Ossito

It might also be worth looking at Westminster City School in Victoria. They seem to be developing some impressive links with industry for their sixth form students (including a scholarship scheme for university fees).

Maybe given the horrific events in the news in recent days, this is a moment to reflect on the reality our local services face.

Yeah, sure, fly tipping is a nuisance and dog s**t on the street is annoying and irresponsible, but what?s the alternative when authorities are trying to keep people safe from harm with fewer and fewer resources? Everyone is happy to jump on a media bandwagon when horrific things happen, but nobody wants to face the stark reality of these choices.

Are we saying we?d rather Southwark reduce even further services that save lives to speed up the response to dog s**t?

Frankly, given the scale of budget reductions it is incredible that as many services continue to operate as well as they do.

https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/our-key-themes/local-government-finance/london?s-local-services-investing-future/decade-austerity

Not sure there are many organisations that continue to operate the same services when their income drops by 60%

My comment was about the possibly effect of the recent DKH estate changes. It didn?t mention the Walworth Road.

It?s interesting that Dog Kennel Hill School is to shrink, a few years after the DKH Estate started to be sold off?

Academies - which most schools now are - set their own admission criteria. Whilst these are usually distance based they aren?t always. For example, Kingsdale School admits by lottery so whilst in Southwark, children living nearby have no more chance of getting in than a child in (by way of extreme example) Hackney.

Equally if you live on the border between 2 boroughs, your nearest school might be across the border and that is likely to be the one that you get into.

However, if you like a school further away and it has spaces, you would get a place even if a school in your home borough has spaces. Parent choice in action. Of course, this choice only works in practice if there is spare capacity in the system, which then becomes unaffordable?

On a similar note, I have noticed that there is a coffee van in Dulwich Sports Club which spends all Sunday morning with its Diesel engine running right next to the astroturf where kids are playing.

I can?t help thinking there must be a healthier way of making coffee than pumping diesel fumes into the lungs of exercising kids?

Given that most are limited companies and registered charities, I assume that normal insolvency arrangements would apply. I assume that the Local Authority would retain some degree of responsibility for putting in place contingency arrangements (maybe / perhaps???). I guess it?s one of those questions everybody hopes will never need to be planned for.

COVID movement may have exacerbated it but the trend has been known for some time. The report below from 2017 projected a surplus of primary places in Dulwich - page 11/12.

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/assets/attach/11223/SP301-Southwark-Primary-and-Secondary-School-Place-Planning-Strategy-update-2017-.pdf

I don?t think it is a simple as Southwark getting their sums wrong. The last few Year 6s have been bulge years and the mew Charter was designed to meet (in part at least) this demand. The delays in finishing the build has meant that they will only be at full capacity as these bulges have already moved into secondary school. I believe that is why there has been so much pressure / competition for secondary places in the last few years.

Interesting and concerning. I have noticed that quite a few schools around Southwark have posters advertising that they Have places available. This would suggest falling rolls which would affect income.

We had the same concerns for a while. Our son started Year 7 last week and, so far, has taken homework in his stride without a problem.

Hello

Does anyone know any organisations that can make use of a bunk bed?

We are getting rid of our son?s and, whilst used, seems a shame to send it to landfill. I?ve tried BHF and Salvation Army but neither want it.

If you are happy for them to do a residential, our 10 year old had an awesome time at Camp Wilderness last year.

We have just spent a couple of years handling this same dilemma for our child who starts secondary school in September. We were both privately educated but not sure if it was the right way to go. We may find out soon that we made the wrong decision but we have gone for a state school. Watch some of the online open day videos and get a sense of the ethos of the school. Of course state schools can?t compete with the facilities of the private schools but it felt to us that the level of aspiration was very high in some state schools we saw. Also, bear in mind the level of competition for private school places means exam prep needs to start early.

What is essential is to be honest about the likelihood of getting into your preferred state schools and planning early, if you might need to move.

I don?t see how it?s any less fair than enabling those with deep enough pockets to rent a nearby house for a year to get better access to schools of their choice. The Clapham in Harris is only in its second year, so presumably the Local Authority must have been happy with that admission criteria to give it planning permission.

We noticed when looking at schools in neighbouring Boroughs that Lambeth have a new Harris Secondary, which prioritises the local primary school. Not sure if this is a one off, but an interesting approach.

https://www.harrisclapham.org.uk/156/academy-admissions

Remember that those applying for private schools will also have applied for the state schools, so don?t despair quite yet. I think the private schools offered last week, so those pupils will now need to decline their state offer.

There?s no easy solution, especially given the wide variability in lockdown provision between schools. I?m aware even within ED there is a huge difference in what schools are providing. I know my son would be distraught at being asked to do the same stuff for another year.

It would present huge infrastructure problems - you?d effectively have to create a whole new year of nursery supply for delayed reception children. At the other end, how do Universities pay their bills if they have no intake for a year?

The thought has occurred to me but the financial and practical implications are massive. Given everything central and local government has to do to rollout the vaccine and respond to all the issues, I?d be amazed if there is capacity to deal with everything that this would need.

Unless you have had sight of their risk assessment and operating protocols, I?m not sure how anyone can pass judgement of how compliant someone working at the moment is being.

No vaccine will be 100% effective either. By this logic there?s no route out of restrictions, as nothing will remove 100% of risk...

I?m surprised he hasn?t told us that we just aren?t wishing COVID away hard enough. New year, must be time for a new frivolous catch phrase to make it all go away.

The debate for now - which young people should be heard in - is what is the vision for a post-Brexit UK? Something that, beyond tokenistic slogans, is still not forthcoming from politicians in any detail.

Do we continue to have a broadly European model with strong investment in public services, high environmental and social standards etc., or does a different model closer aligned to the US, Singapore or others emerge and take hold amongst the Conservative party.

I don?t see the additional annoyances and costs of, say, studying in Europe being the priority focus for younger generations in the near term. If there is a fundamental shift to a different political and economic model, then any return to closer alignment in the next 50 years would quickly ebb away.

It will be interesting to see how long the media?s sense of a ?truce? on EU politics lasts.

There?s a deal to be done on Financial Services in the first quarter of the year. Quite likely lots of discussions then about a framework for recognition of professional qualifications. Elections in Scotland in May and whatever that brings. The complexities of the Northern Ireland arrangements to emerge, and the ongoing potential for a referendum under the GFA. The detailed negotiation of political principles into a full Treaty on Gibraltar. The potential threat of tariffs when the Govt proposes a shift away from the level playing field principles. Which industry will they risk imposing tariffs on to do that, and how vocal will that industry be?

Whilst we won?t go back to what we had, my instinct is that we are moving towards a Swiss style model of ongoing negotiations with the EU about specific issues as we try to skirt around the full acquis whilst trying to mitigate the economic and political implications. That should bring many opportunities for the younger generations to start influencing where the debate goes next.

Gosh, even David Davies was commenting on Sky News last night that it is inevitable that countries have to sacrifice the much vaunted ?sovereignty? to gain mutual benefits from each other. I nearly choked on my New Year?s champagne...

That?s interesting to hear. Our son had two weeks self isolation in December and just got worksheets. No teacher-pupil interaction at all.