
bawdy-nan
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Everything posted by bawdy-nan
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Depends what it is, surely... A half day "workshop" kind of thing, regular hour long slots etc. I have to say that ?25 an hour sounds very, very thin. I know people who will do a 3 hour session for ?250- ?300. A quick browse around websites that tailor these for schools suggests that this is quite cheap. DHJS charge parents ?5 or ?6 a 45 min / hour long session. So that would be somewhere around 75 an hour. I;m pretty sure that "cost" to parents isn't directly related to the cost of providing the class (so not necessarily a good guide)
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you could also just do it yourself - buy a box of face paints and just get daubing - its not that hard and they seem to like whatever you do
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train to london bridge - stroll back (via borough market,look at the "pirate ship", look at the river, pop into tate modern (to slide down the big ramp if nothing else, walk along the south bank looking at stuff, then look at the buskers and the wheel) maybe finish at the fountains in somerset house if its nice weather. science museum (hands on stuff) kensington gardens end of hyde park - boat trip and diana playground? horniman with picnic in the gardens? boat trip to greenwich and / or mudchute farn visit (lovely cafe) richmond park (deer!)
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I agree with Otta. Its absolutely brilliant that it looks like there will be a new secondary school locally and one run by an organisation with a great track record. I don't think there's been a lot of slagging off of Charter, has there? Mostly, and I've been following the threads since they began, there's been a good deal of bigging up of the school (Charter). Things shifted a bit when they, Charter, suddenly appeared to want to compete with the other bid which was a community led one. I say appeared because there's been no sign, that I could see, certainly, of their intending to pursue this route before the new school idea was raised. That doesn't mean, of course, that the governors hadn't been planning this for a long time. Only they know the truth of that. The other criticisms raised have been around the Charters sustained reluctance to recognise a safe route to school that would allow access to an area of social housing. People commenting on this have rightly raised the fact that the report into this also acknowledged that Charter was an inclusive school. I feel very uncomfortable about the briefings and counter-briefings. It may be the way to get what you want but its very unattractive.
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Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
The thing is edanna is that "we" don't get to choose which school gets to set up the new free school or indeed, if any application will be accepted. That's a decision for the Dept Ed. The steering group selected HA as their choice after considering the options and will be working with them - hence the title of the thread, I suppose. I've got no idea what the criteria are for the Dept Ed when deciding between rival bids. -
Organising a big household /me full time in work
bawdy-nan replied to Fuschia's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Having done this for years (working full time with kids but with no au pairs) I'd say another really important thing is accept that some things just have to slide. Decide what's important and let the rest loosen up a little. Buy a load of bithday cards and keep them in a drawer - use a mass google calendar and bin as much book bag admin as you dare - aka understand the PTA as something for people without jobs. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
yes, bornagain, that makes sense. The year 6 sats things are pretty awful - quite a lot of weeping going on despite the school doing pretty well, I think, at trying to make it feel ok and spending a lot of time doing other, lovely things. My daughter had a huge outburst of fury about them - roaring about why she had to do them and what was the point and how it made her feel awful (and she's someone who's doing well). -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
When you say "coach for SATS" isn't that, essentially, "teaching". My child is currently being "coached" for SATS in her lessons in school. -
Lewisham banding system (and Harris)
bawdy-nan replied to katgod's topic in The Family Room Discussion
I didn't know that Sydenham banded - we applied this round and had no information about it. It looks to me as though schools that choose to band do so to alter their intake towards higher performing pupils when, historically, they may have had a lower performing intake but that where schools sit within a wealthier / higher performing catchment they tend to plump for proximity. I suppose when a school system is so dominated by "results" and performance tables and parents use them to identify which schools they think are "the best" then its understandable, if distasteful, that schools do everything they can to snag the "high performers". As a parent it can feel baffling though, on the plus side, I have to say that, when viewing local schools last year I was overwhelmingly impressed. Even in schools where I wasn't a huge fan of the "ethos" I saw much to be admired and was very heartened. I'm very saddened by the unfolding factionalism and spatting on the forum in relation to the proposed new schools. (And am waiting to see the story pop up in the press). It's beginning to feel very unsavoury and mean spirited. Certianly not the kind of example I want set for my children. -
Lewisham banding system (and Harris)
bawdy-nan replied to katgod's topic in The Family Room Discussion
As far as I understand, having gone through it this year, you have to sit the tests at each school that "bands". If you are out of area (for example as in Wandsworth where there is also a pan-borough test) you sit the test on a different day. Some don't "band" - ie Sydenham School (Lewisham). The admissions and over-subscriptions criteria are different in each place and it can be a bit bamboozling. -
Lewisham banding system (and Harris)
bawdy-nan replied to katgod's topic in The Family Room Discussion
having gone through this recently there are a myriad different tests that your child will have to sit, each school operating their own banding tests some before (eg Kingsdale, Harris etc) and some after (eg Charter) places are allocated. Its dreary and unsettling for all. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Hello ackroyd. I don't understand, I didn't read anything that suggested a doubt about the success of the Charter. The things I have read (mentioned here once or twice, and in other places and in the national press: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/feb/01/academy-school-catchment-council-estates , were historic concerns about the Charter fighting being forced to apply its own admissions policy. The discounting of Wanley Road as a safe route meant that a large swathe of social housing did not have access to the school. The only other thing I've discovered, whilst looking at the Charter website and the minutes of the governors meetings (available online) is that there has been a determined effort to reduce the number of parent governors because "parents tend to be too interested in the operational" aspects rather than the strategic. The Charter's been a really brilliant success story locally and has been pointed out over and over again it is very over subscribed (which means lots of people want to go there). I don't think anyone would have fought a new school being set up by them if they had gone ahead and done it. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
stateeducation I know you are new to the forum but the recent forcing of charter to admit children from a nearby council estate (ie forcing it to admit wanley road as a "safe route") has been discussed on the edf in some depth. I wonder if that's where the spirit of those comments comes from? You could catch up with a search on the forum. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
"Stateeducation" - you are making some wild accusations there on, as you mentioned above, the say so of "some of the friends of the governors". Are you seriously suggesting a conspiracy. You are coming across as "a bit giddy" at best. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Stateeducation, you seem really, really angry about this. I think that lots of the information you're asking for is in this thread already (I've been following it for a while). As regards the "catchment" area for the Charter, hasn't that been contested quite recently, which is to say, who can be sure what it actually is ...? -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Otta, there's a lot of new sign ups now getting involved in this. Either new sign ups or re sign ups looking for a different name. It's an issue that's evidently arousing a lot of interest and passion ... Charlottes webcam: "Why so consistently against The Charter". Actually, I don't think there's been any criticism of the Charter and,in fact, lots of pro-voices in the thread (as you'd expect, you're right to identify it as a highly performing and very popular school). The only criticism that's been raised (as far as I can see) is the "sudden" announcement to compete with the parent led steering group proposal. The governor of the Charter, "derek" who was posting on this thread said that the school has been considering what to do to "future proof" itself and that trying to open another school had become part of those plans. It looks (from the outside) as though the "steering group" process has prompted the Charter to accelerate their plans and pushed them to a decision and so now the Charter will make a rival bid to open a Free School in the area. From what I can gather (and I'm not part of the steering group, but have been a supporter of the idea of a new school despite my broad reservations about free schools in general and a "non-planned" commissioning of schools) the group of people who pulled together to try and get a school commissioned considered a number of providers and decided on te one they felt best fit the criteria of what they wanted (criteria are set out above). The thing about setting up Free Schools is that anyone can do it you don't have to be "representative" of anything. I agree wholeheartedly that this is not the best way of doing things but that's the way things are now. As far as I can see, a large group of local parents who want a new school is no less representative of an area than an existing school. As a parent, I'm pleased that it looks as though there will be another strong local co-ed secondary school. Where James chooses to educate his children is his own business. He's fulfilling his role as an elected representative and responding to what people say they want. Good for him. In any case, the state / private thing is muddied in this wealthy enclave by the thriving tutor industry (take a glance through the EDF) with educational advantage being sought by those with the cash to pay both in and out of the private sector. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Whatever happens, and whichever bid is approved, and either would be a great addition to the local range of options, it's pretty clear that we wouldn't be at this stage without local councilor support in galvanising and organising support. So - thank you James and the steering group for getting this going (even if there's been a bit of piggy backing on a good idea). -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Not entirely sure this is relevant but I was just looking at Charter School GB minutes on the website to see what the record showed about school plans etc and have been reading some choice discussions about the over representation of parents on the GB and plans to reduce their number and influence... http://www.charter.southwark.sch.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=463&type=pdf I can see that its an argument about the GB being able to be "strategic" and its not "anti-parent" as such but it chimes oddly in a debate about a community process to secure a new school. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Thank you for taking the time to reply, Derek -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
I'm very pleased the process is moving forward - well done to the steering group. But, this post decision spatting, claiming (victory for the lib dems according to the email as it arrived in my inbox this morning) and counter claiming really illustrates well many of the points made earlier up the thread about the ramshackle nature of marketising education. I hate and distrust the trying to make political capital out of this as well as the apparent territorial upset that seems to have provoked some reactions. If Charter, which gets great results on a tight distance admissions criteria, was so keen to set up a new school and widen their reach why didn't it do that before? There's been the legal possibility for a while. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
er, yuk -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Generally, bornagain, I would much prefer a properly planned, strategic education system. But that isn't happening and hasn't for a long while. I do know that I am concerned by the academy chain mono-culture and I can also see that these organisations are effective at seeding schools. This (ie parent led new school) seems to me probably the only way to influence what happens, in whatever small way possible. The bigger, political picture isn't going to be altered by a small scale resistance in this instance. I reckon I'd rather choose a different battleground but I do respect your position. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
Yes - I did. As far as I can see there's a group of people trying to kickstart a process and they'll hand it over to a provider. I'm very happy with that. -
Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting
bawdy-nan replied to James Barber's topic in The Family Room Discussion
As I understand it, from following these posts there was a suggestion that an attempt be made to establish a new school and interest was canvassed. When there seemed to be quite a few people interested it was suggested that a steering group be established and it was formed on the basis of people who were interested putting their names forward. And so they did. The thing is, I suppose, is that the whole Free School thing just relies on people with sufficient interest putting themselves forward and making it happen. It's not about elections or accountability and can't really ever be representative of all the parents in the area - just those that asserted their desire for a new school. Its been observed on here that its not an especially sensible way of regional planning. And it isn't. At all. It relies on (or enables) people getting together and making things happen. I can absolutely see the downside to this as a way of strategically planning an education provision but its also a way of getting things done quickly. I reckon 40 people with children interested in setting up a new school is good enough for me. I actually don't see any need for a proper constitution, terms and rules and regulations in this instance. The aim is to set up a new school and as far as I can see this is happening swiftly and efficiently and with, as far as I can gather, very little internal opposition as to the direction of travel. Some people on this forum don't want one and that's fine but enough do. I'm more than satisfied with the transparency (much more so than I do by the decisions made by councils and schools generally) and feel pretty well informed.
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