New secondary - Dulwich Hospital site issues

[bonaome]

Hello, please see Tessa Jowell's letter to David Laws, Minister of State for Schools, re: the proposed use of the Dulwich Community Hospital site here. You can see the other correspondence on Ms Jowell's site http://www.tessajowell.net/campaign-responses/

I worry that there is a real danger we could end up with a compromise on the land required for the new secondary (whichever bid is successful) by having to accommodate a primary we don't need in ED and which is not useful for Nunhead.

If you believe, as I do, that this site should be for a secondary school only (in addition to the health provision which is guaranteed to also be on the site) you may want to write to:

Rt Hon David Laws MP

Minister of State for Schools

Department for Education

Sanctuary Buildings

20 Great Smith Street

London

SW1P 3BT

Email addresses ? use both.

[email protected]

[email protected]

Copy in your local MP Tessa Jowell or Harriet Harman:

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

[email protected]

[email protected]

And copy in Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council

Cabinet Suite

160 Tooley Street

London

SE1 2QH

[email protected]

Points to remember:

According to the council?s department of children services, the need in local area is for a new secondary school.

East Dulwich has a number of new primary schools to meet long-term demand and adding the Harris Primary will mean an over supply of primary places - a Harris Primary has opened to be sited on the Dulwich Police Station site.

East Dulwich has a number of new primary schools to meet long-term demand and adding the Harris Primary will mean an over supply of primary places - a Harris Primary has opened to be sited on the Dulwich Police Station site.

A Nunhead primary school should be located in Nunhead.

The site will be too far for Nunhead-based primary school children to walk to, so will add to traffic in the area or get two buses.

This is the only site available locally which will accommodate a secondary school of the size required.

 

[Renata Hamvas]

To add, I don't believe that there is evidence that Nunhead residents, ie significant numbers of SE152 or SE153 residents have given support for an additional primary in the area. I suspect that the decision on Harris Nunhead has been made on the back of the support for Harris East Dulwich. Has anyone seen any campaign, signatures collected etc for Harris Nunhead.

Renata

[clux]

As a Nunhead resident i feel incredibly strongly that we are desperately in need of a secondary school but are more than adequately provided with primary schools. As a parent who needs to apply for secondary school for my daughter next year I feel that the current situation is completely demoralising. I do not live near enough any school to be confident of getting a place. There is a massive black hole in the Nunhead/Peckham Rye area.

[samstopit]

Bonaome, thank you for circulating this. The more emails and letters David Laws gets about this the better.

Renata, I think you are right. Can we request the evidence that was used to justify this new primary school?

[parentsteeringgroup]

Tessa Jowell has written a letter back to David Laws which you can read here:

http://www.tessajowell.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CHAP0101901140379010100413.pdf

It is so important that we fight for the Dulwich Hospital site to be used solely for a secondary school and a health centre. Otherwise we will lose the opportunity for a well resourced secondary with sufficient (but not ample) outside space.

[Renata Hamvas]

I've been in touch with Tessa's Office. I think we need to pursue the apparent lack of consultation for Harris Nunhead Free School.

Renata

[Shuggy]

There is a petition!

If you want the Dulwich Hospital site to be used solely for a secondary school and a health centre then I would recommend signing it:

http://www.change.org/p/david-laws-mp-don-t-squeeze-two-schools-onto-the-dulwich-hospital-site?utm_campaign=friend_inviter_chat&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=permissions_dialog_false&share_id=fjhVQrJNIB

[mariababe]

SIGNED

[samstopit]

Signed.

There is a twitter feed too @spacesouthwark where you can retweet the link.

[bonaome]

Signed.

If anyone wants the copy of the email I sent to David Laws, or the one I sent to Peter John re: the planning restrictions on the site allowing private residential development, I'll happily share.

[sallyfran]

I used to be a civil servant and it was always the case that letters from a member of the public to a minister never got beyond a (relatively junior) official, who drafted a reply directly. Letters forwarded from MPs are guaranteed a ministerial response (even if only a standard reply). So do make sure you write directly to Tessa Jowell (even if you write to David Laws too), and if she forwards all the letters it will ensure that the minister sees the volume of interest and concern.

[Cora]

.

[mrs.lotte]

So I have signed and passed on to my friends too.

Will definitely write to MPs too, thanks for details

[bonaome]

I received a personal note from Tessa re: my email. David Laws may not be interested, but Tessa is clearly monitoring the volume and will no doubt follow up.

[redjam]

Petition signed, letters written (in triplicate) and posted!

The petition needs another 84 signatures to reach the threshold of 200, as of this morning, so do please sign if you haven't done so.

[EDmummy]

Signed. 76 needed!

[mrs.lotte]

Right I've sent my email to Tessa, only took a few minutes and made me feel better.

If you are worried about secondary provision, whatever bid you support don't miss this opportunity to make your voice heard or you can hardly complain about it when it's too late and we have no school or one that has been squeezed in to an inadequate space.

[sillywoman]

Signed. Ridiculous plan. Schools like buses - Wait an age to get one then two are proposed at once? Utterly stupid and badly thought through for all the reasons mentioned above.

[TJMP]

Thank you to all those so far who have copied me into their correspondence with David Laws. My most recent letter to him can be seen here: http://www.tessajowell.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CHAP0101901140379010100413.pdf

I'll be printing off all the emails I have had from parents to date and will send them to him personally so if you want to submit any further comments please do by the end of the week and I will send on Friday.

Tessa Jowell MP

[dontpanic]

Thanks Tessa, you help is much appreciated

[confusedbyitall]

That was the kick I needed, have written and received confirm via email.

[BeccaL]

Agree, good prompt - thanks - have emailed David Laws and copied in Tessa Jowell.

[Belle]

I've written to TJ now too. Thanks for the reminder.

[mrs.lotte]

I would like to say a huge thank you to Tessa Jowell for her sensible and proactive stance. What a compelling letter.

[traveler2]

Signed and promoted. Just say NO to Nunhead primary in East Dulwich!

Trav