colabottle

Thanks for confirming that Shuggy and Littlek1cker

I think the frustration people are feeling is that the Charter admissions policy potentially excludes so many of the local East Dulwich schools, which is strange given that the free school's very existence originated with the need for these very children to have a choice of a good local co-ed. The clue is in the name that Charter have given to their new school, The Charter School East Dulwich.

Shuggy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The attached map shows 1,500 m as the crow flies > from the hospital site. A bit bigger than Charter > 1 catchment but I think you're right bras879, it > does seem to cover most of South Camberwell and ED > without making a nodal entry elsewhere. Hi Shuggy, Could you please confirm where this 1.5km map has come from? It is something Charter are presenting in relation to their anticipated catchment? Thanks.

workingmum Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > We live on dog kennel hill and wouldn't get in to > charter 1 but would stand a good chance of getting > into charter 2. > This area has been a blackspot as far as secondary > school admissions go, lots of current yr 6 kids > ending up with places in walworth so this is > fantastic news. > The whole Harris single sex vs co ed thing is > irrelevant for us as we wouldn't stand a chance of > getting into them anyway. > As far as the habs heat map goes, I haven't seen > it but I did hear that the charter bid got more > than double the number of signatures despite the > campaign starting later. Hi Workingmum, Do you think the large number of supporting signatures might have anything to do with Charter campaigning to their current parents? It seems to me that the bid for a free school was started initially to meet a need in East Dulwich. The site of the school is the only place with adequate space for a secondary school in the area, and, as such relates only to spacial practicalities and is not reflective of their being a need in that area, which is already served by Charter 1. It seems irrational to me that Charter are now talking about the school benefiting black holes in Camberwell, when this leaves children in East Dulwich still lacking the school places that the bid was first initiated to create.

kristymac1 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > my support was always for a non-faith, co-ed local > secondary school which had the vision to serve the > local community - this doesn't exist to the east > of Lordship Lane. There are many smart ways to > consider fair admission, nodal points (or a number > of nodal points) is, I believe fairer than 'as the > crow flies' which would result in a number of > households being covered by the distance > admissions policy for both Charter schools - so > yes a few children would have a legitimate choice, > Charter 1 or Charter 2 or Harris' or Sydenham > Girls or Forest Hill boys, however, the majority > would be left with the non-choice (imo) of single > sex only. > The hospital site was selected as being the ONLY > site possible for a new secondary school NOT > because it was located in the area of greatest > need. If the only available site was next door to > 'Charter 1', would you advocate there being an > identical 'as the crow flies' admission? it is not > completely irrelevant where the school is > positioned (it should still be a school serving > the local community), but measuring the admissions > from a point which was forced on the campaign (as > the only location) rather than a location of > greatest need seems to lack consideration and any > creative thinking. I completely agree.

It's fantastic news that East Dulwich is getting a new secondary school, and a huge congratulations to the Haberdasher's team that started this whole process - without them, this wouldn't have happened. Going forward I am heartened to hear from Charter that they will consider the views of local parents when considering their admissions policy. I live at the top end of East Dulwich, near Barry Road/Lordship Lane, and am currently outside the current Charter catchment. I have a boy and a girl and want them both to go to the same school, locally. Can I make an early plea to Charter that your admissions policy will genuinely reflect the local need, and that the sdmissions policy will not simply extend the current Charter catchment - leaving some lucky children with the choice of two co-ed locals, and some with none.