Curly

Ahh, the Y7's started today at Kingsdale. I asked about the coach transfers and I was told both routes are definately going ahead as they had a lot of interest.

nhewitt Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- ... respect! (I > believe that is the right term to use in London?) no, it's 'sick' now.

After seeing the 'Who do you think you are?' TV programme about Boris being related to King George II I've always planned to bow and mumble 'your highness' if I ever bumped into him. However when he passed me the other week at London Bridge station all I managed was 'Is that Boris Johnson?' as he shuffled past me.

Have you looked at the Kingsdale website recently? They say they got a 70% pass rate for 5 A-C GCSE this year. That makes a 20% increase on last year.

Debi Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > I doubt anyone will get in without getting a > scholarship! no - 15% places are allocated to > those with scholarships, but having one doesn't > guarantee a place at the school (tho it might help > if you don't get a place and need to appeal). > I was just joking...but they do seem to take in more children with scholarships than the 15% they quote.

Yes I'm pretty sure we were told there are designated toilets and playgrounds accessed by a key fob for each year group and I think CCTV in all the communal places. They also have a separate building with classrooms where any disruptive children are taught away from the main school and can only return after they have modified their behaviour.

That's interesting you mention bullying because a friend's child who started at Kingsdale last year told me her son had experienced less social problems than his primary friends who had gone to other schools. I like the fact each year group have their own playground and their own toilets.

Msgee Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Anyway will shut up now- don't want the school to > get too mad popular cos I want my daughters to > have a fighting chance of getting in in a few > years' time ;-) If Kingsdale get their Beacon status (the Gold standard) for maths, which they have applied for, I doubt anyone will get in without getting a scholarship!

Msgee Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > - mostly of the "giz your dinner money" > type. But I thought dinner money is on a pay card??

As soon as he starts school you might find this stops. Some recently published research shows that children who are more active during the day sleep longer at night. I'm sure we didn't need the research to tell us parents that but you may want to think about increasing his activity. My son woke hourly until he was five. Only going to school broke that pattern.

The best books are the ones she chooses herself. I go to Smiths and get my children to choose a couple of books and make it sound like a real treat (it's difficult not to interfere with their choices but you have to resist). Then read one as a bedtime story until you get to a really exciting bit. Then shut the book and announce that she will have to finish it herself if she wants to know what happens. You may have to wait a couple of days but it has worked with my boys every time.

Huguenot Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I think mankind's done a pretty good job, compared > with say turnips. Yes a pretty good job at killing each other, global warming, managing the economy, eradicting poverty...... I vote for turnips. > > Is Curly suggesting that the Bible was actually > written as a sort of legal constitution cum social > framework by fortune tellers with 2009 > specifically in mind? > lol! I don't hold much to fortune tellers. > Why didn't they mention the internet then? Or to > buy Yahoo! shares in 1995? I often ask myself that about the shares...and wonder...maybe they didn't want Sean to get any.

Silly me for not explaining my reference to mankind was plural rather than singular.

brendapermaul Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My > wider experience of Harris is that much > improvement is achieved by removing kids who don't > fit the bill - obviously the quickest way to show > improved results, behaviour etc !!! Quick where do I sign?

HAL9000 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- >> The Old Testament is a human invention designed to > deceive its readers. > > The New Testament and its associated non-canonical > works are also works of fiction. > and written by people who could see two thousand years into the future and could fortell that mankind cannot rule themselves.

Of course there are Gods. David Beckham is one. He is worshipped and followed. :)) The question should be: Is there an Almighty God? As regards the afterlife. Most people can't accept that when you're dead you're dead so they invent places to go afterwards, and with so many different places to go they can't all be right. Even atheists I know have told their children that their deceased grandmother/grandad have gone to heaven. As for me, I plan to never die at all so I won't find out.

Why not try Saxon Crown swimming club? They do lessons starting from beginners in various Lewisham pools (if you can go over that way). Comes highly recommended.

I missed the diahorrea thankfully. You do need to have the fever to be diagnosed as swine flu although it doesn't mean you haven't got it/had it. A few people I know who have been in contact with those with swine flu have just had sore throats - maybe those are the mild ones. Lets hope so.

I'm sorry you feel like that about your school dulwichpetcarers. You sound very unhappy. Have you thought about changing schools?

I know I've had swine flu because I had 11 of the 12 symptoms (my son had all 12) and I have had the flu jab for the past 12 years and no flu. Prior to that I would get flu every year. It's like labour and chicken pox, you'll know if you have really got it. It's very odd though that my husband and aged parents didn't get it even though we coughed and spluttered all over them. Immune systems are very strange things.

I've had swine flu and it wasn't mild at all. Took three weeks to get over it.

Firstly are Ofsted talking about your child? They could be referring to further up the school rather than Year 1. Secondly, in my experience the only people who have issue with private schools are the middle classes. Given the chance a working class person will send their child to private school in a flash so it could be you are being the snob you don't want your daughter to be (sorry I know you said no rude comments but not sure how to say it any other way lol). Thirdly, there are lots of ways you as the parent can supplement any deficiancies at school without resorting to tutors. Give your child lots of well-rounded experiences that extend her thinking, creativity and analytical skills and then don't think about it again until the end of Year 2.

Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The fact that > Forest Hill Boys only achieves a 50% pass mark is > because the teachers are shite, same with Charter, > and lets not even go to the Peckham > Academy......... That's quite a statement. Have you thought about how a school can only do so much with children who arrive with poor academic skills? Which school would you recommend then?

Huggers - it's just an opinion. You should congratulate yourself on getting your child into a very good school. If your child is going there in Sept then please don't worry about speculation and conjecture.

Two Monson parents separately told me a few years ago (about 8/9 years ago) that Monson children never got places at Askes. They were very disgruntled about it and both later moved out of London for better Secondary schools. One of the parents claimed that the test asked the children to describe where they went on holiday that year and if it was camping in Cornwall then you wouldn't get in, but of course skiing would be ok. She claimed parents had complained and Lewisham had to step in and stop the school from including the question in the test. Additionally, at a time when they used to interview parents, a relative of mine didn't get his son into Askes. When he went for the interview a second time for his younger daughter he said he made sure he wore a suit and asked 'the right questions' such as what computer system they were running at the school - she got in. Of course it's all hearsay but if you look at their latest Ofsted report it comments on the behaviour of the lower school being very different to the upper school, which ultimately is indicative of the change in their selection process in recent years. If teachers don't like the intake/changes then of course they may well leave (which my relative tells me is happening) and it's that that can change the face of the school. Since Askes, therefore, is undergoing a period of possible/likely transition I see it as a calculated risk to send my child there at this time since I can't see which way they are going. I expect it will all be fine but that's the way I see it - especially since I met two parents at Kingsdale trying to get their younger children a place there even though they could have an automatic sibling place at Askes. Why??