New Harris Boy's Academy

[brendapermaul]

Anyone got any views on the new building as it is emerging. From my viewpoint it is a hideous oversized monstrosity, that will ruin the view from Peckham Rye, let alone my back window. It will be even worse when it is occupied !

[Mellors]

Funny, I was walking past it today and commenting on how enormous and vile it is. I am amazed they got planning for such a big building on such a small space.

[louisiana]

I'm not surprised Mellors.

At a community council meeting I attended last year, the argument I heard from one councillor for allowing a nasty oversized building was that there were other nasty oversized buildings in the vicinity already, and it's not as if this was a nice place worth conserving. Or words to that effect. I may be exaggerating slightly, but not much.

[Marmora Man]

I think it's too early to say. The old, derelict, school was about 2/3 the size of the current steel work. Once clad and landscaped it may be a better looking building. Big is not necessarily ugly.

[Mellors]

It may be a better looking building. But I'd bet anything its not.

I can't think that there are any other buildings of that size in the vicinity unless my memory fails me. Its hideous.

On the upside, my two year old boy is delighted by the amount of different cranes and diggers, so its free entertainment for us at the moment. I am sure it will be somewhat less entertaining come September 2010...

(I can see it from my back window as well, I bet half of ED can with the size of the b*gger!)

[Ani-Warnerke]

I think it's going to be great, what an addition to East Dulwich and an opportunity to everyone who is lucky enough to be a pupil. We just came back to find a leaflet through the door regarding the sister school across the other side of the Peckham Rye, Ofsted have given it a top report, the improvement since it became a Harris academy is nothing short of a transformation. Well done to the Local councillors for supporting the building of this new facility.

[antijen]

http://www.antiacademies.org.uk/index.php

Maybe the next academy will be a skyscraper with big bold writing of the venture capitalists name in gold.

[Marmora Man]

antijen Wrote:

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> http://www.antiacademies.org.uk/index.php

>

> Maybe the next academy will be a skyscraper with

> big bold writing of the venture capitalists name

> in gold.

Antijen, What is your specific objection? The fact that non public money is involved or that Academies tend (they're not all perfect by any means) to improve the academic performance of the pupils they serve?

The record of Local Education Authorities here in LOndon, and elsewhere, has hardly been inspiring in improving academic performance.

[antijen]

No MM, there are many reasons, they do not listen to what the parents, staff or children want, there consultation period is merely a stage in law they must go through, where they dont listen but of course it is put through regardless. Our goverment are happy to hand over our childrens education to private companys who seem above the law. I have spoken with teachers who are working in schools, (now academies), who are extremely unhappy with how they are being treated. My childrens school was put into special meausures by Ofsted, regardless of not fitting the criteria. the governing body was sacked enabling them to continue there plans for an academy whilst taking away the votes from the people who were elected to represent us. It is crooked through and through.

[dbboy]

The academy will come under the Ofsted inspection regime to ensure the quality of provision delivered to the pupils meets set standards. The inspection framework used has become more stringent which can only be a good thing. Further more a new academy locally can only be a good thing and demonstrate the investment in education, which when all is said and done can't be a bad thing.

[intexasatthe moment]

My son's school ( Pimlico ) has become an Academy .

Stakeholders ( including parents/carers ) were consulted about the decision and 94% voted against the school becoming an Academy.

I think the " consultation " gave many of us our first taste of the spin that surrounds Academies.

Some Academies show improved exam results ,some don't.

The Academy at Peckham has improved exam results but GCSE results are still below the Government's minimum magic 30% achieving 5 A - C grades.

Ofsted has 3 grades - outstanding,good and satisfactory ( the latter is defined by Ofsted as "not good enough ",which may give you an introduction into the workings of Ofsted )so for the Peckham Academy to get "good"is not quite the same thing as a "top report ".

Many Academies ( and Kingsdale in the past ,don't know about now ) enter pupils for GNVQ's where one GNVQ pass is equal to ( but not recognised by most F and HE institutions as the equivalent of ) 4 GCSE's at A-C.

I have been told by a teacher at my son's school that the English GCSE taken this year included an online test that could be taken as many times as necessary .

I have also been told that weak students are removed from the classroom for one to one help that involves concentrating on bringing course work ( which is meant to be completed independently ) up to standard.

So on the " improvement of results " front I have misgivings .

I have other misgivings about Academies in general in that they privatise state education and remove it from the state sector.

The sponsor can determine pay and conditions for staff ( existing teachers enjoy protection for 2 years ) creating a 2 tier employment structure for staff and teachers and fragmenting the existing education structure.

They enjoy huge freedoms and are exempt from much of the legislation that applies to state schools - eg the legislation surrounding SEN ,the legislation around parent/carers right of appeal regarding exclusion.

The government gives the impression that academies are subject to to the same rules of accountability as the maintained sector .The reality is that these rules vary from academy to academy and are negoitated by the sponsor.

The sponsor determines the school's Governing Body - at my son's school we now have a governing body entirely dominated by sponsor representatives ,with one elected parent governor and no staff or teacher representation at all.

My personal experience of involvement of parents in the life of the school is that it's all a facade.

A campaign by the school ( to call it half hearted would give it undeserved praise ) to attract parent reps has resulted in a handful of parents attending termly meetings where the agenda and discussion is entirely controlled by the school .

Consultations have involved 3 selfselected parents attending meetings during the school day .

It all looks good in the school Newsletter and on paper - but the spin doesn't match the reality.

All Academies benefit from increased state funding ( the sponsor's contribution is often minimal - the interest from a ?2 million trust fund ,on which the sponsor claims tax relief ,and can be a non financial contribution of "DNA " .)

Quite why there can't be a level playing field with all state schools benefitting from extra funding is a mystery to me.

Why do schools have to be infused with business ideals ?,why does art work by students have to carry the sponsor's logo ?sixth formers made to adopt a dress code on the grounds that it improves learning and prepares them for employment and university ?Should GCSE students be bribed to attend crammer classes by the promise of laptops ?

Should so much of the way a school is run be uninformed by parent's views or wishes?

[Mscrawthew]

Totally agree with you! My Son has just finished at Pimlico and we have also been through the "system" at Peckham Academy with My Daughter. Both of which joined the schools before any change. Where as Peckham Academy may have improved their results, If you look closely at the management structure and in house politics you will find that it still isn`t a school with a tight working relationship within either the Parent/ Teacher or Teaching staff/ Management circles and it is the Indians and not the Chiefs who are keeping it together.

My Son was encouraged to attend extra lessons during the 6 weeks holiday at Pimlico and all pupils who attended were given mobile phone tops up cards for attending each week. They were also taken on a free trip to Thorpe park as a "perk" for trying to improve their grades. Morale amongst the original teachers has been very low as "Management" have come in with an agenda, Totally disregarded anything about the School which was a positive and tried to change everything within a short space of time. Pimlico wasn`t the best school in Westminster but it allowed each child to be an individual. Academies turn into business investments and lose sight of the very people they should be helping. Schools are meant to be a place of learning and encouragement not a place where children are encouraged to attended for financial reward. It will be their loss, A very much loved teacher left at the end of last term because of the amount of changes enforced without consultation. You can`t run a school like a business in the same way that you couldn`t run a business like a school. Two totally different worlds and something that will end in tears.

[intexasatthe moment]

Mscrawthew - yes my son has also had to say goodbye to a fabulous Science teacher .

You're so right ,Pimlico used to allow children to be individuals ,now if you're bold enough to criticise the regime you're in for trouble.

I know of a pupil who runs an alternative school newsletter/paper - guess what? She's threatend with exclusion and told on a weekly basis by the head that if she doesn't like the school she should leave.

[Mscrawthew]

That really doesn`t suprise me :'( If my Son were to attend sixth form in September he would be based at Westminister Boys, Sorry "Academy" Something he doesn`t want to do. We are probably talking about the same teacher who was not only an excellent Science Teacher but my Son`s Head of year all the way through. Lovely Lady who genuinely cared about her pupils. Like I said, it will be their loss!

[antijen]

Two of my children also go to Pimlico, one halfway through sixth form the other does not wish to attend sixth form there.

I think its such a shame so many good teachers have left, but like the pupil who run the newsletter, many teachers felt there cards were marked for expressing there disapproval of academy status. Pimlico appealed to us because it really did seem to celebrate differences and individuality.

[brendapermaul]

This sounds so like a political party line ! I would be so surprised if a really good school emerged from that hideous overcrowded site ! My wider experience of Harris is that much improvement is achieved by removing kids who don't fit the bill - obviously the quickest way to show improved results, behaviour etc !!!

[Curly]

brendapermaul Wrote:

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

> My

> wider experience of Harris is that much

> improvement is achieved by removing kids who don't

> fit the bill - obviously the quickest way to show

> improved results, behaviour etc !!!

Quick where do I sign?

[Fuschia]

antijen Wrote:

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

> No MM, there are many reasons, they do not listen

> to what the parents, staff or children want, there

> consultation period is merely a stage in law they

> must go through, where they dont listen but of

> course it is put through regardless. Our goverment

> are happy to hand over our childrens education to

> private companys who seem above the law. I have

> spoken with teachers who are working in schools,

> (now academies), who are extremely unhappy with

> how they are being treated. My childrens school

> was put into special meausures by Ofsted,

> regardless of not fitting the criteria. the

> governing body was sacked enabling them to

> continue there plans for an academy whilst taking

> away the votes from the people who were elected to

> represent us. It is crooked through and through.

Hear hear