WishfulThinking

Bessemer Grange would be my initial target school as I think my oldest will start there in September next year and I also think that it is a school that will be receptive to the initiative. However, in an ideal world I would like to see this rolled out across Southwark for all primary schools. Any input from parents or schools to help get this going would be very welcome.

Hello all, This post is directed to parents of primar school children in the East Dulwich/North Dulwich/Camberwell area. I am trying to guage interest in a Walking Bus in the area. A Walking Bus is a safe way for children to walk to school together. See http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/factsheets/walking_bus.pdf for more detailed information. In principle, it works just like a normal school bus, with a route and predetermined stops at specific points and times. Parents drop their children off at the bus/bus stop rather than at the school. Before I approach the school and council with a proposal, I would like to guage interest and also work out if anyone wants to pilot an informal walking bus to test the idea out. In an ideal world, I'd like to have a formal proposal in place for a Walking Bus initiative in Southwark by September 2013. Please PM me or post in this thread if you want more information, have more information, are interested or want to try to set up something similar in your area.

I've been following this thread with interest, because I am amazed that anyone could object to a benefit being removed from a household with an income over ?50K. Yes, I agree that it is crazy that this change does not take into account joint income, so when both parents earn you can retain the benefit even with both parents earning almost ?50K. However, as many have pointed out, this is only going to change the situation for those earning in the top 10%. How can it ever be appropriate for tax money to be re-directed from someone on mimimum wage to someone earning so much? For those that it does effect, think about this: we chose to have children. We also chose to live in an expensive area of London. Surely if this lifestyle can't be maintained without the assistance of the state, then it is our responsibiliy to change things so that we live within our means. Why should the child-free and lower earners subsidise our lifestyles? To some extent, I also think that if you have chosen not to work, then this is also a choice that you can alter if you need to (i.e. to make use of your tax-free allowance or to make ends meet after CB changes come into force). I'm not saying that this policy is being implimented in a sensible way, but I do agree on principle with the view that a benefit should not be available to the highest 10% of earners in the country at the expense of the other 90%.

I'm starting another thread on this subject to share the information that I have had from the school offices of the Dulwich Village and Hamlet Schools. Last year, the furthest distance for a non-church place for a child without a sibling at the Village school was 636m At the Hamlet shcool it was 874m Last year, 75 of the 90 children at DVIS went on to the Junior school. For the last 3 years of admissions to the Hamlet school, the furthest distance for a non-sibiling applicant has been approximately the same as the furthest distance for a non-church, non-sibling place at the Village school three years previously. However, these distances are measured from different points. I think this means that, although a lot of people comment on how the Junior school has a wider "catchment" than the infant's school, that is comparing one year (e.g. 2012 for both schools) and not the same school year for a child (e.g. 2009 for infants compared to 2012 for the juniors). The whole school application thing is making my head hurt, so I'm not sure I can put myself through doing it again in 3 years time. Any comments from people who are/have been in this situation. Are the schools really so great that it's worth all the hassle?