# Evelyn Grace Academy - new school in east Brixton



## lang rabbie (Aug 12, 2007)

Does anyone know why the new Academy school (to be built on part of the old depot site between Loughborough Park and Shakespeare Road) is called Evelyn Grace Academy.   








http://www.arkschools.org/pages/evelyn-grace/new-buildings.php


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## brix (Aug 12, 2007)

No idea I'm afraid but crikey what an unattractive building.  

I'm a teacher and would really love to teach at a school in Brixton.  Not just because it would mean an easy journey p ) but mainly because I'd like to work within the community in which I live.  Unfortunately both this school, and the proposed new school on Brixton Hill, are being planned as academies.  This is the privatisation of education by the back door and I wouldn't be prepared to work in one


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## xsunnysuex (Aug 12, 2007)

I remember reading this a while ago.  As far as I can remember it is called  Evelyn Grace Academy  by the man who put up most of the money for the school to be built.  Can't remember his name.  But  Evelyn Grace is a mix of his mother and grandmothers name.  I seem to remember there was a big objection to him naming it at the time.


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## London_Calling (Aug 12, 2007)

It looks from that as if the sports choices are; the 100 metre sprint,  the 100 metre sprint, or the 100 metre sprint.


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## clandestino (Aug 13, 2007)

brix said:
			
		

> Unfortunately both this school, and the proposed new school on Brixton Hill, are being planned as academies.



So what's the difference between an academy and a regular school?


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## gaijingirl (Aug 13, 2007)

This will be run by Ark Academies.  I recently had an i/v with them for one of their other schools in London so had quite a long conversation with them about their involvement (in that particular school).  They tend to come in and take over failing schools, or build schools in areas in need.  You can look up the Ark website and read all about their "mission"  which is not just about education but social inclusion in general.  Academies can be quite controversial - usually because of where the money might be coming from and/or potential ulterior motives.

The people I`ve met working for Ark (on the ground) seem very well intentioned and committed indeed - but politically I don`t exactly know how they stand as an organisation.


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## brix (Aug 13, 2007)

ianw said:
			
		

> So what's the difference between an academy and a regular school?



Well, in brief:

Academies are funded by public money but run (sponsored) by private organisations, usually businesses or charities.  They are not democratically accountable and the sponsor dominates the governing body.  They do not have to follow the national curriculum; this is not necessarily a problem (imo the national curriculum is too prescriptive) but it does open up very dangerous possibilities.  For example the academies sponsored by the fundamentalist christian Sir Peter Vardy teach creationism over evolution http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,664608,00.html

Academies are usually new-builds.  It usually costs between 25 and 30 million pounds of public money to build these schools.  The buildings and grounds are then handed over to the private organisation sponsoring the academy.  The government has been bullying local authorities into setting up academies by refusing to give them any BSF (Building Schools for the Future) money unless this money is used to set up at least one academy in their borough.

Teachers are usually employed under nationally agreed terms and conditions but the academies do not have to abide by these terms and conditions.  In addition academies do not usually recognise unions.  The governments own report by Price Waterhouse Coopers in 2005 said that the workload in academies is heavier than in normal schools.

Academies can set their own admission policies so they are, in effect, selective.  This can have a damaging effect on non-selective comprehensive state schools around them as the academies cream off the most able students.  They also permanently exclude three times as many students as normal students which is selection by the back door.  http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2147205,00.html

And just for interest heres a story from the Guardian about an academy in Peterborough (built at a cost of 46.4 million) that's been built without a playground, where "pupils will be treated like employees of a corporation".  http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2074528,00.html


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## brix (Aug 13, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> This will be run by Ark Academies.  I recently had an i/v with them for one of their other schools in London so had quite a long conversation with them about their involvement (in that particular school).  They tend to come in and take over failing schools, or build schools in areas in need.  You can look up the Ark website and read all about their "mission"  which is not just about education but social inclusion in general.  Academies can be quite controversial - usually because of where the money might be coming from and/or potential ulterior motives.
> 
> The people I`ve met working for Ark (on the ground) seem very well intentioned and committed indeed - but politically I don`t exactly know how they stand as an organisation.



ARK is the charity arm of a hedge fund run by right-wing Christian Arpad Busson.  Mr Busson famously had two children with Elle McPherson but wouldn't marry her because she was a divorcee.


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## gaijingirl (Aug 13, 2007)

brix said:
			
		

> ARK is the charity arm of a hedge fund run by right-wing Christian Arpad Busson.  Mr Busson famously had two children with Elle McPherson but wouldn't marry her because she was a divorcee.



Blimey!  I have to say though - as dramatic as that sounds.. it didn`t appear to have the least bearing on the school I visited.  Frankly from what I saw at that particular school - Mr Busson would have keeled over and had a heart attack if he`s that uptight...


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## brix (Aug 13, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> Blimey!  I have to say though - as dramatic as that sounds.. it didn`t appear to have the least bearing on the school I visited.  Frankly from what I saw at that particular school - Mr Busson would have keeled over and had a heart attack if he`s that uptight...



I'm sure that many of the people invloved in ARK are well meaning.  And ARK do claim to be secular despite the right-wing leanings of Mr Busson.  But I'm completely opposed to academies run by any organisation for the reasons outlined in my post above.


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## gaijingirl (Aug 13, 2007)

brix said:
			
		

> I'm sure that many of the people invloved in ARK are well meaning.  And ARK do claim to be secular despite the right-wing leanings of Mr Busson.  But I'm completely opposed to academies run by any organisation for the reasons outlined in my post above.



Well yes - I would （cautiously） agree in general.. I outlined similar reasons in my post too (above yours - albeit not in as much detail).  However, I would reserve judgement on the actual day to day running of each individual school.　　You might be interested to know that when I did my PGCE the overwhelming message from our lecturers, in particular from Clive Chitty who is one of the most inspirational speakers on education I`ve heard, was not one of support!


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## brix (Aug 13, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> Well yes - I would （cautiously） agree in general.. I outlined similar reasons in my post too (above yours - albeit not in as much detail).  However, I would reserve judgement on the actual day to day running of each individual school.　　You might be interested to know that when I did my PGCE the overwhelming message from our lecturers, in particular from Clive Chitty who is one of the most inspirational speakers on education I`ve heard, was not one of support!



I did my PGCE at the Institute of Education and I don't know of an academic there who's in favour of academies.  No one in their right mind would be in favour of handing public assets over to an organisation that's not democratically accountable - that's clearly wrong.


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## Bob (Aug 13, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> This will be run by Ark Academies.  I recently had an i/v with them for one of their other schools in London so had quite a long conversation with them about their involvement (in that particular school).  They tend to come in and take over failing schools, or build schools in areas in need.  You can look up the Ark website and read all about their "mission"  which is not just about education but social inclusion in general.  Academies can be quite controversial - usually because of where the money might be coming from and/or potential ulterior motives.
> 
> The people I`ve met working for Ark (on the ground) seem very well intentioned and committed indeed - but politically I don`t exactly know how they stand as an organisation.



They don't really stand anywhere - they're basically a bunch of rich people who are trying to use business principles (including employing top educationalists) to improve education in inner cities.

The precondition of being on the board of ARK is that you share the running costs of the organisation - I'd guess that this probably means several hundred thousand pounds a year. This means that the people who give money (city people) know that 100% of their cash goes to the frontline.

They also fund HIV drugs in South Africa.

And they're astonishing fundraisers - one of their dinners a few months back raised more money than any other dinner ever - £26m. Here's an article from the Guardian:
http://society.guardian.co.uk/voluntary/story/0,,2126941,00.html

My guess would be that the political affiliation of the people who run it goes across the spectrum.


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## spanglechick (Aug 13, 2007)

thing is, beggars can't be choosers, and when push comes to shove and faced with unemployment, I've taken a job at an academy for september.

tbh, in the day to day reality of things, it just seems like any other failing school that's been given a cash injection and name change. 

in terms of pay and conditions, I do five extra days staff training a year, and there are minimum hours i'm expected to be on site over and above the school day, but that's still well short of my usual teaching hours.  On the plus side, i get £2000 academy allowance on top of my standard pay deal to compensate.  

the situation isn't ideal - i don't see any benefit in getting private buisness involved in education, and i shudder at the potential for influence from right wing / religious fundie groups (fortunately, our sponsor isn't too scary).  

Selection may be an issue for the future - for now, my school is undersubscribed still (it takes more than a name change to eradicate a poor reputation).  But i have to say, personally, I welcome increased ability to exclude.  The newest legislation now means that in general schools are going to find it very expensive and even more difficult to exlude even violent children.


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## brix (Aug 13, 2007)

spanglechick said:
			
		

> thing is, beggars can't be choosers, and when push comes to shove and faced with unemployment, I've taken a job at an academy for september.
> 
> tbh, in the day to day reality of things, it just seems like any other failing school that's been given a cash injection and name change.
> 
> ...




I completely understand why you’ve taken a job in an academy.  I’m not trying to make anyone feel bad for working in one.  It’s not just like any other school though. Most schools would do well if given a cash injection of 25 million or more (provided there isn’t a complete moron in charge  ).  Why does the cash have to be given with strings attached?  The answer is that academies are Tony Blair’s “legacy” – a public/private partnership that brings together business and education – and the government has committed to a target of 200 by 2010 and 200 thereafter.  The fact that public/private partnerships, such as the tube, have been a complete and utter disaster doesn’t seem to bother them as they embark on the stealth privatization of health and education.  Academies are not good value for money.  The Price Waterhouse Cooper audit commissioned by the government showed that academies often do worse and at best only do as well as the schools they replace.  That’s not much of a return for an investment of 25 million upwards per school, is it?

Your pay and conditions may not be significantly different from those in state controlled schools *at the moment*.  But, you aren’t protected by nationally agreed pay and conditions and that could all change.  People who teach in academies (whether I agree with them or not) should be entitled to the same protection enjoyed by other colleagues in the teaching profession.

Selection may not be an issue for your school but it is an issue for many academies and the state schools near them who are affected.  I do agree that it shouldn’t be made more difficult for state schools to permanently exclude where necessary.  The problem is that academies are excluding at a very high rate and state schools near to those academies are being forced by their local authorities to provide places for these extremely difficult students.  Hence the state schools will end up with more and more disruptive students, are more likely to become failing schools, at which point, voila, a change of status to academy will be proposed and will start to look quite attractive, coming as it does with a large cash injection.

I agree with you that business and education shouldn’t be mixed in this way.  Schools cannot, and should not, be run as profit making institutions.  We should be providing the best quality education possible for our children and the agenda for that should be set by educationalists and not business people.


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## Bob (Aug 14, 2007)

brix said:
			
		

> I agree with you that business and education shouldn’t be mixed in this way.  Schools cannot, and should not, be run as profit making institutions.  We should be providing the best quality education possible for our children and the agenda for that should be set by educationalists and not business people.



Just a factual thing - there's no profit made by the people running Ark (or any other academy). All that's different from a normal school money wise is that the sponsors cough up £2m and they get effective control of the board of governors. But the vast majority of the funding is still state provided and the people running them can't take anything out.


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## brix (Aug 14, 2007)

Bob said:
			
		

> Just a factual thing - there's no profit made by the people running Ark (or any other academy). All that's different from a normal school money wise is that the sponsors cough up £2m and they get effective control of the board of governors. But the vast majority of the funding is still state provided and the people running them can't take anything out.



OK, poor wording on my part.  What I should have said is that I don't think business principles can be applied to education in this way.  In the borough in which I work the academies that have opened so far are nothing less than disastrous.  The most disadvantaged students in the borough (and across the country) are being subjected to an educational experiment that is failing them.  There's very little that parents and staff can do about this as the organisations running these schools are not democratically accountable and the sponsor dominates the governing body.


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## Bob (Aug 14, 2007)

brix said:
			
		

> OK, poor wording on my part.  What I should have said is that I don't think business principles can be applied to education in this way.  In the borough in which I work the academies that have opened so far are nothing less than disastrous.  The most disadvantaged students in the borough (and across the country) are being subjected to an educational experiment that is failing them.  There's very little that parents and staff can do about this as the organisations running these schools are not democratically accountable and the sponsor dominates the governing body.



I agree with you on the principle that the people who pay (ie the taxpayers) should ultimately be in charge.

Where I'm a bit more sceptical is the experimentation point. Every government experiments with different educational policies, some of which won't work. It seems to me that some experimentation is a good way of finding out what works and doesn't - the question is how you do it in a way that avoids disasters. It strikes me that quite a lot of inner city education is already a disaster so the question is whether the alternative is worse....


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## Brixton Hatter (Aug 14, 2007)

I still don't quite understand how they will fit a school on that tiny strip on land between Shakespeare Road and Loughborough Park....the artist's impression is obviously beyond my grasp!

"Evelyn Grace" is a rubbish name though. And I didn't realise it would be an academy - that's disappointing. But then again, if you want anything new in your local area these days - be it schools (academies), housing (ALMOs) or whatever - you have to submit to the will of the private sector.

According to the website, they are going to completely build it in one year! No work has started yet as far as I can see, yet it is due to open next September.



			
				The Ark website said:
			
		

> Evelyn Grace Academy will be a six form entry, mixed 11-18 comprehensive school with no religious affiliation. The Academy will open with a year 7 intake in September 2008 and grow year-by-year, reaching capacity in 2015.


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## gaijingirl (Aug 14, 2007)

I think it`s opening　in temporary accomodation whilst they build the school.  They will probably just start with year 7 and build it up that way, so they won`t need the whole thing to begin with anyway.  Most news schools do that now.. the one up in Tulse hill is doing that.  Pimlico school is looking at being in temporary buildings for quite some time whilst they tear down the concrete building and rebuild a new school.


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## brix (Aug 15, 2007)

gaijingirl said:
			
		

> Pimlico school is looking at being in temporary buildings for quite some time whilst they tear down the concrete building and rebuild a new school.




Actually at Pimlico the powers that be have decided to build the new school around the edge of the exisiting school (as they build new bits they'll knock down more of the exisiting buildings) and have students on site during the rebuilding process.  Brilliant, eh?   

And guess what.... it's going to become an academy     At the moment potential sponsors include several private schools.  Not because they're altruistic you understand, but because the laws on charities have changed and they now have to prove 'public benefit' in order to hang on to their charitable status.  So you have the scandal of 25 million+ of public money being used to build a new school which is then likely to be handed over to a private school


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## Mind (Aug 15, 2007)

brix said:
			
		

> At the moment potential sponsors include several private schools.  Not because they're altruistic you understand, but because the laws on charities have changed and they now have to prove 'public benefit' in order to hang on to their charitable status.  So you have the scandal of 25 million+ of public money being used to build a new school which is then likely
> to be handed over to a private school



I actually don't think this is a bad thing. 
It's not as if 25 million will be given to the Private School to do as it pleases with Pimlico School.
That money has already been spent.  The private school will actually be pouring more money into Pimlico and won't be taking anything out of it.

I'd trust a private school to run a state one any day before a government that is filled with hypocrites like Diane Abbot and Harriet Harman -who both preached against private education and selection and yet sent their kids to private school and a selective grammar respectively.

That is what really sickens me. These are MPs for Hackney and Peckham, two of the most deprived areas in the UK, so no chance of the kids there getting a nice grammar to save even just the top 10% who would be exceptionally bright and who shouldn't be forced to go to the sorts of schools that train you to get a job stacking shelves at Tesco.

It is so offensive that someone like Harriet Harman, who went to the most expensive private girls school in the country and is from a privileged background (Niece of the Countess of Longford and from a land-owning, titled family) is representing a community like Peckham with a huge majority because people are afraid to vote anything but Labour.


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## editor (Sep 8, 2008)

The opening was just on the BBC news and it looks like it's going to be a strict school: the kids have to wear a 'proper' uniform, mobiles were banned at the gate and scruffy kids were sent home.

Loved the bit in the BBC feature where they reported the school in glowing terms and then added that it looks to be a success "despite the area it's in".

Cue camera spinning around to Southywck House and cue footage of rozzers smashing in doors from the drugs raid a few months ago.

The Academy has its own website (and a rather odd logo) here: http://www.evelyngrace.org.uk/


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## ShiftyBagLady (Sep 8, 2008)

looks like the krypton factor logo. ahh i miss the krypton factor

i will be interested to see how the school does because there is a lack of good secondary schools in brixton.


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## DJWrongspeed (Sep 8, 2008)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> lack of good secondary schools in brixton.



isn't there none in the area at all until this year,  new one being built on loughborough road and also in west norwood, at last.


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## Winot (Sep 8, 2008)

editor said:


> the kids have to wear a 'proper' uniform



I wonder how they're going to square the ban on jewellery with this decision.

And yes, in general terms best of luck to them - Brixton's children deserve a good local school.


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## editor (Sep 8, 2008)

I like their 'no-logo' take;



> *Outdoor wear*
> 
> If students need to or chose to wear a coat this must be a plain black outdoor coat or jacket worn over their uniform. This must have no obvious logos or patterns.
> 
> ...


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## wiskey (Sep 8, 2008)

^^^ that was almost my school uniform when I went to secondary in 1991. We just had to wear blue clothes with no logo's, we didn't even have a set uniform. It worked well.


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 8, 2008)

Yeah, a great leveller. It's the same in the school where I work. I've worked in schools with a laissez-faire attitude to uniform and it doesn't work well.


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## editor (Sep 8, 2008)

Mrs Magpie said:


> Yeah, a great leveller. It's the same in the school where I work. I've worked in schools with a laissez-faire attitude to uniform and it doesn't work well.


I hated having to wear a uniform when I was at school, but I think it works well, especially for a school in an area like Brixton (turns camera around to show the Barrier Block and rolls police footage again)....


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## ShiftyBagLady (Sep 8, 2008)

yeah but try telling teenage girls that they can't wear make up and may only wear black or green hairbands.
from whatr i saw on teh bbc, i think the uniform looks awful. the green is way too bright

what's the deal with them moving the school? is the site in brixton temporary then?  am i missing something
i'm also not sure that the school day should extend to 5 o'clock though.....


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 8, 2008)

It works at our school. I work exclusively with teenage girls.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Sep 8, 2008)

DJWrongspeed said:


> isn't there none in the area at all until this year,  new one being built on loughborough road and also in west norwood, at last.



i think there are tow or three near me actually but none of them look very good. in fact one of them may have been shut down for failing. cant quite remember.
i do know that it occurred to me that i'd have to send my boy out of the area when he's older.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Sep 8, 2008)

Mrs Magpie said:


> It works at our school. I work exclusively with teenage girls.


whats that, the make up or the extended school day?


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 8, 2008)

The school isn't being moved. It's the temporary site for the new intake until the school proper is built. There aren't enough schools in the borough. Loads of kids have to go out of borough. Lambeth sold lots of the schools which are now luxury flats in gated communities.


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 8, 2008)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> whats that, the make up


There's loads that goes on after 3:30 though. Not compulsory, but it's a hive of activity till gone 5:30. I love my school. Wish I gone there when I was a kid.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Sep 8, 2008)

i think it's good to have optional activities and clubs integrated into schools but extending the official school day seems a bit much to me.

its a shame that this years intake will be moved once (or is it twice?) but as you say, there is a desperate need for more schools in the area.


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## se5 (Sep 9, 2008)

ShiftyBagLady said:


> l
> i will be interested to see how the school does because there is a lack of good secondary schools in brixton.



I think its a Lambeth-wide problem rather than just Brixton - I read somewhere that less than 50% of school age pupils who live in Lambeth actually go to school in the borough. 

This is due to historic reasons and some selling off of schools for conversion to flats etc - like many problems that have developed over the last 20 or so years the blame can be laid at the Thatcher government's door. 

Until its abolition the Greater London Council was reponsible for schools in inner London through an organisation called the Inner London Education Authority - as a result children could go to a variety of schools in the 12 borough inner London area and also ILEA developed many innovative services for inclusive schooling and dealing with the particular educational needs of inner city children which are now mainstream (see for example http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jun/03/schools.uk1 for a description of its activities). 

When ILEA was abolished the boroughs had to establish education departments which then had to administer the schools in their area and  in Lambeth they started off with not enough schools for all the pupils (and a very poor area with a good many pupils with special needs) and the situation has got worse as a result of population growth, financial problems at the councils which has meant they have had to sell of land etc etc etc. And today the only way of getting funding to establish a new schools seems to be through the academies programme.

Interestingly Professor Tim Brighouse last year called for a return of ILEA - http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand.../Academics+call+for+return+of+ILEA/article.do


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 9, 2008)

Well I've lived in Brixton for over 27 years and although there are undoubtedly problems that can be laid at central government's door, I learned quite quickly that whoever is in power at Lambeth council, whether Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem or coalitions the residents always get shafted.


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 9, 2008)

The thread linked to below shows how long the whole 'new school in Brixton' thing has been rumbling on. It was announced that after long & hard campaigning by parents that was going to be a school quite a long time ago now....

www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=54578


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## Ms Ordinary (Sep 10, 2008)

I've just downloaded the prospectus - I'd forgotten (& still can't quite believe) that the school building is being designed by Zaha Hadid.

I've seen a few kids around wearing the uniform & they look very smart - I do think school uniform should be all or nothing & it does look like a "proper school uniform".

(I do think "no make-up at all" is a bit harsh on teenage girls though - but I suppose you've got say it as they would completely take the piss if you said they were allowed discreet & natural...)


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 10, 2008)

gaijingirl said:


> I think it`s opening　in temporary accomodation whilst they build the school.  They will probably just start with year 7 and build it up that way


That's exactly what's happening.


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 10, 2008)

Ms Ordinary said:


> (I do think "no make-up at all" is a bit harsh on teenage girls though - but I suppose you've got say it as they would completely take the piss if you said they were allowed discreet & natural...)


They do. There's a school near where I work that doesn't have a no make-up/jewellery rules and I pass girls in the morning with hoop earrings a circus dog could pass through and who are made up like drag queens!


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## editor (Sep 10, 2008)

Ms Ordinary said:


> I've just downloaded the prospectus - I'd forgotten (& still can't quite believe) that the school building is being designed by Zaha Hadid.


Blimey. She won the Welsh Opera House bid and - correct me if I'm wrong here - didn't they then discover that she'd only actually built one thing before, and that was a tiny wee thing?


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 10, 2008)

I would also add that we have a no make-up rule and the girls make it their mission to wear make-up so discreet and natural that the staff don't notice. An important skill to have!


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## Ms Ordinary (Sep 10, 2008)

editor said:


> Blimey. She won the Welsh Opera House bid and - correct me if I'm wrong here - didn't they then discover that she'd only actually built one thing before, and that was a tiny wee thing?



Maggie's Centre
is the only thing she's built in the UK so far, though she's done plenty of stuff in other countries now.

Looking through her stuff, a lot of it seems to be situated in very beautiful / dramatic / remote scenery, so I am very curious to see how her very sculptural style will work this context. 

(though I think the kids are lucky she wasn't suggested to design the uniform )


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## lang rabbie (Sep 10, 2008)

editor said:


> Blimey. She won the Welsh Opera House bid and - correct me if I'm wrong here - didn't they then discover that she'd only actually built one thing before, and that was a tiny wee thing?



I'm normally sceptical about "magazine architecture" like Hadid's, and I'm not sure how she will cope working with the tight functional brief for a new secondary school, but that sound like a pretty revisionist take on what happened in Cardiff.   For another view:



> The most notorious project, though, was Hadid’s 1994 competition-winning design for the Cardiff Bay Opera House, which was abandoned by the Millennium Commission after noisy opposition from local lobbyists, particularly Cardiff politicians wary of highbrow architecture being “imposed” on a Welsh city by London. Britain was still knee-deep in the conservative political and architectural culture that had emerged in the 1970s. Popular taste was gradually becoming more daring, but Hadid’s ideas were as yet a step too far. It was a sobering experience, which set back her office for several years, but one she learnt from. Hadid later became philosophical recently about Cardiff, seeing it as a turning point in her career. Without dumbing down, she has slowly learnt the politics of how to get her work built.



http://www.designmuseum.org/design/zaha-hadid
and
http://www.uwp.co.uk/book_desc/1442.html


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## editor (Sep 10, 2008)

lang rabbie said:


> I'm normally sceptical about "magazine architecture" like Hadid's, and I'm not sure how she will cope working with the tight functional brief for a new secondary school, but that sound like a pretty revisionist take on what happened in Cardiff.   ....


It's the jist of what was written in 'Real Cardiff,' a generally very accurate inside look at Cardiff's history.


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## Etymologist (Sep 11, 2008)

Article in the guardian about it today: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/11/newschools.children


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## Etymologist (Sep 11, 2008)

Etymologist said:


> Article in the guardian about it today: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/11/newschools.children



Hold on a minute, I'm incredibly confused. Last time I cycled down Shakespeare Road, about a month or two ago, the site was a wasteland. Have they already built the school?! I suppose they must have if the Guardian describes the first day for the year 7s. Can anyone enlighten me?


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## lang rabbie (Sep 11, 2008)

Etymologist said:


> Hold on a minute, I'm incredibly confused. Last time I cycled down Shakespeare Road, about a month or two ago, the site was a wasteland. Have they already built the school?! I suppose they must have if the Guardian describes the first day for the year 7s. Can anyone enlighten me?



Between September 2008 and June 2009, the school is temporarily based at the Brixton Social Education Centre building at Somerleyton Road.


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## Pat24 (Sep 11, 2008)

That's brilliant. That's the sort of education that I had from the age of 6 til 13...until I had to come to school in England!
I was taught to be disciplined about my routine, be responsible, having respect for others and for myself.


----------



## Missez (Sep 13, 2008)

Mrs Magpie said:


> It works at our school. I work exclusively with teenage girls.



Same here.

(we don't work at the same school do we?)


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## Bob (Sep 14, 2008)

se5 said:


> I think its a Lambeth-wide problem rather than just Brixton - I read somewhere that less than 50% of school age pupils who live in Lambeth actually go to school in the borough.
> 
> This is due to historic reasons and some selling off of schools for conversion to flats etc - like many problems that have developed over the last 20 or so years the blame can be laid at the Thatcher government's door.
> 
> ...




Actually the decision to sell off school sites was mainly done by Labour on the council in the late 1990s (e.g. the Effra parade site).

The Labour council deliberately made population projections that showed they didn't need the sites. Anthony Bottrall (formerly a Lib Dem councillor for Stockwell) got some independent projections done that showed the sites were needed.

So blaming Thatcher might be convenient but it's wrong.

Given the council's current housingi budget crisis (something like a £14m overspend this year) I dread to think what they'll sell next.


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 14, 2008)

Missez said:


> Same here.
> 
> (we don't work at the same school do we?)


Dunno, what borough do you work in?


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## Ol Nick (Sep 17, 2008)

Etymologist said:


> I suppose they must have if the Guardian describes the first day for the year 7s.


Why must these poor children be given the ridiculous Brave New World moniker of "Year 7s". They are Lower Fourths and deserve to be treated as such.


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## Etymologist (Sep 18, 2008)

Ol Nick said:


> Why must these poor children be given the ridiculous Brave New World moniker of "Year 7s". They are Lower Fourths and deserve to be treated as such.



Nonsense. They are year 7s. Its not brave new world its just 2008.


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## brix (Sep 18, 2008)

You're both wrong.  They're first years.


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## Etymologist (Sep 18, 2008)

brix said:


> You're both wrong.  They're first years.



The year 1, year 2, year 3 etc system is far clearer than either of the other systems. You go from year one (aged 5) to year thirteen (aged 18) through primary and secondary. First years are at university. Get with the times. I only just left school. I know.


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## brix (Sep 18, 2008)

Etymologist said:


> The year 1, year 2, year 3 etc system is far clearer than either of the other systems. You go from year one (aged 5) to year thirteen (aged 18) through primary and secondary. First years are at university. Get with the times. *I only just left school*. I know.



Bless.


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## Etymologist (Sep 18, 2008)

brix said:


> Bless.



Your recourse to a sarcastic, belittling, ad hominem attack highlights the fact that I'm right. Besides, everyone wants to be young(er) again, even me.


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## brix (Sep 18, 2008)

Etymologist said:


> Your recourse to a sarcastic, belittling, ad hominem attack highlights the fact that I'm right. Besides, everyone wants to be young(er) again, even me.




Ffs what's the matter with you! 

I'm a teacher - I KNOW they're Year 7s!!!!  But Ol Nick was joking and I was joining in.

Honestly.  Perhaps when you grow up you'll develop a sense of humour.


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## Etymologist (Sep 18, 2008)

brix said:


> Ffs what's the matter with you!
> 
> I'm a teacher - I KNOW they're Year 7s!!!!  But Ol Nick was joking and I was joining in.
> 
> Honestly.  Perhaps when you grow up you'll develop a sense of humour.



Message boards are strange places where you never say what you would say in real life. You can say what you would say if you were drunk and had just been smacked in the face. You can bullshit or be arrogant and employ needless (pointless) shock tactics. this seems to be what a lot of people do on here. I was joining in. Sorry. I was being a dickhead for the fun of it to be honest. It was such a petty argument I thought it funny to take it to the next level.


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## brix (Sep 18, 2008)

Etymologist said:


> Message boards are strange places where you never say what you would say in real life. You can say what you would say if you were drunk and had just been smacked in the face. You can bullshit or be arrogant and employ needless (pointless) shock tactics. this seems to be what a lot of people do on here. I was joining in. Sorry. I was being a dickhead for the fun of it to be honest. It was such a petty argument I thought it funny to take it to the next level.




Ah, OK, fair enough.

*puts boxing gloves away*


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## se5 (Sep 18, 2008)

Bob said:


> Actually the decision to sell off school sites was mainly done by Labour on the council in the late 1990s (e.g. the Effra parade site).
> 
> The Labour council deliberately made population projections that showed they didn't need the sites. Anthony Bottrall (formerly a Lib Dem councillor for Stockwell) got some independent projections done that showed the sites were needed.
> 
> ...



OK I know I was being overly simplistic but I believe many of the roots of Lambeth's problems go back to the demise of ILEA which meant that in the period of less than 3 years Lambeth had to get a completely new education department up and running. 

And I dont think if the council had been under the control of any of the other parties any different decisions would have been made. I think the basic problem is that local government has been underfunded and 'meddled' with by central government for the last 20-30 years and so councils have not had enough money to spend as they wished and so had to make hard choices.


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## Bob (Sep 18, 2008)

se5 said:


> OK I know I was being overly simplistic but I believe many of the roots of Lambeth's problems go back to the demise of ILEA which meant that in the period of less than 3 years Lambeth had to get a completely new education department up and running.
> 
> And I dont think if the council had been under the control of any of the other parties any different decisions would have been made. I think the basic problem is that local government has been underfunded and 'meddled' with by central government for the last 20-30 years and so councils have not had enough money to spend as they wished and so had to make hard choices.



Fair enough.

HOWEVER anyone who is in politics has to take hard decisions. What shows your real colours I think is what you prioritise in a tight spot. I do think different parties would take different decisions.

A small example is that the Lib Dems promised to expand existing Lambeth schools when we were in power in 2002-2006. The downside of this was that a) it didn't please the people campaigning for new schools, b) some of the extra school places wouldn't have been particularly close to where the kids were.

The upside of course is that it didn't have all the financial and other practical problems of new sites - and so could have been done quickly.

A tough choice - but one that got made differently by different parties.


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## Gramsci (Sep 21, 2008)

Etymologist said:


> Article in the guardian about it today: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/11/newschools.children



It seems like a conservatively run type of school.They are lined up after break time with someone who sounds like a sergeant major getting them in line.This appears to be what parents want.Discipline and strong boundaries.

Brought back memories of school.And why I never liked it.

Kind of depressing that education has gone back in time.

Whilst Academies are run on a not for profit basis education has also gone back in time in that this is a return to Victorian style philanthrophy.

Instead of the local squire its Hedge fund managers.Who can make themselves feel good by being involved in "charity".


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 21, 2008)

Gramsci said:


> They are lined up after break time with someone who sounds like a sergeant major getting them in line.


I've only ever worked in one school that doesn't do this, primary or secondary before year 10. It makes things much safer on the corridors and stairs getting them in, in their class groups. It can be dangerous mayhem otherwise.


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## cosmic malcolm (Sep 21, 2008)

*You cant fool the children of the revelution*



Mrs Magpie said:


> I've only ever worked in one school that doesn't do this, primary or secondary before year 10. It makes things much safer on the corridors and stairs getting them in, in their class groups. It can be dangerous mayhem otherwise.



As a child at school I was allways longing for more freedom and stuff to inspire my imagination .
Subsiqentley I still feel children deserve a certain degree of freedom in there schools.


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 21, 2008)

I agree, but if a child gets injured in a surge in a corridor because others are pushing from behind (and I've seen it happen) that's not stifling freedom, it's not keeping children safe. The only two times I've been really scared in a school are during situations like that where I've been really worried about a child getting crushed.


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## cosmic malcolm (Sep 21, 2008)

Mrs Magpie said:


> I agree, but if a child gets injured in a surge in a corridor because others are pushing from behind (and I've seen it happen) that's not stifling freedom, it's not keeping children safe. The only two times I've been really scared in a school are during situations like that where I've been really worried about a child getting crushed.



Sure       Point taken        ......


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## cosmic malcolm (Sep 21, 2008)

*The children of the summers end.*



cosmic malcolm said:


> As a child at school I was allways longing for more freedom and stuff to inspire my imagination .
> Subsiqentley I still feel children deserve a certain degree of freedom in THERE schools.



Other wise thay can end up dispiesing /fighting the system that seems to controll them.


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## Ol Nick (Sep 21, 2008)

Mrs Magpie said:


> a child gets injured in a surge in a corridor because others are pushing from behind


But as David Cameron pointed out, this is *very* unlikely to happen before the Removes.


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## Gramsci (Sep 26, 2008)

Winot said:


> I wonder how they're going to square the ban on jewellery with this decision.
> 
> And yes, in general terms best of luck to them - Brixton's children deserve a good local school.



The article shows the problem of human rights and multiculturalism/diversity.Religious "rights" take precedence.Whilst I dont agree with school uniforms if a school is going to have one it might as well be allowed to be consistant.If people want to be religious in there personal lives they can wear what they want.Im not bothered.

The difference between "Diversity" and "Multiculturalism" is that Diversity is also about accepting other peoples lifestyles.Multiculturalism has become more about tradtional ,conservative cultural beliefs-like wearing the veil etc.As I see it the above case will cause resentment.Ive heard a mother complain about an instance where her daughter was sent home for getting hair extensions (with her mothers permission).But as she said the religious people dont have to follow the school uniform rules in the same way.

If Religious belief is an acceptable lifestyle so is being a Goth.Why should a young person who is into the Goth lifestyle be told there jewellery or hairstyle is unacceptable?That would contravene there human right to self expression.The case of Goths came to mind as I heard a mother on the radio talk about her daughter who was beaten to death in a park for looking different.The mother is now campaigning for more tolerance of other people.So its not a trivial issue.


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## Gramsci (Sep 26, 2008)

se5 said:


> OK I know I was being overly simplistic but I believe many of the roots of Lambeth's problems go back to the demise of ILEA which meant that in the period of less than 3 years Lambeth had to get a completely new education department up and running.
> 
> And I dont think if the council had been under the control of any of the other parties any different decisions would have been made. I think the basic problem is that local government has been underfunded and 'meddled' with by central government for the last 20-30 years and so councils have not had enough money to spend as they wished and so had to make hard choices.



Actually Bob is right.The Labour party was in power when it decided to sell off several school sites.It argued that the school roll was falling.Many parents objected.The isnt to do with the demise of ILEA or the evil Thatcher regime.New Labour fell over themselves to be "modernising" and prudent.The result that they sold valuable sites for short term financial reasons.This has meant they now lack land to build schools on.

If anything there should be a moratorium on land sales.If sites are sold it should be for not for profit organisations.With agreements in lease etc that it must stay in social use or return to the Council.


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 28, 2008)

The worst thing about the that was the way it was done. Rumours emanated (from Lambeth, I believe) saying that Lambeth were considering Dick Shepherd for closure, parents decided not to put it down as a choice for obvious reasons, numbers dwindled, then Lambeth said falling rolls, close school, sell site.

It was almost as cynical as Lambeth saying, we intend to comply with (then) existing legislation that large employers have to have 3% registered disabled employees so no job will be open to anyone who isn't registered disabled. Of course they couldn't do it so it was basically an employment freeze by the back door but blaming people with disabilities for not flocking to become dustmen, school dinner ladies, experienced finance controllers etc etc. The vast majority of Lambeth premises were inaccessible for wheechairs, no induction loops etc etc


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## lang rabbie (Sep 28, 2008)

Mrs Magpie said:


> Dick Shepherd





Mrs M, your standards are slipping!   It was Dick Sheppard School named after Dick Sheppard


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## Mrs Magpie (Sep 28, 2008)

Oh the shame!


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## whitedove (Oct 4, 2008)

lang rabbie said:


> Mrs M, your standards are slipping!   It was Dick Sheppard School named after Dick Sheppard




Blimey forgot all about that school..an old boyfriend of mine when there.

<<<<< of to check ot friends reunited


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## whitedove (Oct 4, 2008)

Oh went for the open day to Evelyn grace.and gotta say was well impressed.
have seen a few school over the last few weeks and gotta say this was the best.
only thing with it is the longer days..starts at 8.30 ends at 5 pm so alot different.
but my son dont seem to be bothered by that.he liked it too.


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## Etymologist (Oct 6, 2008)

whitedove said:


> Oh went for the open day to Evelyn grace.and gotta say was well impressed.
> have seen a few school over the last few weeks and gotta say this was the best.
> only thing with it is the longer days..starts at 8.30 ends at 5 pm so alot different.
> but my son dont seem to be bothered by that.he liked it too.



8:30 TIL 5!? Thats evil! Do they get homework on top of that? I would hope not. Kids are supposed to have lives. You want to do a bit of playing between 4 and 5 after school in the summer months. How awful that they're stuck in school for a full adult working day (PLUS HALF AN HOUR). That is criminal.


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## Brixton Hatter (Oct 7, 2008)

The school is an academy and will be run by ARK, not Lambeth Council - so no proper democratic accountability and they will have ability to control admission procedures. So I can imagine they will just select the 'right' pupils and hey presto, their results will be great!

ARK are a group of wealthy hedge fund managers who appear to have made their money through short selling shares and screwing our economy - the kind of activity Gordon Brown called 'irresponsible'. Welcome to the fold chaps!


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## gaijingirl (Oct 7, 2008)

To be fair to ARK  - I went for an interview at another of their academies - and they most certainly hadn't selected the best students - not at that point anyways.. whilst I was at the interview they were chasing some students who had stolen a moped and were driving it around the playing fields... 

Certainly the teachers I spoke to there were very passionate about their students and very against any kind of selection of the best students.  Whether their management always remains committed is another matter - it will be interesting to see.

My school is also currently facing closure in order to be turned into an academy.


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## Tunzi (Oct 18, 2008)

I've been reading this thread with a lot of interest - particularly good to hear from teachers with experience of various academies.  My younger son is in year 6 so we are one week off from having to send off the dreaded form applying for secondary school.  I went to see Evelyn Grace school recently and still cant make up my mind whether it is fabulous or sinister.  Of all the schools I saw the teachers were the most enthusiastic, and although I didnt visit when the kids were there, friends who did go during the school day said that the teaching was good and all the pupils were focused and engaged in what was going on.  Other schools I've visited as a prospective parent did not give this impression, with children rolling up late to lessons, or calling out in class.  In one class a boy sitting at the back had an earphone in one ear - god knows what he was listening to.

On the other hand...the length of the school day is really off putting.  I get the impresssion that the idea is to keep the children off the streets and away from the influence of local anti-academic culture, either at home or among their peers.  I dont go a bundle on the rigid discipline.  And what will happen to the school when all the hedge fund managers who donate to the charity which runs its parent organisation, decide they havent got any spare cash anymore to give away?

My older son did the classic Year 7 drift at his secondary school, were I feel somewhat disappointed by the not-very-high expectations of pupils and what seems like fairly unimaginative teaching.  Though he is happy and does loads of sport.

Anyhow, my main reservation about Evelyn Grace, apart from those above is that it is still an unknown quantity, and nothing establised in terms of clubs, choirs, etc that new children can slot in to.  

My most local school is Stockwell High which has had the most glowing Ofsted reports imaginable.  I've been at two open day events so far, and on neither did any of the senior management team make an appearance, which I found very offputting.  Plus not one of their GSCE students managed to get an A in English.

These are typical ramblings of the Lambeth year 6 parent.  And I know that life doesnt get much easier once the little darlings are ensconsed in their new big schools and you find yourself trying to offset some of the deficiences of the rather indifferent education that they are subjected too.

Tunzi


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## gaijingirl (Oct 18, 2008)

Tunzi said:


> In one class a boy sitting at the back had an earphone in one ear - god knows what he was listening to.
> 
> 
> Tunzi




The long day - is it curriculum lessons all day - or is the last couple of hours "homework club" or some other kind of arrangement which involves extra-curricular activities of some sort?  It does seem like a long day for the teachers as much as the students.


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## Tunzi (Oct 22, 2008)

It looks like most of the activities at the end of the school day are things like sport, music, art and what the school calls 'catch up' lessons.  I think that pupils can do their homework then as well.

I tried to arrange another visit to the school this week, and though I dont think it will work out I had a very good response from the senior management team, including an email from the head from his Blackberry (looks like he was about to get on a plane).

I'll probably put this school quite high on my application form, though it does seem like taking a big gamble (main school not built yet).  

All this angsting is not good at all.  I know that in other parts of the country all kids just go to the local secondary and get on with it.  What bliss!  I'm just telling myself that since all the available local schools have as many drawbacks as advantages I'll be taking a chance whatever I do, and we will all just have to make the best of it.  The only thing I'm sure about is choosing a co-ed school and one not miles and hours away from home.


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## Ms Ordinary (Oct 9, 2009)

Tunzi said:


> I went to see Evelyn Grace school recently and still cant make up my mind whether it is fabulous or sinister.  Of all the schools I saw the teachers were the most enthusiastic,



I went to see Evelyn Grace school last night, and this pretty much sums up how I feel.

It's been open a full year now, and the results in terms of achievement / academic progress do seem very good, so they must be doing something right.

I do find the attitude to discipline somewhat intense - I can easily foresee myself being phoned to collect from detention on a regular basis. And the lining up in the playground (which I've walked past in the mornings) does seem a bit on the military side. 

_But_ I do think children can respond well to very rigid, understandable structure in the right circumstances.  And it does seem their aim is to encourage self-discipline rather than rules for the sake of rules.

I was very, very impressed with the subject teachers - and maybe all the externally visible disciplinary structure allows them to get on teaching?

I know a child who goes there & they do mention the discipline ('it's like a prison' were the exact words  ) but they clearly do enjoy the teaching so .

And of course the new building - which may well be amazing - is an unknown quantity as yet.

Also, they absolutely don't select on anything other than distance from the school... but the Head did say "if you can't cope with a strict uniform policy it's not the school for you" so I wonder if there may be a (minor?) element of self-selection, in that if, as a parent, you didn't think you could cope with their strictness, you wouldn't send your children there.


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## whitedove (Oct 10, 2009)

I took my son out of that place after he was stabbed !!!


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## playghirl (Oct 10, 2009)

Mrs Magpie said:


> I agree, but if a child gets injured in a surge in a corridor because others are pushing from behind (and I've seen it happen) that's not stifling freedom, it's not keeping children safe. The only two times I've been really scared in a school are during situations like that where I've been really worried about a child getting crushed.




ditto
It is also not particularl nice for pregnant teachers being caught up in it. I.E me


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## Ms Ordinary (Oct 11, 2009)

whitedove said:


> I took my son out of that place after he was stabbed !!!



 I was hoping for feedback but I wasn't expecting that. 

I hope your son is doing OK wherever he is now.


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## Gramsci (Oct 11, 2009)

Ms Ordinary said:


> I do find the attitude to discipline somewhat intense - I can easily foresee myself being phoned to collect from detention on a regular basis. And the lining up in the playground (which I've walked past in the mornings) does seem a bit on the military side.
> 
> I know a child who goes there & they do mention the discipline ('it's like a prison' were the exact words  ) but they clearly do enjoy the teaching so .
> 
> ...


----------



## Ms Ordinary (Oct 11, 2009)

Gramsci said:


> I live next to the school and i can hear the Teachers barking orders at the kids in the morning.
> 
> Reminds me of how i hated school.



Yes, that's exactly what it sounds like, in the playground outside. 
But having met some of the teachers, & from the teaching methods they described, it doesn't sound as if the lessons themselves are like that.  
I was impressed with the teachers, they seemed really engaging. It was an evening so there weren't any pupils there, but they certainly had no problems interesting the visiting children.

In this article, it's described as an "American-style 'no-excuses' school" and it definitely seems to be modelling itself as something like this.


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## whitedove (Oct 12, 2009)

Ms Ordinary said:


> I was hoping for feedback but I wasn't expecting that.
> 
> I hope your son is doing OK wherever he is now.




Thankyou ..yes he is all healed now..however not emotionally.I thought It was a great school when I went for all the meetings and tours ect..but it dont seem to make a difference how good a school is accademicaly.It does not prepare you for the thugs that attend it...


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## whitedove (Oct 12, 2009)

Etymologist said:


> 8:30 TIL 5!? Thats evil! Do they get homework on top of that? I would hope not. Kids are supposed to have lives. You want to do a bit of playing between 4 and 5 after school in the summer months. How awful that they're stuck in school for a full adult working day (PLUS HALF AN HOUR). That is criminal.



Yep homework is given as well.They were so strict it was like a bootcamp...my son hardly did any work in the three weeks he was there,, just got them write out over and over again all the school rules and regulations..more like a military school than anything...they seem to be obcessed with that side of things,,my son was given detention one evening after he forgot to bring in his water bottle.he never got home until after 6pm and then still had homework to do...


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 12, 2009)

A mate of mine has a different experience. Her grandson was bright but wayward at primary school and in trouble all the time because he was bored at never having enough to do. He'd get through work really fast and then play up. He loves Evelyn Grace.


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 12, 2009)

Also I walk past it early every morning and there are loads of kids there way before they need to be, some walking along with staff towards the school and just looking really happy to be there, engaging with the caretaker bloke as well as the teachers and it seems a really happy school.


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## Ms Ordinary (Oct 13, 2009)

That's encouraging - it was the only school we've visited where they didn't have pupils at the open evening, so couldn't judge the interactions.

The reason for pupils not being there was given that it wouldn't be fair after a long day, which is understandable.  And it sounds like the long day does give them time for extra sport & music (as well as lesson support) which I'm all in favour of.  Also they have proper cookery lessons...

I've been looking back at old threads from 5 or so years ago, when the secondary school situation round here was dire - things have really changed since then!


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## Gramsci (Oct 13, 2009)

whitedove said:


> Yep homework is given as well.They were so strict it was like a bootcamp...my son hardly did any work in the three weeks he was there,, just got them write out over and over again all the school rules and regulations..more like a military school than anything...they seem to be obcessed with that side of things,,my son was given detention one evening after he forgot to bring in his water bottle.he never got home until after 6pm and then still had homework to do...



The thing that gets me about the "Academy" programme is that it was touted as bringing more variety and choice for parents.

As it seems that there are different opinions on this school and its ethos i wonder how much choice parents really have.

If thats the only school nearby to where you live i dont see hoe that gives parents a choice in reality.


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## Mrs Magpie (Oct 13, 2009)

Well, there's fuck all choice in Lambeth anyway thanks to school sell-offs.


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## Gramsci (Oct 13, 2009)

Ms Ordinary said:


> In this article, it's described as an "American-style 'no-excuses' school" and it definitely seems to be modelling itself as something like this.



I believe the idea of "Academy" schools was modelled on the model.

And of course the Tories started it with City Technology Colleges.Though they did not pursue it to the extent of New Labour.


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## spanglechick (Oct 14, 2009)

i should declare an interest in that i work in an acedmy - and in our case the differences that make it an academy are really shaping up.  we're not selective - we were more or less failing five years ago, and admissions aren't high enough to be selective.  if they were - i dunno if we would.


anyway - academies can be great - our sponsor (Lord Harris of Peckham) is a genuinely brilliant philanthropist with no agenda other than providing outstanding education for kids in very deprived parts of south london.  But the potential is alarming.  Despite the happy circumstance that makes ours fab - it could be so, so horribly wrong.


as for evelyn grace - i kind of know someone who works there and he spoke of the discipline in awed tones.  Whatever the philosophical consequences, it must be such a treat to just be able to get on with teaching.


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## Bob (Oct 14, 2009)

spanglechick said:


> i should declare an interest in that i work in an acedmy - and in our case the differences that make it an academy are really shaping up.  we're not selective - we were more or less failing five years ago, and admissions aren't high enough to be selective.  if they were - i dunno if we would.
> 
> 
> anyway - academies can be great - our sponsor (Lord Harris of Peckham) is a genuinely brilliant philanthropist with no agenda other than providing outstanding education for kids in very deprived parts of south london.  But the potential is alarming.  Despite the happy circumstance that makes ours fab - it could be so, so horribly wrong.
> ...



The guy I know who teaches there absolutely loves it - and says it's great.

That said he is, just like Spanglechick, very aware that this doesn't apply to all Academies.


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## Ms Ordinary (Oct 16, 2009)

Mrs Magpie said:


> Well, there's fuck all choice in Lambeth anyway thanks to school sell-offs.



But it certainly _looks_ as though there's much more choice than a couple of years ago?

Both Evelyn Grace & Elmgreen are completely new*, and Stockwell & Lambeth Academy have shiny new buildings & good reports (I'm not sure if Lambeth Academy is on the site of an existing school or not) - and all are non-selective, co-ed & secular, even if their philosophies / methods seem to vary a fair bit. And Norwood School now has boys, so that's one more co-ed (too far away for us though).

Parents that I know don't seem overly worried by sending their kids to _any_ of those schools, though in practice I think you effectively only have the 'choice' of your closest one 

It is just a bit unnerving how they all seem so NEW and wildly different from each other though, and some of the newness seems a bit gimmicky... and sometimes educational experiments do fail badly, or go horribly wrong if the original leadership moves on...

But I think 5 of our 6 choices will be Lambeth schools - 5 years ago it would have been the other round.

*new compared to 2 years ago, at least, even if they are only replacing the places lost when the other school sites were sold off.


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## Ms Ordinary (Oct 16, 2009)

.


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## TheSundayTimes (Aug 31, 2010)

Hello!
This is the Sunday Times commenting. David James Smith . David James Smith discussed the Evelyn Grace academy in his article on Sunday, and will be online tomorrow from 1pm to answer any queries and comments you may have about his article_ [lurking behind that cunt Murdoch's paywall]_ Readers can contact him via a site that _[lurks behind that cunt Murdoch's paywall]_

We look forward to hearning your thoughts on the new academy!


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## Crispy (Aug 31, 2010)

Did you not read the rules?



> 1. Please read the boards for a while before posting: Use the 'search' function to see if your topic has already been discussed to save repeating questions/threads that already exist. Please note that these are discussion boards and not a free resource for journos/students/market researchers.



So with no offence intended, stick it up your arse


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## Tricky Skills (Aug 31, 2010)

Switch yer stinkin' paywall off and I may just be interested


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## happyshopper (Oct 17, 2010)

*Evelyn Grace Academy*



brix said:


> ... crikey what an unattractive building.  "



Looks like a triumph to me. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2010/oct/17/zaha-hadid-evelyn-grace-academy

Still don't like private schools though.


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## caz111 (Nov 5, 2010)

This is what academy schools and the new schools network is actually about: 
The youtube video 'Ark Schools Academies and Eugenics': 
Ark's solicitors Schillings and links to two solicitors letters: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/06/454599.html?c=on#c251105
Ron Beller of ARK and his involvement in subprime mortgages: 
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/433386.html

This is a nightmare unfolding, (described as 'human re-engineering' and 'euthenics') and nothing less.


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## teuchter (Nov 24, 2010)

It's a couple of months old but just stumbled across this - you can see a bit of what it's like inside.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8994000/8994568.stm


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## Ms Ordinary (Dec 6, 2010)

Just noticed this on the *cough*Herne Hill Forum  *cough*




			
				Herne Hill Forum said:
			
		

> Evelyn Grace Academy will be hosting an open morning on Wednesday 8th December at 11am for interested parties to view their fantastic new accommodation. The morning will begin with an input from the Principal, Peter Walker, and following this there will be an opportunity to tour the building.
> 
> If you have an interest in the Academy, either from an educational or architectural perspective (designed by London 2012 Olympics Aquatics Centre architect Zaha Hadid), and would like to attend their open morning please contact Oliver James-Parr at Oliver.James-Parr@evelyngraceacademy.org or by calling 020 7737 9520.
> 
> ...



11am - wonder if the pupils will be there, or if they'll all be bussed out for a carol service or summat


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## Winot (Jul 21, 2011)

The Zaha Hadid building is on the shortlist for the Stirling prize.


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## Rushy (Jul 21, 2011)

Winot said:


> The Zaha Hadid building is on the shortlist for the Stirling prize.


 
Good stuff. Although Zaha Hadid won it last year and I don't think anyone has won it two years running. Could be a first..!


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## Laughing Toad (Jul 21, 2011)

Sebastian James' review of the '_Building Schools for the Future_' program in April of this year concluded that a stadardised design for all schools would be better.



> One of the principal issues identified with the current system is the lack of learning and systematic improvement of quality, cost and time from one school building project to another. This has been caused directly by the design and procurement process which has resulted in most schools designs being ad-hoc. Among the many knock-on problems that this has created are high costs (of both design and build), variable quality, a need for every school to pass through an arduous cycle of checks and balances, and no opportunity for improvement.


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## Rocky Sullivan (Jun 21, 2018)

My child has been allocated a place at Evelyn Grace School this September. Any Forum members have kids there? Would be good to get any feedback as I know nothing about the school. Thanks.


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## Rushy (Jun 21, 2018)

Rushy said:


> Good stuff. Although Zaha Hadid won it last year and I don't think anyone has won it two years running. Could be a first..!


And it was!


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## editor (Jun 21, 2018)

Rocky Sullivan said:


> My child has been allocated a place at Evelyn Grace School this September. Any Forum members have kids there? Would be good to get any feedback as I know nothing about the school. Thanks.


I've only ever been there to do a TED talk and I liked the look of the building, although all the kids I met were of the opinion that it looked 'unfinished.'

Sorry, I know that's not very helpful.


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## Gramsci (Jun 21, 2018)

Rocky Sullivan said:


> My child has been allocated a place at Evelyn Grace School this September. Any Forum members have kids there? Would be good to get any feedback as I know nothing about the school. Thanks.



Read over this thread. I don't have children. But I've heard, despite the modern building, its not that progressive in the way it sees education.


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## Mycattoots (Mar 11, 2019)

lang rabbie said:


> Does anyone know why the new Academy school (to be built on part of the old depot site between Loughborough Park and Shakespeare Road) is called Evelyn Grace Academy.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Can anyone give me some current feedback on this school?  We have been offered a place for our son in September.  I am very keen to hear from parents with children at the school.
Thanks


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## Mycattoots (Mar 11, 2019)

Can anyone give me some current feedback on this school? We have been offered a place for our son in September. I am very keen to hear from parents with children at the school.
Thanks


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## GarveyLives (Jun 9, 2019)

> My child has been allocated a place at Evelyn Grace School this September. Any Forum members have kids there? Would be good to get any feedback as I know nothing about the school. Thanks.





> Can anyone give me some current feedback on this school? We have been offered a place for our son in September. I am very keen to hear from parents with children at the school.
> Thanks



It may be an idea to simply take some time off one afternoon and let the parents, students and teachers at the school gates know what your concerns are.


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