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.

Really interesting analysis of Progress 8 here, "Progress 8 is not a measure of school effectiveness."

Another Hounslow primary school in Feltham has gone from Requires Improvement to outstanding in less than two years - the academies myth ignores those successes. But if Progress 8 data is flawed, what data will they use in primaries? SATs, phonics tests and the progress data from KS1 to KS2? Primary intakes are smaller and more variable - they fluctuate even more where there is high mobility in KS2, and where schools take in higher proportions of SEN pupils. The idea of constantly testing 4-11 year olds - and even now forcing them to retake SATs - is downright cruel.

I just listened to Jeremy Hunt fudging where the GPs are going to come from to provide weekend care, seeing as they are all retiring and new trainees are avoiding GP practice. The same is true of teachers and especially heads, constantly under threat of losing their jobs after each round of testing and inspection.

Couldn’t agree more muminlondon. I’ve just gone through the SATs journey with my DC - it’s such a narrow, brutal way to judge children and strips their love of learning.

Another way of putting it:

'the endless cycle of tests and mocks and exams, the fear that instead of getting children excited about learning we’re funnelling stuff into them like little foie gras goslings.'

The council have announced 46 more SEN places in Richmond, Strathmore School is being expanded to a multi-site school at Grey Court, Russell School and St RR.

Does anyone here have news of the Deer Park School? I heard a rumour via friends of mine that it will be located for two years in a two storey portacabin just off the A316 at Richmond College.

From the planning portal, across the road on Old Deer Park there is going to be a 'fanzone' for up to 30 event days between 11 September and 7 November. It could get a bit busy and noisy round there.

If the temporary site for Deer Park School is going to be in a portacabin at Richmond College at least that location is far better than the proposed permanent site on the busy, polluted A316 at Manor Circus. AND it is actually near Old Deer Park.

But the admissions point is still London Road, presumably?

There's more information on the Kew Society site - presumably the council is doing what was ordered from on high providing the background on the need for places in Richmond. The council's briefing implies that Darell is far, far away in distant Kew, rather than 4 minutes away, and Queen's is virtually in Hounslow. And that other sites were considered by the EFA including Richmond Magistrates' Court, but despite the fact that the Tories desperately want to privatise the court service (and now Michael Gove is Lord Chancellor - watch this space!) they can't turf them out in time. So the RACC space is only temporary and only big enough for one class for two years.

London Road House

Jesus. Yet another reason to dislike Matthew Paul.

Looking on the bright side, those of us around Manor Circus may see our house prices rocket now that we are the opposite of a primary school black hole. With Deer Park as well as Holy Trinity and Darell, that makes three schools within about 400m of my house.

PS What is a fanzone?

I get the feeling council officers only carry out orders... But still, what a strange way to plan, as if each ward is a little village and you'd travel two miles rather than cross a boundary.

Maybe a fanzone involves memorabilia. Or just beer. My autocorrect keeps wanting to say 'fanzine', like some it's some cultural publication. but somehow I think it's less literary than that.

With just under 6 months to go to the tournament, England Rugby 2015 has announced 15 official Rugby World Cup Fanzone locations across England and Cardiff . . Fanzones, which will be free to enter, will be open on match days and at varying times across the six week tournament providing fans, residents and visitors with the opportunity to enjoy the build-up to matches and join in with the nationwide celebration of rugby.

CITY London: Richmond
FANZONE NAME/LOCATION Old Deer Park
DAYS OPEN 10
CAPACITY 10,000

www.rugbyworldcup.com/fanzones

With just under 6 months to go to the tournament, England Rugby 2015 has announced 15 official Rugby World Cup Fanzone locations across England and Cardiff . . Fanzones, which will be free to enter, will be open on match days and at varying times across the six week tournament providing fans, residents and visitors with the opportunity to enjoy the build-up to matches and join in with the nationwide celebration of rugby.

CITY London: Richmond
FANZONE NAME/LOCATION Old Deer Park
DAYS OPEN 10
CAPACITY 10,000

www.rugbyworldcup.com/fanzones

So food and drink, and 10,000 rugby supporters watching on a big screen - not quite the idyllic Forest School environment, but then neither is the Manor Circus roundabout.

There's another account of the meeting on 30 March with Matthew Paul, and links to the petition against the siting of the school in that location, on the Green Party website.

Blimey, that sounds, er, noisy!

I've had run-ins with Matthew Paul before on another issue. I find him disingenuous to say the least. And yes, very odd that they think people would like to travel a couple of miles rather than cross a notional boundary. I imagine most people aren't even aware of where these boundaries lie.

The Deer Park School consultation was so flawed and biased that very many locals knew nothing of the proposals.

Local people DO have the chance now to express their views against the unsuitable site by SIGNING the petition - details are given above by muminlondon2 where she states the link can be found on the Green Party website.

Can any of you guys decipher this tweet?

twitter.com/jwgcoombs/status/601050011900768256

Last Turing House update (17 May) says

'one of the sites is still the subject of a commercial tendering process ... whichever site is progressed we will work to ensure that Turing House strikes an appropriate balance in serving both the local community in which the school is situated, as well as the original area of local need and support'

The petition against the Whitton site has passed 1,500 signatures, some of them prospective TH parents.

GemmaJ21:

It’s plain enough: the author, John Coombs, is the Liberal Democrat for Heathfield ward (a split ward) and Opposition Spokesperson for Communities and Voluntary Sector. He lives in Whitton. I guess this is something he’s got informally by a council officer and this is his way telling the world what he’s been told:
twitter.com/jwgcoombs/with_replies

‘@jwgcoombs
@LBRUT officials say that Teddington site will not be looked into by Govt funding agency for @turinghouse. So where are they looking?’

No-one has responded after 5 hours. Why haven’t you asked him via Twitter what he knows? Spreading news (= anything that someone else doesn’t want published), rumours, outright lies, etc. is what Twitter is for.

Yes, it's difficult to know.

twitter.com/stephenknight1/status/601335513493176321

If the outcome was the same, whether the EFA bid successfully or not at all - and getting confirmation of this non-confirmation took us past September, when uniforms have been bought and funding agreement conditions satisfied - how would we even know?

...whether the EFA bid unsuccessfully or not at all...