Flyer received indicating the new Charter school East Dulwich will be opening in January 2019.

Thanks for the info. Didn't realise it was ready to open so soon. The new school building looks amazing on the website. Was the flyer from the school or Southwark?

It was from the building contractors.

After an extended Christmas break to allow time for the move, the current Charter ED pupils will be starting back at the new the Jarvis Road site on 10th Jan.

Another proud achievement from my time in public office.
The idea for this new secondary school was a campaign led by yours truly - after we'd solved the local primary school shortage.
The land - after 25 years of NHS dithering - was only allocated after I made the first ever successful Right to Challenge how a public body , in this case the NHS, were not properly using public land. Special thanks to Caroline Pidgeon our local GLA Assembly Member and Nick Clegg the then Deputy Prime Minster who moved and shaked to help pull this together and Sir Francis Maude a Tory MP who at the time was the Cabinet Office Minister who took the decision making it possible to have our Charter East Dulwich or any school on the site.

--------------------
Regards jamesvbarber@gmail.com
former Liberal Democrat Councillor for East Dulwich Ward (2006-2018)
[www.jamesbarber.org.uk]
[twitter.com]

Yep, well done James - You are rightly very proud.

Great news... it looked to me like there was still a fair amount to do when I went past the other day.

Crikey James, you'd think you would have been canonised for such service to humanity, not voted out... never mind, at least you're still incredibly pleased with yourself.

It's going to be great... so looking forward to my son going there after two and half years on the temporary site! Teachers and staff will be packing up and moving stuff over while the kids enjoy a massive long xmas break (they finish on the 14th December and go back to the new school on the 10th Jan)

The main school building is ready as is the gym. However, there will still be building work on site for the next phrase of development which is the sixth form centre. And buiding work on the new health centre which is directly in front of school will be going on for a few years!

Ditto - a lot of hard work, and James has every right to feel please and proud (thank you James) whilst the whole community benefits.

HP

Well done James you worked so hard to get this for us. Sad that Tessa isn’t here to see it; she did so much for North Charter.

Will the playgrounds be open for use?

Yes, well done, James.

I was wondering whether councillors could now start looking at the case of those of us who don’t have access to Charter ED...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit was 2018:12:08:19:46:40 by Monkey.

What is the cSe?

I was wondering that as well...

Apologies. Fat finger. Mistake now corrected. Just wondering about those of us who live in a secondary school black hole. I’m on Dunstans Road. Too far from Sydenham School nowadays and not sure we’ll get into Harris Girls ED due to the complicated admission process. Would like a co-ed in any event if possible. I honestly am delighted about Charter ED and think it’s a great addition to the area but it doesn’t solve my problem.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit was 2018:12:08:19:57:16 by Monkey.

Hi Monkey,
Most of Dunstans Road is 1,300m from the new schools entrance. You are likely to get a place. Especially as it's settling down and some don't feel comfortable selecting it. They also have 180 places each year.
Charter North Dulwich furthest distance place was 857m an established Outstanding school.

Hi Monkey, according to a friend loads of girls from Goodrich school got a place at Sydenham Girls this year. So don't assume you won't ... I would have thought on Dunstans Road it would be pretty certain? But of course disappointing if you wanted a co-ed school.

Charter ED all very well but it is annoyingly close to the other Charter and doesn't really help children around the Nunhead/Peckham Rye/Forest Hill Road/Upland/Dunstans/Overhill/Underhill Roads areas.

I have also seen that Harris Girls are proposing now to change their admissions back to a distance only policy from it's previous admissions - it's gained in popularity with local parents and it's a very good school - really inspiring headteacher I've heard. Also Deptford Green is becoming more popular and is co-ed but a bit further away of course.

Thank you for your replies.

I had missed the good news about the consultation at Harris Girls ED, which came out last week. Here it is: [www.harrisdulwichgirls.org.uk]

I agree that Carrie Senior, the head, is great. Fabulous teaching team too and a really good progress 8 score.

As for Charter ED, we are 1.5 km away...

We should be ok for Sydenham School but the distance criteria is shrinking every year. I think we would have been on waiting list this year.

hpsaucey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ditto - a lot of hard work, and James has every
> right to feel please and proud (thank you James)
> whilst the whole community benefits.
>

No it doesnt.

Monkey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> As for Charter ED, we are 1.5 km away...
>
> We should be ok for Sydenham School

Yes - many people in ED in this situation. LL end of Friern Road for example - still have to ship our kids off to Sydenham whilst northern ED and Herne Hill fell into the catchment for both Charters - hooray for them - a choice of Charters for some of ED and still none for others

Sorry James, but i think this was a disasterous allocation of additional school places. What was promoted as an additional school for ED was in fact an additioanal school for those in ED who already had one.
And yes i did attend the hustings and say eactly this at the time.

Don't get me started.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit was 2018:12:12:09:25:13 by Mick Mac.

Coach Beth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also Deptford Green is becoming more
> popular and is co-ed but a bit further away of
> course.

And has lousy OFSTED assessments (again).

Mick Mac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What was promoted as an additional school for ED was in
> fact an additioanal school for those in ED who
> already had one.

Not really... there is quite a large area of ED (and Peckham Rye and Camberwell), who weren't close enough to North Dulwich Charter, who will be served by the new school.

fishbiscuits Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mick Mac Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What was promoted as an additional school for ED
> was in
> > fact an additioanal school for those in ED who
> > already had one.
>
> Not really... there is quite a large area of ED
> (and Peckham Rye and Camberwell), who weren't
> close enough to North Dulwich Charter, who will be
> served by the new school.

And would you be able to tell me what proportion of the new "ED Charter" catchment area was not either

1) ED but already in Charter 1 catchment
2) Peckham Rye
3) Camberwell
4) Herne Hill


It certainly wasn't a school that PRIMARILY benefitted those in ED who had no Charter option beforehand.

EG: Where I live in ED, I have no secondary school availability within 1km of our home and those that are available are not in ED - the new ED Charter wasn't going to change that.

But its not a perfect world. Even i can understand that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit was 2018:12:12:12:40:29 by Mick Mac.

Loads of kids in Derwent,Elsie,Melbourne ,East Dulwich Grove and Grove Vale all go to Charter ED,as Charter North is now full of kids from dulwich village.Just because it's called Charter East Dulwich does not mean you have to live in East Dulwich to get.Both schools are oversubscribed,so if the noddle point had been moved over Peckham Rye way loads of kids from Dog Kennel hill would not have got in.

Mick Mac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And would you be able to tell me what proportion
> of the new "ED Charter" catchment area was not
> either
>
> 1) ED but already in Charter 1 catchment
> 2) Peckham Rye
> 3) Camberwell
> 4) Herne Hill

I reckon about 40%, based purely on area, assuming 900m radius from each school. If we take population density into account, certainly over 50%.

It should serve a big chunk of ED, north of Heber Rd, west of Barry Rd.

Not ideal, but not accurate to say that it's only an additional school for those in ED who already had one.

I was hoping Charter ED would free up some spaces in other schools but “catchments” are still shrinking. It’s pretty frustrating for those of us in need of a good co-ed. Also frustrating to see the school-which-mustn’t-be-named recruit so many out-of-borough kids.

Well done James Barber. Right to be proud of your achievement.

Just a couple things:

1. There were many kids who have gone to Charter ED who live in the Bellenden area and they would have never got into the Charter North. That's the same with all the kids who live on the DK Hill Estate.
2. It may free up places at Kingsdale as there will be people who choose Charter ED over Kingsdale, freeing up those places. Visa versa, there will be people who would get into Charter ED on distance but choose Kingsdale, particularly if their child gets a scholarship (I've known a parent decide to do this for this upcoming year and therefore a place opened up at the Charter ED to someone on the waiting list.)
3. Most of the single sex schools do have a mixed sixth form. St. Thomas the Apostle is an amazing school and, although it is boys only, it does have a mixed sixth form. And I think the Harris single sex schools have a mixed sixth form?
4. Charter North are currently doing a consultation on their admissions which would see them putting the point for measureing distance nearer the Sunray Gardens end of Red Post Hill (i.e. main vehicle entrance of the school (where the main driveway to the vehicle entrance joins Red Post Hill opposite Beckwith and Elmwood Roads) thus meaning that there should be alittle less overlap in the catchment areas of the two schools... although I don't think it was a massive overlap anyway.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit was 2018:12:12:15:54:34 by Scruffy Mummy.

I think the Charter North Dulwich consultation is making the school a little bit further away for us unfortunately.