Take a virtual tour of the new Harris Academy

[Ted Max]

I'm guessing that if you peopled the video with more than two opaque people per room, it might not look so light and roomy, and more like Gatwick South Terminal on the first day of half term.

It look mighty noisy as well.

That said, I am IN FAVOUR of this SCHOOL. BROADLY.

[Jamma]

The Principal appears to be called Bart Cannon. I'm sure the new pupils won't need any help from me but that is one letter away from a classic nickname right there.

[Mick Mac]

My question would be - is this school's intake generally going to derive from East Dulwich or Peckham - if Peckham, it should be in Peckham, not at the end of Friern Road.

Also, I have 2 girls so its of little use to me.

As regards alternatives suggested:

mm. charter, sydenham girls, forest hill boys, prendergast, haberdashers, harris girls all cover the area

Few if any of these are in East Dulwich - I have checked Charter School and their website refers to an outstanding ofsted report, which is great, but not everyone can go there.

If you look at all local schools performance (see link) - the fee paying schools stand out a mile in terms of strong performance, most close to 100% on GCSE ratings. Compared to state schools the numbers are significantly lower and it may therefore not be surprising that we have people electing to 1) pay for secondary education or 2) move to Tunbridge Wells where the same level of schooling is achieved in the Grammar School system for free.

unfortunately most of the "professional people" you speak of" have no loyalty to the area and move as quick as they outgrow their 1-2 bed flats and move to the likes of tunbridge wells, there are plenty good schools around but maybe not good enough if they're not frequented by a true dissection of the population

My question would be why can't ED have a state school that achieves Kent Grammar School preformance, without having to pay ?10-20k per year for the privilege

Having just had a Harris Academy dumped on our doorstep, the chances of having another state secondary school built in the area are no doubt Nil.

Furthermore in looking at the attached data, Peckham Academy shows 24%, so I'm not sure these academies are performing.

Schools near SE22 - performance (scroll down to secondary schools)

I don't normally rant - but I live on Friern Road and I'm not happy. I also regret voting for this government. Noone looks after middle income families. I won't vote for them again (I know, wrong thread). I bury my head in the sand most of the time and am going to pay more attention to local issues in future but I'm afriad its too late on this one.

[plimsoul]

my experience of an excellent london comp when i was a child was that the top sets passed 100% near enough and then the classes below didn't. they tended to achieve national standards. you cannot expect a school in inner london to achieve in the same way as a kent comp as the type of children attending will come from a less diverse economic/social background.

essentially the principle as i have understood it all my life in london is that if your child is super, super, super bright then they will gain something from going to a private school. however, if your child is quite good, average good, all round achiever good but no nobel prize winner then they will achieve similar results whether attending a private school or comp with streaming.

i am not about to run away from the area, i firmly believe in the state education system and hope to be sending my children to one of the many great state schools available in this area.

[Mick Mac]

Ok - but "the many great state schools in the area" - are which ones? - the link I posted suggests there are not many in the area - which one would you recommend for girls? thx.

[victor]

I heard today that they are definitely starting the school this September - the boys will have to meet outside Harris Girls East Dulwich at 8am, to be bussed to Langbourne Primary school every day. Langbourne is on quite a big site, and is half(?) full so there is space for the new Y7's.

I know of a few boys who will be going from the Peckham / Bermondsey area, but I don't know of any who live in East Dulwich.

[Mick Mac]

I'm beginning to think this school is East Dulwich in name only.

[Jeremy]

Mick Mac... don't you think you're being a bit... you know, snobbish?

[Mick Mac]

Not really - just frustrated that my kids are not offered the same standard of accommodation that is readily available for free to people in say Kent or Northern Ireland where I'm from. Why should this be the case? I want an East Dulwich secondary school for East Dulwich residents. Not one in Dulwich Village, North Dulwich or Peckham.

[pearl1]

There is a real lack of school places for children age 11 - 18 in East Dulwich. Particularly for boys - betwewen the ages of 11 and 18 they are boys NOT men!

This is most appararant in the triangle between ED station up to the plough and down to Peckham Rye as this area is outside the catchment for any of the secondaries apart from Harris Girls.

Presumably the 900 boys that 'pour' out of the chool in the evening (in 5 years time) will be the 900 boys who live in East Dulwich so they will be pouring their way home.

Acadamies are not ideal but they are all that is on offer and unfortunately, parents of teenaged kids are desparate for school places.

I'm constantly amazed by the snobbish NIMBY attitude of East Dulwich residents...Having a school that is bordered on one side by open ground is surely better than having one surrounded by streets and houses on all sides - I can't see why it shouldn't be at the end of Friern Rd.

[antijen]

Many people campaigned against this academy and others and often parents and teachers views are ignored. Click link.

http://www.wrp.org.uk/news/2304

[Jeremy]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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

> Not really - just frustrated that my kids are not

> offered the same standard of accommodation that is

> readily available for free to people in say Kent

> or Northern Ireland where I'm from. Why should

> this be the case? I want an East Dulwich secondary

> school for East Dulwich residents. Not one in

> Dulwich Village, North Dulwich or Peckham.

The same quality of state education should be available everywhere, in my opinion.

You same to feel otherwise, when you say that this school should be in Peckham instead, or whatever.

[annaj]

Ok, so I accept that people who live in the immediate area are concerned that the site isn't large enough and about the impact of 900 boys arriving and leaving each day, but I still have questions (and these are genuine questions not an attack or attempt to be contraversial)

Mic Mack, why are you so convinced that the places will not go to boys from East Dulwich? I've just had a look at the website for the academy in Peckham and distance from school is part of the admissions policy, with places allocated on the basis of special need, skills or talents in certain areas (in the case of the Peckham academy, performing arts)and distance from the school. So, it stands to reason that if the same policy applies to the ED academy then much of the intake will come from ED.

Ronnimama, why are academies not ideal? Having had a look at their website I don't really understand what the problem with them is. Perhaps I'm missing something or being naive, but they seem to me to be modern schools that cater for a range of abilities including, but not exclusively, special needs.

Antijen, I can completely see why a group of parents and teachers would be extremely upset at the relocation of a popular special needs school and at being essentially taken over by a church school, but I'm not really sure what it has to do with the new academy, unless it was just to make the point that parents views aren't listened to.

[bonniebird]

I am worried that the park will be turned into a sports centre (td)

[annaj]

But didn't Reg say earlier somewhere that the park will be out of bounds? And the website talks about using local existing sports facilities, not about taking over the common.

[Mick Mac]

Jeremy Wrote:

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

>

>

> The same quality of state education should be

> available everywhere, in my opinion.

>

That was my point jeremy. But east dulwich has not been provided with the same quality education hence the aforemtioned moves to tunbridge wells.

[annaj]

But Mick Mac, you haven't answered my question. Why do you think the ED academy won't have pupils from ED and why do you think it won't meet the needs of ED boys?

[thebeard]

Cor edumacation ?

It amazes me how often we see new ideas for education, single sex schools academies new curriculum?s it?s constant change in the education system from one school year to the next its change change change.

We have no idea if it?s better or worst because we can never judge by the same standards or curriculum.

Now this academy BOYs only ??? why ???

Wouldn?t we be better off with some sort of specialist school for non-academic?s who are the biggest problem in our dysfunctional society. Possibly teach them to be organised tradesmen.

Rather than add yet another school, single sex at that, which offers what schools like Charter already offer??

The building looks great but the Educational direction is most likely going to be the problem.

Too much emphasis on the higher end rather than tackling the real problems in the dispossessed and despondent strugglers who should be given opportunities in other areas and directions.

Silly looking old-fashioned uniforms too.

Victorian values for the modern age no doubt. It worked when we had an empire.

But Today ???

[Mick Mac]

i suspect it will not be the number one choice for aspirational parents anna. Academies were originally aimed at deprived areas. I suspect most parents in ed are not deprived. But lets see.

[pearl1]

Hey, I have nothing against academies per se, if they work, they work. We need a school for boys only to redress the balance in available places. With more than one girls only school there is a definite lack of places for boys - so that's why it is a single sex school.

The problem with academies is that they are not answerable to the local authority, do not have to adhere to the national curriculum and buildings and grounds are to some degree (i'm sure there is an expert here who can clarify) are at the disposal of the sponsor , who only has to provide something like 2% of the costs in order to get his name on the school.

The places for this academy ARE for boys in the ED area, and if you think the bottom of Friern Road is not East Dulwich enough, then you are just picking hairs. Where exactly would you like it to be? ED station is in camberwell after all......

but,as i said - if it works it's not a problem for me...

annaj Wrote:

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

> Ok, so I accept that people who live in the

> immediate area are concerned that the site isn't

> large enough and about the impact of 900 boys

> arriving and leaving each day, but I still have

> questions (and these are genuine questions not an

> attack or attempt to be contraversial)

>

> Mic Mack, why are you so convinced that the places

> will not go to boys from East Dulwich? I've just

> had a look at the website for the academy in

> Peckham and distance from school is part of the

> admissions policy, with places allocated on the

> basis of special need, skills or talents in

> certain areas (in the case of the Peckham academy,

> performing arts)and distance from the school. So,

> it stands to reason that if the same policy

> applies to the ED academy then much of the intake

> will come from ED.

>

> Ronnimama, why are academies not ideal? Having had

> a look at their website I don't really understand

> what the problem with them is. Perhaps I'm missing

> something or being naive, but they seem to me to

> be modern schools that cater for a range of

> abilities including, but not exclusively, special

> needs.

>

> Antijen, I can completely see why a group of

> parents and teachers would be extremely upset at

> the relocation of a popular special needs school

> and at being essentially taken over by a church

> school, but I'm not really sure what it has to do

> with the new academy, unless it was just to make

> the point that parents views aren't listened to.

[annaj]

That surely is the parents choice not the schools. Why shouldn't it be a choice for "aspirational parents"?

The school ethos is to bring out the best in all abilities. I went to a streamed comprehensive with a similar philosophy that catered for both the bottom and the top of the spectrum equally, with a bottom set still learning to read in secondary school, a top set put through GCSEs early and everything in between.

But then I wouldn't describe my parents as "aspirational" something I'm fairly sure I'm glad of.

[annaj]

ronniemama, we cross posted, so I've only just seen yours.

Reading what you've said about accountability and adherence to the national curriculm I can begin to understand you concerns. Thanks.

[Mick Mac]

i think academies are good in the right area. I dont think given the choice ed parents on both sides of lordship lane would have asked the government for an academy and now there is no chance of another school. For anyone who goes there i obviously wish them the best. We dont have any boys so for me it does not improve my choices.

[bignumber5]

Seriously, Mick Mac, read that back and consider the possibility that you might be a bit of a snob...

Anyway, presumably your girls education will be fairly irrelevant, as I'm sure you're bringing up nice girls who won't, therefore, work...

[Mick Mac]

ok i dont mind being called a snob if that is how you interpret my dissatisfaction at the available education in ed. And yes thanks for the old thread. Wont read it again it was bad enough at the time but think its pretty poor show bringiing it up and trying to somehow link the 2 threads. You have a long memory.