legalalien

I'm just idly speculating as I'm not personally affected. James, if you read this, does the funding for a new school come out of the same funding pot as the funding for a school expansion? Just pondering whether a "new school" proposal would have some obvious financial advantages to Charter over a proposal to expand the existing school? Or other advantages eg improved facilities for existing charter students? Just seems odd to have two similar schools run by the same provider so close together - surely there'd be obvious efficiency gains in merging them?

Hmm. But presumably you wouldn't expect existing charter parents to be supporting the proposal, as presumably they'll be sending younger siblings to the same school as older ones? Apologies, as haven't been following this to date, is the plan for the two Charter schools - if Charter is successful - to share facilities? Presumably yes - so that children at "old charter" would get the benefit of facilities at New Charter? Is that a factor in the Charter bid? Will/ could admissions be done on a combined basis eg so that children in the overlapping catchment area are encouraged to join one school or the other? Eg if encouraged to choose New Charter (or if decide to do so because New Charter has better facilities) then the Old Charter catchment would move westward towards Herne Hill and the new catchment would remain quite small on the ED side? Or am I confused?

Actually ignore that, I found the other thread discussing the 'first choice" wording issue. Also have answered my own question, found the DFE assessment criteria - pasted below. Not quite sure how the form on the Charter website is going to satisfy the second bullet point though -I would have expected the form to include some sort of "tick the box to confirm you've received and read info" thing on it? Actually, same applies to the HABS form. But I do wonder whether actively / expressly encouraging people to support more than one application undermines the school's argument / makes submissions look more like a "generic expression of interest". "Complete the parental demand table in the application form showing how many parents (or students for 16 to 19) would select your school as their first choice for the first two years of the school?s life ? Demonstrate that potential parents (or students for 16 to 19) have made an informed decision when choosing your school as their first choice. Please include the text you have used in leaflets or other promotional material for prospective parents (or students for 16 to 19) about the particular characteristics of your school. You must make sure that this adequately describes the school you are proposing; we will not consider generic expressions of interest in a new school to be sufficient evidence that there is demand for the school you are proposing ? Provide a map which shows that potential pupils (or students for 16 to 19) live within commuting distance of your school ? Provide details on the extent of any current or forecast shortage (basic need) or surplus of places in the relevant phase of education within the school?s proposed vicinity (if you have already set this out in the vision section, please refer to the relevant page) ? Provide a brief summary of the standards in local schools in the relevant phase using Ofsted judgements and pupil attainment and progression data (if you have already set this out in the vision section, please refer to the relevant page)"

I had a Charter flyer in the mail today. Interestingly, it says that even if I've signed up to the Haberdashers campaign, I still need to sign up to the Charter campaign as well, as each bid is considered separately. Fair enough. Except that the Charter new school form requires you to sign to say that ?I would select The Charter School Educational Trust?s East Dulwich School as the first choice of secondary school for my child?. Is that the statutory question? If so how can you support two bids? As it happens I suspect I'm in the existing Charter catchment, so wouldn't put the new school as a "first" choice and wouldn't sign on the basis of this specific wording. So why leaflet me? Is it the case that only parents likely to be within the catchment of the new school "count" for DFE purposes? This would help explain why Charter might want an overlapping catchment - they can rely on the support of parents within the existing catchment area who may already have a connection with the school? Doesn't affect me personally, just interested.

Hi Chris, Is that right? I thought that clubs needed to register a minimum number of players by 1 Sept, but could register new players as opposed to transfers thereafter provided the max squad numbers weren't exceeded?

There is a local girls' only team, the Dulwich Village Vixens. I believe they are looking for u11 to u13 players at the moment, see http://www.gumtree.com/p/community/dulwich-village-vixens-fc/1070249168. On the league point, wouldn't it be possible to enter a girls' only team into the SELKent league ie it wouldn't need to play in a girls' only league?

Hi all, In case you're interested, there are still a few spaces left in the holiday cricket sessions run by Dulwich CC at the Dulwich Sports Ground in Turney Road. The courses run from 10am until 3:30pm daily, from now until the third week of August, and are for children aged 7-11. They are open to both members and non-members of the club and can be booked on a daily or weekly basis. This year the club is also offering a few morning-only sessions for children who have just completed Year 1. I attach details, including the booking form. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Simpson Travel - periyali or mousses (I liked Mousses better, the food was better). Google it..

In case you're unaware, an AstroTurf wicket and new nets were installed at Brockwell Park last year. Might be worth touching base with friends of brockwell park / Lambeth who presumably dealt with similar health and safety issues?

We employed a nanny with her own child when my son was in reception. Her daughter was a couple of years younger, I did the school drop off and she did pick up/ worked until about 6:30 or 7pm. Probably the pay wasn't great for her during term time (because of limited hours), but we paid more in school holiday time, and she got lots of one on one time with her daughter during the day in term time, so worked well. I suspect it might not work so well on a fill time basis as parents might be suspicious that you would tend to prioritise your own child?

Just to add another point for parents to consider - at least some organised extra curricular sports set their age groups on the basis of age at 1 Sept rather than school year. If your child defers a year, and ends up playing club or representative football or cricket, for example, they would not be able to play in teams with children in their school year group, but instead would have to play "up a year". Something to think about if you think your child is going to be a sporty one.....

:) What group are they in? We will be wandering down there at various points in the next few days...

Where did I come from? I had this as a child, and got a copy for my son. Very matter of fact. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Where-Did-I-Come-From/dp/0230015492

Or, skip the stopover and do what jon says, transiting KL. you can sometimes get business class flights on Korean Air for much the same price as economy on Air NZ or Singapore Air.

Don't fly back via hawaii or the US. The jet lag will be horrific. You can go to a beach in NZ. I'd reduce the stopover time to four days and do Singapore, staying in Sentosa if poss.

Just to add, another reason for keeping your child in the year that they technically ought to be in, rather than deferring, if you could, is that if they play competitive sport (football, cricket) outside school when they get older, their year group will be based on their date of birth rather than their school year. So they'd be in a different group from their school friends/ have to compete with children from the year above.

Danny at JAGS is great. I'd also recommend football magic coaching, for ages 3-8, sat morning in Burbage Road http://www.footballmagiccoaching.co.uk/saturday_morning_football.html

I've been surprised how many people have posted recently saying that Langbourne is an impossible distance to travel. My son is at the prep, practically right next to Langbourne, and I know plenty of people who bike there from SE22, admittedly mostly from the forest hill "end" of Se22' but including someone who bikes from Bellenden Road. It's not as bad as you might think, because on a bike you can turn left up Bowen Road off Huntslip Road, rather than going right around(that end of Bowen Road is blocked to cars). Alternatively if you took the P13 to Dulwich College, it's about ten mins walk from the bus stop. I also know people who do that. I don't know much about Langbourne - although the children always seem very polite when I see them on the way to the train station - but I don't think it should be ruled out on distance alone.

Already in their system = precensored I guess. Maybe I'll give them a call. (Or post in classifieds to see if anyone wants some free books. :). )

Does anyone know if the library takes book donations? I have about 10 recently published modern fiction books that I've read and are in good nick.

Please note

Out of date

Forgot to say - girls are more than welcome!

....

I was brought up on the story of Simpson and his donkey - albeit for Anzac Day in April http://www.walkerbooks.com.au/Books/Simpson-and-His-Donkey-9781921529542 for a recent version