intexasatthe moment

The Parking Shop in the Old Kent Rd is now closed . Southwarks web site says you need to apply by phone or on line http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200220/on-street_parking_permits/484/visitor_parking_permit_booklets

Perfectly possible for the LA to consult parents and take their views into account . Though whether the outcome of any consultation would actually reflect parents/carers views is another matter .

The "tendering" need not be entirely related to cost . The system with the old style original Academies where sponsors were taking over existing buildings and school communities was that they put forward an expression of interest to the LA setting out their suitability as sponsor and outlining proposals for admissions criteria ,curriculum ,SEN policy etc etc . The LA would then decide which sponsor they wanted to go with . Probably irrelevant in this case as Southwark would no doubt go with Harris because of its size and track record . I doubt there would be any consideration of accountabilty ,monopolies ,eggs and baskets .

The first Academies were given funding over and above that available to equivalent community schools . Some of their success was attributable to that . Success starts the ball rolling and improves intake . Succesful schools are what we want but I want them to be run by local authorities and I don't want an education system that is fragmented by a myriad of opague admissions criteria and where schools are fighting to corner the best intake and improving exam results by any means at the expense of education and teachers health . Feeder primary schools and all through schools will ( IMO ) further complicate and divide the system . I don't want an education system where we return to Victorian values of philanthropy where power ,money and politics have an ever increasing influence . Harris may well be a" good " philanthropist but that doesn't make the system acceptable to me . And although he has built a huge machine to run his schools what will happen if he becomes ill or infirm and can no longer provide leadership and input ?

TopTree - how long do you think I should allow from CC to Chelsea Bridge on the 137 ? Want to arrive at Battersea Park by 8.20 ish ?

Thank you TopTree ,that's a possibilty - with a good book !

The tfl site gives no detail other than a general warning . Does anyone know where I can look ? My interest is in travelling to the Chelsea Bridge entrance of Battersea Park . Train is one option ,but wanted to explore 44 bus from Victoria over Chelsea Bridge ( they weren't travelling to Victoria tonight ,don't know why ). I'm assuming that Nine Elms Rd will be closed tommorrow - or am I being too pessimistic ?

londonmix - I'm sure you're very capable of putting forward an argument that my objections are unreasonable without any further detail . I'm just expressing my views . Which are that I have reservations about Academies - for instance I'm not reassured by being told that the DfE will be assessing the curriculum when a sponsor opens a new primary school . The current political intervention in the curriculum by Gove seems uninformed by teachers and people with expertise in schools and education . He has appointed an education minister - John Nash - whose only qualification seems to be the fact he is a sponsor of an Academy .http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/jan/10/gove-appoints-john-nash-education-minister If you look at the link I posted earlier to the curriculum think tank you will get a flavour of Nash's ( or his wife 's ) thinking on curriculum . You may be completely in harmony with his approach but I am unhappy that the curriculum at an Academy ( Pimlico ) and the new primary he is opening is now shaped by his idea of a curriculum . It is obvious that the government shares his approach . I appreciate that I am referring to a different sponsor and a different Academy - but the point is that Academies do have this freedom .I feel that they are unaccountable and that as chains like Harris get bigger that their freedoms and power will increase . The alternative Academy preferred by the Roke primary is indicated in the link I posted as Riddlesdown Collegiate http://www.riddlesdown.org/ . I'm sorry I can't be more articulate than this - my excuse today is that I'm still recovering from being caught up in the Vauxhall nightmare this morning . But the truth is I'm pretty inarticulate at the best of times !

Seems odd that the DfE insisted on Harris as sponsors when Roke primary were wanting an alternative sponsor if they were forced to become an Academy . http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/jan/14/parents-fury-academy-takeover?INTCMP=SRCH I'd say wrong rather than odd ,but that's because I believe parents and teachers should be listened to . And - not a criticism of Harris just flagging up the freedoms Academies DO have with curriculum - Pimlico Academy is developing it's own special curriculum . The sponsors wife has set up a curriculum think tank which favours a fact based /knowledge rich education - so for example it seems that instructing young children on primary and secondary colours is preferable to letting them loose on a paint box and making a mess . "If you were to give a young child a paint box, a brush, water and paper and ask them to paint a picture, what would they discover? That water makes the paint wet, that the brush can only hold so much paint and that you need to keep dipping it back into the paint box, that the paint box soon gets in a mess and that the paper is soon filled up with a muddy puddle. Compare and contrast this with teaching a child about primary and secondary colours and how to mix them, explaining the colour wheel and showing how the use of complementary colours can enliven a painting. How much more a child would discover and how much more harmonious the painting would be. " http://www.thecurriculumcentre.org/blog/ Perhaps Pimlico's sponsor and his wife have lots of educational experience and knowledge ,but I have been unable to discover what it is . And the sponsor has now been appointed by Gove as an education minister . My point is that Academies are not accountable and that they have a lot of power . I'm sure the response from many will be that Harris Academies are a different kettle of fish and that we need have no worries . I'm afraid that I do still worry .

As per JB's "As for Local Authorities. Under the Localiam act their is nothing to stop them applying to central government for the ability to create new schools" that's what I'd like . Does being a registered charity somehow confer kudos or legitimacy to an organisation ? Or even prevent that organisation from benefiting , financially or otherwise .

Well of course even qualified Health Visitors can be cr*p. And some Health Care Assistanys can be great . But doesn't change my basic belief that there is too much reliance on less costly .less trained ,and not adequately supervised Health Care Assistants .

I do think that a lot of the trouble is that actual trained Health Visitors and District Nurses are thin on the ground and the teams mainly consist of Health Care Assistants . Some Health Care Assistants are experienced and fantastic at what they do . But IME many are not and do not know when or what needs refering for another persons input .

Maybe it's standard practice to move staff around ,rotate them through different geographical areas ? My very elderly housebound mother is seen by members of a DNT to dress ulcers on her leg . It's ( apparently ) not possible to be visited by the same member of staff ( even the same 2 or 3 members of staff ) from week to week . Or to be given any more detail of the timing of the visits other than which day/s they are coming - I guess the thinking is that if you're housebound it doesn't matter . And in the summer we were told that the staff ( might only have been the health care assistants ) were being rotated to different areas . So any hint of continuity of care - which believe me is important if you're dealing with long standing wounds - is out the window .

I share the concerns expressed about loss of recreational space ,though I'm sure there'll be an argument about using the park below Sainsburys . There is an argument about a need for social housing . But will it be social housing ?

I think you should speak to the Team Leader to ask why this happened in the first place and what the protocols are to avoid it happening again - to your relative or to someone else . The DNT is no doubt under pressure ( so all the more need to have procedures in place ) and I don't feel entirely comfortable criticising them ....but this kind of experience is far from rare and vulnerable people are put at risk by what IME is a system that often breaks down . Poor communications between DNT and patients and surgeries ,lack of continuity of care ,Health Care assistants who are not properly supported or used in complex cases where greater knowledge/training is needed . I have made formal complaints in the past and to a limited extent have found that things have improved .

Just came across this on Southwark Carers Newsletter and thought it might be of interest . " Wed 16th Jan, 11am Join our new ADDitude Carers Group for carers of people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Attention Deficit Disorder and other behavioural problems. In recent months we've come into contact with an increasing number of carers looking after people, each facing common problems of stress, isolation, and difficulties finding appropriate activities, schools, as well as just ways of relaxing. This new group will be a safe space to talk about experiences and take time out If you'd like to reserve a place or find out more, call us on 020 7708 4497 or dan.taylor@southwarkcarers.org.uk. "

Muddles with notes seem fairly common . I was recently refused a repeat prescriptio at Forest Hill Rd surgery and was told I'd seen GP 4 days earlier . When I persued this it turned out patient with same name ( I promise mine is not common ) and told " Well you'd better watch out for that then ." How about them watching out for it /using birthdates . Poor you nylonmeals,surely if HV doing their jobs they should have tried to be more discreet ,avoiding putting parents backs up if they really did need support . And showing you another persons notes ? Were they HV or health care assistants ?

Congratulations Ramble ( and everyone else ! ) have been watching for news of your little ones's arrival !

Elmington Estate http://directobjective.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/elmington-estate-revisited.html

or for putting special ops dogs off the scent ...

bump

Another vote for MIU at St Thomas - you can phone them first to check if they think you should come in ,if that reassures you . http://www.selondon.nhs.uk/your_local_nhs/lambeth/your_local_services/minor_injuries_unit

Also I've heard that the Lister walk in at New Cross has shorter waiting times .

Won't it need to be Xrayed ? And require a visit to Kings ?

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