Nom de plume

With MMR jab rates low due to the recent unfounded scare, there is a good chance it might get a foothold in some areas, so ensuring you're up to date with jabs is a must.

ajade Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Otta:Disagree with that, I think that is pretty > much the worst part of it. > > I totally agree, removing schools from LEA control > is awful. As if these 'fat cats' need any more > power. You're conflating two issues assuming that by "fat cat" you mean the businesses who fund academies: 1. the extent that the LEA should have control over individual schools. On a principle point of view I'm very much of the opinion that schools should be run by a governing body of teachers, parents and community representatives and as far as is possible should have autonomy over its affairs. From a practical and personal experience Southwark's LEA is composed of pockets of front line excellence (child psychology, training to name but two) overlaid with bureaucratic and leadership incompetence. Southwark administered schools can't even set their budgets for 2010/11 as the authority hasn't done the work necessary for them to have funding certainty. So I'd say that the less control the local authority has over a school the better it can respond and adapt to the needs of its children and community. 2. the use of private money and influence in schools. Much harder argument. As long as the sponsor doesn't have a dominant voice in the academy's affairs then there shouldn't be an issue especially if it increases diversity of choice and brings expertise into the school. Where it becomes more problematic is when the sponsor's influence on the governing body influences the provision and curriculum; and when large chains of single provider schools (ie: Harris) are created. If you think loosening LEA control over schools is the worst part, then you haven't read the provisions on teacher training, which are mad.

sillywoman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I get that Nom de Plume, but as someone with a > child at a school nearby that isn't Kingsdale, Id > still like to know which "less successful" schools > you meant. As far as I can see the schools near to > Kingsdale are actually all much more successful > academically. So I'm very puzzled - could you tell > me which ones you were thinking of please? My comment was made in ignorance of the actual academic and other records of the neighbouring schools, so if you feel that I've slighted your child's school then I apologise. The comment was based on anecdotal evidence that Kingsdale is the school everyone seems to be trying to get their children into, and therefore by that measure could be deemed as 'successful'.

bluemusic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The point I originally tried to make was that I > cannot understand why the head teacher would > present themselves to be an ally of this > government who has made some shocking changes > which will affect the children who attend Kigadale Schools try on the whole to be apolitical, and to refuse a visit is in itself a political statement, unless they also choose not to take visits from local MPs or Councillors in case it was interpreted as endorsing their politics rather than recognising their office. As an outstanding school i'd be astounded if the visit wasn't used in some way to stimulate debate about politics / government/ economics so this will be useful for the pupil's understanding of the world. It's a bit sad that recognition of a school's success is the subject of political grandstanding and suggestions that it's driven by the head's ego.

Ok just to be clear - a mugging is a horrible thing to happen to someone and I hope your colleague is not badly hurt, has a swift and complete recovery, and is able to put it behind them. That said, your apology to the EDF for spooking them by saying it was in Central East Dulwich when it really was in Peckham annoyed me for precisely the reason that it is a nasty event wherever it takes place, whereas you suggested it was somehow less bad if it wasn't "Central East Dulwich". To poke at that is fair comment.

sillywoman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Which would those be then nom? And what measure > of success are you using? westof Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Genuinely curious - can you actually name me an > "ideologocally pure" local school? The point I was making was that Kingsdale seems to be attracting some criticism for being (a) an academy and (b) hosting a visit by the Prime Minister. The implication is that it is either supportive of Government policy or has been somehow duped. I was poking at all the self righteous and hypocritical indignation on this thread. One of our local schools is outstanding and has been visited because it's an example of what the current Government wants for all schools. The leadership of Kingsdale will have taken the visit as a validation of their success, and so should we.

westof Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > . The > decision to encourage outstanding schools to > become academies only came in with the present > govt. Maybe in terms of official policy this is true, but I don't think the outgoing administration saw academy status as just being solely a rescue vehicle for failing schools either - it was just less bold about the timetable for changing all schools. For what it's worth there is much to be criticised in the Coalition's education policy, not least the changes to teacher training, but removing schools from LEA control and giving them more autonomy isn't one of them.

I have. It was dreadful when it was in Central East Dulwich, but less "spooky" when it was in Peckham. That's "in context"

womanofdulwich Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > oooh err- nom de plume-aren't you posting under > the wrong thread- something like faux pas... Nope - someone said (and I quote) "the attack was actually more Peckham than East Dulwich - on Nigel Road." which I thought, in context, was pretty self absorbed and showed an inappropriate sense of relief about it being over there in SE15, not over here in SE22.

Thank God it wasn't in East Dulwich. Peckham is so much more suited to these things than SE22!

As a parent did you apply to Kingsdale and it's dubious academy status or did you send your children to the ideologocally pure but less successful schools nearby? As a parent I'm outraged by all these parents who seem to detest Kingsdale. I wonder who applied to make it so oversubscribed, you hypocrites.

It's a brand new academy and popular, this is their view of the future so why would he not go there? I'm sure a lot of the public sector don't support the government, mostly because the gravy train has stopped and you can feel some of the pain the real world has been subjected too for the last three years.