New East Dulwich Primary School 161/80 + 102

[Worker]

By the way, anyone know what the SE24 site is? Thanks.

[LondonMix]

Thanks for that. So Judith Kerr is more likely to be in Herne Hill. That might relieve some pressure on the village schools (Hamlet and DVI) hopefully expanding their catchments further into ED.

[James Barber]

The preferred SE24 site for JKPS is on the SE22 border. So it would work well for helping witH Dulwich primary school places shortage and relieving pressure from East Dulwich. But clearly it's only a small part of any solution.

[Worker]

Are you allowed to be more specific James?

Thanks for the info thus far.

[James Barber]

Not sure.

[LondonMix]

Given the reasons the DofE have asked for the information not to be released (so as not to complicate their negotiations for the site), trying to find out where it is on a public forum seems counter productive if you want things to go smoothly for Judith Kerr.

[Worker]

Fair enough.

Not sure what complications could arise though? Presume the DofE or their agent tells the owners they are interested in the site as a school? Or would neighbours object?

[James Barber]

Hi Worker, LondonMix,

We should hear this week - hopefully today.

[Ryekids]

James

Things have gone slightly quiet on this. What is your take on matters?

[James Barber]

Approval to take forward a new East Dulwich Primary school was given last week. Encouragement was given to apply for a second one in the September round.

The next step is for a 6 week public consultation which should be underway soon.

In parallel potential schools sites will be investigated.

A public meeting 7pm 11 June at the East Dulwich Girls Academy will take place - hope to see you there.

[Ryekids]

James

I was interested in the announcement of the site for Judith Kerr. My understanding was that it was due any day now.

[James Barber]

Hi Ryekids,

Just announced yesterday - 62-68 Half Moon Lane the old KCL facility.

I'm particularly chuffed with this as the site was my suggestion. It's far enough into Southwark that most children will e Southwark residents.

Hope this answers your question.

[James Barber]

Tonight steering group met to discuss admissions criteria.

An interesting suggestion about making it a lottery - but I don't think the pan London admissions software could cope with that.

Inconclusive discussion about using nodal points. General agreement that it would help - which was great considering most parents present live close to the hospital site - but we all felt we needed more data to really zero in on specifics.

[buggie]

James - when you say that lots of parents live near the hospital site, is this actually an area that is short on places?

Having watched school threads over the last few years, is it not more Ryedale/the roads off of Forest Hill Road/heading back along Peckham Rye (abd this year the Lordship Lane Estate & southern ED) that are the "blackspot". While understanding potential sites are limited, would a school at the hospital really alleviate the pressure on places in this area?

I'm actually in Nunhead, but despite being under 500m from Ivydale I worry how likely this is to be too far away after yet another bulge class this year (bugglet will be a Sept '15 admission) & so the possibility - mentioned earier in this thread- of an ED/Nunhead school would be of curiosity.

Annoyingly I won't be able to attend the meeting on the 11th - will there be further meetings?

[furley-yap]

James- I am confused about the admissions criteria as my son has already been offered a place in the reception room, so I thought that admissions policy must have been decided by now for them to offer places? We only got offered a place after the May deadline for accepting the local council school places, so we got lucky 2nd time round by being in the catchment area even though as it stands, we live at least a mile and a half away from the site. So it looks like the catchment area is quite big, probably because its a new start-up. Very excited about seeing the plans on the open day (which I thought was 29th June?).

In the surveys leading up to the annoincemnet of the site, one of the questions was to do with admissions criteria, and I said that I was happy for the following:-

1) for the children of the founding parents to be given priority

2) for distance to be the criteria for a portion of places

3) for the remaining places to be allocated on lottery basis

Reason being is that I was sick and tired of being penalised for my postcode and distance. Better it be luck of the draw than to fall outside of catchment areas by 0.1 metres or to lose out to people who rent properties on a short term basis in order to fall in catchment areas. And the founding parents put in all the hard slog, so they should see some perks!

Why won't lottery system work when I thought schools like Kingsdale secondary school operate it already?

[James Barber]

Hi buggie,

Southwark had a relatively low level of first choice success across the whole borough. Those families that didnt any of the 6 schools they put down - it can;t feel much like a choice the 4th, 5th of 6th choice - half were from SEE but areas around Peckham Rye Park and near the Harvester pub. Relatively few from the core SE22 area.

So you're right that in a perfect world a new school would be built around the HArvester pub area and ED Harris Girls School. Sadly their not as easy to make happen as you need ot find a site and have a realsitic timescale to open them.

The Harvester area only has the Harvest as a potential site but that's right nextot two very busy roads with all the noise and pollution issues that raises. The ED Harris Girls SChool has the spare land but as it Metropolitican Open Land the whole school makes for a potentially long planning process and possible as a second Harris ED primary school with more time probably opening Sept 2015.

This leaves the Dulwich Hopsital site. Hence the consideration of not having distance based, after all the other factors such as supporting paretns etc, fro mthe front door but instead nodal points based on where the most extremet shortage is.

Hope that makes sense

Hi furley-yap,

I suspect we're talking about different schools. No admissions has been done for this school.

Or are you talking about thE Judith Kerr schools which is different school to this one being proposed?

[furley-yap]

Sorry yes, I was talking about the Judith Kerr school, do you have any more insights into this?

[buggie]

Thanks for the explanation & interesting to see there's still a vague chance of a 2nd new primary... Now to sort out extra secondary school places for all these kids ;-)

[James Barber]

Hi furley-yap,

Yes, the Juidth Kerr School will be created with its first admissions which includs your family from the sound of your posts in Sept 2013 on Half Moon Lane close to the SE24/SE21/22 border.

Hi buggie,

Yes, the Judith Kerr school opens this Sept, a Harris one Sept 2014 and hopefully a 3rd Sept 2015. The primary school place crisis is expected to reach its full crisis Sept 2016. So we still have primary places to provide.

But yes, we need ot start thinking about secndary places.

[workingmum]

Hi talking of secondary schools, does anyone know what the plan is for all these bulge classes that were added?

My son in at Dkh but I don't think will get into charter and may well be too far from Harris boys...

I'm not as up on it all as should be but I know goose green, lyndhurst, Heber all added classes...

[James Barber]

Hi workingmum,

The councils view is children going to seocndary school can travel much further. So they have predicted 10 forms of entry shortfall.

A new 4 form entry secondary school has been approved.

This appears to leave a 6 form entry of children needing more capacity.

After creating sufficient primary school places we'll be tunring to seocndary school places.

[mrs.lotte]

James,

Could you please tell us more?

Where will this new 4 form entry school be and what is the time scale?

When you say once we have created sufficient primary places we'll be turning to secondary what does that actually mean?

When do you envisage "turning" to this?

For my part I cannot see the point in creating swathes of primary places when there is no where for them to go on to, it's naive and poor planning at best to do one thing then start on the other as secondary places are a ticking timebomb. The current year 3 was the first year that there was a massive shortfall of places that took the local authority unawares, the attitude of the education department at the time was aggressively uncaring as I recall.

I hope lessons have been learned. There are limited places now and that is going to get much worse and needs addressing now.

[samstopit]

James, I too would like to know more about the new secondary school that's been approved. I would be keen to have some say in what the school looks like, and its location, if there's any chance of that. I know many others in my position would feel the same. Could you advise as to whether any meetings are taking place to discuss this?

Many thanks

[James Barber]

Hi samstopit,

I believe it's approved with parental support for the Rotherhithe area.

[James Barber]

TONIGHT 7pm 11 June at ED Girls Harris Academy on Homestall Road is the public meeting about the new Harris East Dulwich Primary school.