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Southwark: Best and worst results in country

Southwark Schools and colleges have the worst record for post-16 results in the country according to statistics published today by the Department for Education and Skills.

The annual tables, which breakdown the national results for GCSEs and post-16s’ A-Levels and vocational qualifications, show a wider mix of results for the borough, with some schools amongst the best in the country whilst others are failing their children.

Southwark had the worst points scores of any Local Authority in the country for 16-18-year-olds. Students in Southwark schools studying A/AS levels, VCEs and Level 3s scored 152.5 points on average compared to 203 in neighbouring Lewisham and 269.2 in the country as a whole.

GCSE results were little better with only 41.6 per cent of students achieving 5A*-C passes – in London, only Greenwich fared worse. This is an improvement over 2001 when only a third made that grade, indeed the results have improved twice as quickly as the national average, yet similar boroughs have made far faster progress – with Lambeth moving up from 35.9 per cent to 47.7 per cent in the same period.

One in twenty Southwark children left school without a single qualification to their name, rising to one in ten boys from Kingsdale in Dulwich – the worst record of any inner London borough.

Yet the borough’s schools have a particularly difficult task, with nearly a third of school children having special educational needs – the highest rate in the capital.

Educationalists are aware that league tables can often produce very crude measures of performance, ignoring the fact different children have different starting lines. With this in mind the government has produced the so-called ‘Value Added’ figures which gives some idea of how far schools bring their children forward.

According to this measure Southwark has done far better, making it into the top half of the London table for both improvements from key stage two tests at 11 and key stage three at 14. Nine out of ten Southwark schools were better than average for adding value to key stage three – that’s the seventh best in the country.

The borough’s schools produced a wide spread of results but the ability of schools to ‘add value’ to GCSE results correlated closely with both local perceptions and levels of social exclusion.

If there were three eleven-year-old girls who got the same results at eleven, the year of entry to secondary school, the statistics would suggest that the girl who went to St Michael’s, in Bermondsey, would achieve the expected GCSE results, whilst the girl who went to the borough’s best state school – Sacred Heart – would do considerably better, picking up an additional 47 points (the difference between 4C’s and 4E’s) and the girl who went to the borough’s worst performing state school, Waverley, in Dulwich, would achieve 21 points less than her friend who went to St Michael’s.

St Michael’s Roman Catholic School showed the highest increase, with a rise of 12 percent in pupils achieving more than five GCSEs grade A* to C, taking the total to 65 per cent. Kingsdale School pupils have also shown a five per cent increase and Aylwin School a six per cent rise.

Cllr Caroline Pidgeon, executive member for education at Southwark Council said: “The GCSE league tables are confirming that secondary in Southwark is on the move. Over the last five years GCSE results in Southwark schools have increased at a rate double the national average, and the signs are that they will continue to steadily rise.

“As always, these results are a testimony to the hard work of pupils and teachers across the borough, and we will continue to work closely with them to raise the achievement of all children and young people in Southwark.”  (Southwark News 13.1.05)

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Bermondsey Primary could shut this year

Galleywall School should close this year and its pupils be sent to neighbouring primaries - that is the recommendation of the council officers following an independent report into primary education in Bermondsey and Rotherhithe.

Neighbouring Southwark Park and Eveline Lowe would be enlarged to cope with larger admissions in the coming years.

Some of the children moved to Southwark Park primary could then find themselves temporarily back in their old school buildings until 2006 while Southwark Park Primary was enlarged into a “two form entry” school.

Officers also recommended that the council look at building a new primary school on the Galleywall site, to be ready not hard on the heels of the closure of Galleywall, as the council’s ruling executive has previously ordered, but in 2009.

“It will be difficult and there will be problems,” said MP Simon Hughes, who called for and gave evidence to the independent commission. “I hope that given the unexpected disruption of primary education of these children and that following a less good education given, they should be entitled to…. some sort of advantage in planning for secondary schools. To make sure children already there and going to secondary school before the new school was built, to offer them secondary places at one of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe’s four secondary schools. I hope we can make it up to them…. Making the next few years for them something that delivers a better outcome.”

Southwark’s executive councillor for education, Caroline Pigeon, could not comment on his remarks, pointing out that the recommendations are still to be considered by the council’s ruling executive on February 1.

“Even then,” she said, (if the recommendations are agreed) “it has to go out to a statutory consultation.”

The independent review of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe’s primary schools began in October, chaired by Leisha Fullick, a director from the Institute of Education, with a parent, a governor and two council officers also on the board.

The review was sparked by the travails of Galleywall School – the commission said the school should close “as soon as possible” following reports from inspectors that little progress had been made since it was put on special measures in March 2003.

Cllr Pigeon said: “You can’t have a situation where children’s futures are being let down because they are not getting the education they should… even with the support that has been given (to the school).”

However, Labour’s education spokesperson Andrew Simmons told the ‘News’: “It’s a bit damning of the council. It’s basically saying there has been no improvement despite the extra help the council has been giving the school.”

As well as recommending that a new school be built on the Galleywall site, to cope with increased demand expected by 2009, the commission also argued for a new school at Potters Fields, by Tower Bridge. As well as temporarily expanding Southwark Park School and Eveline Lowe to cope with increased admissions, the commission recommended that both become two entry schools from August 2007, and that the council look at expanding the area’s other primaries to two entry schools.

“It’s a good report,” said MP Simon Hughes. “We may end up with some really good schools.”

Cllr Caroline Pigeon said she expected further reports to follow on primary schooling in other parts of the borough.

A council spokesperson said: “Nothing is definite at this stage. Ultimately any changes taken on board will be about planning for the future in terms of primary school provision and raising attainment in primary schools across the borough.”  (Southwark News 27.1.05)

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Two Dulwich schools to get specialist status

Two Dulwich schools are to receive specialist status, it was announced by the DfES this week.

As from September, The Charter School will specialise in business and enterprise and Kingsdale will specialise in the performing arts, with both schools benefiting from a funding boost. The schools will be partnered with a number of organisations, including other schools in the area, whilst wide-ranging sponsorship for Kingsdale includes donations from Pricewaterhousecoopers, Dulwich Music Shop and Julia Morley, of Miss World Ltd.

The schools will receive funding for teaching facilities as well as over £360,000 each over the next three years for curriculum support.

And it’s not just the pupils attending these two schools who will notice the difference, but also other designated primary and secondary schools in the area who will be working with the new specialist schools on projects related to business, enterprise and the performing arts.

Charter is partnered with Waverley Secondary School, Dulwich Hamlet Primary School, Dulwich Infants, Bessemer Grange Primary School and Dog Kennel Hill Primary School and is sponsored by HSBC, the Sir John Cass Foundation and Oracle.

Kingsdale School is partnered with Langbourne Junior School, Dulwich Hamlet Junior School, Rosendale Junior School, Goodrich Junior School, Dulwich Village Infant School, Dulwich Wood Nursery School, Norwood Girls Community School and sponsors include Pricewaterhousecoopers, Julia Morley – Miss World Ltd, Dulwich College Prep School, Dulwich Hamlet Junior School, Langbourne Junior School PTA, Malcolm Tysoe Ltd, Dulwich Music Shop, His Honour Roger Cox, Mr John Whitfield, Kingswood Youth Association.

There are already eleven specialist schools around the borough. (Southwark News 27.1.05)

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Primary’s centenary celebration

Look out for one of these balloon labels and you cold have a chance of winning £25 worth of vouchers.

Amid much excitement, pupils from Lyndhurst Primary in Grove Lane, Camberwell, released more than 300 helium balloons to launch their centenary year celebrations.

The school has a host of centenary year celebrations activities lined up and is inviting former pupils and staff to visit the school in June, and perhaps have their memories recorded for broadcast on their own school radio, or written to form a scrapbook of memories. So if you went to either Denmark Hill School, Peckham School on Grove Lane or Lyndhurst, they’d love to hear from you. Call the office on 020 7703 3046 (Southwark News 27.1.05)

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Teacher at Baftas

A Music teacher from Spa School was shaking hands with the biggest wigs of the music industry last month, after winning a national award.

Steve Perry, 37, who has taught full-time at the school for students with autism since July last year, was summoned to the British Academy for Film and Television Arts to be named Music Facilitator student of the year, by Beatles producer Sir George Martin.

Mr Perry’s first taste of success in the music business was as a guitarist for EMI-signed band Blaggers ITA, supporting the Manic Street Preachers and Pop Will Eat Itself.

He began training to be a music facilitator after learning of the course at the British Academy of New Music, and was given a work placement at Spa School.

“It’s something that I feel quite strongly about,” he said. “Young people with learning difficulties don’t often get the same opportunities to learn to play instruments or music technology.”

Also presenting awards at the ceremony was Fergal Sharkey, one-time singer for the Undertones, now chair of the government’s Live Music Forum. Guests included bosses from major music labels.

But Mr Perry is just happy to be giving teenagers kicks at Spa School. “I was really pleased to get this award,” he said. “More so I am thrilled that…. I am now able to teach people with autism.”   (Southwark News 20.1.05)

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Dulwich International College is haven for flooding victims

An International school set up by Dulwich College in disaster hit Phuket, Thailand, was turned into a refuge for holidaymakers displaced by the tsunami, a spokeswoman said this week.

Dulwich International College (DIC), set up by the Dulwich Common college eight years ago, is situated at the centre of the island and was not damaged by the tsunami.

It was converted into shelter for survivors, and DIC staff rallied to the cause, providing nursing care, food, shelter, and transport for those who were in need of assistance.

Many of those taken in were displaced tourists, and by the end of the first week 500 people had passed through, with accommodation also provided for doctors, embassy officials and UNICEF workers.

A message posted on DIC’s website, written by its headmaster David Cook, described the extent to which staff became involved in the extensive recovery operations launched following the disaster: “Dulwich staff also provided support at City Hall, all the major hospitals in Phuket and, further afield, on the mainland at Phang Nga and Krabi. Others took a large number of supplies to Thai families in Khao Lak and Phang Nga. Several of our divers went searching for bodies in Patong and in the horror that was the Sofitel Resort at Khao Lak. Others answered the call to help retrieve bodies and put them in coffins.

“The linguists….. used (their) skills as translators, several of you drove endless miles ferrying people and supplies around, a few of you found yourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and searched for people and counselled the survivors in places like Patong and Kamala.”

The college and its website were also used as a focal point for information on survivors, with pictures of missing people posted on walls and notice boards, and anyone with news able to contact DIC online.

A spokeswoman for the Dulwich–based school, which sends staff and pupils to DIC on an exchange program, said this week that no-one from Dulwich College was directly involved in the disaster, and that two teachers based in Phuket the previous term had left the area by the time the wave hit.

The headmaster of Dulwich College, Graham Able, has since set up a relief fund, with donations already reaching £2,000. Mr Able said: “Given our links with Thailand, we have opened a special fund which will channel all contributions directly to relief and reconstruction in southern Thailand. We are already immensely proud of the initiative taken by Dulwich International College and when our boys return from the holiday, I am sure they will want to get involved in a variety of different ways.”

Mr Cook is now to form a committee to ensure that the donations will go to the areas that need it most. Suggestions for the money have been centred on education, and include helping to rebuild destroyed schools, or supporting orphans through their schooling.

To contribute to Dulwich College’s efforts, send cheques payable to DCE (Disaster Relief Fund), to The Bursar, Dulwich College, London SE21 7LD. (Southwark News 13.1.05)

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Southwark ‘tops London’s gifted Academy pupils’

Southwark schoolchildren have excelled so much under a government programme to offer a step-up to gifted but disadvantaged pupils, that the borough has the highest number of kids in a national academy opened to teach talented youth, the council has claimed.

The borough’s Excellence in Cities co-ordinator Pauline Hinchliffe, made the claim following a country-wide Ofsted review of the programme, which sees grants given to schools across the country to invest in talented pupils.

The report had said many schools had diverted the money elsewhere. This was not the case in Southwark Ms Hinchliffe said, due to the council’s tight co-ordination of the scheme. Southwark has 130 pupils in the National Academy, more than any other London Borough, which, she claims, is proof the borough’s headteachers take the programme seriously.

The Ofsted review said that whilst the Excellence in Cities programme was starting to have positive impacts in children’s schooling, too many headteachers had diverted the money seeing it as elitist. “Pupils in disadvantaged areas face poverty, exclusion and low expectations. The Excellence in Cities programme is helping to secure a brighter future for them,“ said David Bell, the Chief Inspector of Schools, arguing that the programme improved attendance levels, results and social inclusion.

The scheme was set up for secondary schools with over 35% of pupils qualifying for free school meals, in 1999 before being extended to Primary schools a year later. Southwark receives £665,000 a year from the programme which works in all secondary schools and 20 primaries. Extra provisions had been made in the borough such as on-line Latin, modern language courses and a science club at the City Learning Centre by Sacred Heart School. Pupils have had the opportunity to go away on study holidays with the National Academy for Gifted  and Talented Youth – with philosophy trips to Durham and drama trips to Warwick which proponents say gives state school children the same access to engaging projects that pupils enjoy in the independent sector.

‘If the schools weren’t taking Gifted and Talented seriously then they wouldn’t be putting children forward for the National Academy,” said Ms Hinchliffe. “We have 130 children involved – the highest of any London borough. It gives them greater opportunities to be challenged – the sort of opportunities that more advantaged children might get.

“Those interested in more information on the programme should contact their schools.”  (Southwark News 6.01.05)

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