Queenie23

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.

Kingsdale got 70% A - C. What did they get with the new bacc test the government have brought it? 4%. Not so wonderful.

Debi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I for one appreciate you coming here to clarify > further. > > My point is this: I have always had trouble > understanding why some people feel unable to > support one school without putting down another. > If you're new to the area, you won't know that > there has been a long history relating to public > perceptions about Kingsdale and these not being > matched by the reality. I hope you can understand > why I thought this was more of the same, possibly > by someone who had posted with another name at > other times. I accept that you posted here in > good faith, unaware of the history and background > and therefore not knowing the likely > consequences. > > The thing is that I only ever post here about > Kingsdale. As an active parent of 2 children at > the school, it is the only school I feel qualified > to comment on. By definition, anything I say > about another school can only be hearsay. > > But look! It's clear that there is a need for > more than one or two good secondary schools in the > area. And it seems we DO have more than that. So > let's all celebrate that and stop building up one > school at the expense of another. As I've said > before - we're not in competition with each > other. > > BTW - as you have given the name of the officer > concerned, I'm sure the school with now follow up > this lack of professionalism on his part. Sorry - Have I missed something? I didn't realise we live in a Police state.Why on earth can't the Police officer speak the truth without a threat of the wrath of Kingsdale coming down on his head - these incidents (unfortunately) are not unusual between groups of secondary school children (since time began) so why on earth should the PC be silenced?

No arrests - but we have not cleared up if the Kingsdale boys are mugging the Harris Boys. Harris say they are, Kingsdale say they aren't.

Can you be specific as to who you are referring to re making allegations please. I was quoting from another thread. That is all I was doing - and someone is lying obviously be it Kingsdale or harris Boys.

" Interestingly their resident Police Officer , whom I'd always noticed outside, and had lead me to assume they must be a wayward bunch, reported that the main security problem is the high level of muggings the boys have been victims of, mainly committed by older boys from Kingsdale! " Quote from someone who attended a meeting at harris Boys. Why would they lie? Why would the resident Police Officer make that up?

Debi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I've just spoken to a member of the senior > management team at Kingsdale. He has told me that > there is no truth in this allegation whatsoever. > They have not given any info to the police because > they have not been asked for it. They have asked > the Schools' Liaison Officer and he has confirmed > that there have been no reports of crimes > committed by Kingsdale pupils against Harris > pupils or indeed any one else. I don't know how > and why, but it is clear that this is a complete > fabrication. > > As for there being problems specific to the older > cohort, my son is in Year 11 and he was saddened > that people would have these kinds of perceptions > about his year group. > > I think this illustrates the dangers of the rumour > mill, particularly at times when so many parents > are already anxious. Debi. There is being loyal and there is being completely blind!! - Why are you accusing the Police community support officer of lying??? The incident happened - deal with it. It's not unusual for trouble at bus stops between groups of secondary school kids from different schools- You are trying to pretend that out of the thousand or so Kingsdale children there are no bad apples - what rubbish! I admire your loyalty to Kingsdale but there comes a point where you have to put your hands up and admit that it is like any other school - good kids and not so good kids.!

Huggers Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Dunamis, I have two children at Haberdashers and > yes it's good, but they have lots of friends at > Kingsdale which sounds pretty good too. My son > only got into habs as a sibling after the > catchment narrowed and I can assure you that > otherwise he would have happily have gone to > Kingsdale if he had been lucky enough to get in. > > It sounds like it's an ever improving school not > content to rest on its laurels. Both Habs and > Prendergast have found new admissions that compel > them not to select anymore really challenging as > theyve been spoilt for choice in the past. Now > they have the same intake as everyone else,( a > real mixture of abilities) so if that is what was > worrying you don't be. > > Children with pro active parents will do well > whichever school they go to as long as they are > happy there and there are teachers who want to > teach them at the top of their level. > > You liked Kingsdale when you visited it, don't be > swayed by others. And most importantly don't pass > your anxiety and lack of confidence in the school > onto your child who is going there. > As for results, think about your child- if he/she > was going to get all A's at a grammer school she > will get all A's there as well. > If you don't think the sixth form is good enough > cross that bridge when you come to it. Lots of > children change schools for A level! > > Also Habs sending those letters is a little bit of > revenge I think on not being put number one > anymore. Forget it! Letter? What letter?

In my experience the difference between secondary school and primary school is huge - for parents and children. It is therefore hard to know exactly what schools are really like because you (as a parent) have much less contact with the school and you have to rely on how your child is progressing/making friends/tales about the school to gain any insight. However Kingsdale is meant to be a good school - so I'm sure that your daughter will do well there. If you aren't happy about your choice then try the waiting lists for the other schools - there are always places as late as september.

Yes, I mentioned that to emphasise my point that they are somewhat economical with the truth and referring to their appetite for self publicity is because I feel because they shout the loudest people think that they are the only decent school around! That was all I was saying - Kingsdale is a good school, but there are others equally (If not better) than them. But I find middle class parents can be like sheep - safety in numbers.

This is a very good post - it spells out exactly Kingsdale's strategy. I completely understand why they did it, but those families need to remember that there are other schools out there just as good, maybe not with such an appetite for self publicity. If you think that I am one of those people who only consider a school to be good if it gets a 100% baccalaureate pass rate you are wrong - I've got three children in inner city schools (primary and secondary)and they have been in the state school system long enough for me to be completely aware of life in inner city schools!

YES but you are taking that away from the other local schools!!!!!

Sorry Debi - You are obviously a very supportive parent to the school and I admire you that you were one of the early parents to recognize that Kingsdale was a fast improving school - but I think that certain criticisms of Kingsdale are valid (ie propaganda, aggressive targeting the aspirational families) etc. But well done Kingsdale,it is doing alot right.

What is the point of offering more scholarships than places then?

Of course it's great that Kingsdale has improved! The more good local state schools the better. You misunderstand me, I was simply trying to point out that there are plenty of good schools in the area (Prendegast,Forest Hill, Sydenham girls, Charter, Harris Academies, Askes, Bacons) so why does everybody get so hung up on Kingsdale? And I referred to the Gove bacc test because I was trying to prove that Kingsdale is maybe not as wonderful as they would like us to believe. I don't really understand Kingsdales scholarship places - why offer someone a scholarship only to disappoint them later when they don't get a place?

Kingsdale turned the school around by appealing to the middle classes and they did this by selection pure and simple. The fact that they don't have a catchment area is in order to select to their own criteria. They have also damaged all the other local schools by taking away (and not just middle class kids!) alot of the talented children who otherwise would have been distributed around the local area. Ive said it before but Kingsdale are very good at putting out propaganda about their school. The wonderful GSCE results that they went on about proved to be (under the new government standards) just 4% passrate! I'm not trying to belittle their successful achievements but please people why is everybody so hung up about Kingsdale -there are equally good schools out there! And Debi- you obviously work at Kingsdale. Please be honest and say that you might be biased.

Does that mean therefore we can't go into other London Boroughs but should only stay in the borough we pay our council tax in????

maxti Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It would seem that a high number of Lewisham > residents (87%) received their first choice school > - speaking to a few of the parents I know they had > Kingsdale...so they cross over boroughs....now it > seems that many parents in southwark are having to > take a lewisham school because their first choice > kingsdale has been hugely oversubscribed and the > places taken by lewisham residents...its utter > madness and completely wrong - I want a southwark > school as its where I pay my council tax why > should lewisham get my childs place? > > I am so angry and disillusioned with the system - > we did not get any of our choices - so allocated > Harris Girls and i dont care how fabulous it MAY > become its not for my daughter right now...I could > go on and on but will restrain myself > > So incredibly stressed and upset right now and > finding it hard to work...my daughter is upset and > another thing many parents getting an average > school having to hide their true feelings to their > child.....am writing to harriet harman even if its > just to vent....

James Barber Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Eitherway, East Dulwich schools have done well. > Congratulations to the kids, parents, governors, > teachers, support staff, heads and council > officers who have all made this possible. > I have the good fortune to know and meet a whole > host of local kids and I think they have the > potential to do even better. Fingers crossed they > do. > From April they'll be extra money to support kids > from the poorest back grounds and their cohort to > ensure those deprived backgrounds don't get in the > way of all our school kids acheiving more. ?5M in > total for Southwark primary schools via those > Pupil Premiums. Really? Another Lib Dem promise that won't deliver....... (I quote the Guardian) "The fine print of the proposal reveals that the new ?430 ($677) so‑called pupil premium could actually take away cash from some of the most deprived areas of the country. The complex funding mechanism could concentrate the "extra" money on disadvantaged pupils in county schools, rather than urban ones. Shadow schools minister Andy Burnham said the pupil premium was a con, and that no new money was being put into helping the poorest. " Sorry James Barber, don't trust anything your party says anymore....

The school uniform issues are all firmly in the past now- it was a very unpleasant time at the school as there was very strong feeling both for and against it and it all got out of hand. However,the issues about uniform moved on/gone away and there has quite a few governor resignations so the governing body now has new blood which is a good thing. As I said, think how you can positively contribute to the school - maybe even becoming a governor yourself in time - and rest assured Ivydale is a good school. My children LOVE it there.

If you are talking about a primary school in Nunhead - ie Ivydale - then I think you don't need to worry. My child was in the year 6 just gone which have just had their sats published. My child got the top level in English and Maths and I have always been very happy with the school. The ofsted that has just been published was quite critical but you do have to look at the school as a whole. It has never had very good sats and when we sent our child there the results were awful but it appealed to us because it had a happy caring ethos, musical and creative etc which is much more important than teaching just to get good sats. I think that the governors have taken their eye off the ball because they became obsessed with introducing a school uniform into the school last year and from what I can see didn't seem to bother about anything else. I know that this probably contributed to the last head leaving and I think he became exhausted with it all. However, the school now has a new head and I hope that she will tackle the various issues that Ofsted flagged up - there is no reason to think that she won't. Instead of worrying about your choice of school think how you can contribute to supporting it when your child starts there.

Kingsdale is a good school but I think that it is getting to the point that many parents think it is the ONLY good school out there which is not the case. I was put off last year by the hard sell and Kingsdale are NOT transparent. For example how they advertised their results this year. They were not as wonderful as they pretended. I'm not knocking Kingsdale but I do get irritated by the propaganda.

My son is at Forest Hill. However I have to say I have been very impressed with the school, he has not experienced any sort of trouble and the boys I see walking around are all very well behaved. I think that maybe things are different now - you make reference to the previous head. However you were obviously let down badly by the authorities there and I hope that lessons have been learnt.

I hope so and I have no doubt that it is a good school. I was just put off by the aggressive hard sell of the place to - I felt - the middle classes. I understand it had a terrible rep "back in the day" but I feel now the talk of the playground is only about Kingsdale and other schools are not considered when they are just as good/well resourced.

I have to say that I found Kingsdale's active targeting of the middle classes very off putting. The headmaster seems determined to mould the school into a middle class haven. The open day consisted of listening to an endless stream of children telling us how wonderful Kingsdale was (which is meaningless really at a school open day with the headmaster and teachers present!) and then we were treated to our "leader" telling us how much money the school makes. This hysterical occupation with scholarships/gifted and talented is frankly hot air. There are good secondary schools out there, all the schools I looked at this year I was happy with - and yes, I am one of those middle class parents looking for the best school possible for their child and I didn't put Kingsdale anywhere near the top of my list!