Curmudgeon

oh FGS There is nothing to be made public - the exams were awarded - the investigation is finished - end of subject, surely! As Carbonara rightly says JCQ regulations insist on confidentiality - this moves away from FOI to individual right to privacy I expect as it impacts on individual teachers and their careers. It is unusual in the extreme that any exam board investigation is in the public arena anyway and it certainly wouldn't have reached the press / forum from the school or exam bodies. This is probably why confidentiality is so very important - the continuing suspicion and speculation affects the reputation of the school and the students. So, whilst I don't wish to stifle debate I think it behoves us all to stop discussing the subject now as we know that the exam results were awarded. The comment made on the murky admissions process is apt though - it's an awful opaque system and should be addressed, possibly on another thread though?

Evening Standard back in August "An investigation by exam boards into claims of cheating at Kingsdale Foundation School in Dulwich is looking at vocational qualifications, after initially focusing on AS-levels and GCSEs so that results can be given out on time, said a source. It has been alleged pupils were given too much help with exams. Head Steve Morrison said awarding bodies were satisfied the integrity of GCSEs and AS-levels was not impaired" http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23978558-students-fight-for-a-place-on-company-sponsored-degrees.do It's not as newsworthy as 'scandal' so no other info to be found anywhere

The alleged scandal was surely over the GCSE exams which the students were awarded by the exam bodies last summer which leads me to believe that there was no issue (or significant issue) found

I don't think it's TOP I think it's lottery so all kids offered a scholarship are put in a hat and they pick out x number I think lotteries should not be allowed personally

It's a lottery in bands as far as I can and the kids with scholarship are just put in a different band but still names out of a hat It's really not a transparent admissions process at all

I just said NO to a lot of stuff and left the rest blank I'll sign the petition against Steiner and attend any relevant meetings to object

Why should I be more concerned than to be hopeful that this will be dealt with? Why shouldn't I be relieved that the large majority of staff praise the high quality of support they receive from the middle and senior leaders Why shouldn't I be delighted at the comments from the students and teachers there will be a parent forum, a PTA and a board of governors to apply the 'pressure on the school' you speak of, and I would hope a concerned SLT who will not need pressure to deal with the 'serious and substantial' issues raised

I think we've been caught now in the Steiner PR machine I do like the Steiner = Wooo comment above LOL

yes that is the adjective used much as "The LARGE majority of staff are very positive about the way in which the school is led and managed" I will reiterate that I am hopeful that the issues raised by the other staff are dealt with adequately

lMetallic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Curmudgeon Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > IME teachers complain - a helluva lot > > > > But I suppose this is one of those situations > > where we all read the available report and > > consider the glass half full or the glass half > > empty. Although perhaps there's no such thing as > a > > half-empty glass - perhaps the other half is > (hot) > > air :)) > Not a smiling matter at all, in fact considering I > was admonished earlier on for using strong > language I consider that the end of this report > shows some serious issues are going to be > monitored by another visit and I do not think that > is funny at all. Well I'm sorry you can't see anything to smile about but have to admit this post was in relation to the previous one from 'intexas' I think the report is overall positive with some issues raised by a minority of teachers that we can all be hopeful will be dealt with adequately - and we can be certain will constitute part of the next inspection

could it possibly just be that sunscream, big wide hat and sunbrolly isrequired she could just have more than usually sun-sensitivity and it's melanin at work - skin goes red in the sun before tanning

IME teachers complain - a helluva lot But I suppose this is one of those situations where we all read the available report and consider the glass half full or the glass half empty. Although perhaps there's no such thing as a half-empty glass - perhaps the other half is (hot) air :))

Well I for one am happy with this report - it doesn't bring up anything that would stop me from sending my child there in September (and we were lucky enough to get a place) Extreme pressure goes alongside secondary school teaching and govt. targets today unfortunately and hopefully the SLT will address the 'valid issues' before the next inspection and the minority of staff will begin to feel valued. The key things are to me that the teaching is good; students make good progress with good concentration and high focus in lessons; students are polite, courteous and friendly with good behaviour and enjoy good relationships. Bullying is rare and dealt with quickly and effectively

I am extremely relieved to see that the outcome has finally been published, whilst I was on the phone to them actually It is not worrying in the least although some may be concerned by the 'minority of staff' complaints. However working in a busy secondary school I can confirm that there are always staff members who don't like how things are run and all this means is that the next inspection date will be brought forward So still an outstanding school - still engaged students I'm happy with it. Hope all those who get a place are as well Copied badly belwo but is on http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/136309 10 February 2012 Steven Morrison Headteacher Kingsdale Foundation School Alleyn Park Dulwich London SE21 8SQ Dear Mr Morrison Ofsted monitoring visit to Kingsdale Foundation School under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 8?9 February 2012 with John Kennedy HMI, David Edwards HMI and Patricia MacLachlan, additional inspector. Thank you also for the information which you provided during the inspection. Please pass on my thanks to the many staff and students who gave up their time to speak with us. There have been a number of significant contextual changes in the two years since the school?s last inspection. In September 2010 the school opened a sixth form; in November 2010 it became a converter academy. The school was re-awarded the Inclusion Quality Mark in May 2011 and now has a second specialism in mathematics. Inspectors spent most of their time in discussions with teachers and members of support staff; while some meetings were held with small groups of staff, the majority were held with individuals. Most meetings were with members of staff selected by inspectors to provide a random and representative sample, but many staff also asked to meet an inspector to share their views and experiences. In all, inspectors met with over 90 members of staff. They also held discussions with several groups of students, the Chair of the Governing Body and a number of parents and carers. Inspectors observed the school?s work and visited 17 lessons. A sample group of around 100 older students completed the inspection questionnaire; inspectors considered their responses alongside around 30 responses from parents and carers, and approximately 150 responses from members of staff. The large majority of the teaching seen during the inspection was good; some was satisfactory and some was outstanding. As a result, in the lessons observed, students were making good progress in their learning. The views of most students, Tribal 1?4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 [email protected] www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0117 3115319 Direct F 0117 3150430 Direct email:[email protected] January 2012 Page 2 parents and carers confirm this positive profile of teaching and learning. Teachers typically plan carefully to ensure that their lessons are interesting and meet the needs of students of different ability. They make good use of the time at the end of lessons to summarise and consolidate what students have learned. In the small proportion of less-effective lessons seen during the inspection, teachers did not interest or engage all students fully; as a result, they only made satisfactory progress in these lessons. Students are polite, courteous and very friendly; their behaviour in lessons and around the site does them great credit. Staff and students who have been at the school for some time recognise and appreciate the significant improvement in students? behaviour. Students enjoy school and appreciate the good relationships they have with staff. Students feel safe and secure in school and say that incidents of bullying are rare and, when they occur, are dealt with quickly and effectively. The school?s arrangements for safeguarding are robust and meet statutory requirements. Staff are provided with clear, detailed and helpful guidance to support their work in this area. Students concentrate well and remain highly focused in lessons. The school?s new sixth form has started well. Students who met with inspectors were generally very positive about their experiences, and Year 13 students point to the improvements that have been made over the past 18 months. Their main concern is the need for even more accommodation and space, a problem that leaders have recognised and are seeking to resolve. The large majority of staff are very positive about the way in which the school is led and managed. Many praise the high quality of support that they receive from the school?s middle and senior leaders. Similarly, many of these staff praise the leadership of the headteacher and the role that he has played in the school?s improvement and development. Middle leaders value the support and guidance that they receive from their line managers in the senior leadership team. This large group of staff feel consulted, listened to and able to influence the school?s direction. They recognise and appreciate the many opportunities for training and professional development; a number of staff at the start of their careers praised the high quality of their induction. Most of the parents and carers who responded to the inspection questionnaire or spoke to inspectors share this very positive view of the school. A relatively small but significant minority of staff have very different views. They expressed concerns about aspects of the school?s leadership and management; in many cases, these criticisms and concerns are serious and substantial. Some staff said that they found the prevailing style of leadership to be rigid, autocratic and overbearing, and that this adversely affected their morale and effectiveness. Many of these staff raised concerns about communication; many feel that they have few genuine opportunities to influence the direction of school developments. Some are concerned that the amount of bureaucracy and administration places unacceptable demands upon them. A number also feel that they are not adequately supported or helped to develop and improve as teachers. The views and anxieties expressed by January 2012 Page 3 this group of staff have raised serious concerns and the timing of the school?s next inspection will be affected. I hope that you have found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Christopher Russell Her Majesty?s Inspector

I believe you do still have to accept the place. I would suggest doing so and calling your higher choices to confirm you are still on the waiting list. I think it is supposed to be automatic that you are placed on the waiting list but can't imagine it will do any harm to check. Charter says on their website that they won't know ranking of waiting list until March 17th though. We were fortunate in that we got a place at our 2nd choice although our son is upset that none of his friends have

Metallic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Scandalous is putting it a bit too high. Maybe > 'inappropriate' is a bit nearer the mark because > of course I am speculating. "Scandalous - containing material damaging to reputation" nope I think scandalous is the appropriate word here - Words matter, particularly in discussions such as this, please be careful

Metallic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Just imagine if you are one of the parents hoping > for a school where this inspection type has > happened since you applied for your child to go > there. You get the good news that you have a > place and the bad news the same week that it is > going in to special measures. So hopefully the > inspectors will have cleared up whatever has > happened, and if not, by the time your child > starts there, things will have been cleaned up. Metallic that's a scandalous post - there is no 'special measures' announcement

As a suggestion - pretend there's a film crew following you round and put into practice all the things you know from these programmes eg get down on eye level and speak in a serious voice and remember if it gets too much, just walk away for a moment and regroup it gets easier

if you applied online you'll get an email - probably after 5 you can try the pan-London website after 5 but no doubt it will crash

OP - do you allow your children to paint with black paint? - what part of the national curriculum do you plan to follow - do you start each day with dancing - do you categorise children by their body type - do you believe in anthroposophy - have you rejected the racist overtones associated with Rudolf Steiner - what proportion of your existing children leave school unable to read fluently My issue is how incredibly appealing the Steiner aesthetic appears to be on the surface particularly to liberal-minded folk and I'm sure you believe that East Dulwich is the perfect area to expand into.

James Barber Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > So as a community either we encourage others to > come up with a 'free' school to fulfil this > forecast demand or we accept a Steiner school or > we accept a school places crisis. > > Rebuffing a Steiner school while no suggesting an > alternative - considering the only show in town is > the 'free' school system - will see a school place > crisis. I think you may wish to reconsider this statement The LA is responsible for ensuring there are adequate educational places in the borough for the population - it is strategic planning

http://www.dcscience.net/?p=3528 is just one of the sites discussing Steiner 'education' that is interesting as a jumping off point in terms of why people 'may' be opposed to the Steiner philosophy. Of course each individual must investigate for themselves and make their own decisions over the analysis. I find the 'categorisation of children' half-way down illuminating .. http://www.dcscience.net/The_Four_Temperaments_Rudolf_Steiner.jpg

There are good medical reasons why MMR might be contra-indicated but in this case your GP should be helpful. Direct Health 2000 in Eltham provided sepvax for my eldest child's primary Measles, mumps and rubella about a decade ago - however we decided to give the standard MMR as a booster at 4. Our youngest child had MMR as thimerosal (mercury stabiliser) had been removed from the primary infant scheduled injections at 2, 3 and 4 months.

straight line distance is a total change in policy though and I'm not aware of any Southwark schools that apply it. It also doesn't really benefit anyone as it has it's own issues associated with it - the issue we have is that there is no consistent admission applied to all schools in London. the adjudication was that they must use the Wanley Road cut-through as part of the safe walking distance so that should be applied - and you would have grounds for appeal if you are the parent / guardian of the 180 students closest to the school by 'safest walking distance' and they haven't used it

dulwichgirl2 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I didn't attend a Steiner school but I know a few > people who did and I wouldn't dismiss a further > local option for education out of hand as previous > posters are doing, unfairly perhaps? ANTHROPOSOPHY Groups and groups of 'Steiner Survivors' including support forums