intexasatthe moment

Thanks , but I think I'll reserve the right to lob my brickbats in a direction of my own choosing .

But Loz why should Southwark be involved in this type of work in the first place ?

Bleedin' Nora! We got off easy -- no TRIM OR DIE notices, just our front gardens whitewalled -- and no bills sent in afterward! - but still time for Southwark to track you down and make you parade outside Sainsbury's with my handcrafted sign " Guilty of hedge neglect and wasting tax payers monies " round your neck . :)-D

James - in the past I believe that Southwark would attend to the problem of vegetation overhanging public footpaths etc by cutting the offending vegetation back ( presumably after some prior warning to householder ) and then seeking to recover the cost from the householder/s . Could you tell me if this is still the case and how overhanging vegetation is dealt with now ? Surely it can't really be the case that if you happen to live near a park or area tended by Southwark that you get a " free " trim because workers are in the area ?

Oooh do you think Southwark will nip round to my back garden and trim my hedge for me ? I'm too lazy/can't be arsed and didn't realise that part of my council tax is spent on offering this service .

How odd ,I clicked on this thread expecting to read comments about "the Lounge " bit of the EDF ,but it's about General Ed issues etc section . Which ,yes I do find dull.

until 7pm as far as I know .

In the interests of the school ,the headteacher ,parents ,children ,PTA could we let this thread die ?

I agree with Bob's post but think that maybe the governor should be cut some slack - voluntary role with minimal training , carried out in spare time .

"Mind you, it seems to have been resolved now, so probably best to let it go."

Looks fab - what a great idea !

Confusion I think - I was referring to a hit and run on Tuesday evening about 6.40 pm ,near the library /The Plough .

oh Pugwash I hope that's not true .. No mention of accident in today's Southwark News .

MissS ,where did they land ? Have been thinking and wondering where there is enough space for them to land up by the Plough. Does anyone have any news on how the pedestrian is doing ?

But we don't know for sure that the child was left alone .

Can't help feeling that a faster resoloution would have been achieved if we were talking SE21 ....

But the person hitting the child isn't going to hang around waiting for the police to turn up are they ? I so wish I knew what to do in these circumstances .... I wonder if NSPPC has advice ? ( must check )

Lolly sticks in the spokes ?

. From what I've seen I believe Katharine is utterly committed to children from disadvantaged backgrounds - far more than she is to children generally I'm afraid this grates on me . Two decades ago when Kingsdale was not the school it is now ( no sixth form ,not mixed in any sense ) and was the only offer made to us ,we chose to send our son to Pimlico . Long distance ,socially isolating for son but we were happy with the all inclusive feel of the school and the way all children ( disadvantaged ,middle class ,academically able ,those struggling ) were valued as individuals . Sadly it became an Academy a couple of years ago and we've been flooded with patronising twaddle about " building the social capital " ,faux public school emphasis on houses ,rugby and rowing ,World Challenge ,talks from bankers etc. The after school club my son enjoyed ( the ageing hippy board game Dungeons and Dragons ) has been ditched in favour of police cadets ,street dance etc . All fine ,except it's so one size fits all - it's no longer a school that caters for all comers . That emphasis on aiming to help the disadvantaged really worries me ,it's so patronising and it can also lead to really heavy handed discpline where all children are treated as semi feral and as though they are gun carrying gang members . Edited to say - of course I'm not saying that it's wrong to aim to help the " disadvantaged " ,it's just that I'm wary of someone who makes it the main/sole focus .

you wouldn't be up in arms about the system, had your son been allocated one of your choices. Well probably not ,but people do tend to take on only those social inequities that affect them personally . People may not agree with how Mark is tackling this problem but I'm not going to criticise him for wanting to do something about the situation he finds himself in .

As for single sex schools - I went to an all girls school and my experience was not like zebans . Very claustrophobic ,very very bitchy /cliquey . More recent experience of nieces attending all girls is one of rampant anorexia and fierce competitiveness . My partner who is extremly laid back about everything went to an all boys and our son would have done the same over his dead body . It's not normal to seperate the sexes ,it's hardly a reflection of real life . And I think parents do care more about this issue because they have more experience of life than their children.

Citymum - well that's what I understand from this Renata Hamvas April 05, 02:33PM Some updates- I have raised an enquiry to establish if there are any plans for Harris Boys and Girls to merge and highlighting that this is what some local parents have expressed a wish for. In terms of the 44 places shortfall in the Borough this year, this would not have occured if it hadn't been necessary to closeSt Michael's and all Angels to new entrants this year. Following rebuilding, it will open in 2013 as a new ARK run all boys school. As well as this there wil be a new mixed Academy in Walworth on the site of the previous Walworth lower school. This is planned for a September 2014 opening. It will be non-denominational and is planned to have a STEM speciality (science/technology/mathematics). Renata

Fuschia - Peckham Academy have reduced their intake by 60 with effect from Sept 2011 . They've also opened a nusery ( 60 places ) on site as a forerunner to a primary school . I think it's strategic ,to improve the school . All done with full knowledge of Southwark Admissions Forum . And of course soon Southwark won't even have to have an admissions forum if the current white paper proposals are enshrined in law . Sleepwalking......

There wouldn't be a shortage of secondary school places if the Academy@Peckham ( co-ed ,huge site ,great transport links ,perfect for "getting behind " hadn't reduced it's roll by 60 places . Though according to Southwark the shortage is down to St Michaels and All Angels not having any admissions due to rebuild . And it's future reopening as an all boys ARK Academy . Although of course ,in the long term ,Harris's move at Peckham will probably assist it's reinvention . No vacancies so no need to offer places to all comers ,grow your own intake by having a primary school on site .... But I agree - this is what you get when make all your schools Academies and such like . And now the primaries are going down that route . Heaven help us .

joobjoob - When I read your post I thought heck ,didn't realise Harris Girls had been closed down because of gang activity . But having read the link you posted ,it seems that one Friday afternoon Harris Girls and Peckham Academy ( presumably the Harris Academy@Peckham ) closed an hour early because of fears of gang activity targeting children leaving school . Which ,to me ,gives it a slightly different emphasis .