Category Archives: Education

Free online summer school to develop design, engineering and employability skills

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Free online summer school to develop design, engineering and employability skills

TEDI-London is a new higher education enterprise based at the Printworks in Canada Water – and locals aged 16+ are invited to apply for a part-time three week programme this summer.

TEDI-London’s Thinking Ahead programme is a design competition to develop ideas for a colour and light installation in Canada Water.

Inspired by TEDI-London’s current student-led project to create dementia friendly communities, Thinking Ahead – Light Up! is seeking ideas for a space that attracts people from a range of backgrounds to visit, reflect and relax.

Anyone taking part will be supported to explore topics including user-centred design, sustainability, innovation, and psychology. You could choose to work on this independently or you could form a group with your friends or family.

It will run from 27 July to 14 August and requires just ten hours a week – the hours are flexible and you can tailor them to your needs.

Submissions will be judged by TEDI-London staff and industry partners, and prizes include one-to-one coaching sessions with industry, professional references (for CVs and personal statements) and digital badges.

Visit www.tedi-london.ac.uk/home/thinkingahead for more info and to apply

Places are limited.

If you have any questions, contact [email protected]

Compass launches hardship fund crowdfunder to support pupils during COVID-19

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Bermondsey’s Compass School has launched an appeal to raise £10,000 for its hardship fund to support disadvantaged pupils and their families during the school closure.

So far the school has raised more than £4,000 via JustGiving.

“This is a challenging time for our community and especially so for our disadvantaged pupils who lack the resources others take for granted,” says the school.

“Our school sits in a location with the highest level of deprivation nationally.

“The majority of our pupils either receive Free School Meals (FSM) or have met the criteria in the past 6 years (Pupil Premium).

“Whether its the lack of IT at home, access to books, or a good square meal, we want to ensure that disadvantage is not further entrenched during this period.”

The school would also welcome donations of laptop computers to be distributed to pupils so they can take advantage of online learning opportunities.

If you can help, email Mr May (Staff Governor) [email protected] for further information.

New building for Compass school ‘in 2023’

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Bermondsey’s Compass secondary school could finally move in to its own purpose-built building in 2023 – eight years later than planned – after a development agreement was signed with developer Grosvenor.

The Compass free school currently occupies part of the old Scott Lidgett / Southwark College building in Keetons Road.

Doug Lewis, chair of the Compass School Trust, gave an update at Friday’s City Hall hearing regarding the wider Biscuit Factory planning application.

He said: “We signed the development agreement yesterday [Thursday] so we believe we have a cast iron guarantee that the school will be built.

“As I hope you’re aware, the decision was very recently taken that the school will be built with funds provided by the Department for Education.

“They are responsible for sourcing the tenders using the expertise acquired elsewhere.

“We are as confident as we can be – having signed my life away for an 800-page document that I confess to not having read comprehensively …

“When we were given approval to open it was on the basis that the Department for Education owned the site and were buying it from Lewisham College, and that we would move into a new school in 2015.

“So it won’t surprise you to know that the target date is now eight years later and we have paid considerable attention to securing confidence that this thing will actually happen on the date that is forecast in this new arrangement, and which is in the development agreement that I signed on behalf of the school yesterday.”

Galleywall Primary rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted

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Galleywall Primary City of London Academy in Bermondsey has received a glowing Ofsted report achieving an ‘Outstanding’ rating in every one of the five assessment categories.

The school’s regulator, which visited the Galleywall Road site between 14 and 15 May, said since opening in September 2016, the City of London Academies Trust, governors and leaders have provided inspirational leadership and that their determination and drive for excellence has ensured that pupils develop into successful learners.

Inspectors found that “teachers have high expectations of all pupils; consequently, pupils thrive. Strong, positive relationships and well-established routines mean that pupils become confident and enthusiastic learners.”

The report praised the school’s broad, balanced and rich curriculum, finding that the, “leaders have ensured the curriculum has firm foundations in the school’s values, performing arts and the development of language. The curriculum provides children with a breadth and depth of learning activities.”

Ofsted said that pupils demonstrated consideration towards adults and each other. The inspectors noted that the “‘Galleywall values’ – aspirational, compassionate, enlightened, entrepreneurial and individual – thread through the school and underpin the curriculum.”

The report also stated that the extra funding for pupils with special educational needs, disabilities and children from disadvantage backgrounds, was used effectively and that the early years provision provides children with, “an exceptional start to their education.”

Parents also made comments through the regulator’s online questionnaire, with one saying: “the school provides an incredibly nurturing and holistic approach to learning.” They went onto to say that they were “confident their child is receiving an education which will “enrich and prepare him well for life.”

Sheila Cohring, headteacher of Galleywall Primary, said: “I am delighted that we have been recognised as an outstanding academy in the work we do in serving our young people. This is a phenomenal achievement.”

“I would like to thank everyone involved in its growth, especially our parents who really are ‘pioneers’.

“Their faith, belief and trust in the school and staff has allowed our vision to become a reality. We must also thank our talented children for being such a credit to us.

“The Ofsted inspection has been our first since becoming an academy school and I am exceptionally proud of all the children, staff, governors and parents for their contribution and hard work in making this an outstanding school.”

Surrey Docks Farm riverfront development begins

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This month Surrey Docks Farm started work on Phase 1 of its Riverfront Development, thanks to funding allocated by Southwark Council from levies on local developments. By the end of the year the farm will be offering a range of new and enhanced community facilities with stunning riverfront views looking across to Canary Wharf, providing new activity spaces, lettable rooms and outdoor areas all year round.

Architects PUP have designed the development and act as contract administrator; John Perkins Projects is the contractor; and Hollybrook Homes have kindly funded two cabins for the duration so the Farm can continue to run its education programmes and classes.

The farm’s River Room is being re-designed, upgraded, refitted and extended with a glass orangery to provide a quality, flexible, multi-use space for a wide range of uses – for schools’ programmes, classes, meetings, conferences, birthday parties and events. The adjacent three storey tower, burnt out in an arson attack over a decade ago, is being converted. On the ground floor: a Farm Kitchen providing a training resource for all ages promoting cooking with fresh produce, good diets and healthy eating and a catering resource for events held in the River Room. On the first floor: an office to accommodate the farm’s growing staff team. On the top floor: a calm, flexible activity space with a fine view overlooking the Thames – for meetings, arts and crafts and therapeutic sessions.

To complete the development, the farm is currently fundraising for Phase 2 to open up its river frontage in its unique setting by the Thames. Its new main entrance will then be through the gates onto the Thames Path where the public will be led along widened, paved entrances into the Farm and its new riverfront facilities. There will be new paving, landscaping and gardens providing a special space for sitting out and socialising and for community events. Gates and a retractable trellis fence will be installed to enable all the new riverfront facilities provided in Phase 1 to be available for evening classes as well as day time use by securing the rest of the Farm and its animals.

Cllr Johnson Situ, cabinet Member for growth, development and planning commented: “This is really good news for the borough’s only city farm. Here in Southwark Council we are delighted to have awarded the Farm one of the earliest Community Infrastructure Levy (CILs) amounts to enable them to make all these superb improvements. This award is a great example of the council’s refreshed approach to local CIL which will see the development of Community Investment Plans to support growth across the borough. As part of the award, the Farm will also contribute to Southwark being an Age Friendly borough with further opportunities for older and younger people alike as well as new inter-generational projects”.

Cllr Jasmin Ali, Cabinet Member for children’s and adult services commented: “Speaking personally, I cannot wait to bring my family down there to see the transformation.  We have also granted the Farm a new 35 year lease at a charitable rent so that these new education and community resources are secured for the long term and the Farm can enhance and develop its special offers for residents”.

As the borough’s only city farm, with its gates open seven days a week and free entrance, the farm will provide its 50,000 visitors a year with an enhanced visitor experience and renewed opportunities to learn about and engage with all aspects of a working farm.

Albion Primary School: official opening of new building

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Cllr Jasmine Ali, cabinet member for children, schools and adult care, was joined by Neil Coyle MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, to mark the official opening of Albion Primary School.

Albion Primary School now has capacity for 420 pupils after the school was completely rebuilt.

Next month the council’s cabinet will award a contract for the construction of new homes on part of the former school site, with work due to start next year.

Making the most of every bit of space available was central to the redesign of the school and this extends to the roof. There is a new, fully accessible, roof terrace with an artificial grass playing pitch, which will be used as a further outdoor learning space but doubles as a play area.

Cllr Jasmine Ali, cabinet member for children, schools and adult care, said: “One of the real stand-out successes of Southwark Council’s investments into local schools is that education teams have been able to create schools that fit their needs. At Albion Primary School, pupils and staff have a school that works for them. The school is really impressive and the investments from Southwark Council has helped provide an excellent space to teach and learn. Alongside the quality of the school, which has been recognised by industry bodies, there are now more, much needed primary school places. Thanks to the expansion of the school, I am pleased to say that Albion will now be able to welcome 210 more pupils through its gates.”

Karl Bardouille, headteacher of Albion Primary School, said: “Albion has worked closely with Southwark Council and the architects to ensure our children have the best possible facilities .We wanted to ensure that the new school would give the children bigger classrooms, a more accessible building and more common areas that would ensure the best opportunities to deliver our creative curriculum. We are all delighted with the extra teaching and learning space that will help us live up to our motto ‘Learn to do Well’”.

Plans submitted for rebuilding of Rotherhithe Primary School

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Proposals to rebuild Rotherhithe Primary School with expanded premises for an extra form of entry are now being considered by the council’s planning department.

The existing buildings date from 1971 and are said to be beyond viable refurbishment.

The new school – facing Hawkstone Road – has been designed by Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios.

The architects say they have drawn on the area’s history when developing their vision for the new school:

The ribbon of the garden wall wraps around the site creating a protected central courtyard evocative of the historic basins and dry docks which were once carved out of the Rotherhithe peninsular. The organic shapes and materials of the landscape flow into the ‘basin’ of the courtyard which is framed by the more rectilinear walls of the building, inspired by the retaining walls of the dry docks and Brunel’s engineering legacy.

See planning application 18/AP/3792 for further details.

600 Rotherhithe men killed in World War I remembered by Redriff Primary pupils

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Pupils at Redriff Primary City of London Academy have been taking part in activities to mark 100 years since the end of World War One.

Children from nursery age to Year 6 have been involved in a wide range of activities, building up to the school’s Remembrance Assembly today and finally culminating in the unveiling of the school’s memorial garden.

The memorial garden has a steel solider inscribed with the words ‘Redriff Remembers 1918-2018’ including crosses, placed by the children, bearing the names of the 600 soldiers from Rotherhithe who were killed in the war.

Also featuring in the garden is a silhouette, which has been supplied by the charity Remembered as part of its 2018 Armistice project –There But Not There.

The children have also constructed a poppy made from stones on which they have written the names of each solider.

The poppy will remain as a permanent feature in the school’s playground.

The garden will be completed on Friday during the Remembrance Assembly when the final crosses will be planted.

Mickey Kelly, executive headteacher of Redriff Primary, said:

“This week has been a moving experience for all the students and staff at the school.

“The children have really grasped the importance of Armistice Day and World War One.

“Teachers have held workshops for the children on what life was like in the trenches and the different aspects of the War, from roles animals played to the impact of the War on women’s lives.”

Today’s assembly saw staff and children observe a two-minute silence.