Renaissance Education – the local teacher agency for South London
Football legend visit
LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL legend John Barnes shot into Bredinghurst School in Nunhead last Thursday and sent the ball flying over the fence before presenting the football team with a smart new kit.
Sponsored by Channel Five, the kit will be worn only for matches against other schools and not for every day practice, a teacher explained to the boys.
Team captain Mayowa Makinde, 15, said that although John Barnes was good, his favourite player was himself. (Southwark News 19.5.05)
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Heber primary improving
AN EAST Dulwich primary has been classed as “improving” in its recent Ofsted report.
For Year 6 results Heber Primary, in Heber Road, is now only slightly below the national average for maths and English and is slightly above for science.
Pupils’ achievements are described in the report as “satisfactory” and head teacher Tim Mamak’s leadership is “very good”.
The report states: “Pupils now have positive attitudes to their work, behave well and are motivated to learn, even when they know they have a long way to catch up.
“The school has battled hard with a very limited budget and staffing issues. However, the good quality of leadership and management has enabled a firm foundation to be established.” (Southwark News 19.5.05)
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Parents object to Downtown scheme
PARENTS GATHERED in the rain outside a Rotherhithe primary on Monday to register their objections to new proposals for a development next door, writes Will Pavia.
Objections to the development, proposed by Barrett Homes for the Downtown site beside Redriff Primary School, have to be in by Friday.
The Downtown Defence Campaign, a residents group that believes the current scheme is inappropriate, has collected 110 signatures from parents at the primary.
“We expect to double that by the end of the week,” said chair Steven Cornish.
The group also has the support of GLA members Val Shawcross and Jenny Jones and the Canada Water Forum.
Local Liberal Democrat ward councillors are also expected to support the campaign, and have pledged to ask the council’s planning officers to visit the site before the scheme goes before the planning committee.
Mother Fiona Lawrence told the ‘News’: “These beautiful trees (beside the school) are used by children as part of their studies. It would be a shame to lose them to this development.” (Southwark News 19.5.05)
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SE17 team at Dunkirk
IN THE true spirit of the Entente Cordiale Walworth School footballers took on their French counterparts in a tournament near Dunkirk last week.
The year seven lads did themselves proud making it to the final but followed the great British tradition of losing out in the dreaded penalty shoot out.
The Walworth players took on teams from across northern France and Belgium and got through to the final having won 2-1 in the semis. They drew the final 1-1 but went out 3-2 on penalties. (Southwark News 19.5.05)
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Suspended
A BERMONDSEY Headteacher has been suspended after allegations were made concerning financial irregularities and bullying.
Pilgrims Way Headteacher Pauline Doidge was suspended on Friday, April 29. A spokeswoman said Southwark Council was “working with the school to resolve the situation as soon as we possibly can.” (Southwark News 12.5.05)
Note: Following an investigation of the allegations by the LEA, the Chair of Governors was advised to reinstate Pauline Doidge 'as soon as practically possible', and this was done.
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Sophie’s an ad maestro
A YEAR six pupil from a Rotherhithe primary has been toted as an advertising maestro for her winning slogan on the dangers of salt eating.
Sophie Whitlock, from St James’ School, Gomm Road, won a Healthy Schools competition with her poster and slogan: “Salt It Out”. She won a selection of books and a framed certificate. (Southwark News 12.5.05)
Local news for your school on our website? Call us on 020 7717 1577
Tuke’s opera
PECKHAM’S TUKE School put on a multi-media performance of Orpheus in the underworld last Friday, after a collaboration with the English Touring Opera and Philharmonia Orchestra.
All fifty pupils at the school were involved in the final piece involving music, drama, dance and film. Opera singers Serena Kay and Matthew Sharp and professional musicians on bass trombone, cello piano and percussion accompanied. (Southwark News 12.5.05)
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SE5 primary gets autistic facilities
A £300,000 classroom dedicated to helping autistic children was last month unveiled in Camberwell.
A joint initiative between Neighbourhood Renewal and Southwark’s Access Inclusion department saw Brunswick Park Primary School’s eight autistic students rewarded with purpose-built facilities including a computer, play-room, kitchen and play area, along with new full-time support staff.
One of the members of staff, Autistic Spectrum Disorder specialist Liz Hannah, said: “The children will spend half their time in mainstream classes, and the other half here so we can give them individual help.” (Southwark News 12.5.05)
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Aylwin Girls looks at free boarding for some pupils
BERMONDSEY’S ALYWIN Girls’ School is looking to provide boarding facilities to girls who are caught in personal crises.
The Southwark Park Road school wants to build a boarding house to take between eight and ten girls when it becomes a city academy in 2008.
The school will be completely rebuilt under the plans. The £15m programme cost will be borne by the government and academy sponsor, Lord Harris of Peckham, carpet millionaire and Peckham benefactor.
Alywin’s head teacher Mrs Loxton said: “We are very strong on looking after our girls. Often many of them are here until six o’clock at homework clubs or doing after-school activities.
“Boarding is an extension of our pastoral care. We want to help students who get into temporary crises.
“Normally, many would go into foster care, which means moving around. We want to help offer some stability.”
A large number of Aylwin’s 900 pupils are of African origin and some face disruption when parents return home to deal with emergencies. It is hoped boarding facilities will ensure that the child’s education is not aversely affected.
England already has 35 state boarding schools, charging for accommodation, but Aylwin hopes to offer it for free. The school has applied to the borough council for funding for boarders. Under current rules, this would have to come from social services rather than its education department although there has been discussion of changes in the national framework after the election.
A Southwark Council spokeswoman said the project was at a “very early stage as a potential idea”. Most schools are made city academics because they are “failing” but Alywin specifically requested the status after a “satisfactory” report by Ofsted.
Last year, 33 per cent of pupils gained five grades A* to C at GCSE or equivalent qualification, below the average for England of 53.7 per cent but up 4 per cent on the previous year. Mrs Loxton said: “We are improving and want to continue doing so.” (Southwark News 5.5.05)
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Young Dulwich artists’ work on display
The WHOLE OF Langbourne School in Dulwich worked with artists from Arts Express making art to music as part of the Colour of Music project. Chosen pictures are on display at Kingwood House and will soon move to the Workplace Art gallery in Shoreditch, before they return to join the others already decorating the school. (Southwark News 5.5.05)
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No slipping through the net
A NEW approach to dealing with children with low level problems is being launched at a school in London Bridge.
The head of Snowfields Primary in Kirby Grove, Juliet Cooper has invited parents to a meeting on May 18 from 9am to 10.30am to discover “that social workers are not horrible people”.
The school is one of the eighteen in Bermondsey and eleven in East Dulwich that are pioneering a system of School Family Support. The idea is that children with low level illness or behavioural problems stop slipping through the net because of bad communication between different agencies, the school and parents.
Ms Cooper said: “Before, schools would have meetings and discuss children then refer them to an agency. But it’s better that parents contact the agency themselves.”
Representatives from social services, adolescent mental health services, educational psychologists, school nurses, youth offending and behavioural support teams will be at the meeting and parents can take away useful information.
Ms Cooper continued: “Also, previously, there was no clearly allocated staff from social services. Now it’s always the same person who comes in to school, and it’s the same educational psychologist.”
Southwark Council are amongst the first in the country to embrace what they call “community networks” and if pilots in Bermondsey sand East Dulwich are successful the approach will be adopted across the borough. Ms Cooper said “These things can take a long time, but I have high hopes.” (Southwark News 5.5.05)
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