Katy Tonbridge

My son at Charter School really doesn't enjoy drama, it's his least favourite school activity (and I have to sympathise, I didn't have to do any drama after the age of 11 and have no regrets). Does anyone know at what point drama becomes optional at Charter? He's currently in Year 7. Thanks.

Renata - I totally agree. Renata Hamvas Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I've signed the petition. > It was the Head of Harris Girl's ED I spoke to, a > while ago now. She said there was no free/surplus > space on the site. It is a sports specialty > school. Part of the site which was used for sports > was used to temporarily house their 6th form while > the 6th form block was being built. A member of > staff told me that after that part of their > grounds was used for this it would take some work > to get it back into shape for sports use and it's > this area that has been used for the temporary > siting of the Harris ED Free Primary until 2016. > this date is significant as I believe the Harris > Free School Nunhead is due to open in September > 2015. The timeline for the temporary location for > Harris ED means that the pupils wouldn't be on the > former Police Station site until after the Nunhead > school would be due to open, so it would be > challenging to use it for Harris Nunhead even > temporary basis. I believe the letter I saw from > Harris said they would have liked to put it on the > Harris Girl's site, but it's not possible as it's > metropolitan open land, so I don't believe that > Harris have pushed for this location themselves, > also it would be 4 minutes walk to the Ivydale, > Stuart Road site (by my walking speed). > > There is demand for primary school places further > north in the Borough, so I think if I was in > Harris's shoes I would set up a primary school in > a location where there is a predicted need for > more primary places within Southwark. I am > flabbergasted that the Harris Nunhead application > appears to have been piggybacked on the signatures > of parents in the southern parts of East Dulwich > which were already used for the support for the > application for Harris ED. > > We need another secondary in the ED area to cope > with the increased numbers of 11 year olds from > 2016 onwards. I don't want to see the facilities > of a new secondary compromised due to Harris > Nunhead being squeezed onto this site. A local > health care centre for local people is also > necessary, an adequate space also needs to be > allocated to this too. A pie cut into too many > pieces is not the best solution for local > residents. > Renata

Thanks kdsd77 for this dignified explanation of the background to the story. kdsd77 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am the mother of four and unfortunately for my > family and I this story has become something it > was never meant to be. I knew Richard in passing > for as long as we lived here and Tayo knew more > about him than I did. My horror was not about the > source of the maggots, my distress was initially > about maggots that seemed to appear from nowhere > in numbers. The papers failed to mention I spent > all weekend trying to get someone to check on my > next door neighbour and that I called the police > on the Saturday. I was distraught when I > discovered what happened to him and somehow > believed I could have saved him even though I was > away when he may have passed on. There was no > smell until the Monday we found him, he was very > private and I did all I could to get someone to > check in on him. This story was meant to be about > Richard and how he was alone, it was meant to > highlight the incompetence and lack of care of the > Housing Association. It was not about me, the > maggots or my disgust. Had I been so disgusted, I > would have left my house and demanded compensation > and all the other things ppl do in this > compensation society. I stayed to keep my home > clean and to make sure that Richard gets a decent > burial and his personal belongings do not get get > discarded as if he meant nothing. He deserves > better than just being the deceased man in my > story. I hope that clarifies things.

It strikes me that these discussions on 'best estate agent' are next to useless, since they are so dependent on the individual that you deal with. The turnover of staff is so high that with most agents an experience more than six months ago becomes almost irrelevant.

I love the atmosphere at ToastED and it's my first choice on LL as a meeting place for coffee, but the early restaurant reviews on here set my expectations for the food (unreasonably?) high, and my experience going out for a meal there was similar to Chatterbox's, a bit underwhelming. Chacun a son gout?

OK, can somebody who stayed for the second hour answer the following: - What seems to be their preference for the criteria for entry, will it be distance, 'ability'-bands, affiliation with local primaries, or some combination of these? - It will be a mixed school but will there be single-sex classes up to Year 9 as I believe they have in one of their other schools. - Does it sound like there be ways for children living miles away to go this school (via music 'scholarships' or whatever?) - Apart from music, will they want to be known for any other specialisms? - How big do they anticipate the outdoor playground/sports area will be (they presumably have a rough idea of the building footprint)? Do they expect all sport to be done on-site, or do they plan to share facilities elsewhere as Harris Boys Academy does. - Do they have anything to say about the rival Charter bid? Why go with Haberdashers instead of Charter?

And another thumbs up for Alleyn Park.

Well, I made it through about one hour of this meeting and gave up. It was an hour dominated by two governor-executive types committing murder by Powerpoint as they read and re-read (just in case we missed it the first time) their slides listing their values and aspirations, while a patient audience of 200 sagged in a stuffy room. Dear Steering Committee, if there are any more of these meetings, please remind the speakers that most of us parents don't have two hours to kill, we have questions, and don't need a painstaking regurgitation of stuff that is either on the Haberdashers website or was in the leaflet that most of us read before the event started. 15 minutes of them summarising what they are about followed by structured questions would have been a far better way to organise this event. I hope somebody stayed to the end and can give a summary of the key points to emerge from this evening.

James: Some sort of compromise between geographical distance and lottery seems to be a good idea. But also, what about some acknowledgment of how long you have lived in an area? Here's a fictitious example based on a true story. * Family A live on Chesterfield Road. They've lived in East Dulwich for over ten years. Their eldest child is at Goose Green School. Children from their road have always gone to Charter. * Family B live near Peckham Rye. They have lived in East Dulwich for eight years. Their child goes to Goodrich. In October, the parents contrived a temporary 'separation'. They have arranged to rent a one bed flat near Red Post Hill. It's a 12 month rental. The mother now 'lives' there (ahem), the family home is still Peckham Rye. * Family C have been in Clapham since they came to London, but last year moved to a house in the Herne Hill Triangle. All three apply to get into Charter. Under the current rules, the child of B & C gets an automatic places at Charter. The child of Family A, demonstrably committed to SE22 and the local community long term, is on the waiting list but may well miss out. A criterion that said that the main address you live at must be one you have been at for at least, say, two years would rule out at least the most crass of the parental manipulation that goes on. To be fair to renters, who may have to shift address when it's not their choice, if you have lived in your current address for under two years, but your previous address was also in the catchment area, that would also qualify. No system is perfect, but the current one is massively skewed towards the wealthy (and to a small number who are morally bankrupt).

DulwichFox Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Katy Tonbridge Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > So it seems this is far from a freebie getting > > stuffed through every door. Apparently it only > > goes to people who are deemed to have "made > it", > > and clearly I haven't. What a relief. > > > I got a copy. ?? :) > > Foxy Hmm, what was it about the millionaire Foxy that first attracted me to him?

So it seems this is far from a freebie getting stuffed through every door. Apparently it only goes to people who are deemed to have "made it", and clearly I haven't. What a relief.

I've hear rumour that there's a new freebie magazine called Absolutely Dulwich. Has anybody seen it, or know where it's available? No sign of it in my bit of Melbourne Grove.

This makes great sense, I've thought that site should be restored as a primary school for a long time.

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A note on the door explaining what was happening with an apology for any inconvenience might have engendered a bit more sympathy for their cause.

Just to reassure people that milk delivery round here can be fine, I've used a milkman for years, never had a pint taken. I love the whole notion of milk delivery, and am OK paying more for my pints in return for that service.

I just saw a couple of trees with lots of dead leaves on Dog Kennel Hill (towards the top). A reminder that trees need water too - do water your local tree, especially if it's young.

I've been very happy with this place for the four or five times I've used it. Good value.

bawdy-nan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm going with the family for my 40th ...:) brilliant idea.

keane Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What age group would u say this is suitable for? I'd guess age 6-11 probably. Probably not so good for kids with lots of energy to expend or short attention spans.

jonbateson Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have looked and often wondered what it was, > there doesn't seem to be much in the way of signs/ > info on the outside. Do you need to book? Yes, I assume so > How much does it cost? I think similar sort of cost to All Fired Up. >What can you create? Each child gets to create a piece of spin art - on a sheet of paper maybe 4ft x 2ft? They look pretty cool. >Do they do drinks etc? they serve hot chocolate and waffles, and there's a room towards the back with a good sized table to eat cake etc. There's a little kitchen. At the very back is a room that's a private cinema. Maybe you can ask to show your own choice of film there, I don't know. Very quirky and laid-back place

Not sure if this belongs in Family or 'Recommended' but here goes.... If you're looking for a novel and creative idea for a kids party, I can highly recommend a place called Colour Makes People Happy (it's an anonymous looking shop next to Kwik Fit, bottom of Elsie Road). My daughter went to a party there not long ago and a friend reminded me about it today. They have a big rotating drum where you can create 'spin art'. The kids clearly loved it and produced some great artworks. And the place itself is like a tardis, it just keeps going with room after room, one of those quirky East Dulwich spaces that reminds me of Blue Mountain Cafe in its early days.

hpsaucey Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Whiteboard - maybe its my age but just reminds me > of school esp with those marker pens lol... whereas blackboards wouldn't remind anyone of school, would they? :-) There are glass magnetic 'whiteboards', maybe called glassboards, which look cooool in the kitchen, I've seen them in action. And with bright whiteboard pens they look really colourful too.

Instead of a chalkboard, think about a magnetic whiteboard. They're quite expensive, but stylish and much easier to clean as you just use magnetic markers. Use them for shopping lists, games and - perhaps most useful of all - doing homework together, since both you and child can have a pen and sketch ideas together, much more collaborative than pen and paper.

I just spotted on Twitter that Sarah Ebner of The Times is looking for somebody to tell their story about admissions to primary school. East Dulwich seems to be full of such stories - if you fancy telling it and having your picture taken for Saturday's paper get in touch with her (I guess easiest way of contacting her is via Twitter, she's @schoolgate)