Msgee

...would the test be anything like the American drunk tests?

of course it sounds v nasty, and you have my sympathy (having been took meself once or twice) however I can't help but feel just a little bit tickled at the judge referring to him as 'an incorrigible rogue'

useful route bit gappy tho- especially evenings. Rrrrrrrrrr.

Frankito Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > After much reflection, my answer is no. (6) he he he he

I also leave stuff out the front to be taken, but usually put a note on it. I think the etiquette is- if it's near the front door, it's not up for grabs, but if it's just inside the gate, then it is (hope that's the way it works. I for one have liberated many tatty items of furniture from people's front gardens in this manner :-$ -tho not kiddies' bikes etc. And I do always knock first. Honest...)

What exactly is this place- a hostel for asylum seekers, I presumed, when my son asked me last week?- we went past on the bus on Sunday afternoon and there were a couple of fire engines and a bunch of police outside- does anyone know about this/if everyone was ok? as for: 'talk about lowering the tone of East Dulwich - WHY HAS SUCH A PLACE BEEN PUT IN THIS NICE AREA.!!!'- this sort of statement makes my blood run cold. ED isn't the sole preserve of the white wealthy middle classes. Nor should it be!

sorry, that was toast wot wrote that, that was...

skyblue Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Hi what I have gleaned is that at the time of the > campaign for a new school in SE22 there was a > demand by local parents for a co-ed. Waverley > Girls School was resistant to a change to co-ed so > Harris was set up as a boys only. Subsequently > Harris has taken over the girls school. Therefore > there is no reason why a co-ed can't now happen > and families get a decent choice. The answer to > SE22's school issues are on its doorstep. Any one > else interested in a campaign? wow! this is interesting! there's obviously a call for it. And it must be workable. As fuschia says, separate upper/lower schools, 6th form etc. Great idea.

James Barber wrote: The problems > we have appear largely due to Southwark secondary > schools taking so many none Southwark kids. ...this is interesting. As far as I know, this isn't exactly a new thing. For years Kingsdale has taken a large number of out- borough kids. Of course this has worked both ways- eg most kids near the Lewisham border with Southwark have historically used Lewisham schools rather than Southwark ones. I think it might be a bit of a red herring to 'blame' out borough applicants here. The problem seems to me to be that Southwark doesn't have enough co-ed schools to meet the demand. Maybe this is a new demand, I don't know.

there were a lot of parents in Nunhead and ED pushing for a co-ed on the Waverley site years ago, before Harris Boys was built, but their requests were denied. I don't know why this decision was made, but I know that it disappointed many people at the time who really just wanted a local co-ed. Perhaps someone with a better memory than me can give a summary of the reasons to have two single sex schools instead?

BB100 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Msgee Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > it was because it succeeded-after a long > struggle- > > in attracting a mixture of kids The school > didn't > > change, the ED/mc perception of it changed. > > I would expect the Head at Kingsdale is now > choking on his coffee. If Kingsdale didn't change > it would never have attracted a mix of children. > The environment changed - all ?30million of it, > class sizes changed, the ethos and discipline > regime, the curriculum, the extra-curr, the GCSE > results and the key thing is there is now > leadership.......... > I appreciate that, BB- what I was saying (sorry if it wasn't clear) is that Kingsdale changed long before it became seen as a 'good' school, and one for midle class parents to fight to get their kids into. Even a couple of years ago I'd bet that a lot of the parents who are now trying to get their children in wouldn't have gone near the place due to its old reputation. As for leadership- as far as I know the Head has been there for donkeys (as head- I know he did his time as a maths teacher there, too)

"nice t*ts missus- now where d'you want these blinds?"

Mark Dodds Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > That reminds me. Someone above assumed there would > be places at Peckham Academy. To reiterate - ALL > Southwark schools are FULL - Forty Three Kids Were > Officially NOT Offered a Place Anywhere in > Southwark. That's a lot of not offered a place. > I appreciate that, Mark, but you can bet your arse a lot of those places won't get taken up... the shortage of places has got to have something to do with people taking their children out of private sector education over the last couple of years- at least, that's a pretty commonly held view afaik. Not that that excuses the LEA, mind- but it is an additional pressure and possibly not forseen? Do correct me if I'm wrong ...as for sending my kids to Dulwich- I'd rather chew off my arm. I believe passionately in a fair education and equal opportunities for everyone- I believe in comprehensives. That's why I picked KD in the first place.

...and it's gotta be better than 5 years at Thomas the Apostle if you're not religious. I do feel your pain. The whole system is an absolute nightmare. It's only when you've been/are going through it that you realise that "choice" is at best misleading and at worst a lie.

Know what you mean, Mark- that sounds exactly like KD when my son first went there! It had a huuuge proportion of boys- now think there might even be more girls than boys in Y7/Y8 it'll only change in 2/3 years if people get on board and make it change, I reckon.