Queenie23

I got that wrong - It is primary school training on Thursdays and secondary school training on Wednesdays.

I'd like to add Streatham and Marlborough - Mark is fantastic with all kids at all levels. They do primary school training on Wednesdays 5.30 - 7.30 and secondary Thursday 5,30 - 7.30. Plus they are going to be doing a girls only on Tuesday I think. Most of the kids who go there are state school kids and they have fantastic links with surrey cricket.

well, it's good everybody is still positive about Ivydale. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic for the old days when it was really creative and chaotic.!

Personally as someone who has had children at Ivydale for many years I feel the school is losing what has made it so special in the past, it was telling how many of the teachers left at the end of the first year of the new head's leadership. My child left a few years ago and I can tell you that despite the rubbish sats I was so pleased she was at a school that didn't really teach just so they could get higher in the league tables - she had a wonderful education there. However, we all want different things for our children and the intake in the lower years is predominantly white and middle class. Some people obviously embrace this fact about Ivydale. But look around the school and see what you feel. Its just not the sort of school now that I used to know and love.

Kingsdale is like a cult - you have to pretend everything is wonderful, it's the most amazing school etc etc. It's a good school but it's no better than most out there.

The old school was Monson Primary - failing school in New Cross. Askes took it over about 2 years ago.

My son is becoming a very keen footballer - He wants to join a football club/team but I don't know where to look. I'm looking for a club where the parents haven't got pound signs in their eyes, where he can get to play a game but not take it too seriously and just enjoy it and learn some new skills. We tried Hillyfielders but it was very big and he didn't feel comfortable there.

Total scam - and it probably wasn't from someone you knew - they would have had their email/address book hacked.

You are asking about other schools for your child? How about prendergast, Harris Girls,charter, forest Hill,Harris Boys, Harris Crystal Palace, Askes - How's that? Or is Kingsdale still the only school?

No you've got it wrong - The Voice has picked up on the story I believe because the head teacher is black. It makes no comment about the whistleblowers, or is this what you mean? . Personally I'm not surprised that these allegations have arisen. I think that the middle class contingent has contributed to the desperation for the school to get better and better results. I've said it before but the hysteria that surrounds Kingsdale is quite breathtaking and maybe everybody will start looking at all the other decent schools that are around.

DenmotherSmith Wrote:

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> Hi Mark

>

> I have been following this thread with great

> interest, as an atheist I understand the

> disappointment and frustration you must feel in

> your son being assigned a 'faith school'. I feel

> very strongly that parents who do not wish their

> child to attend a faith school should have their

> desire respected as a human right. I was therefore

> surprised that in your meeting with Katharine

> Birbalsingh the issue of your son being offered a

> place at a faith school did not seem to be the

> central theme, in fact an altogether more

> sinister, daily mail friendly hook, of not wanting

> your son to be schooled with out fear of

> stabbing.

>

> ?I just want my boy to go to a school where he

> isn?t in danger of being stabbed, you know? I just

> don?t want him to be bullied. I want him to feel

> safe, not scared.?

>

> Was the faith element ironed out of the interview?

> Because there in lies the rub, the issue of faith

> schools is so similar to that of free schools, a

> group of like minded individuals, a faith group,

> parents, whomever, develops a school around a

> shared ideology. My fear with the proliferation

> of free schools is that in ten years this forum

> and others will echo with countless parents

> bemoaning that their child has a place at a free

> school whose ideology does not resonate their own.

>

>

> I can naturally understand your desire to seek

> change, to give your child the best education by

> any means necessary but free schools, through

> looking rosy now, I believe are a slippery slope

> to disintegration of state education.

>

> I wish you all the best in securing a place for

> your son.

Well Said - I think you are exactly right.

Yes of course - it varies from child to child if they suit single sexed schools or mixed.But my question was to Citymum - what are these failing boys schools?

I'd like to know what the failing boys schools are? Forest Hill gets about 53% A-C including Maths and English (about 70% A-C), s do St Thomas. Harris boys - all too early to say but indications suggest that they will do well. What are the failing boys schools?

Boys actually do better at all boys schools - if you ask to separate the results at co-ed schools often it is the girls who are leading the way and the boys do not get good results. I'm not super keen on my son going to an all boys school but he is doing well academically and actually I'm quite pleased he didn't get into a coed. I have seen other friends whose children go to coeds and believe me the change in attitude towards the other sex is quite shocking. Already they are obsessed with who is going out with who, trying to impress each other. Of course my son moans about not having girls in his class any more - and yes, boys on mass can be intimidating - but ultimately I feel ok about him in his single sex school, especially when it is mixed with a girls school in the sixth form. I'm not sure if I had a daughter however if I would be happy with an all girls school having been to one myself and experienced the bullying that went on.

Having said all that though I appreciate that not all boys would suit single sex schools - my son is sporty and quite extrovert so he is enjoying his experience but I understand that for some boys single sex schools can be hellish and they would do much better in coed education. But my point of this thread was asking what the failing all boys schools are?

Well Mark, I wish you well and hope that you get your son into a school that you are happy with.

But I can't wish you well in your free school setup - It makes me angry that the government are spending millions setting up these ridiculous schools and cutting money to our existing schools. It's a shame that you are so angry with the system you can't see it.

No doubt you'll respond in a sarcastic manner as you have done to anyone who disagrees with you but in my experience it will all turn out all right in the wash. My son started secondary school last year and he and all his friends - all different schools - are really happy and enjoying school. Surely that is what we want for our children? I'm sure your son will be just as happy come September. I hope so.

localmum1 Wrote:

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> Dear all,

>

> Does anyone have any idea of the broad catchment

> area of Lyndhurst Primary School on Camberwell

> Grove? The school cannot confirm the furthest

> distance they have admitted from. I live in Herne

> Hill and just want to gauge whether the school is

> even a remote possibilty for September 2012.

>

> Thanks

I know of a family who live in Herne Hill and they got offered at place at the Village school. Surely that is not the primary school you are referring to?

Mark Dodds Wrote:

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> Thanks for the advice Queenie. Couple of things

> really; Which local secondary school would I get

> behind then exactly? St Michael's & All Angels or

> Sacred Heart? What other means of getting a decent

> school up and running might there be as long this

> lot are in government? I don't have a lot of time

> any more for politicians of any description, only

> for people who do a good job, irrespective of

> their leanings left or right.

>

> Or perhaps I'll wait a while and put my energy

> into the all boys Catholic school it looks like my

> son will be going to, the one that wasn't on our

> list of poncey 'unrealistic' secular coed

> preferences?

Firstly mark - I think you are referring to St Thomas (the all boys catholic school). I have a friend who's son goes there, she is not at all religious and her son is doing wonderfully well. Secondly there is so much movement around secondary schools that schools will be offering places right up to the last minute. I know of someone last year who was offered her preferred school the day before term started. Even if you don't get your "poncey unrealistic secular coed preferences" then yes, get behind the school that your son goes to - apply to be a governor, use your passion to help that school become the best it can be. Support your son's school, don't waste money that should be going into existing education.

Mark, I am not trying to belittle your obviously huge effort into trying to change the education set up in SE London, but I'm afraid that you are mistaken in going down the free school route.

Free schools are Tory led - waste of money that should be going into the current education system. By doing this you are taking away money that is needed in our schools.

I urge you to get behind your local secondary school - you are obviously someone who cares deeply - so use that passion in supporting the current secondary school and make sure that instead of this government slashing funding for schools, those schools get this money. Comprehensive education needs committed parents - you are one. Please don't get swayed by this government who couldn't care less about most people - only those with money and those that choose to educate their children privately.

Please don't support idiots like Toby Young, who would love to send his kids to private school but unfortunately was abit too horny for his own good and managed to have 4 children. He has never even been to his local secondary school but chooses to belittle it because it is not middle class and white enough for him.

MGolden Wrote:

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>

>

> Interestingly, Kingsdale is being criticised for

> using a lottery apporach to allocations but the

> Harris Academy in Crystal Palace uses the same

> approach without criticism. Nothing is completely

> fair but a lottery approach is probably the least

> unfair - if all schools used it. Kingsdale

> appears to be a victim of it's own success:

> improving standards and behaviour and now becoming

> oversubscribed and trying to deal with the fall

> out of that as well.

Actually Crystal Palace Academy doesn't use the same - it takes 80% of its catchment within a certain area and only 20% is taken from outside the area. Bacons college also uses the same method. Much fairer.

CityMum Wrote:

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> I absolutely agree with the need for more good

> schools but are free schools the way to go? I

> have serious doubts as to whether this is just

> endorsing a very flawed idea. The money will come

> from the public purse and at what cost to the

> existing system? Apparently a group of city

> people are keen to set up a free school in the

> Clapham area known as b'twixt the commons'. They

> have stated it is to serve the community. They've

> identified two potential feeder schools Honeywell

> and Bellevue Primaries - if you know Clapham,

> you'll know that these are the schools that people

> move house to get into. Oddly enough they appear

> to have forgotten about the primary school closest

> to the planned site. Apparently the school does

> not have the kind of children they want in their

> school. I'll leave you to imagine what this

> means... Isn't the free school idea just like

> selling off different railway lines to different

> companies and will we not end up with a system

> which is even more fragmented than it is already

> is? The doing away with LEA admissions forums

> will not do anything to help. I know that in

> theory to get a free school plan off the ground

> you have to demonstrate a real and genuine need

> but what does that mean exactly? And will we end

> up, like Mr Beecham's railway system with the

> prosperous areas well served at the expense of

> less attractive areas? I find the whole prospect

> rather scary, to be perfectly honest.

Well said.

We all "parent" differently - of course I am protective about my children - but I am trying to be relaxed with their upbringing and not beat myself up if I make mistakes (which of course I do) and also give them some space and freedom. I just think parents can pontificate unnecessarily and I was making the point that there is no need to get hysterical if your child is hit by another. Just tell your child off if they hurt another child and tell the child off that has hurt your child. Ultimately children are children and they need to be told if they are doing something wrong. I didn't realise that my point of view was so radical.

Thank you Zeban! I like your views as well (especially about secondary schools).

Following your child around is necessary to a point, not necessarily in an overprotective way, but as much to ensure they're not the ones doing the hitting! Of course there's a balance to be had, and you're not there to help them over each tiny bump on the way (literally as well as figuratively), but it does often tend to be the kids whose parents/carers aren't paying attention who cause trouble.

No you don't have to follow your kids around - just watching from a distance is fine actually. Maybe I'm too slummy for this forum.

No one likes to see their child being hit by another child - but all this pontification is ridiculous. We are trying to raise well adjusted confident children here, not children that are as neurotic as their mothers seem to be! All I was saying was get a grip, nothing wrong with that. What a terrible mother I must be then, I just wipe the tears away and say never mind, now go and play. What do you do if your child gets hit by another child - do you whip her up and run home?

OK. Then all I will say is get some perspective in your life. I've raised three kids, they have been hit by other kids, they have hit other kids. I told them off when they did and I told those that had hit mine not to do so. Quite simple. Get a backbone.

I don't mean to be unsympathetic but for goodness sake! Crying because your 2 year old is pushed over by an older child? Get a grip! Just tell the child that is hurting yours not to do it and move on. And as for following your child around..... If they get hurt by another child you will soon know about it.