Curmudgeon

But those parents who have made their preferential decisions for school application based on the information provided by the government and LA, those who were previously well within the catchment both by DirectGov schoolfinder site and all the postcode mappings and the historical catchment of Charter School ARE disadvantaged by having incomplete information at time of application and subsequently their 'choice' revoked for the up-coming academic year Changing the goalposts after the applications have gone in is inequitable to those who it detrimentally affects. And of course you can't please all the people all the time but it seems another injustice to revoke 'choice' (laughable term) James Barber Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > So anyone who applied on the basis of the > advertised criteria should not be disadvantaged > and an injustice has been resolved. > > That Southwark council appears to have supported > the status quo is worrying.

And Southwark residents who have acted in good faith by carefully considering the past history of the "safest walking distance" as quoted in school policies have been misled. Parents consider stated policies and the historical boundaries of where children have and have not secured places at schools. I'm pretty sure many use the Directgov schoolsfinder website to work out which schools are what distance from their postcode. Yet now their educated 'choice' has been altered restrospectively. Removing choice from the application process? This affects Southwark residents in all directions of Charter school. Sounds like a huge, legal, quagmire to me. As Heberjumblequeen says - parents may well have chosen differently

championofthehill Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > To answer Curmudgeon and Jumble Queen's question, > it is unlikely that anyone applying would have > done so in the understanding that the admissions > policy was not being administrated correctly. > Actually I would assume that all those applying for secondary placement next year did so on their understanding of what the historical application of the stated catchment area by 'safest walking distance' means. So if every child on your street goes to school wearing the Charter uniform and you are within their stated no place offered above 1800 metres and this school has the shortest safest walking distance then surely your application process would be informed by this. I make no comments on the fairness or otherwise of the adjudication, I have not seen the paperwork yet. But I think the question over when this will be applied this year is extremely relevant and I hope James can answer this soon. I believe that other schools such as London Oratory / Cardinal Vaughan were caught 'bending the rules' and the adjudicator decision has been applied for the following year's round, even if the ruling was made before the application closing date.

heber jumble queen Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Does this mean that the applications currently > being considered for entry in Sept 2012 will be > subject to these new guidelines? I have no reason > to question whether this is a good or fair > decision - but if effectively the likely catchment > area of 'safe walking distance' have shifted since > submitting applications in October, I may well > have made some different choices. I think this is an extremely valid question - James do you have any knowledge of this please?

Dorothy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Have sent a pm with my email address - I'd like a > copy of the report please James. > > I'd like to see them put catchment above siblings > in their admissions heirarchy - am quite sure that > would make it a more authentically "community" > school. I'd like a copy too But I think all schools should put siblings above catchment

More importantly close to Jacks Cafe which is possibly the most perfect, yet small, cafe in the world >:D

7 8 9 police are investigating

Apparently the proposed development will be much larger than the original footprint of the house. The house has been run-down and suffered floods and fires in recent years and numerous squatters have been allowed to live there. I have been lead to understand that it was bought originally from the council in a sealed bid by someone who used to work for, or did a lot of contractual work for the council. The developer has put in numerous proposals before which many believe would have been a blight to the landscape including on one occasion a 2-storey garage! the mind boggles! This proposal doesn't seem to be much better and will have a new entrance on Elsie Road and not on East Dulwich Grove. Only 2 car-parking spaces for 5 flats have been proposed in an already over-subscribed area. It's a shame that this house has been allowed to get into this state and it seems obvious that the proposal is too large offering 5 flats on such a small plot. It looks like the owner is proposing 7 windows overlooking their next door neighbour and the plans do not appear to be drawn to scale. The consultation period ends on 6th January and not the 14th, quite convenient that they've put in a contentious plan over the Christmas period. If anybody else objects to this blatant over-development of a prime East Dulwich family home please email Southwark now. I know the houses on this road and they are wonderful family homes in the catchment area of amazing local schools, does the owner really not realise what he can acheive by working with the community and not against us.

no parental choice in London if you ask me

I would assume that most siblings will come the year after the year after a bulge class if you see what I mean - ie a 2 year plus age gap rather than a 1 year one - although a Sept born and a July born would skew that still I think you would be unlucky not to secure a place within 300 or so metres of either school parental choice all ED primaries are good though which is good news

LadyDeliah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I can't get over what a miserable bunch of > killjoys some of you lot on here are. Didn't any > of you have a life before having kids/moving to > ED/becoming curmudgeons? points out username edits to add - they go on for ages, people are enjoying them, children can watch or sleep through them I've found

first mate Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It would be useful to know the reproductive status > of the attacking dog and if the pup attacked is a > boy or girl? PUP IS A BOY > A 5-6 month male pup will have experienced a > hormone surge which gives it 6-7 times the amount > of circulating testosterone. This can be like a > red rag to many intact adult males and they may > 'target' the youngster. To us a 5 month old is a > pup, to an adult dog, depending on its hormonal > status, it will no longer enjoy so called puppy > license. > > If the staffie is an intact adult male and the pup > is a boy, this might be one explanation for a > seemingly out of the blue attack. > > I am not excusing but what can look like a > horrific attack may be something a bit different. > > Was the pup injured and did it have any marks on > it? PUP HAD BLOOD NEAR HIS JAW BUT UNCLEAR WHERE IT CAME FROM - RECOVERED QUICKLY THOUGH > Other equally possible explanations are that the > staffie was treating the pup as prey. Staffs are > notorious for not being that great with other dogs > and if it has not been properly socialized this > may be another reason. > > It is not clear if both the pup and Staff were on > a lead? If walking on the pavement were you both > on the same side? Or did the staff run out from a > house, or was it being walked off lead? PUP ON A LEAD, LUCKILY I WAS HOLDING IT, JUST WALKING PAST THEIR GATE. STAFFIE CAME BOMBING OUT OF HOUSE, LADY SAID SHE WAS PUTTING HER BIKE AWAY AND HE'S NORMALLY BEHIND 3 DOORS > How old is the staff, is it neutered? Many of > these dogs are in rescue and extremely well > meaning people take them on and don't quite > realise what they can be like with other dogs. NO IDEA > Either way,the owner of this staffie now knows > that their dog might repeat this behaviour with > other dogs/pups. I would suggest the owner is > asked to ensure that their dog is always kept on a > lead and away from other dogs until it has > attended training classes and can be shown to be > safe around other dogs, having been properly > assessed by an expert. I THINK SHE ALREADY KNEW AND WAS AT A LOSS ABOUT IT > The Dogs Act of 1871 might allow grounds for civil > action if it can be shown that the dog is a repeat > offender. See the website for Trevor Cooper who is > an expert on dog law. > > If your pup begins to show fear around other dogs > as a result of the experience you might suggest > that owner of staffie funds some behavioral work > with the pup. LUCKILY PUP HAS ALREADY SOCIALISED WITH OTHER DOGS (same afternoon) SO NO LASTING DAMAGE > Could you give a description of the Staff involved > as I recall another EDF poster who had her dog > attacked by a staff that ran out of a house- I > wonder if it was the same dog? BROWN STAFFIE - HE RELAXED AS SOON AS I GRABBED HIS NECK AND PUSHED HIS HEAD DOWN - IT WAS ONLY AFTERWARDS I REALISED THAT MAY NOT BE SENSIBLE THING TO DO

I like staffies when they are well-trained When I calmed down I actually realised the owner seemed at a loss - I think she said he was ex-rescue and keeps attacking other dogs and they don't know what to do about it. I wanted to advise her to talk to the rescue home as any decent rescue home will provide advice or try to rehome it with people who would know how to help; to get a dog behaviouralist on board. I wanted to let her know that I was being advised to report to police but didn't think it warranted it. She seemed a responsible person but a bit lost - so I just wanted a chat really

I would suggest that a toddler is too young -so just get a bowl of sweets - light a carved pumpkin and open the door and let your child hand them out dress him up if you want to Halloween seems to be from age 4 or 5 up

It is only ever on 31 November - it's not a weekend affair Dress up, get friends round - take children round local streets - knock on doors where a lit pumpkin is shown (in window or on windowsill or outside) - shout "Trick or Treat" - take a sweet - say thank you and wish them a Happy Halloween Is the way it tends to go do not knock on any doors where there are no decorations - do it from 6pm until 9pm at the latest

I'm sorry I, and my children, were in such shock at the time that I don't think I acknowledged you, or your apologies, but I would like to speak to you about your dog. Please if you see this could you PM me. We drove down Crystal Palace Road today but couldn't remember which house it was. Our puppy is fine thankfully (and thanks to the barman and man with the miniature Schanuzer in The Actress for your help too)

I have never known children to extend the one night of Halloween to a '3 day festival' It's a one-off If you don't have a lit pumpkin in your window - on your windowsill - outside your house - they won't bother you

families taking over pubs may well change the god-awful British attitude to alcohol rather than a drink as much as you can alcohol will become associated with the food and the socialisation as it is in Europe There are rules though - children should sit / speak quietly- they should not be free to walk around / run around / shriek or shout

Thank you James Would your contact need a daily photographic record of the coach situation as this is not a 'visiting coach' issue - but a daily one as you are well aware from a variety of posts. Or do you think this person might actually be able to get daily traffic wardens to visit

suppose it depends what you call 'early' I think judging children on an ability to read early is pointless as reading is a trick, rather like jumping, you get it when you get it I think possibly year 3 or 4 primary is a better indicator of 'early development' However a child with an enquiring mind or an ability to just work will probably remain so and of course the peer group a teen falls into is important too

aren't there 3 Prendergasts though

Alleyns don't care unfortunately

Some photos from today at 3.15pm for you as requested Unusually there wasn't a coach on the other side of the road however the positioning of the black coach well outside the coach bay, on double yellows and very close to the bollard is rather typical This is just outside the gates close to the security hut

Mick Mac Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I always get my wife to call me before I allow her > to release funds from her purse. This stops her > giving money to people who come to the door asking > for money. existential scream.............

I'm afraid you are being misinformed there James The coaches do not park in the clearly marked coach bays: there is space for 3 coaches opposite the school, but not immediately outside the gate and 2 spaces outside the gate. There seems to be an issue with parking in the 3-spaced bay .. suspicious minds might infer that the students don't wish to walk that far. The coaches park on the DOUBLE yellow lines making it difficult to swing them round; they also park on the single yellow lines and directly opposite each other so that the road narrows uncomfortably. You know if the coach bays were full and then they waited on single yellows it wouldn't irk so much. But this conversation goes round and round.