure the person who left me a phone message will have noticed but they didn't leave a number to call them back on.

Grove Vale - the public meeting to review the detailed proposals has been rearranged for 6.30pm 2 June at the cafe at 39 Grove Vale. Be early as it will be a squeeze.

[James Barber]

Hi MazzyStar,

Council officer visited 5 Melbourne grove and explained how the rubbish and recyclnig works and the resident assured the council officer they would fully explain to all the other residents of this address.

If you think the problem happens agains please let me know ASAP.

Hi intexasatthe moment,

Hedge trimming process - council officers is told or spots an overhanging vegetation. They leave a letter explaining the residents has two weeks to resolve. They re visit after two weeks. If resolve by resident all well and good if not they instruct contractors to cut the vegetation back to the proprty line. Often this makes the hedge look ridiculous.

I have asked for a copy of the letter sent to residents to check if it fully explains what is required/expected. Where residents have cut back the vegetation but considered insufficient I believe a second letter should be issued as clear the residnt has tried. So the process needs tweaking to be a. more effective avoiding southwark contractor costs and b. more reasonable where residents are trying to comply but have misunderstood.

[Jane23]

Hi James,

I believe you helped making the crossing between Barry Rd/Underhill Rd safer, which is great. However, I drive down Underhill Road all the time, and it strikes me that the crossing is still not safe. Bumps have been put on UHR but not on Barry Road. The problem has always been cars speeding on Barry Road - which they can do, very fast, as it is a straight, clear run - while it is impossible to speed down Underhill Rd. Even waiting on UHR on the new bumps, the sightlines are still tricky, especially if there are vans parked near to the junction. So you still have to creep out to see if another car is coming. Is anything being done to slow down the traffic on Barry Road?

Thanks

Jane

[James Barber]

Hi Jane,

We've effectively copied the layout at Upland Road junction with Barry Road. Council officials and the Cabinet cllr helpfully brought forward budget from this year to enable these works to take place at the Underhill junction. If we're correct the measures installed will resolve the collisions a this junction. To install humps and bumps on Barry Road would take some time to get past (if at all) Transport for London Buses.

Hope that helps explain why we've done what we've done and all going well we'll see hugely reduced collision rate.

[Marmora Man]

Fuschia Wrote:

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

> James Barber Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> >

> > Harris Boys has absolutely no thoughts about changing to coed > Hearng about the Harris federation confirmed my understanding that they are now bigger than many education authorities

>

> Oh what a shame that they are not subject to the same democratic process as a Local Education Authority, and the coalition govt is determined to lay waste to our education system till the majority of our schools are overseen by the> private sector and the unelected.

Did you not read the full post?

Hearng about the Harris federation confirmed my understanding that they are now bigger than many education authorities with pronounced economies of scale and sharp focus on teacher performance.

That last sentence sums up why academies and other non LEA related schools can perform better - focus on what's important, teacher performance - something local authorities have been abysmally poor at (reportedly less than 25 teachers have been dismissed for poor performance over 25 years across UK - given that I can identify at least one in every school my children have been to this is a ridiculously low figure) and controlling costs to get best value.

[James Barber]

Hi Marmora Man,

I get the point which is why I picked up on it. But working for 60+ years as a teacher is a huge challenge. They have a habit of burning out. I think that if we as a society want to challenge teachers more on performance, and I think we should, it needs to go hand in hand with a system of sabbaticals for them to recharge their batteries.

But my post was reporting a visit to various schools, rather than an attempt to turn this into a running schools thread, which was in response to various queries from people about schools admissions.

[peckhamboy]

Sounds great, James, but is a sabbatical really necessary or even going to help? Surely that's what the summer holidays are for? What makes a teacher more susceptible to burn-out than any number of people in the private sector, who don't have the benefit of 16 weeks holiday a year? My suggestion would be that perhaps (like many in the public sector) it's not so much burn out as the comfort of being in a job for life that leads to an erosion of performance over time. And I'm not sure there's many teachers out there who work for 60+ years...