Richmond Borough Schools Chat 7

[muminlondon2]

Lots and lots of discussions on local schools and education issues preceded this thread, including Richmond Borough Schools Chat 6.

Anyone who wants to carry on that discussion, and offer information and opinions (without being moderated by any particular individual or interest group, bearing in mind all the usual mumsnet guidelines about respect and not getting personal, etc.) - feel free.

These parents from East Twickenham and St Margaret's had no choice but to send their children to Deer Park School currently located at The Richmond Adult College Site. The sponsors of this school originally planned for 60 children to start in September. This was then reduced to 30. Now we are told in this article only 13 children actually attend Deer Park School and 11 are from East Twickenham and St Margaret's ... So only 2 children are from the TW9 area. Parents in the TW9 area must be dreading the thought of actually being forced to send their children to the totally unsuitable proposed permanent site of London House on the A316 at Manor Circus. Still no one listens to the local residents ... Remember over 1200 local people signed a petition against having a large primary school at London House. Does this not tell the Dept of Education and Richmond Council something?? Parents know better than politician and have more sense.

RTT Online has Richard Reynolds School in Twickenham set for expansion after planning committee give plans the thumbs up:

. . (the school) . . will have a three-storey L-shaped extension added to the existing main building as well as a two-storey extension to the existing science block and additional games facilities . . Cllr Martin Elengorn, who sits on the planning committee, said the school design was “uninspired” but that was not sufficient grounds to reject the proposal: “We are now seeing a lower funded approach to education buildings and we are not going to get great buildings and that is a sad reality. It [the extension] is going to be problematic at times but that is not enough to turn it down in our very cramped borough.” . .

Sorry to interrupt folks.

Just a reminder to enter this competition which closes tomorrow. Only 3 entries so far so the chances are looking good!

local.mumsnet.com/Talk/local_richmond_upon_thames/2505389-WIN-A-BEAUTIFUL-FAMILY-PHOTO-TIMELINE-WORTH-69-99-FROM-WHEN-WE-WERE-BABIES

Hi,
Is anyone able to point to info on permanent & bulge class additions in primary schools in Twickenham area near Waldegrave? Our daughter is in year 3 currently, and we are looking at moving, but want to understand where extra provision (either permanent or bulge for year 3) has been added in different schools in current years 3,4,5,6 to try to get a sense as to whether the allocation map for Waldegrave will significantly change over the next few years (and so impact where we might move). I know its not exact by any means, but if there are several additional classes for example at primary schools near Waldegrave we could make a calculated assumption that the allocation map may shrink a fair amount from the current ones published - if there are none then we could make the assumption that there will only be some limited change based on the most current map. Thanks!

Jodah this map on the Turing website has that information on it www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zYHVmnQXFc0M.knyn6OCoooNY

Suggest everyone looks at page 7 of today's Richmond & Twickenham Times.
Headline ..Pollution hotspots exposing primary school pupils to dangerous NO2 levels. The schools near these hotspots are listed. Why on earth do the EFA and council even consider London House at Manor Circus as suitable for Deer Park School...only a few feet from the dangerous A316.

Here's the link to the RTT print version: edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?pbid=c7955673-549d-44a9-9a9c-a642bedeaef8

Jodah that information is given very precisely in Schools, pupils and their characteristics 2015 (the school census). Download the zip file and look for data file containing 'nc year'. If you're familiar with Excel just filter down to Richmond LA and specific wards/schools. There is a separate column for girls. Last year's Y2 (it was the census from January 2015) is this year's Y3. You'll have to assume that pupils at infant schools transfer to the juniors. Generally there are gaps as the year group progresses up the school and pupils don't get replaced so some numbers will drop slightly. Pupils at private schools will be applying (e.g. Old Vicarage) but few are likely to take up the place over a private school. One demand area is in East Twickenham - more at St Mary's - and a bulge class working its way through Archdeacon. There were around 90 girls counted at Stanley and Trafalgar in that Y2. Vineyard doesn't have a bulge class that year, although Marshgate does so hopefully they will get more of a chance too.

Schoolsweek has: Free school applicants no longer need to prove ‘demand’ for places:

The DfE has ditched a requirement for free school applicants to prove they have interest from parents. (Nor will they) have to provide any evidence they have engaged with the local community where the school is planned . . Parental surveys were previously required with an application to prove demand. The streamlined process – which also means applicants from schools with good track records do not have to fill out lengthy forms – means a school could open within a year . .

Does make sense to cut red tape.

RPA's chain, AET, has been inspected for the second time in 18 months. Apparently the situation has concerned the DfE so much it now has a representative on the board.

Wonder how recruitment is going for the head?

One of the deputies (Tracy O'Brien) has been appointed as interim.
I suspect they will struggle to recruit a permanent with a combination of

• adverse perception of AET
• still dire 'expected progress' measure and GCSE and AS results
• cost of accommodation in leafy Richmond - TES reports prospective HTs as looking for posts out of London mainly for that reason.

Hello mums!!!! My DC loves TH, am so pleased that we chose it for him. We´re so fortunate.

The design of the new classrooms is so modern and looks fabulous!!!

I do hope that they use the same design and building company for the new permanent site, it really is going to be a fantastic school!!!!!!!

Have a look you guys if you like at the photos of some of the photos of the finished classrooms here:

www.tandbcontractors.com/case-studies/turing-house-school

Just brand spanking new and amazing, so much better than any other school nearby.

1.5 million on a temporary building for just a small number of kids for just a few years, seriously?

That explains this then......

www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/14028198.Kingston_and_Richmond_s_children_services_overspending_by___1_5m/

2-3 years in temp site according to Turing House webpage

And it'll be less time than that as it won't be finished until 2016.

So £1.5 million on refitting temp accommodation that will be completed in 2016 and leaving it for new site Sept 2017 or 2018

I hope those couple of hundred short term temp school places were absolutely needed or that's a massive waste of ££££££££

I thought it was going to get used for a new primary school in the long term? Haven't checked it on the 'pollution' map though - not sure how suitable the outside space is for very young children.

BJ78 you're not related to BayJay are you?

Mum - That's funny BJ78 doesn't sound/read one bit like BayJay.

Shauntaylor - The school build in funded by the EFA not Achieving For Children. It has nothing to do with the AfC budget woes.

Mum is right, according to the council plans the building is destined to be a Primary after TH move out. Presumably this is why they are doing a decent job on it.

bluestars doesn't sound/read like her at all. If I were into conspiracies I'd think some shameless PR person at an educational supplies company was stealing her initials just to plug their services. But that sounds like something one of the other free schools would do.

Mum - Yes, I thought that too but it's a pretty niche marketing strategy :)

Why would an educational supplies company be marketing on mumsnet, and so very badly too? I read it as "hey look how much is being spent on this refurb - let's all slag them off" Big yawn.

Yes Jelly. I think that's what Mum and I were hinting at :)

Turing House are consulting re changes to their admission policy; closing date: 27 January 2016. The admissions policy for 2017 if all the changes are adopted is here.

How funny that Stephen Knight is making an issue of the low wages advertised for a cleaning job at the Mall School - £8.59 per hour, which is lower than the minimum wage. I made a similar point about GEMS Twickenham Primary, which gets a large start-up grant from the DfE and is backed by an international private school sponsor with very complicated business structure involving off-shore trusts, etc. They were offering even lower wages for a job earlier this year. See my post from 14 May below:

'From the other non-teaching jobs GEMS advertised, their rates seem fairly low. They’re offering *£6.88 per hour for a school cross patrol person – cf. a recent borough school advert for around £11 per hour (e.g. £4,305 salary for 10 hours x 39 weeks = 390 hours). GEMS pays just above the national minimum wage of £6.50 per hour, but not the London Living Wage of £9.15 per hour.'

I meant to write the Mall job is '£8.59 per hour, which is lower than the minimum living wage'