Harris primary on Dulwich site ("James Barber is a big fan of Harris")

[dds29]

Be aware James Barber is a big fan of Harris; when the Dulwich Police Station application was in the offing, he wrote a very cross post after I directed people to the Anti Academy website, which contains lots of information about Harris...

[James Barber]

Hi dds29,

Yes, I admit it I'm a big fan of all good or oustanding school providers.

I'm a big fan of The Charter School who have done amazingly well. Kingsdale I'm not such a big fan sicne they started their lottery for admissions. Big fan of Goodrich, Heber and Goose Green - all have been making great progress and also took bulge classes when our community needed them to. St.Anthony's who managed to complete a rebuild while still on site, expanding from 1.5 to 2 forms of entry. Amazing. We also have lots of other schools not in East Dulwich ward.

When we faced a looming primary school places crisis and Southwark Council were doing nothing. I helped Judith Kerr Bilingual school find a local site on Half Moon Lane. So I;m a big fan of them coming to the area.

When I approached every school provider I could think of to open free schools in our area - and I'm not a fan of the concept but it is the only realistic showi n town - Harris people were the only one's willing to sticj their necks out. So yes, I'm grateful they have supported East Dulwich and invested time and energy on us when no one else would.

And lastly I'm most grateful to all the local families who have helped ensure we had enough local support to make free school application successful. By leading on making free schools happen we've ensured we've school providers who are mainstream and not the more extreme parts of the education spectrum.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

No more Harris schools . We have enough. The focus is on a secondary school and health care .

Listen to what the Dulwich people want James, that is why you were voted , to represent US and we DO NOT want or need another Harris Primary school in Dulwich.

[Loz]

Southwark council comprises 63 councillors, of which approx 12 to 15 represent areas that are covered by this forum. And you 'call out' probably the only one that has opened a dialogue with you about schooling?

Idiot.

[Townleygreen]

Dulwich born & bred, have you even READ James Barber's post??

[LondonMix]

Loz and Townleygreen, I suggest you read the following thread to get the full picture:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1407450

James Barber very much needs to be held to account on the Dulwich Hospital site issue and I say this as somebody who in general is a supporter of Harris and James but not in this very specific situation.

[James Barber]

The hospital site is 28,300m2.

Health people say they expect to need 7,000->9,000m2 for new super duper replacement facilities including parking for at least 100 cars.

Haberdashers' Aske's believe they would ideally have 19,500m2 for a new secondary school.

A primary school would need minimum 1,800m2.

I would prefer the primary school to be elsewhere but without Southwark Council zoning another site, such as 520 Lordship Lane for educational use, the maths for boths schools and a fab new health facility do work on the hospital site.

[LondonMix]

James, please answer the questions posed on the other thread as your posts today are very misleading.

[Loz]

LondonMix Wrote:

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

> Loz and Townleygreen, I suggest you read the

> following thread to get the full picture:

>

> http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5

> ,1407450

I had read that when it started, and I have just updated myself.

So, I'll ask you LM - what do the other councillors (14?) for the area think? You don't know do you? Instead, you abuse the only councillor that has taken the time to open a dialogue with you.

Not very clever really, is it?

[Otta]

Even though a primary school isn't needed there and local parents (and more significantly) Nunhead parents do not want or need another primary school, especially on that site?

Harris got local support (rightly) for the police station, trying to use that support to slip another one on the hospital site stinks.

And just because the space "required" could in theory fit in to the land, does not mean that it would work in reality.

James has done lots of great work locally and especially in workingr towards the secondary school for the hospital site.

But I have no idea why he's tarnishing that by supporting this stupid stupid unpopular idea.

[LondonMix]

Loz, in fact I know what the other local councillors feel as they have posted on this extensively via social media. It is split along party lines. In fact this matter was voted on at the most recent Southwark meeting so please don't accuse me of acting without knowing what's going on as most people on the forum know that is not the way I behave.

James has told out and out lies today about what is going on and to suggest that he should be allowed to get away with stating things that are patently untrue because he is posting on the forum is ludicrous.

[James Barber]

Please withdraw that libel LondonMix.

[Otta]

Renata whatshername (another councillor) is totally against the primary on the hospital site Loz.

[LondonMix]

James, if you answer the questions on the other thread, if a retraction is needed because I have misunderstood the suggstions you have made regarding historical positions both you and Harris have taken, then I will make the edit and apologise.

Until you clarify what you meant by answering those 4 questions I can't but assume you are trying to convince posters of things that are simply not true by being misleading in your statements.

[Otta]

Totally agree with LM. James does lots of good stuff, but when asked a direct question that he doesn't like the answer to he will show us just whst a "good" (if good is being like all the rest) politician he's shaping up to be, and avoid answering it completely.

[Loz]

Otta Wrote:

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

> James has done lots of great work locally and

> especially in workingr towards the secondary

> school for the hospital site.

>

> But I have no idea why he's tarnishing that by

> supporting this stupid stupid unpopular idea.

I'm not saying that James is right or wrong here, just that starting an all-new thread with this title, when there was a perfectly good thread already covering the topic, was a bit childish.

[Otta]

well yeah, fair point.

[spider69]

Otta Wrote:

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

> Totally agree with LM. James does lots of good

> stuff, but when asked a direct question that he

> doesn't like the answer to he will show us just

> whst a "good" (if good is being like all the rest)

> politician he's shaping up to be, and avoid

> answering it completely.

Rather like dropped kerbs?

[MelonSmasher]

James Barber is a funny guy

[bawdy-nan]

Mostly, I find James Barber to be a pretty excellent councillor and one that makes a huge effort for the area and the people he represents. I am very impressed by him and very grateful for his efforts but I do disagree with him on this issue.

[Otta]

Spot on.

[Sennen]

James Barber,

Could you elaborate on your dislike of Kingsdale and its lottery system? Also, you have never been a friend of Goodrich School. You shamelessly supported a management team that almost destroyed the school and have refused to acknowledge the amazing job the current Head has done to turn things around.

[traveler2]

So,if there was a nunhead primary in ED, how would those children from nunhead get to school? Yes, mummy and daddy's car. How about adding some more traffic congestion to our already crowded ED streets. I support the secondary school and health facility. Nunhead primary belongs in Nunhead!

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Ditto what Bawdy-Nan said .

[Administrator]

As mentioned there is already another thread that can cover this topic, found here http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1407450