Evelyn Grace Academy - new school in east Brixton

[Gramsci]

I do find the attitude to discipline somewhat intense - I can easily foresee myself being phoned to collect from detention on a regular basis. And the lining up in the playground (which I've walked past in the mornings) does seem a bit on the military side.

I know a child who goes there & they do mention the discipline ('it's like a prison' were the exact words ) but they clearly do enjoy the teaching so .

QUOTE]

I live next to the school and i can hear the Teachers barking orders at the kids in the morning.

Reminds me of how i hated school.

There is a whole difference between school and learning about what you are interested in.

And before any one has a go about kids needing disciplined environment i didnt. All i wanted was to be left alone to get on with it.

IMO most of this emphasis on discipline is to make teachers life easier not for the benefit of kids.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

I live next to the school and i can hear the Teachers barking orders at the kids in the morning.

Reminds me of how i hated school.

Yes, that's exactly what it sounds like, in the playground outside.
But having met some of the teachers, & from the teaching methods they described, it doesn't sound as if the lessons themselves are like that.
I was impressed with the teachers, they seemed really engaging. It was an evening so there weren't any pupils there, but they certainly had no problems interesting the visiting children.

In this article, it's described as an "American-style 'no-excuses' school" and it definitely seems to be modelling itself as something like this.

 

[whitedove]

I was hoping for feedback but I wasn't expecting that.

I hope your son is doing OK wherever he is now.

Thankyou ..yes he is all healed now..however not emotionally.I thought It was a great school when I went for all the meetings and tours ect..but it dont seem to make a difference how good a school is accademicaly.It does not prepare you for the thugs that attend it...

 

[whitedove]

8:30 TIL 5!? Thats evil! Do they get homework on top of that? I would hope not. Kids are supposed to have lives. You want to do a bit of playing between 4 and 5 after school in the summer months. How awful that they're stuck in school for a full adult working day (PLUS HALF AN HOUR). That is criminal.

Yep homework is given as well.They were so strict it was like a bootcamp...my son hardly did any work in the three weeks he was there,, just got them write out over and over again all the school rules and regulations..more like a military school than anything...they seem to be obcessed with that side of things,,my son was given detention one evening after he forgot to bring in his water bottle.he never got home until after 6pm and then still had homework to do...

 

[Mrs Magpie]

A mate of mine has a different experience. Her grandson was bright but wayward at primary school and in trouble all the time because he was bored at never having enough to do. He'd get through work really fast and then play up. He loves Evelyn Grace.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Also I walk past it early every morning and there are loads of kids there way before they need to be, some walking along with staff towards the school and just looking really happy to be there, engaging with the caretaker bloke as well as the teachers and it seems a really happy school.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

That's encouraging - it was the only school we've visited where they didn't have pupils at the open evening, so couldn't judge the interactions.

The reason for pupils not being there was given that it wouldn't be fair after a long day, which is understandable. And it sounds like the long day does give them time for extra sport & music (as well as lesson support) which I'm all in favour of. Also they have proper cookery lessons...

I've been looking back at old threads from 5 or so years ago, when the secondary school situation round here was dire - things have really changed since then!

 

[Gramsci]

Yep homework is given as well.They were so strict it was like a bootcamp...my son hardly did any work in the three weeks he was there,, just got them write out over and over again all the school rules and regulations..more like a military school than anything...they seem to be obcessed with that side of things,,my son was given detention one evening after he forgot to bring in his water bottle.he never got home until after 6pm and then still had homework to do...

The thing that gets me about the "Academy" programme is that it was touted as bringing more variety and choice for parents.

As it seems that there are different opinions on this school and its ethos i wonder how much choice parents really have.

If thats the only school nearby to where you live i dont see hoe that gives parents a choice in reality.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Well, there's fuck all choice in Lambeth anyway thanks to school sell-offs.

 

[Gramsci]

In this article, it's described as an "American-style 'no-excuses' school" and it definitely seems to be modelling itself as something like this.

I believe the idea of "Academy" schools was modelled on the model.

And of course the Tories started it with City Technology Colleges.Though they did not pursue it to the extent of New Labour.

 

[spanglechick]

i should declare an interest in that i work in an acedmy - and in our case the differences that make it an academy are really shaping up. we're not selective - we were more or less failing five years ago, and admissions aren't high enough to be selective. if they were - i dunno if we would.


anyway - academies can be great - our sponsor (Lord Harris of Peckham) is a genuinely brilliant philanthropist with no agenda other than providing outstanding education for kids in very deprived parts of south london. But the potential is alarming. Despite the happy circumstance that makes ours fab - it could be so, so horribly wrong.


as for evelyn grace - i kind of know someone who works there and he spoke of the discipline in awed tones. Whatever the philosophical consequences, it must be such a treat to just be able to get on with teaching.

 

[Bob]

i should declare an interest in that i work in an acedmy - and in our case the differences that make it an academy are really shaping up. we're not selective - we were more or less failing five years ago, and admissions aren't high enough to be selective. if they were - i dunno if we would.


anyway - academies can be great - our sponsor (Lord Harris of Peckham) is a genuinely brilliant philanthropist with no agenda other than providing outstanding education for kids in very deprived parts of south london. But the potential is alarming. Despite the happy circumstance that makes ours fab - it could be so, so horribly wrong.


as for evelyn grace - i kind of know someone who works there and he spoke of the discipline in awed tones. Whatever the philosophical consequences, it must be such a treat to just be able to get on with teaching.

The guy I know who teaches there absolutely loves it - and says it's great.

That said he is, just like Spanglechick, very aware that this doesn't apply to all Academies.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

Well, there's fuck all choice in Lambeth anyway thanks to school sell-offs.

But it certainly looks as though there's much more choice than a couple of years ago?

Both Evelyn Grace & Elmgreen are completely new*, and Stockwell & Lambeth Academy have shiny new buildings & good reports (I'm not sure if Lambeth Academy is on the site of an existing school or not) - and all are non-selective, co-ed & secular, even if their philosophies / methods seem to vary a fair bit. And Norwood School now has boys, so that's one more co-ed (too far away for us though).

Parents that I know don't seem overly worried by sending their kids to any of those schools, though in practice I think you effectively only have the 'choice' of your closest one

It is just a bit unnerving how they all seem so NEW and wildly different from each other though, and some of the newness seems a bit gimmicky... and sometimes educational experiments do fail badly, or go horribly wrong if the original leadership moves on...

But I think 5 of our 6 choices will be Lambeth schools - 5 years ago it would have been the other round.

*new compared to 2 years ago, at least, even if they are only replacing the places lost when the other school sites were sold off.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

.

 

[TheSundayTimes]

Hello!
This is the Sunday Times commenting. David James Smith . David James Smith discussed the Evelyn Grace academy in his article on Sunday, and will be online tomorrow from 1pm to answer any queries and comments you may have about his article [lurking behind that cunt Murdoch's paywall] Readers can contact him via a site that [lurks behind that cunt Murdoch's paywall]

We look forward to hearning your thoughts on the new academy!

 

[Crispy]

Did you not read the rules?

1. Please read the boards for a while before posting: Use the 'search' function to see if your topic has already been discussed to save repeating questions/threads that already exist. Please note that these are discussion boards and not a free resource for journos/students/market researchers.

So with no offence intended, stick it up your arse

 

[Tricky Skills]

Switch yer stinkin' paywall off and I may just be interested

 

[happyshopper]

Evelyn Grace Academy

... crikey what an unattractive building. "

Looks like a triumph to me. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2010/oct/17/zaha-hadid-evelyn-grace-academy

Still don't like private schools though.

 

[caz111]

This is what academy schools and the new schools network is actually about:
The youtube video 'Ark Schools Academies and Eugenics':
Ark's solicitors Schillings and links to two solicitors letters: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/06/454599.html?c=on#c251105
Ron Beller of ARK and his involvement in subprime mortgages:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/06/433386.html

This is a nightmare unfolding, (described as 'human re-engineering' and 'euthenics') and nothing less.

 

[teuchter]

It's a couple of months old but just stumbled across this - you can see a bit of what it's like inside.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8994000/8994568.stm

 

[Ms Ordinary]

Just noticed this on the *cough*Herne Hill Forum *cough*

Evelyn Grace Academy will be hosting an open morning on Wednesday 8th December at 11am for interested parties to view their fantastic new accommodation. The morning will begin with an input from the Principal, Peter Walker, and following this there will be an opportunity to tour the building.

If you have an interest in the Academy, either from an educational or architectural perspective (designed by London 2012 Olympics Aquatics Centre architect Zaha Hadid), and would like to attend their open morning please contact Oliver James-Parr at Oliver.James-Parr@evelyngraceacademy.org or by calling 020 7737 9520.

Evelyn Grace Academy
255 Shakespeare Road
London
SE24 0QN

11am - wonder if the pupils will be there, or if they'll all be bussed out for a carol service or summat

 

[Winot]

The Zaha Hadid building is on the shortlist for the Stirling prize.

 

[Rushy]

The Zaha Hadid building is on the shortlist for the Stirling prize.

Good stuff. Although Zaha Hadid won it last year and I don't think anyone has won it two years running. Could be a first..!

 

[Laughing Toad]

Sebastian James' review of the 'Building Schools for the Future' program in April of this year concluded that a stadardised design for all schools would be better.

One of the principal issues identified with the current system is the lack of learning and systematic improvement of quality, cost and time from one school building project to another. This has been caused directly by the design and procurement process which has resulted in most schools designs being ad-hoc. Among the many knock-on problems that this has created are high costs (of both design and build), variable quality, a need for every school to pass through an arduous cycle of checks and balances, and no opportunity for improvement.

 

[Rocky Sullivan]

My child has been allocated a place at Evelyn Grace School this September. Any Forum members have kids there? Would be good to get any feedback as I know nothing about the school. Thanks.

 

[Rushy]

Good stuff. Although Zaha Hadid won it last year and I don't think anyone has won it two years running. Could be a first..!

And it was!

 

[editor]

My child has been allocated a place at Evelyn Grace School this September. Any Forum members have kids there? Would be good to get any feedback as I know nothing about the school. Thanks.

I've only ever been there to do a TED talk and I liked the look of the building, although all the kids I met were of the opinion that it looked 'unfinished.'

Sorry, I know that's not very helpful.

 

[Gramsci]

My child has been allocated a place at Evelyn Grace School this September. Any Forum members have kids there? Would be good to get any feedback as I know nothing about the school. Thanks.

Read over this thread. I don't have children. But I've heard, despite the modern building, its not that progressive in the way it sees education.

 

[Mycattoots]

Does anyone know why the new Academy school (to be built on part of the old depot site between Loughborough Park and Shakespeare Road) is called Evelyn Grace Academy.

http://www.arkschools.org/pages/evelyn-grace/new-buildings.php

Can anyone give me some current feedback on this school? We have been offered a place for our son in September. I am very keen to hear from parents with children at the school.
Thanks

 

[Mycattoots]

Can anyone give me some current feedback on this school? We have been offered a place for our son in September. I am very keen to hear from parents with children at the school.
Thanks