parentsteeringgroup

Many local parents have asked for an update on the SPACE Southwark Campaign following the recent announcements regarding the approval of The Charter School Educational Trust to deliver the new secondary school for East Dulwich and the withdrawal of The Harris Federation from the site and their decision not to proceed with a new primary school for Nunhead. Many of those involved in the neutral SPACE petition had also been supporters of the Haberdashers' Aske's Federation bid and had worked for many months to ensure that whichever provider was successful, they would not be compromised in terms of space by a primary school on the site. Representatives of the parent steering group that had supported the Haberdashers' Aske's Federation bid recently met with the The Charter School Educational Trust and several also attended the recent Friends of Charter Meeting held at Darrell Road Community Centre in April. On both occasions members of the parent steering group shared their views on the need for a full consultation process that will ensure the East Dulwich community can comment on key areas such as admissions, the vision for the school, local partnerships and practical questions about temporary accommodation and site issues. It wishes all the staff and the volunteer parents involved in the delivery of the consultation and the new school every success. After a delay of two months the Department for Education (DfE) only recently gave feedback on the Haberdashers' Aske's bid to the parent steering group Chair. The DfE made it extremely clear that the Haberdashers' bid had been a very strong one, the campaign was commended during the original interview for its passion and the Chair was told by the DfE assessment team that "your campaign could not have done more." They also confirmed to our Chair that the Habs' bid had also "crossed the threshold" for approval by some margin and there was very little to choose between the two. Because of this and the unique set of local circumstances in East Dulwich, recommendations were made by officials and then sent to the Minister for Free Schools Lord Nash. He personally made the final decision between the two. The steering group has thanked Habs for being exemplary throughout the whole process and gracious in their response to the outcome.The two bids had different narratives and responses to the need for school places in East Dulwich. The excellent consultation that Habs and the steering group undertook over the many months of campaigning helped to inform many local parents about the various hotspots of need and demand in East Dulwich. The steering group has no further points to make other than to state what actually happened and to reassure all our registered parents and the wider community that the Haberdashers' Aske's bid had been worth supporting. Many of the parents involved would like to continue campaigning to ensure that the Dulwich Hospital site is used only for health, education and community use under the neutral banner of SPACE Southwark. We will also campaign more broadly for additional school places where there is a genuine need in Southwark. We wish to use our experience in East Dulwich to support other parent groups that want to work with potential education providers and assist them in understanding and mapping the local need as well as helping to identify possible sites. We plan to hold a meeting to take these new objectives forward and will let parents know more details in due course. We will post as SPACE Southwark going forward. Once again many thanks to everyone that has supported the school and site campaigns.

This from Harris this morning. Many thanks to all that signed the SPACE Petition. Subject: Re: Proposed Harris Primary Academy Nunhead ? Consultation Response (Sent on behalf of Sarah Musgrove) Dear Families and Community Members, Thank you for responding to the statutory consultation for the proposed Harris Primary Academy Nunhead, which closed on 27 March 2015. As you know, the school was initially proposed because of the large amount of support expressed by Nunhead parents for the 2014 opening of Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich. This school is now thriving but cannot easily serve Nunhead families from its permanent location on the former East Dulwich Police Station site. We would have preferred a site in Nunhead for the proposed new school as this is where the core demand for primary places was initially identified. Unfortunately, the Education Funding Agency (EFA) was only able to recommend a location on the East Dulwich Hospital site. This consultation was therefore designed to establish whether there is sufficient demand to open a primary on the Hospital site. In summary, the majority of comments we have received from families and members of the community show that you are concerned the primary would limit the space available to the secondary school confirmed for the Hospital site. Similarly, whilst the primary proposal has been in development, another primary free school has opened in Nunhead which has reduced the need for primary places in that area. The EFA has been clear that the primary school would not impact on the secondary?s site at the East Dulwich Hospital. However, we believe that, when combined with its distance from Nunhead and the additional places created there, the consultation has now demonstrated that it would not be appropriate to proceed with the proposal. Subsequently, we have written to the Secretary of State to withdraw the proposal for Harris Primary Academy Nunhead. We have been clear throughout this process that we take the views of the local communities we serve very seriously, and wanted to provide the opportunity for you to formally express your views. We would like to thank all of you who have responded to the consultation for your views on this proposal and your continued support for the Harris Federation?s schools locally. Yours Sincerely Sarah Musgrove Director, Estates and Projects Harris Federation

Dear All Let me congratulate The Charter School Educational Trust on their approval this morning to open a new secondary school for East Dulwich. Today belongs to them and they now have the privilege of working with a wonderful community of parents from SE22 and SE15. I can't think of a better example of a school campaign than here and now. We have both the overwhelming need for more school places and the local desire of primary school parents to shape a secondary school. I wish to I encourage all parents to engage with Charter and help them do this for Sept 2016. I have attached a letter from the CEO of Haberdashers' Aske's Federation, who wrote to me this morning and I wanted to add my heartfelt thanks to everyone on the steering group and the hundreds of other parents that turned up to meetings, filled out forms and wrote letters of support. You all made a difference. Catherine.

The purpose of the Harris Federation consultation is to satisfy the National Schools Commissioner, Mr Frank Green and the Regional Commissioner for this area, Mr Dominic Herrington that their proposed primary school for East Dulwich/ Nunhead will successfully meet any local demand for primary school places. It must also show that it has the support of parents, the wider community and relevant stakeholders. This must be done prior to the signing off any funding agreement. Please engage with the Harris Federation during their consultation period and ensure that you also copy in the office of the Regional Schools Commissioner for South East England and South London. Also your local MP, prospective parliamentary candidates and your local cllrs. Details for the Regional Schools Commissioner Dominic Herrington Regional Schools Commissioner South East England and South London Department for Education Sanctuary Buildings, 20 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT 0370 000 2288 Email for his regional office. [email protected] From DfE Website: Regional schools commissioners (RSCs) are responsible for making important decisions about the academies and free schools in their area on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education. Their main responsibilities are to: monitor the performance of the academies in their area take action when an academy is underperforming decide on the creation of new academies make recommendations to ministers about free school applications encourage organisations to become academy sponsors approve changes to open academies, including: changes to age ranges mergers between academies changes to multi-academy trust arrangements RSCs get support from headteacher boards (HTBs). HTBs are made up of experienced academy headteachers who advise and challenge RSCs.

Thank you to all those sharing information about the petition to David Laws MP re the use of the Dulwich Hospital site. As you can imagine the SPACE Southwark petition is very closely aligned to the objectives of the New Secondary School for East Dulwich Campaign / parent steering group, and is a vital tool to give a voice to the many local interest groups; residents and their representatives that wish to register their concerns over the future of the site. In our view, the petition to David Laws MP is a constructive, polite and positive assertion about what the community wishes to see, and how the unique opportunity of the site and the school could deliver outcomes the whole community would endorse and support. It could not be clearer that a secondary school is needed from 2016 to meet local demand for places. Its permanent site should be at the only local site available, the former Dulwich Hospital site, alongside new healthcare provision. It is vital that we actually see the delivery of a secondary school for when it is needed, which is Sept 2016, as by 2018 the projected figures of local demand will outstrip the capacity of any temporary provision or possible expansion of existing secondary schools locally. The aim is to have the permanent buildings for the new school in place for 2018. Thanks to all those that have signed it and their continuing support.

Hi everyone Great news - our applicant, the Haberdashers Federation, submitted their bid to the Department for Education on Friday. They are in the 'wave 8' group of applications and are expected to be called in for interview with DfE in November. The final decision is likely to be made in Jan / Feb 2015. Thanks to everyone who came to the drop-in event on 25th September and to everyone who responded to the consultation. We had 200 consultation responses which is a really fantastic level of feedback. You are all no doubt aware that the Dulwich Hospital site is the only suitable location for the proposed secondary school. Now that the bid has gone in it's important to keep the pressure up to make sure the site is protected for a secondary school and a health centre. Please email your MP if you haven't already. And please add your name to the petition started by SPACESouthwark which asks David Laws MP, Minister of State for Free Schools, not to put a primary school on the site. https://www.change.org/p/david-laws-mp-don-t-squeeze-two-schools-onto-the-dulwich-hospital-site Have a lovely weekend!

Tessa Jowell has written a letter back to David Laws which you can read here: http://www.tessajowell.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CHAP0101901140379010100413.pdf It is so important that we fight for the Dulwich Hospital site to be used solely for a secondary school and a health centre. Otherwise we will lose the opportunity for a well resourced secondary with sufficient (but not ample) outside space.

As Belle says, the period of consultation has officially ended, because the bid is due in on 10th October. However if you want to add comments about admissions or anything else please email [email protected] and your feedback will be included. You can also give your feedback face to face tomorrow night to the Habs team. It's not too late to register support for the Habs bid on the link that samstopit posted above. If you registered early on via James Barber it's important that you re-register on the Habs web site because there is an option on there to tick the box saying that Habs would be your first choice if it is the chosen provider. DfE need this box ticked. Hope to see some of you tomorrow evening.

The Haberdashers Aske?s Foundation invites you to a Drop-in Evening for parents THURSDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER GOOSE GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, TINTAGEL CRESCENT SE22 8HG DROP IN SESSION 7PM to 8:30PM Thank you to those of you who have expressed an interest in the campaign for a new secondary school in East Dulwich. Following on from our very popular public meeting in July we would like to offer parents another opportunity to find out more about the proposed new secondary school for East Dulwich. On 25th September we?re holding an open evening for parents. This will be an informal drop-in meeting, giving you a chance to meet the people behind the new school and find out more about the plans for it. There will be representatives from both organisations involved in the project: ? The New Secondary School Campaign Group ? a group of local parents who began the campaign for a new secondary school in East Dulwich ? The Haberdashers? Aske?s Federation ? the school provider which is applying to set up the new school, will be represented by their members of their project team and staff from their existing schools. If you have questions or ideas about what the school will be like, when it will be opening, what the plans for the site are, how the admissions policy could work, how the school will benefit our community, or if you want to find out more about the organisations setting it up, this is your chance to come along and talk to us informally. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have and, just as importantly, hear your feedback on our plans. The open evening is on Thursday 25th September. Please drop in any time between 7pm and 8:30pm. It?s at Goose Green Primary School, Tintagel Crescent, SE22 8HG We look forward to meeting you on the 25th September. Please also find attached a flyer advertising the session.

Hi all, Haberdasher's Askes' are working away on their application to DfE to set up a secondary school in East Dulwich, starting Sept 2016. They are due to submit the application in October...which means there is still time - just - to register your support and submit comments about issues such as admissions processes. For those of you who have already done so: the guidance from DfE is that applicants need to show demand (this particularly means parents of current years 4 & 5 since they would form the first two years of intake). It's fantastic that so many of you have signed up to show your support of the bid - thank you. However DfE are sticklers and also request that supporters actually say that if they had the choice, the new school (Haberdasher's) would be their first choice. If you have time, it's worth having a look back at the website and registering this detail (there is a tick box near the bottom of the form), if you agree with it. It could make a difference... The deadline for registering support/giving feedback is 21st September, so just over a week left - if you haven't already, but you support a Haberdasher's school here in East Dulwich, please sign up! http://www.haaf.org.uk/New-East-Dulwich-Secondary-School-1 NB: don't worry if you are not sure whether you've already formally registered - Haberdasher's will sift out and discount any duplicate entries. Many thanks, The Parent Steering Group.

ITATM we are happy to have a go at answering your questions, I'm a firm believer in the rule that the only silly question is the question you don't ask! But can we suggest you also use the New Schools Network enquiry service for official responses to questions about the decision making process, and if you find out anything of interest please share it. Once a school bid has been approved the EFA will determine the total budget for the new school, this will include the site purchase cost. The DfE / EFA will usually receive bids from a federation or school that is already (or will become) an educational trust, some trusts are sponsored by a named individual or charity. So sponsors for schools are pre determined by the applicant themselves before they submit their bid to the DfE. Lord Nash is Minister for Free Schools, once they have been created. The bid decision process pre approval is very separate to this, and will be managed by senior civil servants within the DfE and then the EFA. The steering group's chosen provider is Habs, an established Federation which is supported by a separate historic education charity set up by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers' back in the mists of time before venture capitalism as we now know it! Again, thanks for the interest you have shown in what's going on and I think we are all looking forward to a quiet August to allow us all to rest and recover!

Dear Redjam The ED situation of two bids for the same area / same proposed site is unusual and probably unique and the DfE would recognise these local circumstances. We can check to see if there are any other precedents, but we may not get an answer till early Sept. The DfE requirement to state a first preference is principally designed to ensure that free schools are not under-subscribed when they open, it is a gauge to indicate that there is genuine support and that there will be a minimum number of pupils/ admissions from the first year on. It is very clear from the number of our supporters that proving local demand for another excellent local school isn't an issue for this area. Many people have wanted to give the prospect of a new school the very best chance and there may be some people that have signed up to both campaigns genuinely with that intention in mind. We don't know if dual signing has actually occurred to any degree that would have any bearing as Charter have yet to indicate their levels of support. But please don't worry about cancelling out your support or inadvertently undermining the need for a new school by signing both. It is likely the DfE will be pragmatic about the local situation/ circumstances as well as having regard to their criteria. They will consider support for both bids fully. They will want to know how many people are broad "supporters" who welcome a new school and then more specifically the numbers of parents who have registered with a provider as their first choice and how many of those have registered a child currently in Yr 4 and Yr 3 as they will be the first two intakes of pupils. Our campaign has never relied on paper petitions to capture support. We have gathered supporters for a school, then we identified Habs as our chosen provider and when we did our supporters grew again. At least 63% of our supporters came after we announced Habs, our support is still growing. All these supporters have been able to withdraw support at any time and have been asked to register directly with Habs as first choice provider or simply remove themselves from our list. Support for our campaign at every stage is clear for the DfE to see. There will be numerous other factors that will also determine which bid is successful, both bids will have to clearly demonstrate they understand where they think the local need for places is, such as to the east of the site radiating out to ED,PR and the direction of Nunhead. Bids also have to show they are providing a school that meets a local need that is not already being provided and also genuinely improves the choice of schools for local children. We are very pleased to hear that you would be happy to send your child to Haberdashers' if our bid is successful.

London Mix Thanks for summarising some very pertinent points regarding the mechanics of the planning process, the hospital site and the role of EFA. You are also right to point out that there has been plenty of heat created about the site but not much illumination! For our part, as the grass roots involved in this process, we have worked with our applicant (Habs) to understand the process going forward. Based on their experience of the free schools process and working with the EFA, they have given us guidance on what the EFA looks for, how the EFA works and what needs to happen and when it is likely etc. We have used this guidance to then make the broader community case for a school on the site and for that school to have all the surplus land the NHS has indicated it will dispose of. Since May we have had a rolling consultation, now via the Habs website, that includes questions about the site and the space needed for all the facilities for an excellent school. We don't think we should compromise on the amount of space for the new school and the more local people that support that, the stronger our chances of convincing the EFA. Who then have to work with the NHS to realise it. If only it were that simple, there are lots of stakeholders that have statutory roles with regards to major development sites at borough level and beyond. SPGs are written as frameworks and revised periodically, circumstances change and we trust that the planning process can and will respond to these circumstances, but we often have to make a lot of noise beforehand. The Council has stated its strong commitment to a secondary school on that site. At the Southwark Cabinet meeting this week, when they discussed the Schools Places Strategy Update, we made a deputation to make our local case, and in response they clearly stated they were working hard to "unlock the site for a secondary school." We will post the minutes of the Cabinet meeting when they are available in full. As a result of that, the steering group has asked pretty much the same questions as you London Mix, when we get clarity on it, we will, as we have always done let our supporters know what we need to do next. The immediate next steps though are to convince the DfE that the pressing urgent need is for a secondary school for the site, and not let a preceding primary school bid undermine that in any way. Once we have done that then we must let the DfE consider and select the best bid that can deliver a secondary school to meet that pressing need in ED. Once a secondary school has been approved the successful applicant will work with the EFA, the NHS and LBS to make it happen. We as grass roots and parents must keep on making the case, by focusing on what unifies us all, which is another much needed excellent local secondary school for local children.

katgod you can register your support for the Habs campaign here: http://www.haaf.org.uk/New-East-Dulwich-Secondary-School-1 If you want to find out more about the Habs campaign do have a look on the Habs website or look at the slides from the meetings and the Q&A document which are both posted on the 'have your say' thread in the family room. Let me know by PM if you have any questions.

The decision about whether the new secondary school will be established by Charter or Haberdashers will be made by DFE when they have assessed both bids. Bids are submitted in October (wave 8) and we will know the result early in the new year. Regarding the alleged fraud. The steering group is a group of local parents and we have to follow the legal / police advice given to Habs while a criminal investigation is underway. We take our role as a steering group, representing the community, extremely seriously. We wouldn't be working with Habs as our provider if we weren't happy that its financial systems were robust - this is the school we want our kids to go to after all. The new management team has put watertight financial systems in place. Some good news - Tessa Jowell has written to Nicky Morgan, Sec of State for Education, regarding the acute local need for a secondary school. Link below.