I was very saddened to learn today that Mr Tom Waters an Officer with London Borough of Camden, who had tirelessly worked as a Project Manager "trouble shooter" for the Housing Department had died of Cancer last week.
Tom was a stalwart of the Housing Development team, he was well known for his sense of wry humour and getting involved in the sharp end of dealing with the very "real" problems that residents on the Chalcots Estate and many other estates across Camden faced. He provided his mobile number to all without question or hesitation and would personally try to sort out problems.
Whether that may have been Lifts out of service on bank holidays, security concerns or any one of a hundred or more potential problems that residents may have faced with "major capital works"
I had become to know Tom very well during the past years and had frequent chats with him; I will miss his views and unique perspective on the building industry. He was a very knowledgeable person with lots of wisdom to offer people.
Tom will be much missed by a very many people.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Primary School admissions UPDATE
Further update it is expected that more detailed information on the number of children that still require places will be made available week commencing 8th June.
It would appear that many schools have not received all the information back from the school admissions team yet. This may mean that the 133 may go up or down, lets hope down.
As soon as I get any new information I will post it here.
Reminder -- The next The Primary Admissions Working Group meeting will be Wednesday 10th June at 7pm at venue Swiss Cottage Community Centre, 19 Winchester Road, London. NW3 3NR.
It would appear that many schools have not received all the information back from the school admissions team yet. This may mean that the 133 may go up or down, lets hope down.
As soon as I get any new information I will post it here.
Reminder -- The next The Primary Admissions Working Group meeting will be Wednesday 10th June at 7pm at venue Swiss Cottage Community Centre, 19 Winchester Road, London. NW3 3NR.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Primary Admissions Working Group UPDATE
The Primary Admissions Working Group held first meeting on Wednesday 20th May at the Hampstead Town Hall Centre.
It would be inappropriate to "blog" the discussions of this meeting even before the official minute is produced and circulated to the group. This is just to say that as a active member of this "working group" that this important meeting has now taken place and that the process has started.
I hope together with other members of the "group" that we will bring about the required change to provide short-term solutions to the 133 children currently without placement and in the mid-term for the September 2010 admissions. The longer-term objective of developing a "new" primary school in the Belsize and Swiss Cottage area remains the "ultimate" aim. I certainly will focus my efforts in the order of priorities for short, mid and long-term.
The "working group" will meet again on Wednesday 10th June at 7pm, venue TBC, but I together with others have suggested that it should alternate with the Swiss Cottage Community Centre and the Hampstead Town Hall Centre so as to be seen to cover both the Hampstead and Swiss Cottage borders of Belsize.
Author: Nigel Rumble 22nd May 2009
It would be inappropriate to "blog" the discussions of this meeting even before the official minute is produced and circulated to the group. This is just to say that as a active member of this "working group" that this important meeting has now taken place and that the process has started.
I hope together with other members of the "group" that we will bring about the required change to provide short-term solutions to the 133 children currently without placement and in the mid-term for the September 2010 admissions. The longer-term objective of developing a "new" primary school in the Belsize and Swiss Cottage area remains the "ultimate" aim. I certainly will focus my efforts in the order of priorities for short, mid and long-term.
The "working group" will meet again on Wednesday 10th June at 7pm, venue TBC, but I together with others have suggested that it should alternate with the Swiss Cottage Community Centre and the Hampstead Town Hall Centre so as to be seen to cover both the Hampstead and Swiss Cottage borders of Belsize.
Author: Nigel Rumble 22nd May 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
UPDATE for the Public Meeting on Local Primary School Provision 14th May 2009
First impressions, having attended this important public debate at Swiss Cottage School.
Camden officers have together with Cllr Andrew Mennear, Executive of Schools agreed to explore the short-term options of additional temporary classrooms on the spare grounds of Fitzjohn's as suggested by Cllr Chris Philp and other local schools having sufficient grounds to accommodate extra temporary classrooms.
I managed to get some of my ideas heard, the first of using "Portacabins" style classrooms which can be assembled during the summer as a fast track "pragmatic" approach to meeting the immediate needs of the 133. The second of using parts of the large "green" spaces of the Chalcots in Belsize to build a “new” primary school. Naturally, any such scheme would require the active cooperation and consultation of all residents on the estate. This would be a more long-term solution, since consultation, planning permissions are time consuming processes.
The other very significant agreement to come out of the public meeting was that a “Working Group” would be set up to allow volunteer parents wishing to actively engage in working together with senior Camden officers to find and develop a short, mid and long term solutions at a regular “focus” group meeting to be set-up shortly.
As a parent myself amongst the 133. I know first hand how incredibly frustrating this problem is, being 31st in the waiting list for one of our preference schools!
Clearly, emotions were running high at the public meeting, for example, the one question I heard time and time again from the floor was “what are you ‘Camden’ going to do about this problem?” but everyone managed to stay well mannered and focused on the key issues.
Camden has stated that a summary of all questions asked will be circulated shortly to all attendees of this key meeting.
Author: Nigel Rumble 15th May 2009
Camden officers have together with Cllr Andrew Mennear, Executive of Schools agreed to explore the short-term options of additional temporary classrooms on the spare grounds of Fitzjohn's as suggested by Cllr Chris Philp and other local schools having sufficient grounds to accommodate extra temporary classrooms.
I managed to get some of my ideas heard, the first of using "Portacabins" style classrooms which can be assembled during the summer as a fast track "pragmatic" approach to meeting the immediate needs of the 133. The second of using parts of the large "green" spaces of the Chalcots in Belsize to build a “new” primary school. Naturally, any such scheme would require the active cooperation and consultation of all residents on the estate. This would be a more long-term solution, since consultation, planning permissions are time consuming processes.
The other very significant agreement to come out of the public meeting was that a “Working Group” would be set up to allow volunteer parents wishing to actively engage in working together with senior Camden officers to find and develop a short, mid and long term solutions at a regular “focus” group meeting to be set-up shortly.
As a parent myself amongst the 133. I know first hand how incredibly frustrating this problem is, being 31st in the waiting list for one of our preference schools!
Clearly, emotions were running high at the public meeting, for example, the one question I heard time and time again from the floor was “what are you ‘Camden’ going to do about this problem?” but everyone managed to stay well mannered and focused on the key issues.
Camden has stated that a summary of all questions asked will be circulated shortly to all attendees of this key meeting.
Author: Nigel Rumble 15th May 2009
Something to cheer all my readers and followers up
I do not normally Blog news stories unless there is some local community connection here in Belsize or Camden. But having just read an absolute corker of a story from Germany this lunchtime, I like to share this with you all!BBC News: German motorway strewn with notes
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Public Meeting on Local Primary School Provision 14th May 2009
Camden Council will be holding a public meeting on Thursday 14th May 2009 at 6.30pm at Swiss Cottage School (please note this has changed from Belsize Library).
The purpose of this vitally important meeting is to discuss ways forward in the provision of primary schools in the area, notably Belsize ward does not currently have an LEA Community school, neighbouring Swiss Cottage having only one, which is a voluntary aided CE school.
From what I have been able to find out there would appear to be around 133 "Camden" parents who have not so far been able to obtain a School offer. The waiting list for nearby schools is increasing daily; waiting lists within 2km from Belsize are around 30 and up.
I have been told by Camden School Admissions that the situation this year is very concerning and appears to be worse than previous years.
In discussions and research that I have done both as a community activist and parent I can say that the deep "credit crunch" recession and worsening economy has had a marked effect. Many of the middle to higher income families that in the past would have selected private or independent schools are now electing to apply for a Community or Voluntary Aided schools. This unplanned "shift" adding to the local placement problem.
Author: Nigel Rumble 12th May 2009
The purpose of this vitally important meeting is to discuss ways forward in the provision of primary schools in the area, notably Belsize ward does not currently have an LEA Community school, neighbouring Swiss Cottage having only one, which is a voluntary aided CE school.
From what I have been able to find out there would appear to be around 133 "Camden" parents who have not so far been able to obtain a School offer. The waiting list for nearby schools is increasing daily; waiting lists within 2km from Belsize are around 30 and up.
I have been told by Camden School Admissions that the situation this year is very concerning and appears to be worse than previous years.
In discussions and research that I have done both as a community activist and parent I can say that the deep "credit crunch" recession and worsening economy has had a marked effect. Many of the middle to higher income families that in the past would have selected private or independent schools are now electing to apply for a Community or Voluntary Aided schools. This unplanned "shift" adding to the local placement problem.
Author: Nigel Rumble 12th May 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Break or Make News for many Belsize parents this week
For many Belsize parents this week will be a "Make or Break" time of anguish to discover that the "four" choices for LEA Primary School will be turned down with a letter like the extract below taken from many Belsize parents today!
"Reception Coordination September 2009/January 2010.
I am sorry that we were unable to offer a place for childs name at any of the preferred schools listed on your application form."
Parents are being offered only shorter waiting lists for schools miles away from Belsize at Brecknock in N1, Carlton in NW5, Netley in NW1 and so on.
This is a real problem affecting more and more parents in the inner London region and most specifically here in Belsize, which like many other wards in the local area such as Swiss Cottage, does not have a LEA Primary School.
A new school is badly needed here in Belsize as I have campaigned already in the past and blogged before in November 2008. A new school for Belsize was a "key" feature of the Belsize By-election from both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Lets hope that the campaign will become a plan and progress swiftly so that a "new" school in Belsize will be built here soon in the future.
As a School Governor and a parent I understand only too well how difficult a time this is for parents on middle to lower income with no option to send your children to a private school especially here in Belsize where a large number of independent schools are ideally located, but with annual fees of around £12,000 it simply is out of reach of many parents.
Stop Press.. 7th May
Contacted the Camden School Admissions team to discuss this developing trauma for parents. They admit the situation is difficult and that this year the worst on record with the need for primary school access far overstretching demand. It would appear that yet again Belsize is very badly hit with parents requesting places in faith school doing better, especially if application to local school had received a letter from a priest of the local parish.
It would appear that parents are so keen to get a place for their children that apparent spontaneous religious conversions are taking place.
Author: Nigel Rumble
"Reception Coordination September 2009/January 2010.
I am sorry that we were unable to offer a place for childs name at any of the preferred schools listed on your application form."
Parents are being offered only shorter waiting lists for schools miles away from Belsize at Brecknock in N1, Carlton in NW5, Netley in NW1 and so on.
This is a real problem affecting more and more parents in the inner London region and most specifically here in Belsize, which like many other wards in the local area such as Swiss Cottage, does not have a LEA Primary School.
A new school is badly needed here in Belsize as I have campaigned already in the past and blogged before in November 2008. A new school for Belsize was a "key" feature of the Belsize By-election from both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Lets hope that the campaign will become a plan and progress swiftly so that a "new" school in Belsize will be built here soon in the future.
As a School Governor and a parent I understand only too well how difficult a time this is for parents on middle to lower income with no option to send your children to a private school especially here in Belsize where a large number of independent schools are ideally located, but with annual fees of around £12,000 it simply is out of reach of many parents.
Stop Press.. 7th May
Contacted the Camden School Admissions team to discuss this developing trauma for parents. They admit the situation is difficult and that this year the worst on record with the need for primary school access far overstretching demand. It would appear that yet again Belsize is very badly hit with parents requesting places in faith school doing better, especially if application to local school had received a letter from a priest of the local parish.
It would appear that parents are so keen to get a place for their children that apparent spontaneous religious conversions are taking place.
Author: Nigel Rumble
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