Haberdashers' East Dulwich - 751 families supporting

[intexasatthe moment]

Here's my reply from the New Schools Network . I had asked what criteria they would use to decide between the two bids for a secondary school and a possible third bid for a primary school on the hospital site . I also asked whether Nash or the EFA would make the final decision .

"

Thanks for getting in touch with NSN regarding the Free School application process.

Although groups applying to the DfE to open a Free School are asked to outlined their preferred site, this aspect of the application is not assessed by the department. What would be considered when assessing two applications in the same area, is how many schools were needed to meet the level of need in the area as well viability of each bid. The details of the criteria can be found here.

Post approval, The Education Funding Agency work with all approved groups to acquire a suitable site. While the group?s preference will be taken into account by the Education Funding Agency post approval, there is no guarantee that a group will be given either their first choice site or any of the sites they may have expressed a preference for in the application.

Therefore, if two groups had expressed an interest in the same site, it would be a decision taken by the EFA post-approval as to which, if either, project was given the site.

I hope that answers your question. If there is anything else you need, please get in touch."

[bonaome]

@intexasatthe moment

Was this a link on the word 'here'?

> The details of the criteria can be found here.

If so, would you be able to post the link?

Thanks.

[LondonMix]

How has the EFA been made aware of a pending need for the hospital site for a secondary school? As is, they only application they have is the Harris Nunhead application.

Is there someone within the EFA that the parent group can officially speak to just to make them aware of the pending applications that both will need the site as a priority?

Again, the risk that the site is acquired by the EFA for the Harris Nunhead site ahead of either of the secondary school applications being formally submitted and approved is somethign I think needs to be mitigated as a matter of urgency.

[James Barber]

My understading is both anticipated applicants have been talking to them.

I've also spoken to the EFA since a year ago about the anticipated campaign if the numbers stacked up. Butthey can only formally act with live received approved applications.

The site wont be acquired by EFA thankfully for several months yet due to NHS Property. If they offered land now it would be at residential property value for the land. Frankly the EFA would find it hard to afford for a Primary school at these rates let alone a secondary school.

A 3-6 months delay is critical to allow Southwark Council to act swiftly to change the planning guidance issued which would dramatically reduce the value of the land back down to its D1 book value.

Hope this helps.

[LondonMix]

James, how confident are you the land cannot be acquired by the EFA before the application for either secondary school (Habs or Charter) has gone through the full approval process? I remember the application itself is due in October but how long is the approval process and has the NHS released any official statement on their timeline for disposing of the land?

[James Barber]

I'm prettyy confident but would be more so if Southwark issued planning documents stating expectatino of a secondary school on two-thirds of the site. That would lock things down in terms of land prices and expectation of what would use the site. The primary school is only likely if southwark doesnt change the planning landscape of the site.

[bonaome]

James - do you know when the school could actually open on the site? At the Habs meeting someone raised a question around this and I think the answer was that NHS needs the site until 2017. Does that mean NHS can't even release the land for building on until 2017? If so, where does the school go in the 16/17 and possibly 17/18 school years?

[LondonMix]

Thanks James.

Can you confirm the date the secondary school application could be approved if its submitted in October?

Can you also please confirm the date the NHS intendds to sell the site? If they are already having conversations with residential developers, have they announced a date for formal bids?

[James Barber]

Jan/Feb is anticipated time for applicants to be notified decisions.

No NHS Property have not announced when they'll decide. But I've had one knowledgeable source suggest April next year. Which would be delayed due to purdah until late May/June.

[intexasatthe moment]

Just posting link re criteria from New Schools Network ,as requested https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mainstream-and-16-to-19-free-school-applications

[bonaome]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just posting link re criteria from New Schools

> Network ,as requested

> https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mainstr

> eam-and-16-to-19-free-school-applications

Thank you.

[Belle]

bonaome Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> James - do you know when the school could actually

> open on the site? At the Habs meeting someone

> raised a question around this and I think the

> answer was that NHS needs the site until 2017.

> Does that mean NHS can't even release the land for

> building on until 2017? If so, where does the

> school go in the 16/17 and possibly 17/18 school

> years?

Hi Bonaome, Haberdasher's addressed this in the FAQ document they published last week. They said that given how much of the site is currently unused they are hopeful of being able to use it for temporary classrooms in the first year or two, starting 2016 (this is quite common in the first couple of years of a free school's existence). They say that there are other possible options in the area (for temp classrooms) if for some reason the NHS work precluded temporary classrooms being located on-site. Hope that helps.

[bonaome]

Thank you I shall have a loom for threw FAQ

[Belle]

Sorry, meant to include link:

http://www.haaf.org.uk/Mainfolder/East-Dulwich-School/East%20Dulwich%20Academy%20-%20FAQ%20Document.pdf

[James Barber]

Southwark Council is embarking on revising its planning bible the Southwark Plan.

I've requested that it state clearly that for the Dulwich Hospital site only health and education uses are expect on the site.

This request was rejected with housing also proposed as a priority for the site - this would result in a much smaller secondary school.

At last nights council Overview and Scrutiny Commuittee the council leader was interviewed. After several questions he agreed to remove the reference to housing.

We'll need to ensure this happens throughout the process.

How painful can it be to make this new school happen!

[judith.arkwright@hot]

I agree we need new secondary school but I gather that there are other interested parties that have not been mentioned

The charter school is also putting in a bid and although it has now formed a trust to do so,it is not really a brand in the way that Harris and possibly haberdashers are .However, their bid might answer some of the questions being raised here- it stands for a consistently co educational structure,secular, with a broad curriculum,no selection-a truly comprehensive and community based school.

I agree we don't want brand wars so surely our local councillor should at least mention the different bids in this discussion rather be seen to be campaigning for one particular "brand". I agree with others that this unplanned free for all is not really the way this should be done but that is because of government policy. Locally we just have to make the best we can of it and try to get what we want. Our councillor should help us do that.

[Coach Beth]

Fingers crossed we get a new secondary school for East Dulwich!

[cactus]

I've always felt that the stumbling block in this process, will be the acquisition of the site.

I've supported this campaign from the start, as I have a child currently in Year 5. However the prospect

of temporary classrooms for the first year or two really doesn't appeal. I know this often happens with new schools, and perhaps parents of children who have been through this kind of process might be able to offer some reassurance, but I won't be applying if this is the case. A 2017 opening seems more realistic.

[Norfolkvillas]

Completely different, as primary rather than secondary, but my son has just started reception in temp classrooms and actually I think it's been a wonderful way for him to transition into the school environment - small, manageable, easy to navigate, impossible to get lost in, purpose-built to modern specs, brand spanking new.

I confess we're lucky that the temp site and the future permanent site are pretty much equidistant from us - I can understand that if the temp site or the perm site was much, much out of your particular way, it would be a pain in the bum one way or another.

[Otta]

judith.arkwright@hot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I agree we need new secondary school but I gather

> that there are other interested parties that have

> not been mentioned

That's a joke right? There are pages and pages of talk about this.

[MsMaz]

Hello everyone,

I've supported both school bids as just wanted a new school in East Dulwich which is co-ed, non-faith and probably not just distance-only admissions policy. I know the admissions policy still seems to be under consideration under the Hatchams bid but have found out that Charter is definitely crow-flies only. That means, as we are on the south border of Peckham Rye Park, we may not get in. I've asked them to give a geographical estimate of catchment based on the postode of supporters for the first 2 years (ie Year 4 and 5 kids now) but they couldn't do so.

There could be a lot of parents supporting this new school with actually no chance of getting in - at least banding or other policies are a genuine lottery for all. It doesn't seem quite right for Charter to choose distance-only when their other school is so close and also distance-only. And they really need to give some guidance on catchment probabilities - it can't be that hard to work out, can it?

Any response anyone???

[samstopit]

Hi MsMaz

I'm on the Parent Steering Group supporting the Haberdashers bid. You may know that the steering group is recommending to Habs that they use a nodal point from which to measure distance for admissions purposes. The nodal point would be to the East of Lordship Lane. This would mean that the school could meet local need for a co-ed secondary despite the Dulwich Hospital site being a little further West of where we ideally need it to be.

Habs can only go with this option if its what sufficient numbers of our supporters want. You might want to give feedback to the consultation if you haven't already, saying that you would support a nodal point which would allow the school catchment to meet local need to the East of LL. The feedback form is here:

http://www.haaf.org.uk/New-East-Dulwich-Secondary-School-1

And / or come along to the Habs drop-in evening at Goose Green school tomorrow (Thursday 25th) at Goose Green school from 6.30 to 8pm. You can ask as many questions as you like and submit any feedback you want to give. Flyer attached.

By the way, I also live on Peckham Rye and am in the same boat as you. Highly unlikely we would get into a Charter school on the Hospital site with their crow's flies admissions policy.

I hope this is some help.

[samstopit]

In case it's of interest, the attached is a 'heat map' showing where the supporters of our campaign live. The yellow star is the Dulwich Hospital site.

The vast majority of supporters live East of LL / Peckham Rye and the outskirts of Nunhead. These are the areas not currently served by a co-ed secondary school.

[MsMaz]

Thanks Samstopit,

That's really helpful. I had lost track of where the admissions policy was heading with the Hatchams bid. I put my support in very early and also did the feedback form for the consultation a while back. I think that's an excellent idea to use a nodal point east of the hospital site, mainly because where the hospital is is approximately where the Charter catchment ends. It makes sense to not overlap much with the current Charter catchment and to serve those outside of it. You would think Charter might respond in the same way. However, hopefully in the first few years of a new school, whatever the policy, the catchments of all schools would temporarily extend enough to give everyone a better choice.

I will try and get down there tomorrow. Thanks!

[samstopit]

Great, see you tomorrow I hope.