loulou9999

I used Daniel and Chris today to fix a new bath/shower mixer tap. They came out within a couple of hours of me calling, and supplied and fitted a new tap at a really reasonable price. Great guys - really friendly and professional. I will definately use them again, and they've already come back with a good quote to replace my boilers and rads. Happy to recommend. Contact details below: Dulwich Plumbing & Heating - Daniel/Chris on 07879 220447 / 07852 757654

Hi all, Well, like many parents of Year 6 primary school kids, we've survived the trials and tribulations of selecting a decent secondary school place for our 11 year old. God, how stressful was that!!! But thankfully, we managed to get our 2nd place school, so all is well with the world. Personally, the experience was not one I would wish on any parent (especially those trying to juggle busy full time jobs with visiting schools, attending meetings etc), but I have to say, I found the advice on this site really helpful. So a huge, massive, heartfelt THANK YOU to all those who responded to my posts back in September when I asked for feedback on local schools. So, having gone through the experience (and having added a few extra grey hairs and lost a few nights sleep), I thought it would be great to put together some useful resources for parents who will shortly be going through the same process. So this is where I need some help. I know what worked for us, but I'd really like to hear from other parents and in particular: 1) What was the most difficult part about choosing a secondary school? 2) How could the process have been easier, and less stressful? 3) How did you go about finding the right school? e.g. How much time did you spend attending school meetings, reading OFSTED reports/prospectuses, visiting schools, speaking to other parents? In other words, what worked best for you? 4) Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently? 5) What single piece of advise would you give to another parent going through the same process? 6) If you could have had more support/information at the time, what would it be/in what form would it come? Any feedback gratefully appreciated. Regards LouLou

Can anyone recommend a babysitter/child minder to look after a 10 year old. We are now based in the Sydenham area and would like to find someone reliable, friendly and sensible to do occasional babysitting (e.g. average 2 x weekday evenings per month between 6.30pm and 9.30pm) and the odd weekend evening. Thx

Thanks again to all those who have replied to my post (more recently Eliza & Village People)- your comments have all been really useful and pretty much support our gut feel regarding Kingsdale. Everything we have seen and heard about the school has been really positive and we just get a good feel about this school. The fact that they actively encourage parent involvement is anothert plus as it makes such a difference. Harris Crystal Palace is still up there on our list, but again, I agree with much of the feedback provided. It's obviously an excellent school but did come across as being very "no nonsence" and perhaps not as personalised as Kingsdale. Again, just going on gut feel here. Either way, I'm happy that we at least have 2 really good schools to put to the top of the list.

Gosh, I dont want to get into the debate about the lack of outside space and PR (although very interesting to read). All I can say from visiting the school is, first impression was ok but not much to see. Building is obviously great with lots of new facilities, head seemed more that capable, kids were polite, and class sizes currently small (which is a plus but I am sure will change as new boys come on board). When we visited, whilst the teaching staff were nice and helpful in answering questions, there are so few pupils that it was difficult to get any real feel for the school. It was like a ghost town walking around, we only got to see a few year 7 classes, and it would have been nice to see a few year 8 classes. No OFSTED yet, no results to latch onto. Bit of a wild card, but we will at least be going back to the open day on saturday to have another look. Parents I met there were mainly of the same opinion but felt it was worth having a second look. Hope this helps.

Hi there, Thanks to all who have replied to the post so far. It's been really useful and has put our minds at ease. Also really helpful to get feedback on differences between Harris Crystal Palace and Kingsdale (both of which we liked). We definately want to find the right school to suit ours son's personaily, as it's important that he's happy as well as getting a good education. We're going to Harris boys open day this weekend. Difficult call to make with this one as its early days for the school but the Head seems to have a good reputation. Harris & Kingsdale still at the top of the list though and within catchment which is a plus. Thx again and will be looking out for any other feedback.

My son is due to start secondary school next year and we're busy attending open days for local schools. We've been to Kingsdale Foundation School twice - first and second impressions were really good, latest OFSTED report is positive and we've seen lots of good press. But on the downside, I've heard a few people say that behaviour at the school is bad, and that police are frequently called into the area. One person (apparently a teacher) lasted 6 months and said that it was so bad, she simply could not stay. Can anyone provide any feedback on this school? I'm especially keen to hear from parents of children currently at the school and even local residents. I know there were huge problems several years ago, so is it just a case of the school struggling to lose its old reputation, or have we had the wool pulled over our eyes? Any feedback welcome as struggling to decide which schools to put at the top of the list (other contender is Harris Academy in Crystal Palace. Good solid reputation, great OFSTED and GCSE results, but open day was poorly organised so little opportunity to get a "feel" for the school).