Sam Fowler (Southwark Schools for the Future Project Director) to update the meeting.
Minutes:
The chair introduced the item by saying that new schools for the community council area had long been one of things that residents and councillors had asked for.
Compass School
Tony Searle, the Head of the Compass School, told the meeting he had been in post full-time since January 2013 and was working towards opening the school in September. This would happen on the former Southwark College site in Keeton’s Road, in interim accommodation. Over 50 pupils had already signed up. The new school would have a capacity of 600 pupils, and would be striving for excellence in all fields, including competitive sports, and focusing on reading, writing and maths. It would also have a sibling rule. This September, up to 100 year-7 pupils would start, with more classes coming on-stream in subsequent years.
Responding to questions from the floor, Tony Searle said that the school would be non-fee paying and non-selective. It would offer arts and drama as extra-curricular activities. Its catchment area would be local, responding to the need for a school in the vicinity of the site. The school would be happy to work with the council to attract funding for sports facilities which could also be used by the school, for example the ones in Southwark Park, which were in need of repair. He went on to say that he was not in a position to answer questions about the plans for the rest of the site, which was owned by Grosvenor. Grosvenor had not put in planning permission, however, the plans for the site were likely to be a mix of residential and commercial properties.
Simon Hughes MP explained the history of the site and how the current situation had been arrived at. He outlined which negotiations had taken place before and following the merger of Southwark College with Lewisham College, and the subsequent purchase of the site by Grosvenor. There were also negotiations taking place to locate a university technical college on the site.
Southwark Schools for the Future
Sam Fowler, Project Director - Southwark Schools for the Future, outlined the situation regarding school places in the borough. He explained that there was a shortfall in primary school places. This was an ongoing trend all over London, but particularly in the Bermondsey and Rotherhithe area. By September 2016, there would be a shortfall of 180 places over the six forms in the area. The council was going to address this by means of temporary expansions of the existing schools. In the Bermondsey and Rotherhithe areas, this would take place at Albion Primary and Grange Primary, but officers were also engaging with all schools across the borough. There had been an audit of school places, resulting in a shortlist of schools which could respond to the demand for places, and officers were working with these schools. There would be permanent expansions at Albion and Grange primary schools, as well as at Phoenix School and Redriff School. There were also be a number of free schools in the borough – for example Southwark Free School who were currently looking to establish themselves permanently at 399 Rotherhithe New Road. Galleywall School was, at present, used as temporary accommodation for Southwark Park School - until at least September 2014.
Responding to questions, Sam said that more flexibility and more places at secondary level would be needed in future, even with the Compass School coming on-stream. In the short term, over the next two to three years, there might be a slight over-provision due to the New School Aylesbury and the Compass School, as well as Sacred Heart moving back to its premises, but that this would only last for a few years before there was likely to be another shortage. Officers were working with schools to see whether they could expand, namely with Bacon’s College, City of London Academy and St Michael’s school.
There was a discussion about which schools could be expanded and about federations of primary and secondary schools. The meeting also heard that the area needed new schools, given the amount of regeneration and redevelopment which had happened in the last few years. In Grange and Riverside wards, there were problems with getting children into local schools. The council’s Mandela Way car park site would be a good site for a new school. A problem was that the council was no longer in a position to open new schools itself, but instead had to work with other providers who were in a position to do so.
Sam Fowler emphasised that officers would be working to identify possible sites and resources for new schools, while at the same time continuing with the programme of temporary and permanent expansions. In practice, this meant that the schools mentioned would be given the resources and space to provide more school places, but this would not have an impact on class sizes.
The meeting heard that standards in Southwark schools had gone up generally, which was good news. Schools did, however, have different admissions policies and their catchment areas and sibling policies were not coordinated. However, work was being done to address this. He went on to say, that it was a good idea to build on the successes of good schools by expanding them. All secondary schools in Southwark were now full to capacity, so that the number of places should be expanded. The community council could assist in this by having a meeting, at which different local schools could promote themselves, present their admissions policies and answer questions by parents.
The meeting also heard that Southwark had been recognised as the best local authority for raising the attainment levels of pupils who qualify for free school meals, and that Cherry Gardens Special School was moving to purpose-built premises in Peckham in the next two years.
The chair said that officers from the education department should make representations at planning committee, and thanked Tony Searle and Sam Fowler for attending.
Note: At this point Councillor Linda Manchester left the meeting.
There was a break from 8.45pm to 9.05pm.