Petition to Save Fairlawn Nursery

[LondonMix]

Of the 614 views, you've collected 30 signatures since you first posted this.

The problem with petitions is that unless someone starts and anti-petition, the often silent majority who don't believe in wasting limited local revenue don't have a voice.

The good news is that its very unlikely to succeed come what may, though I am sorry you are losing an outstanding nursery place and the disruption that entails. I just don't believe you've made a compelling case and have found a few of your statements intentionally misleading regarding the facts of what's going on.

[yas]

OK we get it LondonMix you won't sign our petition. As for the rest of you intellegent folks of East Dulwich (with kids or not), please sign our petition :)

[Growlybear]

Sorry, I won't be signing the petition either. As sorry as I am that the nursery has to close and for the inconvenience to some parents, I can understand the reasons behind the decision and that the school just can't afford to keep it open in the light of the falling number of applications. If I had a child in the main school, I would not be happy at the thought of some of the money the school receives for my child's education being used to subsidise the nursery, which is not statutory provision.

[yas]

Forgive my cynicism but you can't be that sad about a community nursery closing down and potentially 60 families per year losing out on excellent provisions made in this nursery to prepare the kids for primary schools , staff facing redundancies as a result of this. The school is devastated to having to make this decision!

[tomskip]

I noticed that Heber Nursery had a thread seeking applications on this Forum.

Are Nursery place requirements falling generally?

(sorry if I'm repeating myself)

[LondonMix]

I don't think so Tomskip. I think state nursery place demand is falling as evidenced by the fact another outstanding primary in Lewisham have places to take in the kids from Fairlawn affected by the closure.

On the SE23 forum thread linked to by another poster, parents said it was because the hours (not full time) were inconvenient for working parents. I imagine this only works for full time working parents if they use a flexible childminder or a nanny in addition to the free nursery hours. Not everyone with a nanny will use this though as they'll likely be no savings and the main benefit would be socialisation (which is great).

[yas]

Heber is not doable for us, i am afraid!

There is an article that SLP covered on this issue:

http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/article.cfm?id=116736

[tomskip]

Yes, perhaps more families with both parents working full time these days? When my children were pre-schoolers (not centuries ago) they went to a childminder who took them to school nursery for their 2.5 hour sessions and back again. Great set up for us and a gentle introduction to Reception and "full time" school.

[yas]

I don't think at all that school nurseries are getting more unpopular. PPL with children already in the school do their best to get their second or the third one into the school nurseries even if it means using childminders etc... What is happening is that central government's inability to collect taxes properly is costing us mortal beings vital services whether that be education or health services.

And I still need you to sign my petition thank you :)

[dbboy]

yep, that's right, blame it on the Government..

As I suggested in an earlier post I suggest you speak with the management teams at Horniman, Holy Trinity, St Barts and Kilmorie Primary Schools and Lewisham Council

The reason it is being closed is because Fairlawn can no longer put resources into something that is not being fully utilised and so is using up their financial resources. Sorry but it's a no brainer, UNLESS the other local primary schools mentioned above are willing to step in and take over running it.

[yas]

dbboy?

Sorry? Are you the one who suggested that we should go and talk to other schools? All these schools had cuts this year. So no they can't afford to come on board either.

Why shouldn't we blame the government for it? Case in point is cuts to disability benefits while giving tax breaks to the rich. Anyhow whether you share my politics or not please sign my petition :) You never know one day you might need that nursery for your children, grandchildren etc...

[LondonMix]

Yas, why don't you stick to the facts of this situation.

It makes 100% more sense to redirect parents to other vacant state nursery slots in Lewisham as Fairlawn has done than to run their nursery at a loss. The funding for the nursery has not been cut-- Fairlawn, like all nurseries, get their legally proscribed funding per pupil from the LA. Enrollment is down at the nursery according Fairlawn and they cannot afford to continue heavily subsidizing the nursery with the primary school's funding. These aren't opinions, they are the facts as laid out by Fairlawn themselves.

That you continue to argue that there is no fall in enrollment despite the fact Fairlawn has made this explicitly clear shows a complete unwillingness to acknowledge any facts that don't support your campaign. One would hope you 'd instead explain why despite these facts, your position makes any sense.

The vacancies at other state nurseries both in Lewisham and Heber show that the supply of places exceeds demand for them in the system. This has nothing to do with cuts to disability payments. Stop trying to confuse people just so you can get more signatures. Its very inappropriate.

[yas]

LondonMix, I think you either don't have any kids or you choose to believe what you want to believe. The facts are Lewisham Council began funding the school nurseries differntly due to cuts which has made it impossible for Fairlawn school to keep its annex! We have been to meetings!

Read article below:

http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/article.cfm?id=116736

[LondonMix]

Yas-- are you really saying that Fairlawn hasn't stated that the nursery has suffered falling enrollment? Really?

[yas]

It is really exhausting trying to reason with you LondonMix, Fairlawn Nursery's numbers might be falling down but this is not because they are providing bad service. It is because they had to make changes so that they can keep the nursery! Like for instance last year when my son was there they had 60 kids. This is what they were offering one full day and 4 half days. They had to get rid of one full day (cost cutting exercise)!

[LondonMix]

I have never said it was a bad service. I said it was an outstanding service in earlier posts. All I am asking is if you accept that the nursery has said that enrollment was falling.

Its just a yes or no question.

No need for it to be exhausting. I just want to set the record straight on that fact.

[yas]

Why do you want to set the record straight? I just don't understand what have you got against our poor little nursery? :)

[DaveR]

Would now be a good time to observe that the petition doesn't specify what signatories are asking for. At all. Or even who they're asking. How can anyone sign it?

[LondonMix]

Because, when you are asking people to do something, its important they have accurate facts so they can make an informed decision.

The fact that you have to ask that, rather than answering the question simply and directly I think tells everyone anything they need to know about how you are running your campaign and presenting what's going on...

as Wrote:

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

> Why do you want to set the record straight? I just

> don't understand what have you got against our

> poor little nursery? :)

[yas]

We put a petition together to show how much we love this nursery and also urge Lewisham Council to find a way to keep it, DaveR.

[DaveR]

"We put a petition together to show how much we love this nursery and also urge Lewisham Council to find a way to keep it, DaveR."

By doing what? I don't understand a petition that doesn't have any idea what the answer to that question is.

Also, I don't want to be picky, but LAs are statutory bodies, so they have to be pretty careful about making sure they have the legal power to do stuff, particularly where it involves spending money.

[yas]

Yes we do. The answer to question is that they need to increase the funding. They need to factor in the cost of running a separate annex.

[dbboy]

yas Wrote:

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

> dbboy?

>

> Sorry? Are you the one who suggested that we

> should go and talk to other schools? All these

> schools had cuts this year. So no they can't

> afford to come on board either.

Quite simply YES.>

> Why shouldn't we blame the government for it? Case

> in point is cuts to disability benefits while

> giving tax breaks to the rich.

Case in point it has NOTHING to do with disability benefits )ps IMP they should NOT be cut)

tax breaks - No not good but it has happened.

Anyhow whether you

> share my politics or not please sign my petition

> :) You never know one day you might need that

> nursery for your children, grandchildren etc...

I agree with you that benefits should not be cut for those who rightfully need them and I probably don't agree with yoor politics but do think some of what McDonnell makes sense.

But getting back to your petition. Fairlawn and Lewisham have agreed its closing, there are alternatives available, Heber I believe, so the choice is to try that or if as you say the other primaries are unwilling, them potentially a private nursery may take it over, it might be demolished and converted into flats/houses or Sainsburys might be interested in the site. Who knows.

Some how I doubt you'll be successful on this occasion.

[LondonMix]

Yas-- why don't you go to Haseltine?s nursery as Fairlawn suggests is possible?

Its another state nursery in Lewisham that has spare places and its also got outstanding Ofsted I believe

Why is pouring more money into a nursery with falling enrollment and higher than normal running costs a more appropriate option?

[yas]

I live three miles away from the Haseltine so do a lot of us with children on Fairlawn Nursery's list. That's why. As I said LondonMix, you obviously don't have any kids of your own to know about practicalities about getting kids to and from the schools, nurseries etc... or about the benefits of having children in school nurseries as they really prepare kids for the life in primary schools :)