Wanamaker Theatre Opens

I have a big soft spot for The Globe. Its growth from large hole in the ground mirrors my adult progress living and working in Southwark. I started working in the area in 1988 moved very locally 1992.

The number of people I’ve taken to the exhibiton and productions over the years!

So I was chuffed to be lucky enough to buy two tickets to the newly opened Sam Wanamaker Playhouse for its second night. FABULOUS. Incresibly atmospheric with the candles adding quite a different dimension.

What a great addition to The Globe. What a great addition to Southwark. Do use this new playhouse. If you havent been to The Globe for a while definately worth a going to see this.

Denmark Hill/Peckham Rye off-peak Victoria Station services

SouthEastern trains are consulting on their timetable changes to take effect 20 December 2014.

Please pasds your comments to mike.gibson@southeasternrailway.co.uk

These are my comments to him:

A number of residents in my ward use services from Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill stations. The ward I represent is only 10mins walk away from these stations.

Many found the loss of the South London Line appalling and we still anticipate its return after London Bridge redevelopment has been completed.

So any improvement in services to and from Victoria Station help fill the timetable void left from the SLL closure.

So I warmly support the return of later services from/to Victoria station to Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye and an additional hourly service off-peak.

I welcome that Saturday will reflect the Mon-Fri improvements.

I would urge that Sunday services also reflect off-peak Mon-Fri services. A 6-day a week service for a zone 2 station is very strange.

Yes, ELL2 provide services but only to go around London and not into London.

Epsom vs. Southwark?

Since the economic chaos started in 2008 central government has been cutting the amount of money they pass to local councils.

More has been cut from council receiving very large sums. Some have said this is unfair.

Southwark Labour have suggested that Epsom (&Ewell Borough Council) have been treated very generously versus Southwark being picked on.

I’ve finally looked at the numbers.

Southwark Council. Population 274,400 and government forumla grant of £217,078,000 or £791.10 per head.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council. Population 75,200 and government grants etc of £4,191,000 or £55.73 per head.

Both have other local authorities – Greater London Authority and Surrey County Council. Ewell doesnt provide education but does provide more or less everything else Southwark does.

Southwark receiving over 14 times as much subsisdy per head as Epsom seem to be generous to Epsom!

 

Call For New Secondary School

Do you support a new East Dulwich secondary school?

If you have children due to start secondary school Sept 2016 or 2017 please email me your support for a new exemplary secondary school stating your name, child’s date of birth and your home post code to:

james.barber@southwark.gov.uk

Background:

Locally East Dulwich councillors have been working to solve the Primary school reception places gap. By September 2016 the gap would have risen to 215-235 reception places. We’ve supported one free school that’s opened by finding a site for it and provided the evidence and suggested sites for another two free schools. Together they should provide 170 of the required places and Southwark Council are providing places in neighboring areas relieving demand on Dulwich schools by about 45 places.

But after primary school where will these extra children go – do we need a new exemplary secondary school to provide enough local places?

The bulge in primary school places started in 2009. Those children will need secondary school places 2016. We also know that currently few families are being offered the secondary school places they want.  Instead many are being offered places in New Cross, Crayford, Walworth and that’s before the 2009 primary bulge takes effect.

Council officials tell us we have plenty of places. But they plan secondary school places on a borough wide basis. But most families think much more locally than that.

To test the numbers the Lib Dem leader asked the Labour council leader about school places  (page 19 second paragraph). If you ignore the political ping pong he stated “The forecasts show continuing demand for secondary places and suggest that in the medium term from 2016 additional secondary places may be needed in the borough.”

These jigsaw pieces tell me we need a new secondary school in the Dulwich area opening September 2016.

This date is useful because the East Dulwich Harris Boys Academy will have had two sets of GCSE result by then and should be even more popular with the anticipated great results. So it wouldn’t suffer from a new competing local school. The Charter School and Kingsdale School are both already immensely popular so shouldn’t suffer any rival new school.

Where and what?

Residents don’t need another single sex school because we now have one of each . So a new school would need to be co-ed.

The Dulwich Hospital site is the only Dulwich land with sufficient space for a secondary school. A secondary school would still leave plenty of space for the proposed primary school  and proposed medical facilities.

So which provider?

With your support we will attract a great provider and convince Southwark Council to plan places in a more family orientated way.

Do you support a new East Dulwich secondary school?

If you have children due to start secondary school Sept 2016 or 2017 please email me your support for a new exemplary secondary school stating your name, child’s date of birth and your home post code to:

james.barber@southwark.gov.uk

 

Dulwich Secondary School Places

Locally East Dulwich councillors have been working to solve the Primary school reception places gap. By September 2016 the gap would have risen to 215-235 reception places. We’ve supported one free school that’s opened by finding a site for it and provided the evidence and sugested sites for another two free schools. Together they should provide 170 of the required places and Southwark Council are providing another 45 useful places for our area.

But after primary school where will these extra children go – surely we need more secondary school places?

Council officials tell us not. But they plan secondary school places on a borough wide basis. But most families think much more locally than that.

To test the numbers the Lib Dem leader asked the Labour council leader about school places  (page 19 second paragraph). If you ignore the political ping pong he stated “The forecasts show continuing demand for secondary places and suggest that in the medium term from 2016 additional secondary places may be needed in the borough.”

These jigsaw pieces say we need a new secondary school in the Dulwich area from September 2016.

This date is useful because the East Dulwich Harris Boys Academy will have had two sets of GCSE result by then and should be even more popular with the anticipated results. So it wouldnt suffer from a new local school.

Where and what?

Residents don’t need another single sex school because we now have one of each . So a new school would need to be co-ed.

The Dulwich Hospital site is the only Dulwich land with sufficient space for a secondary school. A secondary school would there would still leave space for the proposed primary school and proposed medical facilities.

So which provider?

When should children start school?

Around the world almost universally children start school much later than the age of 4. In the UK it is 4.

Why 4? 4 is not based on any research.

 130 UK early year education experts have called for informal, play-based preschool activities to continue to the age of 7 and only at 7 start formal schooling.

The evidence from Scandinavian countries is that this approach leads to more confident children and better educational experiences and better results for the children concerned. Scandinavia has more patents, PhD’s etc per head of population even that the UK. We’ve even had UK sponsored Dept of Education research supporting more play-based schooling.

 So why the push to lower the start of formal schooling in the UK from the Secretary of Sate and UK Office for Standards?

 My concern is that formal schooling results in more introverted conservative children. That the push for earlier formal schooling is not about better schooling for children but about creating more regimented children with conservative outlooks.

Versus the more liberal scandinavian approach.

Fred Francis Centre – future use

Southwark Labour have decided to centralise day care from two sites into one in North Peckham. This means the Fred Francis Centre on Lordship Lane will close disrupting the lives of a number of very elderly people who go there each day. It seems short-sighted when we have an ageing population. But whatever our views it’s a fait accompli.

So we need to ensure this site isn’t left idle. In East Dulwich we have huge demand for nursery provision. Two recent plans for nursery provision have failed to be built – 41-43 East Dulwich Road and 116A Lordship Lane.

As an East Dulwich councillor I call on Southwark Council to ensure the Fred Francis Centre remains in community use but with a nursery ONCE it day centre use comes to an end. 

We’ve spoken to a number of nursery providers who would be interested.

Do you think we need more nursery provision in East Dulwich?

Are you frustrated that with more older people local provision is being removed?

Taming Cimate Change

For decades people have been campaigning, fighting to stop climate change. After Kyoto, Copenhagen, Cancun and IPCC  our global politicians still haven’t agreed how to stop cataclysmic climate change.

But it appears all those little things that I and hopefully you have been doing to save energy, reduce car use, thinking about our planet have started to make a difference.

In 2012 CO2 emissions grew by less than the previous year and less than a third of the global rise in GDP of 3.5%. Breaking the link between GDP rises and CO2 increases is the key to humanity living on this planet with a secure future.

Apparently htis indicates Kuznets curve where higher levels of economic development countries use resources more smartly and economically reducing pollution.

Are you doing enough to reduce your carbon footprint?

 

 

Having a Teenage Youth

Almost universally our teenagers have an online social media presence. But online youthful development never fades. Youthful exuberence, indiscretions, gossip lives on forever.

How can teenagers be teenagers online without potentially ruining their future chances of work and success?

California has enacted a bill SB-568 which starts to give redress and balance for teenagers. It’s their version of “the right to be forgotten” concept. In California they’ve given some limited rights for people under 18 to delete presonal information that they as registered users posted online or via mobile apps.

The Europena Union is considering applying this “right to be forgotten”.

Do you think people should be able to edit their online presence?

 

Black History Month – Great War Pilot

I’ve not found many events in Southwark I wanted to or could attend.

One exhibition that did catch my eye was at the RAF Museum in Hendon – ‘Pilots of the Caribbean: Volunteers of African Heritage in the Royal Air Force’.

I had imagined more great storys related to WWII. But what really caught my imagination was WWI pilot William Robinson Clarke.

But the curators were clear that they’re looking for more material about black RAF personnel and their families. If you have any such material or know someone who may contact them at rsearch@rafmuseum.org or call them on 020 8358 4873.