This blog is about Princess Frederica CE VA Primary School’s proposed expansion plans for 2014. A place to exchange ideas and work together in order to achieve the best outcome for the children and the community.
Wed 6th Nov, 5:30-7:30 - LAST meeting to view the expansion plans
Brent Programme Manager and the Architects will be in attendance.
"The plans for the proposed expansion of Princess Frederica CE VA Primary school have been published in draft form. We welcome your comments on the drawings. We have held a number of sessions in school this week to enable parents and carers to see what is proposed and discuss the key features of the design. There will be a further opportunity for members of the local community to view the plans on Wednesday 30th October, 2013. This will be an informal drop in session from 6pm until 7pm. A further session is also available on Wednesday 6th November, 2013 from 5.30pm until 7.30pm." At Princess Frederica.
...because it's current site was deemed too small:
Leopold School initially hoped to extend its original building but according to a spokesman for Brent Council it fell through as it would have been “significantly below guidelines”.
I am standing for election as a parent governor because I cherish the education that Princess Frederica provides to the children in our diverse community, and because I want to facilitate a more collaborative and transparent sharing of information between the school, governors, parents, and residents.
I am an architect and designer by profession, with a keen interest in life in the 'Rise'. I am also an active campaigner to Save Kensal Rise Library as well as a Trustee for the Friends of Kensal Rise Library and a member of the Kensal Rise Residents Association.
I have two children at Princess Frederica (Year 5 & Reception), and have several years of insight as a parent, as well as a personal stake in the future of the school. Last spring the Governors asked me (with other individuals) to present 'parent concerns' regarding the school expansion at a consultation meeting. It was a very productive experience and I have maintained an active interest in the school expansion ever since.
Princess Frederica clearly has a responsibility to offer solutions regarding the national need for school places, as well as a moral obligation to make more places available to local children, and if the school could secure additional space off site, or was willing to expand only a portion of the school (i.e.Key Stage 2), or could break into two sites with a Junior and Infants school, I would welcome the possibility to expand.
However, as it stands, our school sits on a "confined urban site" (Brent) and the relentless push to propel the expansion plans forward is worrying. Essential facts about school access, pupil density, educational benefit, and phasing during construction, are still unknown - and yet, diggers may arrive on site as early as Spring 2014.
It is my view that there should be more caution in the facilitation of the process to expand, and that all key data and evidence should be publicly provided before any agreement to proceed is made (after all this is Brent we are dealing with) so that parents and residents have an opportunity to officially register their views based on the facts.
Unfortunately this has not been the case thus far, official parent and resident responses were closed at the end of July 2013 before this key data has become available, and the Governors have just announced that they have officially agreed to proceed, in order obtain said data?!? http://www.princessfrederica.brent.sch.uk/school-expansion.html
Not sure what leverage that gives the school if we continue to say 'yes' before the facts are in-hand...
Princess Frederica is a treasured local school, and if you choose to vote for me I promise to work diligently to safeguard and improve it for all our children, both now and in the future.
Many thanks to Brent for providing the following information:
Brent info:
Breakdown of children without school places by Ward: http://bit.ly/1dSk63c
Future demand is not broken down to the same level of detail but GLA data brands Wembley and Kilburn as predicted areas of high demand, with the rest of the Borough ranked as anticipated medium demand.
Editorial:
From this information we know the following:
6 children out of school: Kensal Green Ward
5 children out of school: Queens Park Ward
A total of 11 local children are "out of school". This is very serious, but is also to be expected given the fact that many children from outside the local area currently attend our local schools .
Princess Frederica is example of a school that skews the data - because children from outside the Parish have been given priority in favour of local children. However, next year this will no longer be the case (the school has changed their admissions policy: http://bit.ly/15doiIZ), so more local children will be catered for. Brilliant!
Kensal Rise Primary is another example. It is currently undersubscribed by local families (due to poor Ofsted ratings), however the successful Ark Academy is taking over from September http://bit.ly/12p4bZF, and it is reasonable to expect that it will soon become a draw for local families, further reducing local need.
With these points (as well as other local provision in development) the urgent need for Princess Frederica to expand is debatable at best. It goes without saying that the expansion of a constrained site should be a last resort, and not rushed as our school expansion has been.
As parents and residents, we are still waiting for vital information promised by the Governors http://bit.ly/17B5Pq5 and the statutory consultation should not have begun until these facts are known. In fact the statutory consultation closes next week on the 30th July before this information will likely be available, and certainly after the school has broken up for the summer. And instead of offering missing information the Governors have now advised that their meeting minutes are now "Confidential". How's that for transparency?
I hate to sound jaded, but this is one very messy situation that could have easily been avoided. It's time for the school and the Governors to take steps to make things right, and to run the consultation based on proper procedures.
This is a welcome move, and gives local children better access to this desirable local school, which is great. So, can we ensure this policy will remain in place after the expansion discussions are concluded? It's certainly worth asking the Governors if this can be done.
If it doesn't, the premise of expanding to help local children will have been a falsehood. And that would be an enormous injustice to the local community in which Princess Frederica resides.
IMPORTANT: Based on the timelines advised by Brent, the Governors will need to vote to proceed with the expansion BEFORE feedback on many key issues can be provided. Their timeline is as follows:
- Statutory consultation now open to the public. All comments due by 30/7/13, see below for detail.
- Governors to review comments submitted & will vote in Sept, the first week back after summer hols.
- Brent to review comments submitted & vote end Sept/early Oct.
- Planning application to be submitted ASAP (Note: highways info re: access will be required for this application). Actual date to be advised.
- If Planning approved DIGGERS ARRIVE ONSITE JANUARY 2014.
- First 3 form entry (Reception class) to start Sept 2014.
As you can see from the programme above, the expansion for Princess Frederica has been fast-tracked. Therefore it is vital that a robust response from the community is submitted if we want our voices to be considered in this expedited process.
FORMAL COMMENTS must be SUBMITTED to Brent by TUESDAY, 30 JULY, 2013 - either in writing: http://bit.ly/14LoNbS or via email: [email protected]
It is a public consultation and local residents (in addition to parents) can comment. If you know anyone who is interested in this issue please share this info. Also, paper copies are available in the school reception area (next to the window).
Update on questions 1 and 2 submitted by parents in March 2013: Complete list of original queries can be found here: http://bit.ly/13GcRg8
- Safe access to/from school - Feedback pending. The highways dept can only advise after local consultation is undertaken, no dates advised.
- Outdoor space, specifically "existing vs proposed" per pupil areas for outdoor space - Figures unavailable. We are also still waiting for examples of similar sized 3 form entry schools for comparison/reference.
- Planning for students during the build (external play provision/noise & dust management/safety/etc) - Proposals pending.
Due to the accelerated timelines, outline proposals are urgently needed to assure adequate provision is planned for. Note: The Governors advised that they have challenged the school to ensure that the current standard of learning is maintained or improved during building works, however it was not clear if this challenge has been accepted by the headship team.
Reflection:
There is a tremendous need for school places in the borough, approx 21 additional classes in 2014. How and where these places are delivered is a complex matter. I have done some preliminary work to investigate current and proposed local provision, and believe there is a case to be made that local need is being/will be improved without the need for Princess Frederica to expand. In addition, there are under-utilised council buildings that could be used for school provision, and in fact, some are already being turned into schools next year.
In regard to the critical issue of a lack of available places for local children at Princess Frederica, it is important to note the following: Princess Frederica is first and foremost, a church school with a selective admissions process.
At the meeting, a resident who lives very close to the school spoke about his experience. When he applied in 2011 his daughter did not get in. He was very upset, and I know exactly how he feels. We lived next to the school and also did not get in. I was also extremely distressed and went to the school to ask why. I was told (2008) that Princess Frederica had their own criteria for entry as a CofE school, and that proximity to the school was an IRRELEVANT criteria for their admissions.
The main criteria was/is church attendance, and church participation (points system). As a result, children who live outside the local area can be given priority over children who live locally. This admission system has had a straining effect on local need, which is to be expected.
The schools current interest in serving the local children is great news - but let's be clear - the admissions policy can, and should, be adjusted regardless of the expansion issue. And the fact that local need is being used as an argument to expand, when in fact it has been the policy of the school which has caused the exclusion, is a needless distortion of the facts.
As residents (and parents) we need better information on this ambitious and controversial project. It must be sustainable through the ebb and flow of the birth rate cycles, not just a stop gap that may create an overcrowded (and less desirable) school in years to come. In the rush to push these plans through, will these concerns be addressed?
The governing body have decided that they possess enough information to open a statutory consultation regarding the expansion of Princess Frederica CE VA Primary School by 1 form of entry. More details about the statutory consultation will be released shortly including information about this decision.
After four weeks of initial consultation with members of the local community, parents and other stakeholders the governing body will make a decision about whether to proceed, by issuing a statutory notice.
This report was publicly released by Brent on 22/05/13.
It is an interesting view into the management details of the Brent school place provision, and provides an update on the school expansion programme with a focus on optimising the use of available funding.
The Governors are meeting on Thursday evening to vote on whether or not to agree to a statutory consultation. The parents are not invited to the meeting, therefore we would like to submit a letter to them to be read prior to their vote.
Please join us to discuss what we should include in the letter, and what if any other strategic steps we should take to ensure an open dialogue between the Governors and the Parents.
This blog has been set up to allow for a single point of reference for our views, and sharing information: http://princessfredsparents.tumblr.com/
Please spread the news - any questions please get in touch via the blog.
How can we support our community most effectively?
In regard to the expansion, if the primary issue is about providing places for children in the community it is important to address the fact that Princess Frederica sits within the larger Kensal Rise/ Kensal Green area, in which there are several primary schools and nurseries. Brent should be encouraging all of these local resources to work together to develop a comprehensive area wide response to the lack of school places. But instead we have been asked to propose solutions as if we are independent silos - a complete fallacy which will create a flawed result.
For example, Kensal Rise Primary has been taken over by Ark Academy and has a new Head teacher starting in September (the school will be renamed: Ark Franklin Primary Academy. Full article: http://bit.ly/19FeebF). This development is likely to have a positive impact on their school and bring up standards in the next few years. The school currently does not fill all of it's places locally, so as it improves it will become more desirable to local parents thereby reducing some local pressure for school places.
The special needs school, Manor House on Chamberlayne Road, is currently looking for new accommodation. Once they relocate the entire school building will become available for a new school in the Rise. This will create completely new school places.
Further, Malorees (at 4+ times our size and with 2 independent buildings onsite - which could each be expanded without loosing any of their extensive grounds), should surely be required to expand before our already overcrowded school does so? This is no small point, and one that should be addressed as a larger community, perhaps via our Ward Councillors.
Therefore, if expansion is really about providing opportunity for local children, then lets do so honestly and openly - and without self-imposed blinders.
In regard to the funding needs the schools has, it would be helpful to know what specifically is desired so that we can proactively work towards a solution regardless of the possible expansion. But, lets not confuse the two (community and funding), and not use the former, to disguise the desire for the latter. That is a disservice to us all.
We all want the best education for the children. Inevitably, as parents, we worry about their learning environment, and frankly it is our job to do so, however, that does not mean if we object to the expansion we are we are looking at the situation selfishly, we just have an alternate point of view. Personally, based on the facts at hand, I think that we can create a better solution for the community while allowing Princess Frederica to remain it's existing size.
Key concerns regarding the expansion - presented by the parents to the Governors on 21st March 2013
1. Not enough outside space. Brent feasibility study (issued Sept 2012), Executive Summary page 1.2: "the proposal fall well below minimum guidelines in terms of external space. As such this is considered a major barrier to the feasibility of the expansion as a whole." Doc: http://bit.ly/14saKc5
Existing outside space falls well below minimum guidelines for 2 form entry.
Proposed outside space falls below minimum guidelines for 3 form entry.
Note: Why is this information not on the website?
Note: If a discrepancy is believed, an independent survey is required, however until then these are the facts available.
2. The school is already large for it's location as the site is in a very dense area with constrained access. Brent feasibility study (issued Sept 2012), The Site page 2.5: "The roads around the school are currently two-way, narrow, and have parking on both sides. The only vehicular access to the school is off Purves Road making access to school very difficult during peak times."
Existing access to school is already very difficult and can be dangerous for the young children.
Significant impact on local businesses and residents.
3. Process & Transparency:
What is the process that the Governors are following for the expansion?
What are the set of principles that the governors are using to determine if it is reasonable to proceed?
What are the set of principles that the governors will be voting on?
What is the process for voting?
How many governors are supposed to be and how many are there now?
Are there any vacancies?
Who are the current governors and who do they answer too?
Who are the parent governors? (post note: one vacancy)
Need balanced communication with parents, where opposing opinions are respected.
We would like a public vote/survey
We would like the Governors vote to be at a public meeting and for the votes themselves to be public.
4. Additional points:
Are there any conflicts of interest on the Governors. Especially related to financial compensation either during or after the consultation process.
Will the catchment area be required to expand?
We are also not comfortable that our children have been included in the process at this early stage, and would expect that in future the children will not be drawn in until the decision to go forward has been properly reviewed and agreed.
On 21st March 2013, the Governing Body decided unanimously that it was unable to open a Statutory Consultation on expansion at the present time because it did not possess sufficient information for those being consulted to form a considered view.
The governing body has requested from the local authority further, more detailed, information about space, design, access and funding.
More information, including answers to questions posed at the recent Governing Body Open Meeting, will be published shortly.
"We have been asked to consider expanding the school by one form of entry to become a permanent three-form entry school. In effect this would mean our school would grow by one class each year over..."
This blog is for parents and carers of children attending Princess Frederica CE VA Primary School to discuss and share information about the proposed school expansion. Where ideas can be exchanged without bias in order to achieve the best outcome for the children and the community.
Princess Freds Parents @princessfredsparents-blog - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
