New East Dulwich Primary School 161/80 + 102

[Mantlebees]

Tatum - that is a shame. By 'Bellenden School' do you mean Bellenden Primary School? From what I've heard it sounds as if Bellenden Primary is bursting at the seams so perhaps this is a sensible course of action after all.

[James Barber]

Hi tatum,

I'm sorry to hear your school has been messed around by Southwark Council who appear in disarry about what ot do and how to do it.

Under the Blair government local authorities werent allowed to build or open new local authority schools. The current coalition government has removed this restriction.

So I suspect the council felt they had to go through Dulwich Hamlet Junir School. As they no longer need to have dumped you. Even with the rule change I would have hoped they;'d stick to a plan where an utstanding school with some qudos with parents led to ensure any new school was outstanding. Much less certain that Southwark Council will produce a quick outstanding school or that without the halo of an outstnading school its admissions will be as popular.

It's probably political posturing against academy schools which are largely independent from local authorities.

Hi Msntlebees,

They mean the old Bellenden school being brought back into use and the 'new' Bellenden school bursting at the seems.

When thE Lib Dems were running the council one of the proposals we expected to proceed with if reelected in 2010 was to temporarily move the new Bellenden school into the old Bellenden school. Rebuild the new Bellenden school to two form entry, migrate the new Bellenden school back to the then newer Bellenden school.

Potentially then create a new school on the old Bellenden School site. Overall increase in three forms of primary school entry.

[Mantlebees]

James - are these original plans going ahead now? Increasing the capacity of Bellenden Primary School sounds like a great (and essential) plan. What is the timescale on the expansion into the Old Bellenden School buildings?

[greenwater]

James - Have we really passed up the opportunity to partner with one of the strongest (and consistently so) schools in the area? I appreciate I am not armed with all the facts, but I am currently in disbelief!

[be12]

I'm also surprised to hear this (similarly without all the facts, though) - I see Bellenden achieved a satisfactory grade in its last OFSTED, whilst Dulwich Hamlet was awarded outstanding. Why would Southwark choose to expand a school which is not attaining a 'good' rating at the very least, rather than one which is successfully delivering an outstanding environment for its children? It would make more sense for the former to be supported to nurture its current size of cohort rather than stretching it unsustainably, and the latter (or a similar alternative) given a chance to expand?

[LondonMix]

Not to be cynical but as Dulwich Hamlet is an academy, the LA has less control over it. By expanding an LA school, Southwark will maintain more control and be able to provide centralised services to the new school. I am not saying this is good or bad, just a fact.

[James Barber]

Political dogma against the concept of Academies - an idea initiated by Lord Adonis a Labour Peer serving in the Blair New Labour government.

But in Southwark the bedrock of the Labour party are anti them.

When I asked them about supporting the new free schools in East Dulwich they blanked me several times. Clearly didnt want to say they were against but clearly not wanting to be seen to be supporting.

But all politicians and their supporters need to focus on what's best for local children. Originally I was against Academies and Free Schools. But locally they have a much better track record than Southwark Council of creating outstanding schools and they do it much quicker.

[greenwater]

I truly hope that the Council will put our children and our community before any potential political posturing.

If you are a local parent and want to make sure we get the best-quality school in the Old Bellenden site, then I would encourage you to write to the local councillors and let them know your views. They will make this decision on our behalf, so I thinks it's right that a) they keep us abreast of plans and b) we let them know what we would like. Here are their details:

- Peter John: South Camberwell Ward councillor and also leader of Southwark council ([email protected])

- Rowenna Davis: The Lane Ward councillor ([email protected])

- Dora Dixon-Fyle: Cabinet Member for Children's Services ([email protected])

I wrote to Peter and Rowenna on Tuesday and will post back with an update (when I get a reply!)

[greenwater]

I have just received an email from Peter John, leader of Southwark Council. It's fabulous news for Bellenden children (IMHO)!

He has given me permission to publish it here... It reads...

"I had a great meeting yesterday with Sonia Case, the Head of Dulwich Hamlet School, and her Chair of Governors. I have written to Sonia this morning stating clearly that they are our absolute preferred partners to bring Bellenden Old School back into use.

We will have to go through the process of having the plans approved by the DfE - the new school will have to be a free school albeit run, we hope by Dulwich Hamlet Academy Trust - but with good partnership working and local parental support I hope that the DfE will approve these proposals.

So please spread the word - we hope to bring the work of an Outstanding Southwark School to the Bellenden Old School site.

Regards,

Peter

Cllr Peter John,

Leader of Southwark Council,

Labour Councillor for South Camberwell".

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Greenwater,

you beat me to it! There seems to be a bit of confusion in the thread above. The plan is not for Bellenden primary school to expand onto the Bellenden Old school site, but for a new school on the Bellenden New Site, run by Dulwich Hamlet Junior (which is an oversubscribed, Ofsted rated outstanding school).

Renata

[James Barber]

Hi Renata,

That is good news.

You'll need to obtain support as part of the free school process of around 80 families to prove need.

I wouldn't have thought that a problem and happy to talk through with Peter or you Renata how we did this in East Dulwich.

The next deadline for free school application September 2015 opening is this September. So you have 4 weeks.

If you need any help let me know.

[greenwater]

Renata - will you be leading the free school application, and if not, do you know who will be? Thanks

[James Barber]

The application form for Free schools is also quite a project in itself.

Who's filling that in?

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi James, thank you for your offer of assistance. The process is in the very capable and skilled hands of Council Officers, the Cabinet Member, the School Head and Governors.

Hi Greenwater, it won't be me! I'm a Ward Councillor for Peckham Rye ward. The Councillor who will be most involved in the process is the Cabinet Member, Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle.

Renata

[LondonMix]

I?m sure there are a lot of Family Room users who may not be aware of the plans and would like to lend their support. This is quite an old thread that many may have stopped reading so perhaps Admin would be willing to make a Dulwich Hamlet-Bellenden Old School thread sticky at the top as they did for Harris to facilitate informing as many parents as possible of the current developments.

[oimissus]

agree with LondonMix - this would be a local school for us (albeit one that will open the year after our daughter would start reception) and I found out about this purely by chance on the admissions thread. It would be great to keep up with news on this - what years will it be - al the way through primary, or year 3 onwards (like Dulwich Hamlet)? If primary will it just start with Reception, or will there be the opportunity for parents like us to apply for Year one entry in 2015? Lots of questions - exciting news!

[kittysailing]

Starting with reception and building year on year apparantly

[oimissus]

hmm, so for a child starting reception in 2014, they would never get in as they'd always a year ahead. Ah well. It was exciting for half a day! I'm at a loss as to where we'll apply to, given that Lyndhurst can't bulge cos of building works, DKH bulged this year so presumably won't next and I think Bellenden is too small to bulge.

Any idea when we'll know which schools will bulge next year?

[greenwater]

Don't lose hope! The school is at the beginning of its "creation" and from what I understand from those "in charge", they are very much looking to shape the school with input from local parents. There seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for this from Southwark council leaders and Dulwich Hamlet Educational Trust leaders. I understand there will be more news coming very shortly from those organisations. Lets wait and hear directly from the source.

[Renata Hamvas]

Oimissus,

information on admission numbers for 2014 entry will come out towards the end of the year.

Renata

[James Barber]

Hi Renata,

I'm not even vaguely reassured by such a long list of people involved but not clear who is LEADING this project and such a lack of clarity of what is proposed.

How many forms of entry are proposed?

Two routes o make this happen.

One where the council leads. But clearly this is not the route being followed as Southwark Council are NOT listed on the DfE website as looking for a provider. Or is the council just a bit slow following this route?

Else it must be the school leading. If the school is leading then they'll need to justify the school and drum up supporting families. They'll need 80 such families by the time they apply for two form entry. The govt is hopefully persuaded by the application and the govt agency then seek premises. At which point Southwark Council offer the old Bellenden school site. Equally the agency may decide on what they consider a better site. The old Bellende School site was only a single form entry. The optimum school size is two or three form entry. So a real issue.

Dulwuc Village is unliekyl to want ot agree to create a single form entry as existing parents would be up in arms as it would be likely to need some cross subsidy to work if that small.

[James Barber]

I've started antoher thread for the Dulwich sponsored new school. Great suggestion LondonMix, oimissus and I've asked that it be made sticky. And that this thread be un stuck if it helps make that happen.

[James Barber]

A couple more supporters made contact over the weekend.

The Educational Finance Agency property agents are now looking at 10 potential sites across East Dulwich for the first Harris East Dulwich Primary School.

That's slightly one site longer than the list I suggested to them.

[James Barber]

DTZ, property agents for the Department of Education Educational Funding Agency, held site visits in East Dulwich last week to review the list of 10 possible sites to base a new local primary school at.

The hospital site is still our preferred site. But all possible options have to considered.

[Spooner]

James:

I'd like to go back to the proposed Harris primary scheduled to open for Sept 2014 - will there be further meetings for interested parents to attend to hear more about the school? It would be very helpful to know as the primary school application season has opened now.

Thanks