Merton: dumbing-down Dundonald Primary School?

[page1]

1. Merton Council's consultation process regarding the proposed expansion of Dundonald Primary School(DPS) has now commenced and information can be obtained from their website or that of DPS. The Council has distributed a leaflet to residents for feedback and is due to hold a public meeting on Wednesday 8 June.

1. Disappointingly, the Conservatives, LibDems and Independents have been very quiet on the issue. The Labour Party has given out letters supporting the proposed expansion and, to his credit, Cllr Walker has had the courage to put his personal credibility on the line given his close involvement with the campaign. However, threatening parents/carers that they will have to take their children to school in Morden if the Council doesn't get its way seems a little extreme. Frankly, parents don't care how far they travel if their children can attend an outstanding state school.

1. It seems that the governors of DPS only agreed to an expansion programme on condition that the Council provided more space. The governors knew that this was impossible for the Council to achieve because of the existence of the restrictive covenant concerning the neighbouring park (see the petition on the Council website).

1. The proposal to double the size of DPS, starting with the temporary bulge class, has caused much concern to parents of pupils at the school as witnessed by DPS being forced to issue an explanatory letter and Q&A to try and quell those fears.

1. DPS is a popular school because it had an outstanding rating from Ofsted following the last inspection and it is the ideal size. It currently has around 250 pupils which is the average number for a primary school in England. If it doubles in size, parents fear that standards may slip. Merton has 40+ primary schools of which only 6 were rated outstanding and the majority of those were 1FE schools ie similar number of pupils to DPS.

1. Parents are also worried by the disruption to their children's education that will occur once construction begins on such a small and restricted site with all the attendant health and safety issues.

1. The school currently enjoys a harmonious relationship with the neighbouring community which might not survive if the Council's plans prevail.

1. Somewhat surprisingly, the Council's consultation process takes no account of ethnic diversity.

Please feel free to forward this to and/or discuss the contents with any parents of pupils at Dundonald Primary School who may have concerns about the Council's plans and say NO to the proposal.

PAGE - Parents AGainst Expansion

Anyparent, please point out where people have been intimidating and I'm sure they'll apologise if they agree. It's much easier not to answer some simple questions and cry foul, isn't it? I speak as someone who had nothing to gain from this proposed expansion; in fact my family will probably be detrimentally affected during the building works, however I recognise that children need an education more than I would be bothered by some noise, traffic and dust.

I withdraw from your discussions as you cannot see where the intimidation lies. In answer to the queries, no my children have not gone to their first choice places. Yes, this has created a hardship. My children are the happiest, nicest people I know and crossing hurdles is worth it. We have a ball.

Anyparent, I'm sorry your children didn't get their first choice schools and that this has made things hard. Wouldn't you therefore think it would be good if others didn't have to go through the same thing?

Anyparent, no, we can't see the intimidation... Why don't you point it out so that whoever is guilty of it can (and I'm sure will) apologise?

I put down three of my four closest schools - having visited each of them. I wasn't happy with the fourth, so I didn't put it down. We didn't get a place in any, being offered a place instead at one a mile in the opposite direction from the rest of our lives, and in a school I had also visited and which I didn't feel offered even adequate educational standards.

We had suspected this might happen, so we'd lined up private. Financially it's going to be a stretch for our family: I'm self employed and my DH works for a charity. But I appreciate we're fortunate to be in the position to be able to go down this route at all.

Other people aren't. And I'd prefer it if they didn't have to make the kind of decisions we were faced with.

Look. We wouldn't remotely be in the catchment for Dundonald - even with the expansion in place. But these things have a ripple effect, so directly or indirectly we are all affected by the lack of places in the centre of town. We might have stood a chance at Wimbledon Chase, for example, (just 400m from our house) if Dundonald's expansion relieved some of the pressure for places there.

Yes, Bishop Gilpin should probably expand too. But that's another battle for another day, and not the issue at hand.

I'm really glad you and your children are happy and thriving Anyparent. I've no doubt you are doing a great job and your absolute best for them. That's what we're all trying to do, or we probably wouldn't be on this forum.

Thing is, having visited the school we were offered, I'm as convinced as I can be that my children would not be 'having a ball' there. I'm not prepared to have them spend seven hours a day in an environment where I believe they won't thrive, and somewhere I don't feel she will be provided for educationally.

Yes, we could compensate with additional support at home etc. But then I question the value of those 35 hours a week sat ? no, not sat, actually, the school in question doesn't believe in desks and chairs ? lying, standing, roaming around a school which is doing nothing for her, in an environment of barely contained chaos.

I do, however, use Dundonald Rec and playground regularly, and walk through there daily. I love the Rec and wouldn't see it 'destroyed' for all the world. If that were remotely the plan I too would be up in arms. But it's patently not. We gain 210 places. We lose a tiny fraction of grass ? 0.6% of the space. I think that's a pretty good trade, and the closest we'll get to a win/win.

Anyparent, this is simply a healthy debate. An argument, yes. But there's no intimidation or threats here. Just robust opposition. Far better to defend your position and offer alternative solutions to the problem, don't you think? Otherwise it just looks like you're just unable to make your case.

Just saying...

db
xx

Hear hear Designerbaby. Incidentally which school were you offered - the mind boggles! PM me if you like.

I will PM you, Wimbledonian, in case anyone else reading has a place there and are delighted about it. I've no desire to p*ss on anyone's bonfire.

I will just add though that this is the school where the deputy head said, on being asked if they hear children read regularly, that no, they didn't, because they don't believe that children learn to read by reading.

Really, it was a bonkers place. And not in a good way...

db
xx

Anyparent, I'm really glad that your children are thriving at school.

That's what we all want for our kids (and other people's kids).

I'm really glad that you overcame the 'hurdles' that you mention. That must have been (and probably still is) hard work.

I don't agree that it's condescending to show compassion for those people who have been frightened by the "Save Our Rec" scare-mongering. In most cases their house will be their most valuable asset, which they've worked all their lives to own. If I were in their position, and I believed that the value of that asset was at risk, maybe I'd react in the defensive/aggressive way we're seeing, and which a mumsnetter pastiched as the rant from "V Meldrew" above, which I think was what you were responding to originally. Anyhow, I didn't mean to sound condescending.

As far as "intimidation" goes, I can see that it could be intimidating to get responses from a group of people, all of whom disagree with you.

But I don't think it really compares with a "Save Our Rec" supporter turning up at your front door and telling you to take down your poster in favour of school expansion, or their anonymous friends will get your child expelled from the school.

I also think that it's easier to pour scorn on mumsnetters ("Where were you when X?" "Ah, Y - a new low!") than it is to engage with the substance of the debate on the school expansion scheme itself, which you haven't really done.

The proposed scheme:

• doesn't at all affect 99.4% of the Rec, which will remain covered by the restrictive covenant.

• doesn't affect the amount of open space.

• improves the pavilion facilities.

• enlarges the children's playground.

• provides desparately (desparately) needed school places.

About the only negative point I can see is that the bowling green will be closed; but that's going to be closed anyway.

So what's to object to?

(I mean in the scheme itself, not in me personally - if you like we can take it as read that I and other mumsnetters are just the worst people in the world, if that helps us to move on from ad hominem attacks).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

I guess there's the noise and dust of the building work - for me that seems a price worth paying for education.

db - just a little factual correction - we don't actually lose even 0.6% of the open space.

0.6% is the area of the Rec on which the restrictive covenant will (if the council wins their case) be varied to allow the new pavilion/school building to be built, but that open space isn't lost because after the new pavilion is built, the old one will be demolished and replaced with trees, grass etc.

more:

dundonaldlibdems.mycouncillor.org.uk/2012/03/19/maintaining-the-facilities-at-dundonald-rec/#comment-195

I can't see why the Lib Dems are opposed to the expansion of Dundonald school. I'd expect them to be on the side of education.

piji, Thanks ? you just made me snort coffee all over my keyboard with your not-at-all-condescending wikipedia link...

db
xx

whoops - I seem to have done it again - sorry!

And now I have a vision of you in a red pvc jumpsuit á la Britney.
And more coffee in my keyboard...

Shit, is the webcam switched on?

Piji, I just noticed the webchat with mayoral candidates. Well done for putting the expansion of Dundonald school on the political agenda.

I can't wait to attend the planning committee hearing - this will be fun.

Interesting... is there a link?
db
xx

webchat

DB, off topic slightly but could you please PM me the name of that scho too? I am new to the area and just trying to get a feel for schools for next year. Thanks!

Update - it turns out there are at least 5 other children (in addition to Bonita's) who live less than 420 metres from Dundonald and were offered a place at Liberty school in Mitcham.

Oh well, that's only 3km away - a short walk for any 4-year-old.

And it's an OFSTED grade 3 (euphemistically 'satisfactory') when you get there.

Evidently the NIMBY whose consultation response said that the school should not be expanded because they'd have to change their jogging route has a point - there's no lack of school places in the Dundonald area.

NOT.

Primafacie - could you pass that info to Omar at the wimbledon guardian? (email address is above).

Last call for responses to the planning consultation - the deadline expires soon.

So far the vast majority of responses are the usual NIMBY expressions of self-interest - if you are in favour of the school expansion and you want your voice to be heard, then now is the time.

The planning application:
tinyurl.com/ce9oa2f

How to comment:
www.merton.gov.uk/living/planning/planningapplications/representations.htm

"To comment on, or object to a current planning application, please submit it by email to:
[email protected].
You should include the following details:

Application reference number ( <strong>12/P1058</strong> )
Your name
Your address
Planning application description
Your comments

Please note that comments submitted to the council cannot be treated as confidential and will be made available for public inspection without exception. This includes your email address if you send an email."

Have a look at the Representation letter on 11/5/12. A case of someone using copy and paste rather badly here

Thanks Piji. The information is available to anyone who makes a FOI request to the council, which is what I did.

The representations on the planning application make for very sorry reading. What I find most extraordinary is the number of people who are refusing to admit the fact that there is a shortage of school places. It's almost as if they think the council is expanding schools just for the fun of it, or to spite them

I have some sympathy for people who are pointing out that a significant number of pupils live out of catchment, but get in through the siblings priority rule. My personal view is that siblings priority should be scrapped, but this is a borough-wide concern that would be extremely difficult to implement. More importantly, while it would reshuffle some pupils around, it would not create additional school places overall, when we know for a fact that more school places are needed.

I am surprised at how few people have expressed support. Clearly we are not organised enough!

Wimbledonian - I saw that too :o

Clearly written by someone who is fully aware of his community!

Yeah, the existing comments are here under 'representations':
tinyurl.com/6sjjkz8

It doesn't really surprise me how many people are simply denying that there is any shortage of school places in the Dundonald area - that's the message that "Save Our Rec" has been putting out.

I can't see those comments being given much weight in the planning process or at appeal though. "Save Our Rec" can say that the sky is green, but that doesn't make it so.

Thanks Stuart456, we've posted a reply to your comment ondundonaldlibdems.focusteam.org.uk/2012/03/19/maintaining-the-facilities-at-dundonald-rec/

Like piji says, it's hugely depressing how many people don't seem to understand the shortage of school places in the borough, or those who seem to think that the solutions are easy.

We're trying to encourage as many people as possible to have their say, whether for or against (and to do what we can to improve the quality of those comments, so that people are raising issues that that Planning Applications Committee can actually take into account!)

We've set out how to here: dundonaldlibdems.focusteam.org.uk/2012/05/11/merton-council-set-out-plans-to-expand-dundonald-primary/

We've also included a section on the decision our local branch reached, which was something our members and supporters have agonised over long and hard. It's not an easy decision at all.