Damilola lessons not learnt?

I was horrified to read a report showing that English school children are the most fearful for their safety before and after school in Europe. It feels shameful that we’ve not created a country where children feel and are safe.

The report by Stephen Moore of Anglia Ruskin University discovered that of 4,000 children surveyed in eight European countries aged 12-16, 31% of English pupils felt scared of being bullied or worse comapred to 19% across those European countries.

Four percent said they were often or always victimisaed on the way to or from school. 1 in 25!

Apparently kids didn’t want to turn to schools and that schools anti bullying strategies didn’t cover this. That children turn to other children but they’re not sure what to do.

How on earth do we as a soceity fix this?

OECD higher education survey

What a fascinating read – the OECD Education at a Glance survey of 34 member developed nations.

  • UK students contribute 65.5% of their university tuition fee costs – around double the OECD average and only less Korea and the United States – though the OECD is clear that the state-backed loan system is stronger than overseas.
  • Still a significant financial advantage of going to university – with degree-level educated men earning £131,578 excluding taxes, over a life time.
  • UK spending on education as a share of GDP is at 5.7% below the OECD average of 5.9% – though school spending rose at the eight fastest rate between 2000 and 2008 and HE spending at the sixth.
  • Secondary school class sizes have fallen at a faster rate than other countries – 19.6 compared with the 24.5 average
  • Primary school class sizes are higher – 24.5 compared to the 21 average – some of the biggest in the world.
  • Employment rate of adults without the equivalent of five good GCSEs) has dropped from 65.6% to 56.9%.

It seems clear UK classes are bigger at Infant and Primary schools and reducing their size could be funded by increasing Secondary school classes. Education builds on previous learning so we appear to be comparatively hampering earlier years for the benefit of later years.

Private schools tend to have Infant and Primary class sizes lower than the OECD average. That wont be by chance.

Do you think we should reduce class sizes at infant and primary schools even if that means increasing them at Secondary schools?

Jobless and homeless

Southwarkcouncil is planning on changing how it allocates council homes. It plans to give priority to people in work and volunteering over others. The philosophy is to end the “something for nothing culture”.

I’m sure a review of how council homes are allocated will be useful. The council has had a number of commissions – Democracy Commissions, Teenage Pregnancy Commission – so a Council Housing Allocation Commission would be a useful mechanism to decide this. However I fear this is a knee-jerk reaction to support an Ed Miliband speech.

But in Southwarkuntil ten years ago we had appalling council run education. Then a Labour government stopped Southwark running Southwark schools until a Lib Dem led council when the Labour government of the time felt the Lib Dems could be trusted. Labour had ground down state education they provided from the council via political correctness. Speaking to an old Labour guard he made it clear they loaded up governing bodies with Labour councillors and the like who opposed competitive sports, streaming and the like.

So why should we double penalise Southwark born residents who suffered at Labour’s hand with an inadequate education and then when they can’t find work during their adult life say they’re going to be tougher about allocating them council homes?

We need to redress the past historical mess of peoples education. Adult education is the key to this not cutting housing opportunities.

Well Done

What a great year for exam results – SATs for junior school kids as well as A levels and GCSE’s. Well done students, pupils, parents, teachers, governors, support staff, council education staff.

SATs – Southwark kids achieve the 13th highest joint English and Maths in London – that’s 13th out of 32 London boroughs. Nationally that’s 48th out of 128 English education authorities. My hunch is that with the economic situation fewer people are leaving Southwark meaning more stability of junior school populations. Eitherway its a really good result building on the last few years success.

GCSEs – initial school result suggest another excellent year with more good progress.

A levels – 69% of students passed with a grade A-C. Slightly down from last  year’s 72% but with those getting a grade A or A* is up from 16% to 18%. So probably slightly better options for those that passed but slightly fewer passed.

So overall a good year. WELL DONE.

Do we want more primary school places? Yes.

I’ve been reflecting on my visits to ED Harris Boys Academy, Kingsdale School and Goodrich School.

In southern Southwark Kingsdale School being close to the southern point of Southwark admits around 50% Southwark kids. The remainder come from Lambeth and Lewisham.

Sadly quite a few SE22 kids failed to get places at a Southwark secondary school and this year were offered places at unpopular schools even as far away as New Cross in Lewisham.

It would be impossible to change Kingsdale admissions policy to favour by geography without fewer kids coming from Southwark which would exacerbate existing problems.

Suggestion:
That the space vacated by temporary ED Harris Boys School on the Langbourne primary school site is formerly incorporated into Langbourne School on condition that it becomes an academy incorporated into Kingsdale Academy. This would allow Langbourne a relatively remote Primary school to increase its reception intake by 1 whole reception class of 30 children.

As part of the same academy Kingsdale could propose admissions changes to favour Langbourne year 6 children.

Incorporating Langbourne would help give Kingsdale the land it wishes. Tying Langbourne into Kingsdale for admissions would dramatically increase Langbourne’s popularity.

The Kingsdale chair of governors is Lab Cllr Norma Gibbes and I proposed this to her and the Kingsdale head at the end of my visit.

To make it happen the Labour administration would need to transfer land to Langbourne. Langbourne school agreeing and Kingsdale agreeing. But the biggest hurdle will be the local community fed promises in the past and that needs to feel part of this.

What do you think?

Predicted flooding

No joke but on 1 April Southwark Council became responsible for flood prevention.

Initial work suggests the following areas are liable for a 1 in 100 year flooding event:

– Herne Hill area (i.e Half Moon Lane)

– Champion Park area

– Area between Peckham Park Road and Asylum Road.

– Area bounded by Willow Brook, Commercial Way, Southampton Way, Well Way and Saint George’s Way.

– Area bounded by Camberwell Road, Camberwell New Road and Wyndham Road.

– Dulwich Park area

– Belair Park area along Croxted Road

In theory it should mean that flooding events such as the Dulwich 2004 flooding of costing over £1M will be less likely if Southwark Council gets its flood prevention right and encourages us all to take simple but effective measures.

So I’m looking forward to Southwark Council quickly releasing its assessments and guidance of what Southwark Council will such as changes at Belair Park and what households and businesses can do.

Carbon based parking charges

Southwark Council has been consulting via the community council on charging for parking permits based on the vehicles carbon emissions.

Overall it will see more than 25% increase in charges.

Option 1 – straight increase in charges from £99.30 to £125 – ouch.

Option 2 – increase the charge from £99.30 to one of 6 bands between £30->£225 but overall an average charge of slightly over £125.

At the Dulwich Community Council the councillors and audience opted for Option 2  of the two options. The surplus on running the parking revenue account is used for things like lolly pop ladies, teaching kids how to cross roads. Useful stuff.

But it now transpires that the council are slashing it spending on lolly pop men and women. The average lolly pop person has seen a drop in salary of £200pcm. With many at cancelled being cancelled.

It seem perverse to have a huge steep increase in charges while at the same time slashing services. it must be that Labour don’t belief in lolly pop men and women and the value they bring.

Avoidable injuries amongst Southwark children will occur and frankly it is a disgraceful decision. Apart from the cruelty of this in pure costs to our local society the total costs of these injuries will out-way the savings. And the savings aren’t necessary because of the huge rise in parking permit fees.

Southwark secondary school admissions

One of the Southwark Council scrutiny committees are undertaking a review of schools admissions and support for parents and carers.  As part of this I’d encourage parents and carers whose children have applied for a Southwark secondary school place to complete their questionnaire and tell them how you think it could be improved.

Apparently it only takes a few minutes to fill out . Please click on this link to access the survey. Alternatively if you’d like a freepost paper copy  then please contact the Scrutiny team on 020 7525 0514 or email Julie.Timbrell@southwark.gov.uk.

Deadline for questionnaire responses is 13 May.

Educational Maintenance Allowance: a grown-up replacement

Since the General Election Liberal Democrats at every level, have been united in a belief that despite the dire national financial position, people in genuine need of help should not be prevented by financial barriers from attending school, college or training.

This weeks announcement about Educational Maintenance Allowances is a big positive step in the right direction.

  • 1. The government has recognised the need to continue to support people currently on EMA as they finish their studies. Therefore everybody who started their course this academic year and is on the £30 per week rate will continue to receive payments of £20 per week in their second year. All students on EMA who started their course in the 2009/10 academic year will continue to receive the full rate.
  • 2. An additional £15 million will be set aside to provide bursaries of £1,200 for the most vulnerable students, such as those in care, with severe disabilities or single parents living on their own. This is more than the maximum available to students currently on EMA.
  • 3. Schools, colleges and training providers will have £165 million each year put into a discretionary learner support fund which will be available for them to distribute to students facing financial need. This is the equivalent of just over £800 for every young person who received free school meals at the age of 15.

Across the country students face very different costs and barriers to attending school or college. In some places students have to travel a long distance to attend. On some courses the cost of equipment is prohibitively expensive.

This is why under the new plans schools and colleges will decide individually exactly how to distribute the money available to support their students in need.

I feel proud that due to Lib Dems being in government this new EMA regime will be implimented and give more help to those truly in need.

Mental music

Great article in New Scientist a few weeks ago. Apparently learning to play an instrument brings about dramatic brain changes that not only improve musical skills but can also see other cognitive abilities, including speech, language, memory, attention, IQ and even empathy. I’m tempted to try learning the piano with the kids.

Fascinating that musical training, especially at a young age, appears to significantly alter the structure of your brain. One example was after 15 months of piano lessons young children had more highly developed auditory and motor areas than their untrained peers.

Hopefully this will revolutionise how music is seen in early years….