Tidemill update

A public meeting was held at The Albany on Monday 6th to debate the future of Tidemill School. It was attended by around 70 people, many opposed to the move to Academy status. Yesterday, Tidemill parents were invited to the school to hear of the proposals outlined by head teacher Mark Elms.

In today's Guardian, education editor Jeevan Vasgar writes:

'Superhead' Mark Elms defends plans to convert school to academy
Concerns raised over 'lack of transparency' surrounding pay, but Elms cites flexibility and freedom as advantages

A headteacher who was criticised for being paid more than £240,000 last year has defended controversial plans to convert his primary school to academy status. When parents discovered in July that Mark Elms' pay package had reached almost £250,000, many defended him for transforming the fortunes of a school which has been rated "outstanding" under his leadership.

But since then, some parents have launched a campaign against proposals to turn Tidemill primary into an academy – which would be free from local authority control and able to set its own pay rates. Concern has been fuelled by what one campaigner claimed was a "lack of transparency" over Elms' pay. He is thought to be the most well paid headteacher in Britain.

Elms said today that converting to an academy would enable the school to be more flexible in helping children who spoke English as a second language. Speaking for the first time since the pay controversy, he said it would also free the school to set salaries at a level that would attract the best teachers.

"There are obviously lots of freedoms; there's the freedom to design your own curriculum. We have very unique characteristics, 65% [are non-native English speakers], 45% free school meals… lots of refugees."

"We need to make sure the curriculum is designed to match their needs, to reflect their background and experience."

Tidemill, in Lewisham, south-east London, has a high proportion of children who do not speak English at home. The school itself estimates that 30 languages are spoken there, including Somali, Farsi, French and Yoruba.
Elms declined to comment on his pay, but said: "Finances are very important. You can do an awful lot in terms of recruiting highly qualified, suitable staff."

Elms earned a basic salary of just over £82,700 in the last financial year. He also received payments totalling £102,955 for work he did over two years as part of Labour's City Challenge programme, which aims to use proven success stories to help underachieving schools. His pay package reached nearly £250,000 with the inclusion of £10,000 for out-of-hours work, arrears of £9,317 for 2008-09, an employer's pension contribution of £16,700 and an "appointment and retention" payment of £26,413.

One of the parents campaigning against the proposals, Leila Galloway, said she was seeking greater transparency over the head's pay. She has asked for minutes of financial discussions at governors' meetings. Galloway, who has two daughters at the school, said she was concerned that the expansion of academies under the coalition government would create a two-tier education system.

"I believe in comprehensive education. Labour kickstarted [academies] but they've turned into a totally different beast. It drains funding from all the other schools. Personally, I think it will devastate the country. It's a huge social experiment," she said. Galloway said she had organised a petition and a public meeting to campaign against the proposals.

Elms insisted that a broad consultation was taking place. He said the school had asked in its annual questionnaire whether parents would like more information, and 70% had said yes.The school is also carrying out a telephone survey of 8-10% of parents and held a public meeting yesterday to explain the plans.

"It's a very complicated, very controversal new policy, and we're not wanting to rush into it," he said. A total of 32 schools opened as academies this month out of 2,000 that had expressed interest since May. Over 140 schools are expected to convert to academy status in the coming school year after the government passed a new law to allow every school in England to opt out of local authority control.

Schools like Tidemill that are rated "outstanding" by Ofsted were pre-approved, meaning that those who applied immediately are the most likely to open as academies first. The speed at which the legislation moved through parliament led to accusations that ministers rushed the reforms using a timetable usually reserved for emergency laws, such as anti-terror powers.

www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/sep/09/superhead-mark-elms-school-academy

Silent Cinema opens tonight

STOP PRESS! FREE Community Night for local people on Saturday 18th September: Shaun of the Dead. To book please email: rebecca@studioraw.co.uk. 

It's a bit pricey, but it's unique...The Silent Cinema opens tonight next to the train carriage at 7pm (film starts 8pm). The unique bit is the earphones to hear the film, plus it's outdoors on specially made seating.

We're excited to mention it on this blog because some Crossfields residents are highly involved. Rebecca commissioned it and made it possible (don't blame her for the choice of films) and Carlos has had a hand in making the seating made out of palettes (designed by Jail Make who don't live on Crossfields). Check out Carlos's arch BORO on Saturdays in the yard behind the train carriage for some exceptionally unique furniture recycling. In the arch next to him Crafty Bitches have sown and made all the cushions to comfort your fat or skinny arse on those palettes...

For some strange reason it's Ferris Bueller's Day Off tonight, as part of an 80s theme, so I will more than likely give that a miss despite it being the opening evening...have a look at the other bizarre range of films on offer...(maybe see you on the 23rd)...

80s favourites
Thursday September 9th     8pm    Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Friday September 10th     8pm    Heathers
Saturday September 11th     8pm    The Breakfast Club

Horror London
Thursday September 16th     8pm    An American Werewolf in London
Friday September 17th     8pm    28 Days Later...
Saturday September 18th     8pm    Shaun of the Dead

Cult Classics
Thursday September 23rd     8pm    A Clockwork Orange
Friday September 24th     8pm    The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Saturday September 25th     8pm    Withnail & I

To book click here.
To read more click Deptford Project here and Silent Cinema here

Sky ride tomorrow

On Sunday, 5 September, these London streets will be closed to motorised traffic and opened up for cyclists.

Cutty Sark Gardens

Creek Road, 2009

 Cyclists of all abilities are welcome to join up with Greenwich and Lewisham Cyclists at Cutty Sark Gardens by 10:30am, from where a large crocodile of riders (300 last year) accompanied by marshals will gently make its way up to Tower Bridge, after which you can enjoy a traffic-free Embankment and St James' Park.  There will be 2 guided return rides - one returning by road at 3pm and another returning at 4pm along the Thames path.

Daylight Robbery

I regret to report that there was a mugging on the Ha'Penny Hatch yesterday in broad daylight. I don't want to sound like the South London Press, but I thought people should know that they need to be a little more aware of the risks in our area.

There are now two very recent cases of muggings in the daytime hours that I am aware of. Not an epidemic, but nevertheless worrying because they happened in broad daylight.

Today two women pushing buggies across the Hatch footbridge around lunchtime were attacked from behind – two young black men grabbed their necks and tore off the gold chains they were wearing and scarpered. I bumped into one of the TWO witnesses to this crime but unfortunately didn't have time to get more details. The fact that this took place in front of other people makes it more worrying. These young men obviously do not give a **** whether anyone sees them or even identifies them.

Less than a month ago I was chatting with a neighbour, opposite Faircharm Trading Estate, in the afternoon. We suddenly heard a lot of arguing and went over to the road to find out what was happening. A bloke had been walking down Creekside talking on the phone. A young black boy on a bike had whizzed past and snatched the phone out of his hand. The guy's reactions were fast – he had lashed out and knocked the boy off his bike. They were now fighting in the middle of the road over the ownership of the phone, with the boy denying he had it. The fight went on so long that there were FOUR witnesses. Eventually the guy got his phone back and the boy picked up his bike and sped off. We asked the bloke if he wanted us as witnesses if he called the police, but he said no, he had his phone back, it wasn't worth the bother.

Meanwhile, about three weeks ago, a friend tells me he was strolling across the Ha'Penny Hatch and saw a couple of men wearing ski masks disabling a moped's security lock with some bolt cutters, in the middle of the bridge. Pretty sure there was a theft involved and once safely on Creekside, he called the police. The police exchange was unable to locate the Ha'Penny Hatch and wanted the postcode. My friend was unable to give it (and if you Google the bridge you'll find it doesn't have a postcode). He waited around the area for a while, called the police again, but realised he was not going to get anyone to come because the crime desk didn't have a postcode. This was a Sunday afternoon, again, broad daylight.

Marmoset has recently reported seeing an expensive bike parked in Greenwich High Road (just beyond the Hatch) and stripped of its most expensive parts. He concluded the thieves know what they are looking for and any locks presented no problem.

Last year and the year before, the targets have been petite young women late at night – to my knowledge, only two – but both were attacked on the estate next to Holden by young black men or boys who used the nooks and crannies of overgrown hedges and our beautiful Victorian railway arches to hide and pounce in the darkness. As far as I know there were no prosecutions. But the hedges got cut.

There have been incidents on Creekside next to the junction with the Ha'Penny Hatch that have been a great cause for concern over the past few years, at dusk and at night. Laban students and employees were most worried, but the Laban did not respond to Crossfields TRA's invitation to hold a public meeting about the poor lighting in the area and the TRA didn't follow it up either. But the TRA hardly has the same sort of resources and clout as the Laban Centre possibly has. We were suggesting there might be CCTV installed on Creekside around the Ha'Penny Hatch approach (and not on the estate as was being suggested by the Laban employee and estate resident who had recently been a victim)...

However, now it seems it doesn't even have to be dark for some opportunistic crime to take place.

As someone who is frequently in the area during the day as well as night, I have to say I have not seen a Safer Neighbourhood warden or constable all year until the day before yesterday when there was one sitting on a bench near the Nature Park (he asked if I was lost). I did see a couple of Safer Neighbourhood constables in Deptford High Street around a month ago and told them about the Creekside phone mugging, but they were from Evelyn Ward and told me to call their colleagues in New Cross (Gate).

I, for one, do not have the time to get a campaign going, but I suspect that maybe this is what is required, in order for it to be recognised how vulnerable the area is. Write to Joan Ruddock, your councillors, etc. etc... Another friend, on hearing the latest news, suggested cameras on the Hatch as a deterrent...even if they didn't have any film in them...yeah, right, these guys don't care who sees them...

The police haven't specifically told us or reminded us that 'Thieves are targeting your area' but it appears they are. Do not panic, but please be more aware of your surroundings...
Don't let it inhibit your actions and enjoyment of life, but adjust/modify/alter/change your Risk Assessment.

Something free and money-saving for the financially challenged...

(...and when I say financially-challenged I include myself...)

I came across an offer for a free energy-saving plug (apparently worth £20) via the London Cycling Campaign this evening.  If you qualify for any of these benefits (or if  you know someone else who does) then have a look...

If you're over 70 or getting any of these benefits you'll qualify...

• Council tax benefit
• Housing benefit
• Income support
• Income-based job-seekers allowance
• Income-related employment & support
• Attendance allowance
• Disability living allowance
• War disablement pension
• Disablement pensions with constant attendance
• State pension credit
• Child tax credit (income < £16,040)

• Working tax credit (income < £16,040)

And via a system that I don't understand this will somehow benefit the London Cycling Campaign if you type CYCLE into the promotion code.

Here's where you go