Petition for a new secondary school on the Dulwich hospital site, not to squeeze a primary in too

[sarvester]

For anyone who has not yet seen or signed this petition https://www.change.org/p/david-laws-mp-don-t-squeeze-two-schools-onto-the-dulwich-hospital-site - asking David Laws MP, Minister of State for Free Schools, to prioritise getting a new secondary school for our area on the land left when dulwich hospital is developed into a new health centre, please do consider signing it, especially if you, like me, are intending to stay in this area long term and want there to be enough secondary school places for the children 2016 onwards.

There will be a desperate need for more secondary school places by then, but if a primary goes ahead on the same site there will be precious little outside space for the secondary. There is a huge, locally-backed campaign for a secondary on that site but no community campaign for a primary in that location.

The petition is getting near 500 signatures which is amazing, but thousands of people with children look at this forum and it would be great if more could sign! If you read it, it explains the issues so you can make up your mind.

There is also a really helpful post today in the general issues bit of this forum now by Southwark education cabinet member Victoria Mills, which sets out some of the facts: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1407450,page=7

Thanks for reading.

[esme]

I've signed... Good to see Labour jumping on board but sadly their mail shot I got today didn't have the petition sheet for signing, just the SAE!

[mariababe]

I haven't seen it but heard they have dates as 2018?? Can someone confirm and if they have stated 2018 WHY for the love of god when the campaign is for school to open 2016

[redjam]

Mariababe - you're absolutely right, just dug the letter out of the recycling and the first line makes mention of the 'large shortfall in places by 2018 if a new school is not provided'. Argh!

I am just about to email the authors of the letter, Councillors Charlie Smith and Helen Hayes, cc-ing Tessa Jowell, to ask them about their position on the 2016 date. I'd urge everyone else who feels strongly to do the same. We need the secondary school for when the first of the primary bulge classes hit, in two years' time, not four!

And yes, esme, they don't seem to have included the petition itself in the letter, bizarrely, but you can access it here:

https://www.change.org/p/david-laws-mp-don-t-squeeze-two-schools-onto-the-dulwich-hospital-site

[redjam]

Impressively quick reply from Helen Hayes, which provides some reassurance for those of us worried about the date mentioned in the letter from the Labour councillors:

'Thank you very much for your email. The reference in the letter to the 2018 shortfall is because this is the date at which the growing demand results in the need for a whole new school. The demand is already increasing and the intention is that the new school would open in 2016, although the programme would be largely in the hands of the appointed school provider to deliver.'

[parentsteeringgroup]

Thank you to all those sharing information about the petition to David Laws MP re the use of the Dulwich Hospital site.

As you can imagine the SPACE Southwark petition is very closely aligned to the objectives of the New Secondary School for East Dulwich Campaign / parent steering group, and is a vital tool to give a voice to the many local interest groups; residents and their representatives that wish to register their concerns over the future of the site.

In our view, the petition to David Laws MP is a constructive, polite and positive assertion about what the community wishes to see, and how the unique opportunity of the site and the school could deliver outcomes the whole community would endorse and support.

It could not be clearer that a secondary school is needed from 2016 to meet local demand for places. Its permanent site should be at the only local site available, the former Dulwich Hospital site, alongside new healthcare provision.

It is vital that we actually see the delivery of a secondary school for when it is needed, which is Sept 2016, as by 2018 the projected figures of local demand will outstrip the capacity of any temporary provision or possible expansion of existing secondary schools locally. The aim is to have the permanent buildings for the new school in place for 2018.

Thanks to all those that have signed it and their continuing support.