dhjs

The sale will take place in the reception playspace which is 165 Bellenden Road. We will open the central gate on Bellenden Road for access. We have some lovely wooden chairs and tables which have come from our reception classrooms and we would encourage you to let friends and neighbours know.

Southwark Head Teachers had an extremely useful meeting today about a number of ways of supporting school to school collaboration. There was also a presentation about the new national funding formula. I'm not sure where the above posters are getting information in relation to this, but caution should be taken - undoubtedly urban schools will be affected by up to an overall budget cut of 1.4% but the government has actually increased the prior attainment and deprivation factors within the formula. This means that schools that serve in areas with greater deprivation (as measured by postcode), or which have more FSM entitlement, or which have more children who speak english as an additional language, will receive MORE funding. There will be an agreed identical per pupil amount for every Southwark child, which then is increased according to the factors listed above. I'm not sure why flocker spotter thinks DHJS will receive more, quite the reverse. However all schools receive some "protection" from previous budget incomes so maybe it's that? There will also be additional support for London schools to afford to pay the higher London wages that our staff so need and deserve. Sonia Case Executive Head Teacher Dulwich Hamlet Junior School and The Belham Primary School

Dulwich Hamlet went to 932m on final offer this year. Further than more recent years, but it does change from year to year.

This is the Head from The Belham Primary School speaking: We weren't able to offer to all who placed us as first choice and we have gone to just over 500metres. All offers have now been formally accepted by paperwork being presented and parents receiving a handbook for them to complete about their child. Renata -it would be useful for parents, if voluntary aided, academies and free schools could publish their last distance offered -is there any way of collating this information at this stage? Mrs Sonia Case

Thanks James, for posting this link to Southwark minutes -much appreciated. And thank you to Belham parents above who have posted such lovely comments. As you know, we have always been excited about the opportunity to open a new school in such a great area, in such a fantastic building. It is taking longer than we hoped but as I've said at Open Days - the Peckham area is our classrooms and London is our school -the limitation of space is no limitation to educational ambition. We know that some (not all) parents have a choice as to where they send their children and I think we are lucky to have such great schools in Southwark - the combination of goodschools, interested parents, and 'hungry for knowledge' children,....and London, should combine to make great learning experiences. Don't forget to get your E admissions in on time. Have a great Christmas and New Year. Sonia Case

Thank you ktrd80. We don't know which parent you are - there are quite a few boys - but we appreciate your comments. We know the children are happy, thriving and enjoying the "glittering curriculum". We look forward to sharing the Wriggly Nativity with you all on Monday afternoon.

This is our idea: The current Bellenden School will be moving to a new site in September 2016 where they will having a wonderful new school, double their current size. This will leave a large empty space. We would love to see that site used for the following: shared sports facilities for the local schools in the area (MUGA -multi use games area)such as courts for tennis and football and cricket etc trees to climb and hide behind shrubs and flowerbeds to admire climbing equipment for the brave and not so brave dog walking spaces benches to sit on -to talk, read, and watch the world go by places to perform an urban oasis used for the community by the community 24/7 What do you think? I'm happy to work on this with others if we think there's an idea here.

Good evening Renata Just to be factually clear about the way we are handling the Belham admissions: we have been very busy seeing parents and carers since National Offer Day on the 16th, and at this point 42 out of our 60 offers have completed all the necessary paperwork by coming along to Dulwich Hamlet. If they also applied through the CAF, and were offered places in other schools, we told parents to immediately get in touch with both the school and Southwark Admissions to release those places to others. All our parents were appreciative of the need to do this. This means we are just waiting to hear from 18 more parents, whom we have offered and they are yet to confirm. We have a really long waiting list and will be offering from the waiting list if those 18 decline or we haven't heard from them by the 30th April (next Thursday), so that will then release further places. I hope this is helpful at this "slightly stressful", but exciting time. Sonia Case

Whilst the suggestions in regard to the first floor roof garden are sensible, this area of the school grounds will not be accessed by the youngest pupils - the reception and Year 1 children. The youngest pupils' play-space and classrooms are sited on the ground floor. The upper level will provide access to the main school for the older pupils from Year 2 onwards. Obviously, until the school has grown, there will be space available for the youngest pupils to access so from 2016 when we inhabit the site, the reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils will effectively have the use of space that in future years will not be available to them. We welcome all suggestions from the community in regard to the use of all community/public owned spaces for the children to utilise. We want our children to enjoy playing outdoors, getting fit, gardening, and exploring. We also hope this community, irrespective of whether or not they have children who will attend the school, appreciate the work that both Southwark Council and Dulwich Hamlet Educational Trust are currently doing to bring a great piece of Victorian school architecture back to life. The building has been "sad" for many years and there is no doubt that the whole neighbourhood will benefit from the planned works. Externally it will be revitalised and internally the architects, Haverstock, have designed exciting light filled spaces. The community hall on the ground floor will be available to the community for art exhibitions, food festivals, music, debate, - what ever is wanted. We have acknowledged the weight of community feeling towards retaining these trees and so they will stay; nonetheless there is a downside which means the youngest children will not be able to access the whole school site (this was a route from one side of the school to the other), and will have a smaller outdoor area in which to play and learn.

Some further information to provide all members of the community including local parents who hope to send their children to the school either next year or in future years: http://www.thebelhamprimaryschool.org.uk/uploads/3/8/5/1/38515623/topiary_statement.pdf

Dulwich Hamlet Junior School just voted for Dulwich Wood Primary -great video and do hope you win!

first mate Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > dhjs, > > Yes, it is clear that you are fulfilling your > brief in adhering to health and safety, that is > not the issue. The point, I feel, is more one of > poor communication. It would have been so simple > to say something like the following from the > outset, "regrettably, since these trees are highly > toxic, we are obliged, for health and safety > reasons to remove them". > > If you refer back to the late communications with > Lucy Snow, the lady who has tended the trees over > many years, it seems that the Capital projects > Southwark person was not clear about reasons for > removal either. > > I am not suggesting this failure of communication > was your personal responsibility. I looked at the > planning application and could not see mention of > poisonous trees anywhere- perhaps it is buried in > the detail? > Let us hope that a home can be found for the trees > and that there is a positive end to this saga. > > I am sure the school will be very successful and > look forward to seeing the final result. Thank you First Mate for acknowledging that the communication failure was not my personal responsibility. The process that has followed to date has been collaborative between the architects, the council, the Dfe, the Trust and many members of the community, including those who formed the Core Applicant Group to put the original application together. All the plans and reports now posted on the Southwark planning website are down to some incredible hard work by others, as I have continued to run Dulwich Hamlet whilst developing the Belham. The need to maximise all available space for the children on the limited site we've got, is really crucial and much as I too admire these trees and hope they can continue to provide pleasure in another local space such as on Goose Green (or even Warwick Gardens?), the future children will really benefit a garden corridor at the front of the school. May I suggest that the community starts to consider the use of the site that will be vacated once the current Bellenden School is rebuilt in another part of East Dulwich? It has huge potential to provide a green community park with spaces for dogwalking, sport and gardening - the current Bellenden school is due to move into its new premises in Summer 2016.

Alex K Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Intemperate text deleted. > > I think that to claim "health and safety" as a > reason for cutting down trees is conceivable; but > not the representation of tree-leveling as the > least that a conscientious care-giver might do. > > A conscientious care-giver might, as with conkers > ("They're not proper chestnuts; don't eat them, > they'll make you ill"), warn those in her charge: > Don't eat the yew trees' needles, berries, seeds, > bark; don't chew their twigs. That would be the > least that she could do. That would be enough. > > The tenor of the head-of-school's response, above, > is... trunchbullesque. I HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED > AND I SHALL HAVE MY WAY. Health-and-safety as a > rag to cover naked aggression: Well, to put that > on show will teach children a lesson of its own > sort, and one that they might as well learn > young. > > I certainly hope that they do NOT learn to deploy > the verb "interact" as she has done. On Alex K I wish you hadn't deleted the previous message; so much preferred you stating it as it is and really enjoyed being described as Ms Trunchbull rather than trunchbullesque - a rather poor use of a proper noun with an overused suffix. I've been described in many ways, mostly very positive I'm pleased to say, so it was refreshing to be likened to Trunchbull - it's given me so many ideas. I particularly liked your suggestion that I should stand outside barking instructions at the children, not to do this, not to do that - it fits my vision of education entirely. Let the children NOT run free, I say. Also felt that I could set you some homework regarding botany and poison - plese produce 500 words on the toxicity of the horse chestnut compared to the yew please. On my desk tomorrow!! I do apologise for the use of the word interact though; like you I abhor jargon and delight in discussing effective language choices with the pupils, and I intend today to go through all schemes of work deleting any references to language that hasn't passed the "AlexK" test. 'Interact' - I banish you to the Chokey!

Yew trees are poisonous and as a head of the school, I would not be fulfilling the most basic of health and safety requirements if the children were encouraged to interact in this space. There have been many opportunities to view the drawings, prior to the plans being published on the Southwark website. We have communicated these consultations in a many ways including the EDF The building has not been used as a school for many years - a small private nursery existed at the back of the building. The trees can be replanted and continue to provide viewing pleasure. The space can then be used by young children interacting with a variety of plants they might grow themselves. We remain committed to working with Southwark, with the community and with the future parents to bring a fantastic former school - a wonderful example of great Victorian architecture - back to life for the many additional children that need school places in the area. Children need new schools and if we can, in addition, provide a stimulating environment in which they can learn, so much the better.

But surely many years of viewing pleasure is not a waste of public money? The trees have been "seen" on a daily basis by many people and therefore have provided a positive experience. The time and care devoted to the upkeep resulted in these trees thriving. The nursery children from the Southwark Women Muslim's Association had a playspace at the back of the building - I have little knowledge, but imagine there were no more than 10 or so -and for a limited time period -certainly not the pupil roll that the school will accommodate. I've been informed they are yew trees. Know no more. Sonia Case

I'm always sorry that when making decisions regarding educational developments, either current or future related, that inevitably not everyone will be satisfied, or agree with the outcomes. We experience this with decisions about homework, curriculum matters, ways of reporting attainment and progress to parents, and I've become reconciled to understanding that with every happy parent, there will be one experiencing an opposite emotion. Yew trees are highly poisonous - as one who visited the Poison Garden at Alnwick a couple of years ago, I know that you wouldn't want to risk children going anywhere near yew trees - leaves even when dying or dead can still exert a terrible effect. www.alnwickgarden.com/explore/whats-here/the-poison-garden/about We also are trying to maximise the limited outdoor space that will be available to our youngest pupils at the future Belham. We want them to learn how to grow plants and enjoy being outside, engaged in purposeful activity, and although this space is not large, it allows us to plan further activities for the future pupils of the community. We want the children to learn about growing plants from seed to fruit, and we can create a space where this might happen. But we are very open to working with members of the community and would love to hear your ideas and receive your support for promoting a garden "corridor" along Bellenden Road. As well as the plans online, I'm more than happy to share the vision with the community - just get in touch via Dulwich Hamlet Junior School or visit The Belham Primary School website. Sonia Case Executive Head Teacher DHJS and BPS

We promise that when we hear from the Dfe, we will be letting people know on this forum; we are in anxious nailbiting stage and hope that we might be told this week.

The interview was in March and we were told that we would be told in May but when we asked whether that would be the the beginning or the end of the month, we were told "may"! We are very confident that it will be a positive outcome and are looking forward to working with the architects and contractors to get the buildings turned into a stunning school.

You should receive a letter from the council admissions team which will have been sent out today, so hopefully tomorrow. Don't over worry if you initially are not offered, as the waiting list tends to move quite quickly. If you are offered a place -and there are 120 this year - then make sure you have all your paperwork together as outlined in the offer letter so that you accept your place on either the 23rd or 24th April. You will need to come to the school. If you are NOT accepting your place, please call the school as soon as you can, so we can offer to the next on the list. Best of luck!

Factual accuracy: The proposed new school run by the Dulwich Hamlet Educational Trust will serve the Bellenden/Peckham community and not Camberwell as stated a few posts previously. Admissions will be based upon distance from a central point at the school, which will be sited in the Old Bellenden building on Bellenden Road -if all goes to plan. There is an interview at the Department for Education next week, when our educational vision and our capacity to open and run an outstanding school will be put to the test. There is a need for additional reception places across the borough from 2014 onwards, and a new two form entry primary school is one of the solutions offered by Southwark LA, along with permanent expansion plans for other maintained Southwark schools. We are delighted to be the provider (we hope) of the new school, and can't wait to get started.

Dear All Thanks to all who have been contacting the school office regarding your interest in the possible new school on the Old Bellenden site. All of you who have been in contact will be receive an email letting you know about developments and when we propose to hold a public meeting. Hopefully that will be in late September. If there are other people who are interested you can email me, The Head Teacher, on [email protected]. It would be useful to know your address, your child's age and your level of interest in becoming involved in the organisational or future governance issues. (see what James had to say earlier). Which ever way the school is opened - Free School or Sponsored Academy - it is likely that Admissions to the school will be based on the usual criteria for non faith schools, ie - LAC, Statements of Special Need, Siblings, Social and Medical, and then distance measured as the crow flies from a particular point (normally the main gate of the school). Given the density of the housing around Bellenden, it would be likely that the almost all attendees would live within walking distance, similar to schools like Heber and Goodrich. This would mean that the likelihood of increased traffic for the school run would be avoided as most parents would choose to walk the short distance to school. In addition, schools are required to actively encourage healthy travel arrangements and we would actively discourage children being ferried to school in cars. I hope this is helpful and addresses catma's point; there will be lots of consulatation in the coming months, I'm sure!