Bolingbroke Academy - consultations Post Reply

[Annabel (admin)]

BolingbrokeAcademy – meetings for
local parents and residents

Come and find out more about plans for a new local secondary school and to have your say.

The Neighbourhood School Campaign and ARK Schools are delighted to be working withWandsworth Council to open a new secondary academy in south Battersea.

We hope to open the academy on the site of the former Bolingbroke
Hospital in September 2012.

We are holding a series of consultation meetings for local parents and residents in order to provide more information about the proposals and to hear your views.

Where?

Northcote Library, 155e Northcote Road, SW11 6QB

When?

Monday 29 November 2010, 1pm – 3pm

Wednesday 1 December 2010, 5pm – 7pm

Saturday 4 December 2010, 9am – 1pm

Find out more

E-mail: bolingbrokeinfo@arkonline.org

Telephone: 0203 116 0884

Website: http://www.thensc.net

[Judith Howard]

Re. the schools debate: as a long-term user of the Bolingbroke Hospital, I like many others am absolutely furious at the underhand way it was closed. But even if we can't get the hospital back, next best thing would be a school, which at least would mean the building continuing in public/community use!

Having no children myself, I have no strong feelings as at which level the school should aim, primary or secondary or both - but I can't help wondering, as Belleville needs to expand, whether they should think of using some space there? - so near to their existing building, so easier for staff and pupils to travel.

[MGMidget]

Yes, I agree on that. Such a convenient location for Belleville, shame they couldn't use some of the space there, especially if the new secondary school isn't going to be full initially.

[juliantenniscoach]

mgmidget. - there isn't any space at belleville which is why they are opening the forthbridge road site for primary expansion let alone a secondary school.

the campaign for a school is far from assured given that GL Hearn property consultants are inviting tenders y 17th december for the site. they are advertising it as mixed use development site. you can check it out on glhearn.com

so it would appear that the st. georges healthcare trust and wandsworth council are very much keeping their options open.

[MGMidget]

Juliantenniscoach,

Thanks for your comments, I know the new secondary school is far from certain, although there is a very active campaign for it, and, I'm aware that Belleville parents have said the current Belleville site has no space for expansion.

The point I wanted to make was if the new secondary school goes ahead and isn't full initially, it would be nice if they could consider using some of the space for overspill for Belleville for a couple of years, given all the heat surrounding the expansion to Forthbridge Road. They could perhaps move the top year at Belleville onto that site for example to free up space at Belleville for more reception places for a year or two. Obviously only works as a temporary measure not long term as the new school would eventually fill up. Since Belleville is more likely to have spaces in higher years as people move away but is overscribed in reception I would have thought there's a possibility it could work.

I would also add the Bollingbroke site is a blatantly obvious one for Belleville expansion instead of as a new secondary school but I'm sure that hasn't escaped the council's notice so would be considered along with other options. Good of Judith Howard to start a thread on this.

[The NSC]

Juliantenniscoach

The council is currently in negotiation with the NHS Trust to aquire the site for the new secondary school. It has 'preferred bidder' status and the Trust cannot sell to another party until that process is completed. We remain confident the site will open as the Bolingbroke Academy run by the excellent ARK Schools in Sept 2012.

[livegreen]

I went to the consultation today and the secondary school looks like a really exciting addition to our community. Worth going along if you are local have primary aged children.

[yummydaddy]

Went to the ARK consultation session last week.

ARK has a strong track record in running secondary schools and I was impressed by their commitment regarding:
• The broad range of extra-curricular activities (as a result of longer school days)
• Daily physical activity
• Strong academic approach
• Focus on achievement
• Highest standards regarding behaviour and conduct in school

I’m less sure about the slightly cumbersome admission criteria (feeder schools and then as a second criteria distance within each feeder school).
Could theoretically mean (in case of oversubscription) that parents that are closer to the school than others won’t make it (because they are further down the list in their own feeder school list)
Also, with the focus on limited car use, I’m not sure that Wix-children can really safely commute half an hour through Clapham common ...
Best, in my opinion, would be to have walking distance as the key admission criteria, a tried and tested approach. But key is obviously how the government feels about this. If they insist on the feeder approach, well then so be it. If they are neutral on this, I would prefer walking distance as the only criteria.

In any case, I wish the best of luck regarding final government approval (planned for January, I believe) and then to find a strong head teacher.
Hats off to Ron Rooney and Jon de Maria and the rest of the parent team who pushed this forward with great enthusiasm and skill. They have done an truly awesome job !
Fingers crossed that they efforts are finally paying off.