Parents and Carers

About Southwark schools for the future
The benefits to your children
Get involved
Achievements to date
The plan so far

About Southwark schools for the future

Building a brighter future where every child comes first

Southwark Council is developing exciting plans to transform the way we provide education.

We are working with head teachers, school governors, the church authorities and various Young Southwark partners to create plans that will drive dramatic new improvements in Southwark’s education service over the next few years.

We are using national building schools for the future programme funding and council funding to

Upgrade our buildings and ICT
Renew our existing secondary schools
Increase secondary places
Reorganise our special schools and pupil referral units
Expand primary school places
Provide a children’s centre for every neighbourhood

This is Southwark schools for the future.

The vision

Southwark’s regeneration programme (Aylesbury Estate, Elephant and Castle, Canada Water, Bermondsey Spa and Bermondsey Square) is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

Along with other planned housing projects, it will create nearly 20,000 new housing units, generating new demand for school places. But creating more school places is just one part of our plans.

Our vision is for Southwark to be a child-centred community in the heart of London, where each and every child is inspired to learn and achieve to the best of their ability, creating positive futures for themselves.

By 2016 we want Southwark to be the highest performing inner London borough in education and a place where families choose to live and work.

Though we have already made rapid improvements in educational standards, this vision is one of even more ambitious and long-term change, which involves investing in real innovation.

Investment for innovation

We know from the £90m already invested in children’s centres, schools and the academies programme in Southwark that good quality building design can inspire, innovate and transform the way people feel and behave.

Southwark schools for the future will give all our children and young people the choices and opportunities they need by offering services that are responsive and work well together.

It will provide

A safe, secure and inspiring school environment
Resources for everyone, targeted according to need
High achieving teachers in Southwark
All students learning in their school, in a way that suits them
All ages achieving at a similar pace, to a high standard
More students over 16 staying in education
Improved behaviour and engagement
Healthy, happy children who enjoy and achieve
Facilities for everyone in the community… not just for learning
Young people making positive choices for their future

Some schools are being remodelled, others rebuilt and two new schools are planned for completion by 2014.

School plans relate to the specific needs of each community, as identified by headteachers, governors, the council, teachers, parents and most importantly, pupils.

The benefits to your children

High quality education standards – no limits to a child's potential

Our vision will help your children from the moment they are born, to the time they leave education, and beyond.

Pre-school, primary, secondary and older students will have many opportunities to learn new skills, be creative, adapt to changes, and be successful in their lives.

Children's centres

We are setting up new children’s centres that will provide young children with an excellent start to their learning experiences
This will support you, as their parents and carers, by giving you easier access to childcare, health and family support services

Primary school

We want to improve essential skills such as reading, writing, maths and IT at primary school, so that all pupils have an easy progression to secondary school
The primary school curriculum will be developed to reflect the cultures and experiences of young people within each community, ensuring a rich, diverse and relevant approach

Secondary school

In addition, strategic and subject management will be much improved in secondary schools
Teaching and learning in all schools will be transformed through the use of computers and information and communication technology, or ICT, enhancing and enriching the curriculum
ICT will help with the development and teaching of specialist subjects and will give schools easier and better ways to communicate
Southwark students will be given the chance to be on a technological par with their peers worldwide
Technology will also improve choices for young people who cannot attend school for health or other reasons. It will allow for a more flexible approach to learning and development across the board
Schools will place more emphasis on health (especially diet and exercise) and the environment, giving young people direct experience of the benefits and setting a good example from early on

These improvements, together with new and revamped facilities, will attract and retain more high quality teachers to the vibrant and progressive borough Southwark has become, in the heart of a world city.

We will continue to make improvements in education quality year after year, with the same unlimited potential for education as we want to provide for our children.

Improved accessibility and safety

We are drawing on national and European expertise to create the best possible environment for our schools.

We know from past experience that well designed schools, with excellent facilities and teaching standards, engage young people and provide environments where positive behaviour is nurtured and poor behaviour is tackled. New teaching, learning and support strategies will also help with this.

Partnerships for Schools is the organisation coordinating the BSF national programme and their experience and expertise is being used to the full.

We have also drawn together a team of specialists to work with Southwark council who understand the need for schools to

Be a safe and welcoming environment for pupils and staff
Provide suitable areas both inside and outside the school for pupils to learn and socialise
Make it as easy as possible for the school community to move around the school buildings

This will ensure that all the money being spent will be used wisely, not only in transforming education, but also in providing safe and secure school communities that are accessible and welcoming to everyone.

Inclusion and equality

When we asked children and young people aged 8 to 19 in Southwark what improvements they would like to see, they told us that a more united community was one of their most important priorities.

We want to provide them with an inclusive school community that welcomes differences and encourages participation and achievement in all students, regardless of their situation.

As part of the plans, personalised learning will ensure that every child receives the support they need, including those with special needs and vulnerable young people.

Those with special needs will be co-located with mainstream schools wherever possible, to encourage greater understanding and communication within the youth community as a whole.

Furthermore, Ofsted reports that mainstream schools with additionally resourced special needs provision are particularly successful in achieving high outcomes for pupils academically, socially and personally.

More choice

As well as making sure we have the capacity to meet future demands, Southwark Council is broadening the variety of educational services we provide, to include services such as vocational learning.

More secondary school places are planned and schools will offer an extended day that allows more teaching time and extracurricular activities.

Young people will have a much wider choice of activities, supported by new and improved facilities for sport, recreation, play, arts and outdoor activities. More learning opportunities and additional activities will be available before and after school.

Southwark schools for the future will help to build parent and carer confidence with the school options available to them in Southwark.

Responsive services

As part of the Young Southwark strategy, from birth to 19 there will be access to services that will ensure high quality childcare and support to parents, carers and young people.

The aim is to ensure high quality childcare and support for parents, as well as encouraging the social, spiritual, moral, emotional and cultural development of young people.

Parents, carers and young people will have access to a variety of services in all kinds of ways, ensuring that opportunities are identified and problems dealt with at every stage, allowing each child to reach their full potential.

Get involved

Have your say

The planned improvements – particularly with technology – will offer teachers the chance to provide young people, and their parents or carers, with more information on all aspects of their attainment, development and achievements. But one of the biggest impacts on education provision in Southwark will come from greater involvement from you.

We want to hear what you think about our plans.

We held a series of consultation meetings in September to enable people from the schools we are working with to express their views and share their ideas with us.

We will be holding more of these meetings, which are excellent chances to make sure your voice is heard and your opinions count.

We also want you to be very much involved in the development of each school and the community it serves, by sharing your views on improvements as they happen, telling us what your needs are and helping us to monitor quality.

Send us an email to register your email address with us, air your views and/or be kept informed.

A community asset

Southwark schools for the future is about embracing the community as a whole and Southwark Council wants every community to get the most out of its local schools – so it’s really important that you get involved.

These new facilities will not only cater for young people, but will also offer adult learning and other use of the facilities for community meetings and events. For example, internet cafes at secondary schools will be available to parents, carers and the wider community.

We need to know from parents, carers, volunteer organisations and community groups what you’d like this transformation programme to achieve and, when it’s complete, how you’d like to use the facilities.

Send us an email to register your email address with us, air your views and/or be kept informed.

Achievements to date

Building schools for the future

Building schools for the future is a key part of our Southwark schools for the future programme. A significant proportion of our funding comes from this national programme.

Building schools for the future was launched by the Prime Minister in Southwark, at Sacred Heart School.

Another school in Southwark, Kingsdale Foundation School, was a pathfinder for the BSF programme and was described by the Department for Education and Skills as “Setting new standards for educational architecture”.

The funds invested in the school refurbished the entire building and created

A new sports complex
Catering suite for vocational training
Music block
Internet café

It is one of the first examples of what we want to achieve in Southwark.

Building work has also been done to improve The Academy at Peckham, The Charter School and Harris Academy, with the City of London Academy being built from scratch.

Southwark schools for the future is more than just an idea; it is a working, practical plan that is already producing results.

Improved education standards

Although this programme is about the future, the success is already happening.

Key stage 2 results for Southwark's eleven year old pupils have gone up across the board, more than national average increases, with

2% increases in maths and science
A 1% increase in English

Southwark's 14 year olds continue to get better results. Southwark is

Second of the most improved local authorities since 2002 in key stage 3 English, maths and science tests
In the top 25 most improved local authorities in the country

Key stage 3 results show

19 points improvement in the amount of pupils achieving level 5 or above in maths to 65%
15 points improvement in the amount of pupils achieving level 5 or above in English to 65%
12 points improvement in the amount of pupils achieving level 5 or above in science to 57%

Southwark's 16 year olds reached record levels of attainment in their GCSE exams, showing increases for the sixth year in a row

50% of students obtained five or more GCSEs between the grades of A* and C
This is up three percentage points from last year
The borough's results have increased by 18% over the last six years

Improved learning opportunities

The Lambeth and Southwark forums have developed innovative ways to increase learning opportunities, especially vocational learning, for 14 to 16 year olds and 16 to 19 year olds. Following inspection of this service, Southwark is now leading on two new 14 to 19 projects that the rest of the nation will follow.
Out of school learning is provided for young people from different ethnic heritages, with 39 groups funded by Southwark Council. These include supplementary schools, mother tongue schools, homework clubs and a specialist science club.
A dedicated arts team is working with schools to promote creative and artistic talent, enabling many schools to achieve the Arts Mark accreditation. Schools have strong links with local galleries and theatres, resulting in successful initiatives like the Borough and Bankside community dance project, Southwark theatres in education and the Peckham Splash performing arts events.
Three schools have achieved the Sports Mark award and more schools are taking part in the Southwark Community Games year on year.
The amount of young people not in education or training has fallen by 7% over two years, from 21% in 2002 to 14% in 2004.
Permanent exclusions have reduced almost by half, from 66 in 2003-04 to 36 in 2004-05 and more work will ensure this improvement continues.

The plan so far

Introduction

"Our pupils will be encouraged to enjoy and achieve by a building that is bright, attractive and inspirational and which is a source of pride for our local community"

This ambitious project will take time to complete. Good design will be vital for success, with buildings that look good and work well.

Our schools should be buildings that are full of light and colour, inspirational and stimulating to students, staff, visitors and the community as a whole. Each one should be unique and responsive to its surroundings.

High quality materials will ensure they are robust, sustainable and renewable. They will be

Functional and efficient (both for energy conservation and purposes)
Welcoming
Clearly laid out
Easy to supervise
Able to keep pupils safe and happy

Dry bike parks will encourage children and staff to cycle to school and the school designs will be easy to clean and maintain.

This will support a reduction in litter and vandalism, while promoting pride in and care of the learning environment.

Space will be flexible, adaptable and used for a variety of things, such as:

Areas for teaching different sized groups
Individual learning spaces
Specialist vocational courses
Leisure, play, nature and gardens
Individual or small group support
Meetings and hot desking for youth services

Initial plans

We have set out the initial plans below. An extensive project such as this requires a great deal of internal and external consultation to ensure that money is being used in a creative and innovative way.

These initial plans will undoubtedly change as the consultation progresses and the programme develops.

Changes to Walworth

1,150 current secondary school pupils at Walworth School will be offered places at the academy
The academy will still be a non-selective school for students of all abilities
New entrants will be offered places depending on how close they live to the school
Siblings of existing pupils will still have priority
60 less pupils will start each year from 2007
Once new buildings are ready the academy can open a sixth form for students up to 18 years
There will be 1,140 places in total: 900 secondary 11 to 16 students and 240 16 to 18 students
The new academy will be built on the existing upper school site

Changes to Archbishop Michael Ramsey

Archbishop Michael Ramsey Church of England School has 900 places for pupils aged 11 to 18
The academy would provide an additional 20 new places each year
The Academy would more than double its number of sixth form places, from 125 to 300
Approximately 1,200 pupils would attend the new academy

Changes to Highshore

Highshore special school currently has 120 pupils aged 11 to 16
Highshore will be upgraded and co-located with Archbishop Michael Ramsey
Places will reduce from 120 to 90
Current students will not be affected and will keep a place at Highshore
These changes are due to take place in 2010, or once the new accommodation has been built
The school would be in new accommodation on the Archbishop Michael Ramsey school site

Changes to Bredinghurst

Fifty boys between 11 and 16 currently attend Bredinghurst special school
Places will increase to 70 for both boys and girls with no boarding places
Bredinghurst will also benefit from a new build and a split location
Key stage 4 pupils will be educated on the existing Bredinghurst site
Key stage 3 pupils will be educated on the site currently occupied by Highshore
These changes will take place fully in 2011, or once the second site has been completed

Changes to Tuke

Tuke special school offers 60 places to 11 to 16 year olds
We plan to provide an extra 30 places on a new site in 2010, or after building is completed

More information about the changes to individual schools is held on the schools page.

Contact us

The Southwark schools for the future team
Tel: 020 7525 5224
ssf@southwark.gov.uk
15 Spa Road
London
SE16 3QW

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