James Barber

Hi TE44, A number of parents have asked to form a steering committee. I would expect them to recommend a provider. Free school applications are decided by the Education Finance Agency an agent of the Government Dept for Education. But I would hope to persuade Southwark Council. Southwark Councils current position is that they plan secondary school places on a borough wide basis. That Dulwich families are already being offered places in Walworth, Catford and New Cross and that they would expect growth in numbers to be provided in such places and the new Aylesbury school when it opens. This policy clearly has little resonance with Dulwich families. A number tell me that they will continue the flight of families who have the choice to move out of London for decent secondary education.

Hi DenmotherAmith, Not true. Those parents offering to be part of a steering committee I will be emailing over the weekend to ask them to meet and discuss who we'd like to approach about being our provider. Hi TE44, The article is about schools viewed as failing and being taking over. Our new free school application would be viewed on it merits of who we wish to partner with.

Hi dds29, Apologies I thought I'd made it clear that I approached a number of school providers locally. The only one interested was Harris. Since then, it was two years ago, others are now interested in doing this sort of thing hence Belham. Hence why Harris came up trumps.

Hi Audrey, I have stated this as we already have two local outstanding Harris secondary schools - possibly lost in the thread. We've started a renewed push to raise numbers. Also new website to help things along www.newschool.org.uk for people to register support.

Hi dds29, Davey, I havent spotted your question - I cant patrol the forum! Harris Federation is a registered charity. If anyone has evidence of wrong doing please tell the Charity Commission. Posting things on anti academy websites if real evidence of wrong doing exists without going to the charity Commission is socially irresponsible.

Hi Zenoria, An application for a restaurant has been suggested again by the owners. This idea was rejected some years ago. They're trying to reframe it as saying really the site is part of Lordship Laneand would have zero impact on this residential street. Clearly cloud cuckoo land. Hi worldwiser, I agree and will find out.

I've been informally told the concrete will take a week to dry and then tarmac. Seems ridiculous to do this in term time during tub strikes. I've asked why the works cant be covered in steel sheets to allow the lane to be reopened. It will always be painful but the council seems to be magnifying this from choice.

Yes the disruption to local roads and buses is extreme. As local councillors we've had no notice. The works do seem very planned as resurfacing around a bus stop outside ED station. I'll try prodding to get some greater speed to this so it completed ASAP.

Hi DulwichFox, I'm pretty certain the new school will have a regular playground and the kids will run around playing pretty much the same games I did as a kid. The key is in clever site design and agreeing time at swimming pools and the like. But yes if we had the option in East Dulwich of playing fields that would of course be a better alternative. Sadly we don't. Equally we can;t expand the site by buying adjacent properties. Apart from them being homes it would cost too much. When the East Dulwich Harris Boys Academy was being planned it was descirbed by some as a Sardine Academy. They get around this by having a good sports hall, booking sessions at sports grounds. But they also go on one week sailing courses and physical activities like that. I suspect the older primary school years will get similar opportunities.

Hi XIX, We've not agreed to any tree removals or provided any funding for this. Funding is ?6,000 for new white light lampposts heads. ?4,000 to strgihten and relay some paving where it's a particular trip and tree pit edges. Hi First mate, Still can;t see the planning applciation. So has raised with the head of planning. Hi unlurked, One resident made the formal application but we'd heard from others as well by email and on doorsteps. It's also clear walking at night along Chesterfield that the trees and lights are interferring with each other. Hi Mustard, I have reported the missing gate. Usually quicker to email directly rather than waiting for me to collect from the forum OR first try [email protected] and copy me as it can be a hit or miss whether things get fixed in timely manner.

If anyone would like to visit a Harris School and see it in action please email and I will try and arrange. It appears that some are philosophically opposed to them on principle despite performing better than UK average in a number of ways and will never accept this. Perhaps visiting the schools speaking with pupils they might realise the staff and management are human and do care as passiotantely as other schools staff. Hi TE44, A number of Ofsted inspectors work part-time. Several Southwark Council School Improvement Managers did this the last time I spoke with them. Ofsted should be ensuring no conflict occurs. Really interesting link to a blog and interesting sub links within the blog. The thing that jumped out at me was "Inspectors failed to take account of the nature of the school and its cohort of students". PISA have completed a study showing that disadvantage should not be a bar to achieving the same results at children from higher income families. BBC summarised it nicely here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-26015532 So I can see Ofsted taking the stance that using this as an excuse is no longer acceptable especially with the ?1,300 per pupil Pupil Premium giving resources to help close the attainment gap.

Hi LondonMix, We always said we wanted two. Sufficient parental support for two. One for East Dulwich and one targetted at Nunhead/Peckham Rye. Suspect the site they'll find will be in East Dulwich. Saldly this hasnt been a cross-part campaign. Southwark Labour have been indifferent and blanked all our requests to join in and lead with us. But at least council officials are including all these free schools in their admissions plans. The reception school crisis is forecast to reach its worst by Stepmber 2016 with a gap of 215-235 reception places. Judith Kerr helps with 50 places (originally they were destined for Lambeth or Rotherhithe so delighted we found a local site for them), each Harris primary school provides 60 places per year, a few school expansions such as Bessemer adding 30, Belham releivng Goose Green of 30 reception places. The obvious next problem is then secondary school places. Hi daveybigpotatoes, When we started this campaign two years ago we approahc a nmber of school providers. Harris came up trumps - other didnt. More recently others have shown as interest such as Dulwich Hamlet and we will continue to offer advice and support. The next big problem will be providing sufficient secondary school places. Southwark Council deny any requirement providing sufficient places for Dulwich children in Walworth, Aylesbury, Catford, New Cross. Hi katgod, I'm sorry it's made you feel sad. I'd feel even sadder without the ultimate 420 children having local school places. If you have an alternative site in mind please let us know. We think we've looked at everything in detail. So the key will be in the design of the school and clever timetabling.

Hi LondonMix, Harris are not opening any new secondary schools in the area. We're talking about the primary school places crisis. They have support for tw oprimary schools towards the 3-4 we need locally. Hi noelewilson, Head of Terms is part of the contract of sale of the site. It should be a detail once the principles of sales have been agreed which they have been.

Hi bornagain. Most Harris schools were converted from failed Local Authority schools. And yes they therefore have to work harder to beat the national average. But IF they make even half the progress they made last year with EBACC they'll meet the national UK average. I'm sure Harris are far from perfect but I don't get the determination to rubbish them. Even as a Lib Dem looking at this Conversative controlled charity they do appear to do some remarkable work.

Yes LondonMix. Department of Health so painful (excuse the uninended pun) that we've had to find alternative sites. First permanent one found, just need to find second permanent site. Saying that I still hope the temporory Primary school site will be the Dulwich Hospital.

My understanding is that the head of term are being finalised but that the sale will be to the Department of Education to be used for an East Dulwich Harris Free Primary School.

hi Sophiesofa, Your friend should make an official complaint to the examining boady or OFsted. They can do this anonymously. But it isn't very fair to raise such an alligation which can't be denied or substantiated. I found this website which seems to suggesT Harris were doing really well: http://www.harrisfederation.org.uk/47/latest-news/article/111/gcse-results-further-analysis Since then: - 72% of Harris students achieved 5 good GCSE's including Maths and English, 11% points higher than the national average of 61%. We can see the ED Girls are rapidly improving and the ED Harris Boys will have their first GCSE results this year from memory. - Without equivalents included, 61% of Harris students achieved at least 5 good GCSEs including English and Maths, versus the national average of 53%. - Ebacc scores, 18% of Harris students achieved the English Baccalaureate 2013, up from 8.8% in 2012. - 69% of Harris students on Free School Meals/in care achieved five good GCSEs including English and Maths, 28% points higher than the national average of 41%. I'd encourage any parent who feels their child has been excluded, or pidgeon holed in some way to boost exam scores or percentages to contact me or their local councillor. I've not had any such complaints or casework for a Harris school. I have had such casework for other local secondary schools - thankfully the last was two years ago.

Council officers told me firs thing today they'd removed it. Sorry it took so long to get this done.

Hi SJ, It didn't help make this happen - and it was on a knife edge which way it went. With Community Listing I suspect even just the process helped. But rejecting it wrongly coudl easilly have resulted in a higher non school bid winning. Their decision also places at risk other Police stations until they agree they got it wrong. The community listing reduces the incentive to try selling Police stations.

Curious I can't see an Amy Lame on ewither Lambeth of Southwark or in fact any UK electoral roll.

Hi first amte, i don't believe the application has been validated hence why not showing in searches. Planning officers check an application is fully complted before accepting it and the formal clock starts ticking. Validation can take anything from hours to many weeks.

Hi SJ, At one point it looked like the Police station was going to be sold for flats and a supermarket instead of sold to host a new school. We are desperately short of school places and the Police station represented one of the few pieces of lcoal land a school could be built on. Hi Louisa, The land owner would have been told of the application, they will have seen other police station around England being so listed, so it may have tipped the balance with all the other pressure we applied to get it sold for a school. Equally it may have made no difference!

Hi first mate, Sorry I thought all the documents were there. When the meeting is fully written up with the decisions I guess all the documentaiton will be there. Yes a resident form Chesterfield Grove applied .The summary of the bid was "A trip hazard regarding tree root systems along Chesterfield Grove. Walking is dangerous for all ages. Guide dogs can't manage all parts of pavement. Slip danger from over accumulated leaves. Re-grade lighting, leaves from trees block light making pavements dark. Trees are lovely in the right place. Solution: 1. Remove trees. 2. Relay pavements with proper paving. 3. Re-think lighting for the street." The white light is my interpretation of "re-grading the lighting" and "re-think lighting for the street". Funnily enough officer concern is that other neighbouring streets will want the same upgrade. Whereas you're appear very against. Any reasonable curtain would keep this light out. If you have a lamp post directly outside your home as with other locations we can have a shield installed.

Hi bob, Sadly they did reject it. They said the Localism Act 2011 didnt allow it. But we've found so far three other English local councils that interpreted the law and DID list police station as local community assets! So I've asked for a review and complained as it's a really important principle ot save other such police bases across Southwark. Doesn't help East Dulwich but still it needs to be done.

WOuldnt have thought it owuld be the key cutters as that was an A1 shop and a cafe would be A3. So a change of use would be required but as we have a policy of 50% of units remaining as A1 and we're at that stage this seems unlikely by March. A local softplay would be fab.