intexasatthe moment

lukedaisy - Waverley became a Harris Academy in 2006 and has been improving since then . Kingsdale went into special measures in 1996 and Steve Morrison - the headteacher - joined in 1998 since when he's transformed the school which has also undergone a major refurb . http://www.dulwichsociety.com/2010-autumn/560-kingsdale-foundation-school

Yes I agree ,Charter sounds fantastic and ,like Kingsdale was a terrible school ( in it's previous existence as William Penn ) that no local people wanted to send their children to . Do you think it's catchement area is comparable though ? I feel it's in quite a uniformly middle class area where parents might be tempted to go private but would try state . Kingsdale has always seemed out on a limb to me ,close to upper middle class households ( well ,even more expensive houses than those near Charter ) where parents more likely to go private and the Kingsdale estate . I don't think Kingsdale is guilty of jiggery -pokery at all ,just trying to get a balanced intake .

Kingsdale is a Foundation school and can therefore set its own admissions criteria - just like all the secondary schools in Southwark . They are all Academies ,Faith or Foundation schools and they can all decide their own admissions policies . In line with Southwark's and national guidance - which as you can see from what we have in Southwark allows for plenty of variation . If they want to change them they can do ,after consultation .Which ,in my experience ,if you're a parent ,means no more than informing you about what they intend to do . I think admissions policies that give priority to geographical location of applicant are very tricky . Kingsdale's location and that policy meant that for years it had a very strange intake ,not at all representative of a cross section of society . I think Kingsdale's admission policy which if I understand it correctly ( banding ,low percentage of scholorships ,lottery etc ) is really hard on parents and children applying for the school ,but is a pragmatic solution . Though it must make appealing and managing a waiting list very difficult . It's hard to understand it as a parent and hard to know how it could be monitored . Though as I've said before ,I find banding hard to get my head round . Is it banding of the particular group that applied in the year or banding related to some national or local scoring ? If a place becomes vacant because someone in band 1 has dropped out can it only be offered to someone whose scores for banding would make them a band 1 person ? I expect it's all perfectly clear to those with bigger brains than me . But it does seem to me to be a very complex situation where so many schools can all have such different admissions policies. I really don't know the answer - good schools for all doesn't seem to happen . Maybe we're getting there ?

Mmm ,have a look here at what the lovely mapping people at Southwark have so kindly put on line for us all http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200212/egovernment/1776/old_maps_of_southwark/1

Sorry to repeat old concerns - this has all been discussed before I know . I just find the provision and development of secondary schools in this area of great interest .

Comments from report re space are interesting ,especially the second comment which gives the impression that a rethink is under way regarding total numbers . The space and facilities are attractive and of a high quality although outside recreational space, while adequate for the current number of students, is limited on the site. and Managers are rightly exploring what the future numbers of students should be in view of the small site If the space is adequate with only 2 years on site ,what will it be when the school has 11 years plus a sixth form ?

I can't help feeling that all schools should have the same admissions polcies - tricky though because location can have a massive impact . Which makes me think that banding ( but not banding related to national scores ) and lotteries are the way to go . It's a complex area - and at the moment one which causes huge stress for all involved .

Renata - thanks for link ,which I see specifies GCSE passes ,so presumably no GSCE exam equivalents . Does indeed look like a success story - well done East Dulwich Girls ! Thanks also for details as to how allocations work . Not sure I can quite follow it - my lack of brain power ,not your clarity ,to blame I think. Am I right in thinking distance from school doesn't come into play for lots of secondary schools ? It's the banding that always confuses me ,surely if a school is looking for 10 children to fill the top ability band then they may have to draw from a bigger geographical area than the one necessary to provide the more average ,middle bands . So your distance from school would be less important than which band you fall into ,unless its Kingsdale which uses bands and a lottery where I suppose distance doesn't matter at all . Although Charter take distance into account ,don't they ?

they meet at 7:00 to get there at 7:30 to make sure they are not late for 8:15. If that's really what's happening - rather than say meeting up before going to a breakfast club - that's insane .

Renata ,sorry to have 2 subjects going on here - school improvement and secondary school admissions - but is there any way of a break down of the GCSE figures quoted above ,refering to East Dulwich Harris Girls ? Just wondering about the exams actually taken to achieve the 90% figure . How many were GCSEs and how ,many were other GCSE equivalent exams ?

I'm sure that there are others who can give more specific advice but my experience of appeals is that ,to be succesful ,you have to show either that the admissions process has been incorrectly applied or that your child has some exceptional need ( social,medical ) to go to a particular school . This site is helpful http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/ Good luck .

nunheadmum - most secondary schools offer the same curriculum ,nonwithstanding any specialist status . I think the specialist status is a hangover from a few years ago when schools could access a bit of extra funding if they applied for this ( I'm sure someone on here will know more about this ) I think some schools that aren't vey popular /struggling to climb up the league tables do offer less academic exams alongside the traditional GCSE's . And I think such schools focus their efforts on those students who are struggling to achieve the magic C grade and that this is at the expense of children who can get a C but would benefit from extra support etc to get a B . So maybe don't stretch the just above average student enough . Don't know if that helps .

mrrafs ,just posting to offer sympathies . I know from experience how awful this is . Hope Renata can offer support and help.

What Help-Ma-Boab said .

I'm not an Earl Grey fan but drink other loose leaf tea from The Tea House in Neal St ,Convent Garden . You can do mail order ,but a bit expensive ... http://www.covent-garden.co.uk/SITES/theteahouse/

Well if the school have advised his mum to " work on his concentration and.. " at home ,perhaps she should ask them for techniques ?

Hear hear Pugwash .

Rye Lane works - At which point lane rental comes into play in Sotuhwark which should act as a strong disincentive to road works. sorry ,what does this mean ?

Oh yes Alex - and the starry dogs ,I so love the starry dogs !

It might be different with these new style Academies ,but the old style ones also have Funding Agreements that set out how they must operate . And with the old style Academies - yes complaints go to the Sec of State ,so it would be Gove . My experience was that prior to opening the Academy " stakeholders " could only access a draft FA . And that lots of key issues like make up of Governing Body weren't in the Funding Agreement but in an annexe to it . Some Academies are more open than others ,and hopefully DH will be . But I guess my message is be careful ..... None of Southwark's secondaries are under the LEA control - they're all Academies ,Faith or Foundation schools . It takes some time for the true effect of this to become apparent ,but personally I don't agree with fragmenting the education system like this ,and I think any idea of a level playing field ,good schools for all becomes more and more remote .

Southwark's Healthy Homes /Handy Person service for over 60 year olds which will come round and do small maintenance jobs for very small charge - ?10 or ?20. http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200093/support_in_your_home/835/a_helping_hand_around_your_home/1 Though I believe it's being decimated from 6 to 2 workers next month. And I agree about the bulky items removal service which is fantastic . ( just wish my neighbours would use it )

Sternhall Lane ?

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Thank you John - that's really helpful .

Thanks ianr - then I guess I measure and scale it off the map ? But will the data it's based on be valid in the first case ?( photos I guess ok ,but ....what else ,extrapolations from other distant points ? ) I just can't quite get my head ( aged and neither numerate nor technlogically up to date ) round depending on something that feels remote and dependent on variables ( photos v.other measurements ... )as producing results that are accurate to within the odd half ,and less ,metre .( a unit which I'm not even sure I know how to spell .)