Debi

Ridgley - as you can see, there are several, catering for a broad spectrum.

And then there's Catford - which I've PMed Malarkey about ...

EDWG are delighted to announce that Hoovering the Roof 2, the 2nd anothology consisiting of short stories, poems and novel extracts, will be published very soon. Last year's anthology sold out of its first print run and was awarded runners up prize in the National Assoc of Writers' Groups awards. We're kicking off with a gig at Review bookshop in Bellenden Rd this Friday as part of the Peckham Literary Festival. Sadly, we'll only have a proof version of the latest book as it's not due out for another week. There will be more events coming up soon. With 200+ people on our mailing list, that's an awesome amount of local literary talent. The anthology will be available at all the local bookshops, so if you can't make any of the events (which we'll list in the What's On section of the forum) you can still support the group by buying the book.

I have 2 children there - Year 11 and Year 8 - and we are more than happy with every aspect of the school.

I have a son in Year 11 at Kingsdale and he wants to stay on in the 6th Form. There was a 6th form open evening last week where we met the teachers and saw the facilities. Very impressive indeed. Being one of the early cohorts is v exciting and, as with every other aspect of the school in our experience, I'm convinced they will get the balance right between academic study, increasing independance and appropriate pastoral care.

And that's a bad thing? There are 200+ local writers on the EDWG mailing list. That says a lot (and all of it good) about local creativity. Plenty to celebrate (and let other people know about)I'd've thought. We're not a business and we're not profit-making. More unashamed plugs there then ... please don't begrudge them. (Eyelash batting emoticon.)

Ah, if only we had these suggestions earlier! But there has to be a cutoff point and we're now very busy, working to tight deadlines and editing the content. Which is sort of the whole point of the book ... Thanks, though. Some great ideas here.

Steve - argh! Don't confuse us! Do you have any idea how much discussion went into this decision? Thanks for that, Shaila. As a published author and freelance editor, I do know what you're saying and we took those concerns into account. We hope to produce an anthology a year and need continuity as well as originality. The cover will be very different each time and, in the end, as the previous one was Hoovering the Roof the First, the final decision makes sense. Think Granta ...

You win, Steve (and anyone else who voted for the previous title to be retained). Hoovering the Roof the Second it is. Thanks to everyone who took part.

Thanks!

Last year EDWG published its first anthology, Hoovering the Roof. The first print run sold out and the book has been shortlisted for the National Assoc of Writers' Groups awards (winner to be announced after 4th Sept). We're currently editing the content for the 2010 anthology, to be published end Nov. If you'd like to play a part, you can help us to choose the title by voting in the poll at this link. http://www.micropoll.com/akira/mpview/623807-266698 More details re EDWG on our website: www.edwg.co.uk

Last year, EDWG (mailing list = 200+ local writers) published their first anthology, Hoovering the Roof. We have now gone into a 2nd print and are working on the next volume which will be out before the end of the year. Watch this space for another poll to choose the next title. (Many EDF people voted to help us decide on Hoovering the Roof last time.) Meanwhile, please see events section for ... well yes, forthcoming events. Hope to see many of you at one or more of them.

I agree about the diversity being one of the school's greatest strengths and hope that doesn't ever tip too far in the opposite direction. I don't think it's a matter of Kingsdale targeting the middle classes so much as those people suddenly noticing how the good school is and realising it's an option for their child.

Also just rec'd the report. Kingsdale has been judged the most outstanding secondary school in the borough and one of the best in England. Confirms what many of us have known for a very long time but is only now deservedly achieving wider recognition.

My son is dyslexic. At Kingsdale he has gone from strength to strength. He took GCSE Geography in Year 9 and has just achieved two As in triple science GCSE (aged 14). He's also taking Maths and English GCSEs a year early. He is given extra time for exams, which gives him essential time for proof reading his answers. Hope that helps.

I didn't know that and can't comment. I do know that Kingsdale (and also I believe Charter who likewise have Foundation status) definitely don't deal with the first stage of the allocations process. Might it vary between LAs?

It's such a confusing process, I'm not surprised people find it hard to grasp. To clarify: Foundation schools most definitely can't sift applications. They can only set the criteria which are used by the local authority to allocate places. Order of preference isn't part of the criteria. But the system used by the authority to allocate places means that where you place a school on your list makes a big difference in what you will be offered. The intention/hope is that people will be offered a place at the school they put at or near the top of their list. Obviously, if a school is over subscribed, the likelihood is that putting it lower on your list will adversely affect your chances of getting in as the places should have been offered to those who put it higher. It doesn't always seem to work that way - partly because it's also essential to take children across the ability bands to guarantee a balanced intake. The system is no doubt flawed, but the first stage of the process is completely out of the hands of the schools themselves. It's only once you get to the appeal stage that a Foundation School can make direct decisions. Hope this has helped.

It's clear that there's a need for more than one decent school in the area and as I've always said on this forum, what suits one won't suit another. I agree 100% with Beatricealice that what all schools want/need is a balanced intake and Kingsdale is no exception. I'm sorry Queenie23 is so cynical about the children who spoke at Kingsdale Open Days. I can ensure you that their enthusiasm and loyalty was genuine. As parents, many of us feel passionately about the school and are delighted that public perception has at last caught up with the reality. I don't think the school can be held responsible for the way that so many middle class people have latched onto Kingsdale's improved reputation, making it the talk of the playground. My fervent hope is that the ethos of the school remains unchanged and that it continues to cater for children from all different backgrounds. I also hope that everyone ends up satisfied with the school their children eventually go to. While I'm happy to big up Kingsdale at every opportunity, I have never criticised any of the other schools in the area. While Kingsdale won't suit everyone, I hope people won't feel the need to justify their choices by spreading negative perceptions if they have them. I can't see how that would benefit anyone.

I do understand everyone's frustration and anxiety at this time. As a parent of 2 children at the school I think I might have a clearer understanding how the process works. Hope this helps! Scholarships: According to the selection criteria, 15% of the intake must include children awarded a scholarship. But more than this figure are initially offered scholarships. This is not 'manipulation' or a 'cynical ploy'. They have to do it this way because there's a good chance that not every one in this position would take up a place at the school, even if it was offered (as in the case of gwod on this thread). So they have no choice but to award more than that 15% figure. When we were informed that our son (in Year 7) had his scholarships, we were told very clearly that it did not guarantee him a place at the school (even though he had a sibling there). From everything I've heard and seen, this is always made very clear at every stage. I think it's right to let your child know how well they have done to achieve the scholarship, but as westof says, it's up to parents not to raise false hopes for their children. As for the scholarship offering very little benefit to the children, I can assure you 100% that this is not the case. For those scholars lucky enough to be offered a place, the extra tuition they receive is well beyond anything offered at any other state school that I know of. gwod - there's some confusion here when you talk about Southwark's obligation 'to allow kids in by distance'. Schools set their own criteria and Southwark then do the allocations according to those criteria. Kingsdale does not have distance from the school as part of their criteria. I have heard disturbing reports of children who had not put the school first being offered a place and others who DID have it first being disappointed. That doesn't feel right at all and also wouldn't be ideal for the school. Obviously it's better for them too to have children there who are totally committed to being there as their first choice. But this would be down to Southwark, not Kingsdale, as individual schools have no say in the initial selection process. I do really feel for those of you who have been disappointed and wish you all the best of luck.

I have one son in Year 10 at Kingsdale and another in Year 7. All I can say re this year's intake, Oggy, is that there will be hordes of people out there hoping that you won't take up the place so that their child can move up the waiting list - which is very long indeed. The school has been extremely popular this year - deservedly so.

It is indeed, Alec. As a result of the school being so popular there will almost definitely be more people putting it top of their list than there are places. Not long to wait now and I hope you have the school of your choice at the end.

We can all only speak from our own experiences and mine have been unfailingly positive. I'm not saying there have never been any instances where we have needed to contact the school about a specific concern. The point is that on every occasion (and they have been few and far between and none of them what I would describe as actual bullying) the response has been all that we would wish for. We have been listened to and supported - and more importantly, our children have been made to feel they are safe and cared for.

My understanding as a parent of 2 children at the school is that Kingsdale can indeed set their own selection criteria as a foundation school. It is the borough who then select the children who fit the criteria according to where the school was placed on their list. The admissions criteria can be found here http://www.kingsdale.southwark.sch.uk/PDF/Admissions%20Policy.pdf As you can see, 15% of places are for children with scholarships. However, the total number of scholarships granted is greater than 15% of the total intake, so being granted a scholarship does not guarantee a place at the school. When it comes to appeals, this is the part where the schools themselves can look at individual applications and obviously having a scholarship would come into play at that point (though still without guarantees). I know it's a stressful time and hope all ends well for you. The process is not perfect but I can't think of one that is fairer, particularly now that distance from the school has been dropped as part of the criteria. Good luck!

I have a son in Year 10 at Kingsdale and another who started in Year 7 in Sept 09. Over the years, I've watched the school go from strength to strength. It was clear to us when our eldest started there that it was already a very good school but public perception hadn't kept up with the astonishing improvements. I'm delighted to say that's no longer the case and it is now (deservedly) one of the most popular and over-subscribed schools in the area. The most recent school newsletter included letters from Tessa Jowell, Vernon Coker and Diana Johnson (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools) congratulating the school on the recent results. You can see the full text here http://www.kingsdale.southwark.sch.uk/news.html TJ said: ... you have achieved one of the largest sustained improvements in the country of pupils achieving 5 A-Cs inc English and Maths VK said: you are amongst the top performing schools this year based on sustained improvement DJ said: ... commitment, hard work and persistence ...led to positive and improved exam results There is no 'one size fits all' so it's always possible that the school may not suit every child. However, I personally know of several cases where a child has left the school - and then wants to come back almost straight away - in at least one case after only a week. Batgirl - I don't think it's very helpful to post that bald statement without any clarification or context. Feedback from parents who are very happy with the school and who are willing to back up their perceptions with hard facts is far more trustworthy IMO.

If it's not on your list and you made it clear in the application that you wanted a co-ed, you would have a strong case when it comes to appeal. The crucial thing is whether or not the school was on your list. If it was, the implication is that you'd find it acceptable so it's more difficult to turn down. Hope that helps ...