colabottle

I was in the exact same position last year, having Sydenham down as our first choice, and getting none from our list, and offered Peckham Academy. I really understand how stressful this can be and upsetting for your daughter. I would also advise calling Harris Girls - they were so lovely and understanding when I contacted them in a panic last year. What I didn't know then, which I wish I had known about, is that there are specialist lawyers who can help you put together a case for appeal (even though they don't go to the appeal with you). If your child falls into an SEN category then I think there is also legal aid available. If you'd like any more information please feel free to message me. From my experience of last year it does eventually work out, but it's so hard waiting. Good luck and try to stay positive.

Thanks Passiflora, that's really kind. We've not had any other response yet so if there's anyone out there who would like to support a local East Dulwich Brownies group, and save it from closing, please do get in touch :)

The 15th East Dulwich Brownies, run out of St. Anthony's primary school, is urgently looking for a new deputy leader, to help out on Mondays 5:15 to 7:15pm term time only. The group is really fun and friendly, with about 15 girls aged 7 to 11. The role of deputy leader is a voluntary one but extremely rewarding and training will be given including first aid, and a DBS check will be carried out. Sadly the group may have to be closed unless a replacement Deputy Leader can be found. If you would like to help or find out more, please contact Brown Owl [email protected].

championofthehill Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > I would like to make it clear that the area around > the Dog Kennel Hill Estate and the Champion Hill > and Cleve Hall Estates are currently largely > excluded from Charter Red Post Hill's catchment > due to its shortest safe walking route policy. If > the new Charter's nodal point is shifted to the > south of the proposed point in Jarvis Road, these > children will, once again, find themselves > disadvantaged in the school's admissions policy. I would suggest that Charter Red Post Hill be held to account for this policy that excludes the estates mentioned, and change their policy to "as the crow flies" in line with Charter ED. > > I do not have children who will benefit from this, > mine are all older so I have seen at first hand > how difficult this process is for children in my > area. I am not "in it for myself" and that > accusation leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

Thank you Simon, for providing the information on distance. Much appreciated.

There were atleast six councillors at the Heber school meeting tonight. I think three of them had a say, all of whom were from The Lane ward as far as I can remember. The only councillor representing East Dulwich ward who was present was Charlie Smith. Well done Charlie. Where were James Barber and Rosie Shimmell? It's a real shame they weren't there to speak on behalf of their ward. In the spirit of unity, could I make a plea for all the local councillors who feel their wards are effected by the admissions policy, to please get together to discuss the needs of their individual wards and try to influence a fair outcome for all.

Hi Simon, Have you been able to get the figure on distance yet? Thanks.

I found the data from AccordingtoElvis very helpful. At the very least it is providing us with some facts to work with. Simon, if it is felt that this data is either too selective or out of date, could Charter provide some better data for justifying a nodal point on Jarvis Road? As I understand it at the moment, the only information put forward by Charter to demonstrate the need is a map of supporting interest. Londonmix, I live at the southern end of East Dulwich, near the junction with Friern Road and Lordship Lane. I have a daughter who will be secondary school intake in 2019. At the moment there is no local secondary school offering where I could confidently expect her to secure a place. I don't want insecurity around her secondary school place, neither do I want her having to travel miles to get to school. We are just over a mile from Harris Girls, which is now partially lottery based. We are much further from Sydenham Girls, which is now distance based entry. We are well out of catchment for the current Charter. Kingsdale is lottery based. Are there any other local non-faith state schools that I am missing? By the time my daughter attends secondary school, there will be a massive surge in demand for secondary school places. Any existing catchment areas are likely to shrink dramatically. If the Charter ED catchment is a mile at the start, which I personally think is unrealistic (given the nature of debate over the positioning of the nodal point you can get a sense of the demand), we would be on the very outskirts of its catchment. Add the surge of demand, and by the time my daughter gets her chance, I'm pretty sure we'll be out of catchment by some distance. I have been supporting the bids for a new secondary school in East Dulwich for the last two years, and it is extremely frustrating to be left with a situation where there will be a local secondary school that, once again, we will be unable to get into, or where the offer of a place will be highly uncertain. In my opinion, the desire for a nodal point off-site, to supplement one on-site at Jarvis Road, would be to include more of the people that supported the original campaigns, which identified the need, proposed the site and provided the supporting data. The emphasis is very much one of inclusion, and it is not any one's intention to "exclude" anybody else. There are affluent areas of Camberwell and Peckham, just as there are in East Dulwich, and vice versa. It really isn't a class argument, and to make it one is demeaning to everyone involved. Camberwell clearly has a need as well, and this argument demonstrates that one school is insufficient to meet demand. Nicetomeetyou says that Charter East Dulwich can't be Nunhead's saviour school. What is the justification for it being Camberwell's saviour school, as opposed to serving the community that supported it's opening, namely East Dulwich. Where are the supporting facts, rather than anecdotal and inflammatory suggestions that it is middle class families trying to exclude less fortunate ones. This is supposed to be a community school, and it is already pitting different communities against each other. Such a shame and totally unnecessary. Surely there is a way of working together on this?

That's seems like quite a lot of unknowns for a school at this stage of the process. I hadn't realised there was so little certainty. I hope they can provide some clarity within the consultation time-frame.

Londonmix, I agree that it is undoubtedly more complex than that, but without any other hard data or way of evaluating an unknown entity, knowing the furthest distance (place offered at Charter 1 exc siblings, SEN and cared for entrants) will at least act as a guide. The schools are situated so close to each other, in neighbouring residential areas, that it seems logical that the demands on the schools will be largely similar and therefore lead to a similar catchment size.

Hi Simon, Have you been able to get the admissions distance figure yet? I think it is important information to be considered as part of your consultation. Thank you

Simon/littlek1cker, could you please clarify a catchment question for me? Is it possible to say, from the intake for September 2015, what was the further distance offered from the current Charter, Red Post Hill, to a child who did not fall into either a sibling, cared for/looked after or SEN/EHC category? It would be really helpful to know, as the anecdotal information about furthest distance doesn't seem to tally with the 1100 metres that I think has been cited by Charter, and I'm wondering whether that 1100 metre place might have been offered to a sibling for example?

It's not a question of changing the decision, as I said, that's been made and I support Charter going forward. What is important is to understand how the decision was reached, and to ensure that a fair procedure was adhered to and continues to be followed, for all, including those applications for free schools that follow. It's not all about East Dulwich Charter but looking at the wider picture of due process.

But surely if he has former business associations with Simon Tucker this potentially prejudices his decision, and he should declare this. I'm no lawyer but it seems to me that there could be good grounds for a judicial review here, depending on what the recommendations were. More reason for those to be disclosed I would have thought. Any lawyers out there?

Surely Lord Nash would have to declare any interests?

Well done to Haberdashers and to the amazing parent steering group that led the original campaign, and thank you for updating us on the reasons for the decision. It makes complete sense that both bids were strong but concerns me greatly that one minister has been allowed to make the final decision. Whilst the decision has been made and I support Charter going forward, I think it is only fair, for the sake of transparency, to understand how that decision was reached. I think making public the DfE recommendations would be sensible, and at the very least, reassure the public that the decision was made on merit rather than on some ministerial wim, perhaps bound up in personal preference. Does anyone know anything about Lord Nash and his affiliations? If the decision between the bids was so close, should Southwark not have been consulted and allowed to make the final decision, given that they know their local area better than anyone? It seems to me that this raises bigger issues around procedure and protocol that lay at the heart of a fair free school system.

I don't think it is as simple as that, Dulwichborn&bred, if only, and that's the point. You would expect an East Dulwich school to provide places to children within the entire spread of East Dulwich. Haberdasher's idea of one or more nodal points within East Dulwich would have helped to ensure that this happened. The fact that Charter are planning to use a nodal point from the site of the hospital, on the very border of East Dulwich, means that it is likely those children living towards the opposite ends of East Dulwich may well lose out on a place - increasingly so, as time moves on and the demand well outstrips places (2019 being the peak of the projected shortage). Does anyone know how many forms of entry is planned, and whether families with children at Charter 1 will be able to apply for sibling places at Charter 2 (presumably not, as they are two separate schools)?

Come on James, get behind your East Dulwich constituents. I'm sure most people would be 100% behind Charter if they felt that Charter were including them and genuinely offering a school for East Dulwich. The people who are now concerned that their children won't get into the new Charter school are the same people who responded to your initial call to action in 2013. Don't abandon them now.

Thanks for confirming that Shuggy and Littlek1cker