Richmond Borough Schools Chat 8

[muminlondon2]

This thread follows on from Richmond Borough Schools Chat 7.

News and opinions on all the changes to schools in Richmond borough.

I can see RET got their desired increase in PAN at Bristol Free School so that is one way of plugging their funding gap. As the consultations were running simultaneously it might have informed their response to the TH admissions consultation (which attracted many more responses).

I live miles away from the proposed Lidl site in E.Twick, and had a mailer posted to me today asking for support for their planning application. They must be spending a small fortune!

Sheilafisher: not necessarily - I live round the corner and this the first I have heard of an application. Perhaps you are referring to the scheme as a whole and not to an actual planning application? Please provide more details.

mum All of those things, new curriculum resources, consultants, staff training, refitting buildings as well as the cost of setting up the MAT, take money which was why I was a bit given I have heard of schools so cash strapped they are using worn out text books, have TAs covering lessons etc.

However the Council is putting financial resources their way, best part of £2m according to Appendix A of item 298 here cabnet.richmond.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=163&MId=3675 . It's a big chunk of the capital budget if you take Richmond upon Thames School out of it, and the only schools receiving capital funding aimed at other than expanding school places, developing sixth forms and improving SEN provision.

Capital funding doesn't go on consultants' fees, or textbooks. Academies would get such funding direct from central governments. Capital funding goes on bricks and mortar on council owned land - including where there's SEN provision and sixth forms. And the amount's going down, not up. Nothing at all to do with the new trust.

And if you were a bit at the expense of transferring the schools - we know that the government overspent by £1 billion on academy conversion in the first year, so I have a lot of sympathy - are you saying the schools should have stayed with the old trust? New free schools do get start-up funding: Kings Science Academy got at least £600k in 2011/2, not that it ended well.

Chris Squire. Normally I get all my schools gossip from this thread but you do not yet seem to have seen the Deer Park Lidl proposals. www.richmondroad.lidl.co.uk
Seems like as good a school layout as we could hope for and a supermarket with parking.

TW1ckenham: Thanks for this alert. There is no notice about this at the site and we have received no leaflet as yet.

Lidl will be holding a Public Consultation Event on 19th April 2016, from 14.00– 20.00 at: St. Stephen’s Church, Richmond Road, East Twickenham, TW1 2PD
www.richmondroad.lidl.co.uk/

mum I am sure we all, apart perhaps those worried about the distraction to the other school teams think this was the best solution possible for two schools that were underperforming. I was about the capability of the MAT to deal with the inheritance of the LST with limited resources without it taking time. These are new buildings, designed around the LST methodology, a little more than grass covered seating. In the absence of any clarity I would guess some of this money is going to facilitate a change of direction in their use, or at least overcome the drawbacks that have become apparent. The money for sixth forms and SEN are itemised seperately. Of course it is all guesswork we don't even know if they are giving up the LST methodology, OFSTED fell short of criticising it directly. All you can say is that they will have more effective leadership not hampered by a sponsor with an agenda of its own.

And capital expenditure is not just bricks and mortar, it is any equipment with a life of more than one year so includes computer equipment and software, furniture and fittings, and intangible assets such as licenses.

ChrisSquire

It does indeed explicitly state planning application. I'm not sure why you'd assume I am mistaken.

"We will shortly be submitting a planning application for a new Lidl footsore and Primary School on Richmond Road, and would like to hear your thoughts."

It does on to mention a public consultation day (Tues 19th April 2pm - 8pm) at St Stephen's church, and asks for people to sign their online support petition or e-mail or write to them. I imagine they want a nice fat support file to submit with their application.

I said it must be costing them a fortune because this isn't a shoved through the door bit of photocopying. It is posted (admittedly to "The Occupier") and is on full colour card. I know that sort of mail out does not come cheaply. Perhaps they have mailed SH first because it is unlikely anyone over this side of TW is invested enough to strongly object, but they may fancy a nice close Lidl. Who knows, you may get yours tomorrow.

sheilafisher: Because I had just looked at the planning pages and found no application. 'Shortly' in this context = 'not immediately but next month if all goes to plan'.

When the application is published (some weeks after it is submitted because it must be validated first) the clock start sticking for those who wish to object.

The objections will centre on parking - the only issue that rouses the comfortable burgers of East Twickenham - and its control in the streets adjacent to the site. One of them is, amazing as it may seem, still without any controlled parking at all.

the capability of the MAT to deal with the inheritance of the LST with limited resources

They are getting extra funding from the government to cover consultants.

And capital expenditure is not just bricks and mortar

But it wouldn't come from the council. It might be something to do with PFI - look at the equivalent sum in the Feb 2014 cabinet meeting and it's much higher, so whatever it's for, it's nearly paid.

we don't even know if they are giving up the LST methodology

We DO know. The schools taking over have made it clear in their announcements.

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.waldegrave.richmond.sch.uk/download?file=upload.reactcdn.co.uk/waldegrave/uploads/asset_file/3_0_faqs-18-nov-2015.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FAQ no.12

Would the Academies have to continue with their Kunskapsskolan teaching model?

'No.'

comfortable burgers of East Twickenham

Wonderful image! I still miss Wimpy.

Burghers: !a citizen of a borough or town, especially one belonging to the middle class'

OED has:

‘burgher, n. In 16th cent. burger , from early modern German burger citizen of a burg or fortified town; afterwards assimilated to English burgh . .
. . a1842 Macaulay Armada . . And the red glare on Skiddaw roused the burghers of Carlisle. . . ‘

(which is the quote that was at the back of my mind as I wrote).

mum as I said LST withdrawing frees up the new leadership from their agenda but I am sure that the change plan they put in place will be thoroughly thought out to share best practise. There may be aspects of the LST methodology they do want to keep, at the very least there are pupils who were used to the individualised learning plans and ways of working and I know some parents felt it suited their child.

If you look at this recent letter then in the survey carried out for the governors review more than 80% of parents were happy with the teaching, high expectations and ambitious goals set but the low points were the quality of homework and marking.

I am sure they will want to keep what is working and improve what isn't.

twickenhamacademy.org.uk/dl/twickenham-talk/Issue%20207%2011%20%2003%2016.pdf

Frustrated I'm not a teacher, and neither are you. For my part, a standard parental survey reveals little about the quality of teaching in a school - I have never been invited to observe lessons as a state school parent so I find such surveys difficult to fill in. The only thing a parent might see is the level of homework received and they can inspect the marking, but there are very divergent parental views on what is an appropriate amount, just as there are various levels of pupil ability.

Waldegrave and Teddington will be able to advise on what works in their own schools according to different age groups, sets and subjects. Over the last 5 years and many Ofsted visits, HA and TA have probably diluted many aspects of the LST methodology, to the extent that what does work already is no doubt mainstream practice. Their main problem at the beginning was having existing teachers adapt to to the curriculum and expectations of how to deliver it, and their main problem by the end was having continuity and reducing staff turnover.

LST is still managing the schools until September, so far as I can tell, so I'm sure both old and new management will want to make the handover smooth. I don't think it's helpful any more to keep on labelling the schools and their 'methodology'.

Recent developments in Hounslow on the planning battle for campaigners opposed to the siting of the Sikh Nishkam free school on Metropolitan Open Land - they have applied for judicial review and have raised over £20,000 so far. The Keep Osterley Green group includes supporters of all political parties, including a Tory party member and donor who criticised the £12 million land purchase by the EFA from an offshore company with rights over future proceeds of sale, as well as money spent on PR to promote the school.

According to the article the final decision on the Metropolitan Open Land rests with the Mayor, but mayoral elections are only 4 weeks away so the next mayor's policies may be different. This is surely one factor in the delays over starting the MOL planning process in Whitton for Turing House.

I am not a teacher and neither are you well that hasn't stopped various politicians and "business" men and women deciding what is best for our children

True, that. I find it even more upsetting when politicians and bankers want to run our state schools yet they're not good enough for their children. However, I have respect for all teachers in state schools, whatever they choose for their own children, because they give their time to community schools and they know their stuff.

Today’s print RTT has School’s expansion bid gets Council approval (p 9): 80 more places for East Sheen County Primary School.

Births per year increased by 25 % between 2000 and 2010 but have levelled off since - at 2,900 p.a.

The school’‘s catchment area extends just 800 m from its gate.

From the planning officer’s report:

. . 10. With respect to the need for the expansion, the Planning Statement confirms that the
school has taken bulge classes in 2012, 2013 and 2015, however, despite these
additional places, demand is forecast to grow further, which is also demonstrated in the
applications. The latest Reception class forecasts indicate that, across the borough as a
whole, the overall shortfall of places in the next 10 years will be up to 17 forms of entry.
Forecasts are outlined, by each of the 10 pupil place planning areas, within the Council’s
School Place Planning Strategy 2015-2024, adopted in January 2015. One of the
recommendations is that East Sheen Primary should be expanded.

11. Given that Sheen Mount has been expanded to three-form entry from September 2014
    and they would have no room for further expansion, expanding East Sheen Primary to
    three-form entry is the only viable option within the area.

12. The above demonstrates the need for the increase in school pupil numbers. The school
    in the current form is unable to accommodate the above pupil numbers without a built
    expansion. The school in its current condition and size is insufficient against the
    Education Funding Agency policy guidelines - Building Bulletin BB103, which provides an
    estimate the area needed for new schools, as well as the extra building area that may be
    needed for schools increasing in size. The proposed extensions have been designed in
    accordance with the above guidelines . .

According to the article the final decision on the Metropolitan Open Land rests with the Mayor, but mayoral elections are only 4 weeks away so the next mayor's policies may be different. This is surely one factor in the delays over starting the MOL planning process in Whitton for Turing House

Both labour and conservative mayoral candidates have openly opposed building on Metropolitan Open Land.

A new mayor changes everything.

I do think that the Education Secretary should have some first-hand classroom/education experience before being promoted to that role.

Tania Mathias would be a good potential candidate for Health Secretary. An ex-NHS doctor is much more likely to understand the issues and gain the respect of health professionals.