La Fontaine

[BromleyMama]

Does anybody know whether they have a permanent site yet? Last I saw they were waiting for official confirmation of getting the Widmore Adult Education Crntre. However, they said the decision would be made mid April and it's now late May.
I also see they have created a garden and are planning a beach which seems odd if they will be moving.

The nursery is a term time only nursery attached to the adult education centre and is not part of, or run by Bickley School.

According to Google its a 16 minute walk georges . That's a fair distance with small children and of course Bickley isn't a mainline station as Bromley South is. However, the point is academic as the need to be near Bromley South was so people could reach the school from other parts of London and Kent. Now the school's admission criteria is basically distance based it isn't going to be as much of an issue in future years.

La Fontaine was originally.meant to be a properly bi-lingual school with small classes that would have attracted French speakers or francophiles from everywhere. Now it is just a regular primary with a few hours teaching in French each week. Still unusual, but very different from the original idea. It needs to be more central though, not in Nightingale Lane, as the need for schools is the parts of the Palace Estate and surrounds that are currently in a black hole. The civic centre would be better. Also, it is cited to become a three form entry school. Is there even room to accomodate that on the Widmore Centre site? Aussiemum's idea to expand Bickley seems to make more sense.

Yes, you're right that the nursery isn't affiliated with Bickley school, but with the AEC closing, there was potential (as in, just an idea) that it could become attached to the school, if the school expanded and took over the other site as well.

As others have said, we definitely need more nursery and school places around here.

La fontaine are hoping to open a secondary school, bullets wood boys will hopefully be opening as well as Eden Park high in Beckenham so that should ease some of the secondary school places when the time comes. I here what everyone is saying regarding not enough schools but being realistic where is the space to put ew schools. Residents protest to save their local parks or land, any land if any left ate built into apartments. We all want a good local school whether primary or secondary espionage you could walk to but again where is the space. Parking will always be a problem. La fontaine, many parents drive especially those from Orpington /petts wood end. However there is quite a few living in central Bromley who may walk, bus which may reduce the car situation hopefully. Also car share and walking bus could be introduced to manage the situation.

It's the fact that any land around is turned into apartments that causes part of the problem. If they are going to build new estates, they need to be thinking about service provision - doctors, schools etc. but no one ever does. And people are right to try to save the green spaces. Bromley calls itself the green borough but central Bromley is dire as far as park provision and that kind of thing is concerned. Green spaces in other parts of London (and other areas of the Bromley borough) are far better provided for.

If Ls Fontaine is trying to add a secondary school, then the Civic Centre makes even more sense because surely there would be room for both on that site?

Yes, La Fontaine wants to open a secondary - and I agree even more reason to be at the Civic Centre site and not the Widmore site

Is the Civic Centre actually under consideration?
I only know the registry office part but presumably there is space for two schools with proper outdoor space and not playgrounds on the roof? Also would they be able to be separated from the rest of the civic centre so that you wouldn't have random people wandering around unnoticed?

The last consultation I heard of had the civic centre as a possible redevelopment and a strong option seemed to be to redesign the civic centre with, I suppose, new buildings and make space for housing as well as school/s.

They need to stop building housing until they have enough schools for the children the borough already has or will have in the houses already built. Primaries are already bursting and there is a secondary school crisis looming.

They will never stop building because just like the borough is short of schools there is a demand for more housing in Bromley. There is not enough affordable housing.

I'm very sure if La fontaine is in the civic centre it would be made very secure just like any other school so people couldn't just walk in and out. And possibly when the secondary is built provided planning permission has been authorised to be on the same grounds other than sharing the grounds it woukd most likely be separate to the school and in its own building

So, has the site for La Fontaine primary school been finally agreed yet? Another year in the temporary site is sounding very likely :(

Just bumping this up ........... any updates anyone? :)x

They got The Widmore Centre in the end.

I'm pleased as its very close to me.

BromleyMama has this officially decided?

That's what was in La Fontaines newsletter. You can google their newsletters to read online

LA fontaine academy we be moving to the new site Widmore centre Sep 2017.

Here's the quote from the newsletter:
LA FONTAINE’S PERMANENT HOME
As you will have heard, Executive Members at Bromley Council have come to an agreement with the Education Funding Agency in terms of our permanent site. Our school, from September 2017, will be based at the Widmore Centre (BR1 2SQ).Thank you to all parents and carers for your wonderful patience! We got there in the end!
You can read the full newsletter here www.lafontaineacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Newsletter-2.31-20-06-2016.pdf.