Belleville Primary School Expansion Debate

Letter from Peter Dawson re expansion

2010-06-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

The formal consultation closes on June 24th and it is quite important that people do respond again even if they sent in their views about the expansion into the Forthbridge Road site earlier this year

Consultation about the expansion of Belleville School Respond by June 24th The formal statutory consultation about the proposed expansion of Belleville School is underway (see link to details below) and responses should be sent to the Council by June 24th 2010. Following earlier consultation it is now proposed to permanently enlarge Belleville School by utilising the former Vines School in Forthbridge Road SW11.
Statutory Notice for Belleville Primary School Download Now here.
Even if you responded to earlier Belleville consultations it is important that you let the Council know your views about this proposal. Send your comments to Paul Robinson, Director of Children¹s Services, Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 2PU
or email: primaryexpansionconsultation@wandsworth.gov.uk

Many thanks
Peter Dawson

Latest news

2010-02-25T04:19:00.000-08:00

Click here to read all the latest info about exansion.

Consultation on proposed permanent expansion of Belleville Primary School

2010-01-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Parent/Carer

Consultation on proposed permanent expansion of Belleville Primary School

I wrote to you on 6 October outlining the exceptionally high demand for reception places in many Wandsworth Primary schools, due to the rising birth rate. The Council created temporary additional places at a number of popular and oversubscribed schools including Belleville for September 2009.

My letter outlined details of a proposal to permanently expand Belleville Primary School and invited suggestions and comments from stakeholders. The results of the consultation exercise carried out in October and December 2009 showed that a sizeable number of parents of pupils at Belleville School had major concerns about the proposals to expand Belleville School on the current site. The main objections were in regard to overcrowding of the current site, a lack of playground space, local congestion, building noise and disturbance on the current school site. The Council has responded to these concerns by amending its proposals to include the development of suitable additional accommodation on another local site and this change will address those original concerns.

Some respondents to the original consultation suggested that the Council should invest funding in improving other schools in the Battersea area. The Council has an excellent record in supporting schools and has across the Borough 20 schools rated by OFSTED as outstanding. It will of course continue to try to raise standards in all the Borough’s schools but expanding schools in other parts of Battersea will not address the demand for places in the Northcote area. The majority of parents want to be able to access their local school and addressing the demand in the Belleville/ Honeywell catchment area needs a local solution.

New Proposals for Belleville School

The Council now proposes to permanently enlarge Belleville School by creating one new form of entry (30 pupils) at a new site which will be located on the site of the former Vines School in Forthbridge Road, SW11. The site will become part of Belleville School which will operate on two sites. The current admission number for the school is 90 children and the proposed admission number will be 120, with 30 children in each year group being taught on the Forthbridge Road site. Both sites would be under the management of the existing leadership and governance at Belleville Primary School.

The building on the Forthbridge Road site is in need of refurbishment but the accommodation is suitable and generous for a one form entry school and with some remodelling will provide very good accommodation. The playground space available for the pupils will be significantly larger per pupil than at the current Belleville Road site.

As part of this proposal, if there is sufficient demand in September 2010, then an additional 30 pupils will be admitted to the reception age group. Additional temporary accommodation will be provided at the Belleville site until the permanent accommodation at the Vines site is ready in 2011

The Council welcomes views from all those with an interest in Belleville School and looks forward to receiving your comments and suggestions on the new proposals for expansion, which I hope will address the concerns raised by the earlier expansion scheme.

Yours sincerely

Bruce Glockling
BSF (Building Schools for the Future) Project Director

PARENT FORUM ON WEDNESDAY 27th JANUARY

2010-01-18T05:22:00.000-08:00

Parent Forum Wednesday 27th at 9.30 am, after School drop off in the new classroom.
It will be a great opportunity to hear about and ask questions about the new proposals for expanding Belleville, and the plans for taking on another 4th reception class next year.

Message from John Grove

2010-01-16T00:18:00.000-08:00

I have sent a newsletter that updates the situation about the proposed expansion. I hope I will be able to send out the Local Authority consultation paper early next week.bI have already offered an additional forum meeting to discuss this and any other issue and further meetings will be offered as soon as we can check diary dates.

Plans to expand Belleville site 'withdrawn'

2010-01-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

Councillor: "The physical expansion of the Belleville School buildings has been withdrawn"

Reply from Councillor Mrs. Kathy Tracey to email from parent:

Thank you for your email/memo. You will have seen from Paul Robinson’s paper that the physical expansion of the Belleville School buildings has been withdrawn from the suggested increase of primary places and replaced by the Vines School building. During the initial consultation on the expansion of Belleville School it was made clear by the present parents of pupils at Belleville School that they felt the educational opportunities for their children could be affected by the physical expansion of the school. I promised in the public meeting to listen carefully and not compromise the outstanding educational achievement of the school. If it is possible to open the Vines School site as a split site school under the governance of Belleville School I believe I will have fulfilled that promise.
In your final paragraph of the memo you talk about our other Wandsworth schools and nurturing them, I can assure you that we do. The primary places expansion has to take into account where the pupils of the future are living and if it is not possible to expand the schools in the areas they are, I believe any journey those future parents will have to make should be as easy as possible to our very best schools rather than journeys to schools to areas that serve very small communities and might have spare places because of that.
It is a long and sometimes fraught decision making process to provide sufficient primary places in the right locations. Wandsworth Council believe in a full and public consultation process and your views and those of other parents are valued. Sometimes the Council has to take strategic decisions that do not accord with the view of present users of a service however I believe in this case both present and future parents will be happy with a decision to use the vines school site if it is as I hope administratively possible.

'It is proposed to re-consult on the option to expand Belleville School from a 3FE to a 4FE school but this time based on a split site'.

2010-01-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

The following are extracts from a paper that has been put on the Council website .

Here are the extracts which I seem to confirm our feeling that The Paddock/Vines site (PHOTOS HERE) looks like the most likely option for the expansion of Belleville School:

13. PRIMARY SCHOOL PLACES
The Forum received a report (Paper No. 09-960) on the expansion of a number of primary schools in the Borough in order to meet rising demand.
Mrs. Haddon declared a non-prejudicial interest in this item as a member of the Governing Body of Alderbrook School, which it had been decided should not be expanded at the present time. She reported that the agreed expansion of Belleville School had raised concerns at Alderbrook that higher-attaining pupils might be lost to Belleville in the higher years. In reply, Councillor Mrs Tracey indicated that the details of the expansion of Belleville had yet to be decided, and that the expansion might affect only the infant classes.

New School - Former Vines site [Paddock], SW11, (Shaftesbury)

16. This site is currently occupied by the Paddock Primary School which will relocate to its new site in Putney in Summer 2010. The site could be improved and made into a 1FE mainstream school at a relatively low cost. At the same time, it would be possible to sell the former schoolkeeper’s house attached to the site. Any expansion of places is required to address the shortage of places in Northcote Ward around Belleville and Honeywell Schools, so the catchment area for this School needs to be based around one or both of these two schools. As the site is located closer to Belleville School, it is proposed to reconsult on the option to expand Belleville School from a 3FE to a 4FE school but this time based on a split site. Utilising the former Vines site in this way will address the objections to the previous expansion proposal which were based on the lack of playground space, building disturbance and local congestion. As work would be required on the current buildings to make them fit for purpose, this additional site would not be available until 2011.

PERMANENT EXPANSIONS
14. The following options for permanent expansion are proposed. More detail on each of the options is set out after the table. The costs at this stage are very round estimates and further work would be required to firm up the details proposals and the costs. At this stage, it is recommended that initial consultation is undertaken on these options.

TABLE 3
Schools Completion Date Cost £m Additional FE
Hillbrook September 2012 £4.6M 1 Form Entry
New School-Former
Vines site September 2011 £2.0M 1 Form Entry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[For info:
THE MEMBERS OF THE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S SERVICES OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE are hereby summoned to attend a MEETING of the COMMITTEE which will be held at THE TOWN HALL, WANDSWORTH HIGH STREET, LONDON, SW18 2PU (ROOM 123) on THURSDAY, 14TH JANUARY, 2010 at 7.30 p.m.
The agenda for the meeting is set out below.
G. K. JONES
Chief Executive and Director of Administration
COMMITTEE: Councillor Peter Dawson (Chairman); Councillors Mrs. Strickland,
Mrs. Dunn, Walden, Cuff, Davies, Ms Gasser, Gibbons, Mrs. V. Graham, Jacob, Knowles and Larsson.]

Councillor Dawson confirms that The Vines/Paddock site is under consideration

2009-12-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Eileen
Thank you for your letter about the proposals to expand Belleville School.
First can I confirm that I formally presented the petition from parents that you gave me at the November Belleville meeting at the Council meeting yesterday evening though as you are probably aware it was referred to in the supplementary report to the Council's Executive at their meeting on November 23rd.
Further I want to assure you that all the various submissions from current parents, prospective parents and other local residents; the comments at the meeting with parents in November and the response from the school governors are being considered very seriously by the Council before it reaches any conclusions. In the meantime the Council's Executive has asked officers to continue working not just on the feasibility of expanding the school but to look also at possible alternatives that could provide additional places in this area including the use of the school in Forthbridge Road (formerly The Vines which is being used on a temporary basis this year by Paddock school). I would hope that the outcome of this further work will be available fairly early in the new year.
Thank you again for letting me know your views.
With kind regards,
Peter Dawson
Councillor Northcote Ward Battersea
Tel 020 7223 7542

The Paddock/Vines option is still under consideration

2009-12-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

Our sources have suggested that while the expansion of the existing Belleville site isn't being ruled out, the Paddock/Vines site is indeed being examined, although there needs to be a feasibilty study of some kind.
Should the Paddock option be chosen it seems likely that Mr Grove would be involved, but a variety of logistical problems would need to be overcome first (assuming the site is big enough). For example, should there be a new single form entry mini school, or should years 5 & 6 occupy the new site? How would parents/carers cope if they had children at both sites. What, if any, alterations would need to be done, and how much would they cost? Would parents be happy to send their children to the new school?

Two recent letters from parents to council

2009-12-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Sirs,

I have been keeping up to date with the proposed expansion & attended the initial pre-consultation meeting at Belleville School on Nov 2nd.

The issues that I share with many parents & my personal insights into this are as follows:

The initial plans that we were shown have been ill thought through with regards to the access, safety of the children at the school.
No matter how big the demands of the community, the children who are already attending the school come first.
Adding 150 children to the school will not be enough to satisfy demand. A new primary school in a new location is the only realistic solution.
The school is already at capacity in the playgrounds & common areas – No amount oof time scheduling will alleviate another 150 children, parents & teachers.
There are already detailed case studies that illustrate how 'super sized' schools can affect children's well being & learning capabilities.
Adding lifts into the school will not make it more desirable, just that it will make children less active.
The proposed playground space per child will decrease – these spaces are already overrcrowded.
No amount of safe guards or financial penalties will be enough to 100% guarantee the health & safety concerns on the actual building works. Major issues over dust, noise pollution, objects falling into the playground + adjacent occupied classrooms will be subjected to major disruption too.
Contractors rarely deliver on time even with financial penalties in place.
Long term strategies cannot be allowed to happen if our children suffer in the short term - this is not a simple cost / benefit scenario – Our children have to come first. This is non-negotiable.

My conclusion is that I cannot support the expansion of Belleville School & I would like this email to go on the record to that effect.

Geoff Smith
Digital Director, Catalogue
EMI Music
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Mr Dawson,

My name is Eileen Kiernan and I am a parent of two Children at Belleville School. I have been very active in the consultation and voting process regarding the permanent expansion of Belleville School.

As you know, there is much evidence to suggest that Belleville School is not the only option and certainly not the best option that Wandsworth has to supply spaces for children in September 2010. There are many empty spaces around the borough and also a [soon to be] empty school (Forthbridge Road, SW11) waiting to be filled and transformed.

Belleville parents and registered voters will want to know how their Council Members voted in regards to the permanent expansion of Belleville School. A vote for expansion will disrupt the education of hundreds of children, decrease the outdoor space they have and make Belleville School the most densely populated primary school in the country.

The Council’s short-term focus on education will have a drastic effect on the entire borough. Wandsworth Schools will continue to lose students, and therefore funding, to Belleville School. This will create a massive imbalance in the educational opportunities for children across the borough.

I implore you to make a difficult decision to vote against the expansion of Belleville School.
All schools need funding and nurturing…a strong Head to lead, funding to recruit outstanding teachers and government support to improve facilities. This funding can only be obtained if enrolment stays high and the current government creates equal opportunities for all schools and therefore all children.

Thank you for your consideration,

Eileen Kiernan, Parent

Small primary school tops league table

2009-12-03T00:02:00.001-08:00

Read about it here

Wandsworth Council to receive money for primary places

2009-12-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

[This is an interesting development and it's hard to know how this might affect the proposed expansion. Taken from: http://www.martinlinton.org.uk/ ]

.... Wandsworth has received the third highest allocation of funds from the Department for Children, Schools and Families for the provision of primary school places. Nearly eighteen million (£17,902,000) has been allocated by the Government to create sufficient primary school places in Wandsworth.

This money is very welcome support from the Government due to the shortage of primary school places. Former school sites such as John Milton, Ehelburga, Joseph Tritton and The Vines have been sold off by Wandsworth Council which has contributed to the shortage of school places. This deficit is worrying with the growing population of children entering primary school in Wandsworth.

At the time of Wandsworth’s closure Martin Linton gave evidence against the closure of John Milton school in 2004, predicting that Wandsworth would need additional school places in the near future. His prediction has been proven right.

The Government has made these funds available as it became apparent that local authorities needed not only more money but larger flexibility in its application criteria. It is now the responsibility of the Wandsworth Council to appropriately maximise these funds for the thousands of families in Wandsworth in need of primary school places.

Wandsworth Borough Council update on expansion for Belleville

2009-11-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

Read it here

Teachers' view on expansion

2009-11-26T00:05:00.001-08:00

The teaching staff at Belleville are said to be positive about the proposed expansion. They say that they would be happy to offer a good education to more children in the area and feel that the logistical problems could be overcome, as has happened when the school expanded in the past.

Paddock School - more info

2009-11-20T03:58:00.000-08:00

The following are extracts taken from Wandsworth consultation document:
"Full proposal for the prescribed alteration to Greenmead, Linden Lodge and Paddock Schools."

Paddock School
Paddock School’s primary department is temporarily located at Forthbridge Road, SW11,whilst its future site at St Margaret’s Crescent, SW15, is undergoing refurbishment.These works are due to complete in December 2009. Work on the additional classroomwill start immediately on completion of the refurbishment. It is anticipated that the primary department will relocate to their new site for September 2010.
*********
There is currently a major redevelopment programme taking place for Paddock School. Once this is complete the primary department will be permanently located at St Margaret’s Crescent next to Greenmead School. The secondary department at Priory Lane is also being refurbished.
*********
Expansion of capacity
Some respondents from Paddock were concerned about the possibility of over-crowding following the increase in capacity. Prior to the current redevelopment the single site of Paddock School was cramped and presented challenges in dealing with the mix of age groups. The school is now split over 2 sites and once the building works have been completed will be in accommodation which has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the children. Funding for an additional classroom at the primary department has been agreed to extend the nursery as there is pressure on primary placements.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of the above should mean that the Forthbridge Road site should be empty at the end of the summer term 2010. Would this give the council enough time to turn it in to a new primary school that might satisfy the demand for primary school places in the Northcote Ward? One might speculate that saving £6.72 million by not expanding Belleville should leave plenty of scope for the development of a new school, or even one run as a new wing of Belleville, although it's possible that the site may have been earmarked for a different use or for selling off.

Read/download the full council report here

Telegraph article about Supersize Primary Schools

2009-11-19T22:49:00.000-08:00

The Daily Telegraph article mentions Belleville School. Read it here.

Belleville School Expansion: Questions from Concerned Parents

2009-11-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

A group of concerned parents have drawn up a document of questions and concerns regarding the proposal to permanently expand Belleville Primary School from a three form entry to a four form entry. The document examines the rationale for Belleville, the overall Wandsworth wide strategy, the benefits versus costs, research on the issue of size of primary schools and the funding issue. It has been made available to the School Governors and to Wandsworth Council. You can access it here

Summary of Council's proposal for expansion

2009-11-19T09:07:00.000-08:00

SUMMARY
Advantages of Option 1.
1. All accommodation is kept within or extended from the footprint of the existing main building which maximises the outside play area. This is an important consideration for the school especially as the number of children using the play area will be increasing.
Disadvantages of Option 1.
1. The site levels mean the existing building steps down in two places. The major extension work would make it necessary to improve accessibility which is complicated. Three new lifts have been allowed for which improves access for wheelchair users but do not make the building fully compliant. Zones of the building will be fully accessible but connecting these zones is not practical without severe disruption to the building.
The access strategy would need to be discussed with the school and a careful management plan implemented.
2. The existing WC facilities would be demolished at the main extension through the school house end. Therefore temporary WC accommodation would need to be provided throughout the works.
3. The school house would be demolished. A new school house could be built near the demolished nursery in line with the existing terraced housing. This has not been allowed for in the cost.

CONCLUSION
Option 1 satisfies the brief, increasing accommodation and improving some existing fabric whilst maintaining loss of playground. It is the most compact solution to a difficult site.

Click here to download the above as well as the Architectural, Mechanical and Electrical consultants' comments

Paddock School photos

2009-11-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

The Paddock School on Forthbridge Rd (backing on to the brilliantly named Meteor Rd) is being talked of as another option that Wandsworth Council are looking at.

It seems from the Council's consultation document that there are plans to move the pupils to a different site: "There is currently a major redevelopment programme taking place for Paddock School.
Once this is complete the primary department will be permanently located at St Margaret’s Crescent next to Greenmead School. "
This would seem to leave the council with an empty school on its hands, possibly providing an alternative to the expansion of Belleville School.
Could this be good news for those against the expansion plans? It would seem on the face of it to offer a solution to the immediate shortage of suitable school places in the area, although those seeking to share the Belleville experience would be putting their faith in a new school. Would there be a possibility of Belleville School and/or its head being involved in the new school were it to be created?
As a single story construction one would imagine that the school could easily be enlarged to increase capacity if necessary.
And rumour has it, this is becoming a more viable option for the council.

Leave your comments by clicking on the header above, and filling in the box.

The comment below was posted by me but not written by me - Jim

Another letter to Governors from parent

2009-11-15T22:56:00.000-08:00

To: Sue Harris, Chairman of the Governors, Belleville School
As a parent and a local resident I am writing to express my concern at the proposed plans for expansion of Belleville School. Whilst I appreciate the need to address the pressure on primary school places in the local area, I am concerned that there does not appear to have been effort put into developing an integrated plan involving numbers of schools across Wandsworth. Instead, putting all investment money into expanding a single school in a property hotspot will largely benefit a few wealthier residents at the expense of other schools in the area.

Secondary Schooling

The most significant problem in education provision is the lack of secondary school places. Those parents with children leaving primary education have two choices; put their children into private education or leave the area.
Providing more primary places does not address this issue, and spending significant capital sums on further provision of primary places will result in fewer funds and opportunities to develop secondary provision.

Demographic

The recent November 3rd meeting at Belleville to discuss the expansion plans, the issue of the rising birthrate was discussed. This was presented as a demographic issue, whereas what is being seen is the influx of couples or young families into the ‘between the commons’ area, rather than a statistical quirk. The Ofsted success of Belleville is clearly a factor in driving demand for property, with demand driving up property prices in the area.
As a result of these pressures, the catchment radius was presented as a few hundred yards. If the radius is 400 yards, then increasing to a four form entry will increase the catchment radius to at best 500 yards. The marketing power of this ‘super primary’ will further attract young families, which will:

1) erode the margin gained , driving back the catchment radius
2) Ensure that the Belleville parent profile becomes increasingly narrow and self selecting to those wealthy enough to be able to afford the £1M+ properties.

As the secondary school provision is non-existent, this increased number of Belleville parents will still be forced to send their children to private schools or leave the area as their children near secondary school age.

Other Options

Whilst it is legitimate to at least consider some expansion of Belleville as part of a plan to address primary education in the Wandsworth and Clapham Common areas, the weakness of the proposed plan is that this is the only option being considered.
The pressure on places is highly localised. For instance, Wix’s Junior School Reception is undersubscribed. Surely a more cost effective, balanced and equitable plan could deploy some of the successful teaching practices and staff that have driven the success of Belleville into other schools in the area area, raising the standard of educational attainment in the area as a whole and ensuring that a wider cross section of children can benefit from improved educational standards, rather than just those who can afford properties between the commons.

In summary, this is a weak plan for the following reasons:

1. Belleville Catchment Radius gains will be modest, and at least partially self defeating as demand will be further escalated, increasing pressure on places and driving the radius back down.
2. The investment of £6M will only benefit those wealthy enough to afford expensive housing in the immediate area.
3. It will not address the secondary school, issue, and indeed exacerbate it, as more primary school children will be left without state secondary education places, driving their families out.

John Simpson, Parent of Children in 3C and 1VB

Letter from parents to the Governors

2009-11-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

We are writing to you because, unfortunately, neither I nor my partner Judith will be able to attend your open session on Monday and we wanted to have the opportunity to register our view. We are parents of a child in year 2 and hope that our daughter will follow him in the future.

On balance, we support the plans to expand Belleville. We are extremely fortunate to have Belleville in our community. We should consider not just the needs of children currently at Belleville, but also of those children who are currently denied places because they do not live quite close enough. We believe that children should have the opportunity to be educated in their local school. That is not currently possible for all children living in our area, given Belleville’s and Honeywell’s popularity and the demand for places. The expansion will clearly allow more local children to go to their neighbourhood school.

That said, we very much sympathise with the concerns of parents about the potential impact of the expansion on the quality of education at the school in the long-term as well as the potential short-term impact of the building works. We do not believe that enough has been done to explain how the quality of education currently provided will be maintained. Parents are being asked to take too much on faith.

There are very few primary schools in the UK of more than 800 pupils (according to a Parliamentary answer on 29 October 14,127 pupils are currently studying in primary schools of more than 800 pupils, i.e. at most, there are 17 schools of this size in the UK). If you move on to the next stage of consultation, which we hope you do, it would be helpful to look in detail at the evidence on impact on quality of education in these schools. It would also be helpful to set out much more clearly the plans for continuing to deliver a high quality education at Belleville. Currently, these appear very sketchy. We would welcome a commitment from you and the Local Authority to reconsider the expansion plans, should such evidence show there is a detrimental impact on quality of education in schools of this size.

Peter Holland & Judith Kent

Addendum to report by the Director of Children’s Services on the provision of Primary School Places

2009-11-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

The consultation period for the proposed expansion schemes at Beatrix Potter School, SW18 (Wandsworth Common) has been extended to 16th November 2009, to allow more time for comments and response in light of the recent postal strikes. At the request of both parents and governors the consultation period for the proposed expansion scheme at Belleville School, SW11 (Northcote) has been extended to the 20th November 2009 to allow for full consultation. An update on the current position for both schools is summarised in this addendum report.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. This report is submitted to the Children and Young People’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for information. No decisions are required to be made on it by the Council, the Executive or the regulatory and other committees.

2. However, if the Children and Young People’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee decides that recommendations on it need to be made, these will be submitted to the Executive and/or appropriate regulatory and other Committees for consideration.

UPDATE TO CONSULTATION RESPONSES

3. PA3 (Earlsfield). A total of 45 responses to the consultation have been received to date for Beatrix Potter School, SW18 (Wandsworth Common). Responses continue to show a large majority in favour of the expansion. Of these respondents, 41 are parents and four are staff. A number of respondents have raised concerns about the school’s catchment area, available play space and possible disruption to the school during the building works. This will be addressed as part of the building development process.

4. PA4B. (Balham and Northcote). Following a request for more information on the proposals, a question and answer sheet on the Council’s proposals to expand Belleville School, SW11 (Northcote) was distributed to all parents at the school prior to the October half-term holiday. A consultation meeting for parents, staff and governors was held at Belleville Primary School on 2nd November 2009. The proposals were explained in more detail and attendees had an opportunity to put forward their views on the proposed expansion scheme. The Council has also shared its feasibility studies with parents and stakeholders by ensuring that links to these studies have been posted on both the Belleville Primary School and Council websites. The main concerns raised by parents were about disruption caused by the building works, the impact on playspace of the both the works and the additional number of children and the organisational difficulties of a very large primary school. A number of respondents queried the possibility of expanding alternative schools nearby, or building a completely new school instead.

5. Following this meeting the governors plan to hold an ‘open day’ on 16th November 2009 to give parents an opportunity to meet the governing body and discuss the proposal. The Governors will then hold a governing body meeting and submit their response.

6. In addition to these meetings the School has been holding meetings for prospective admissions in 2010. These meetings have demonstrated that there remains a buoyant demand for a 4FE school. While 4FE primary schools are uncommon there are sufficient to show that schools of this size can work well but concerns regarding the practicality of operating a school of this size on the Belleville site remain. The consultation needs to be completed and further feasibility studies undertaken on both the building scheme and the future operational arrangements prior to any recommendations being made on whether to publish a notice for the expansions of the School. In addition, further consideration will be given to possible alternatives to provide additional places in the area.

CONCLUSION

7. In the light of increasing demand for school places it will be necessary to ensure that there are sufficient additional places to meet this demand. Further work on the options for Belleville and the surrounding area will be undertaken before making recommendations on any expansion scheme

PAUL ROBINSON (Director of Children’s Services)

Minutes of 2nd Nov meeting with council

2009-11-12T09:29:00.000-08:00

Read them here

Letter from Chair of Governors Sue Harries

2009-11-12T09:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Parent
As governors, we are facing one of the biggest decisions we will ever be asked to make about the future of Belleville – should we become a four-form entry primary school? As a long-standing governor and parent of children who attended Belleville school, I remember when Belleville was not as well run as it is today and parents in the local area were not selecting Belleville as their first choice primary school for their child. It is because of the achievements and improvements that Belleville has made over the past 10 years, that we find ourselves in a position where we are being asked if we can offer more children the opportunity of a first-class primary education. Notwithstanding the physical and logistical practicalities of expanding the school, the view of the governing body, Head teacher and staff is that every child educated at Belleville will be assured of the best possible start in life and this is something that we find difficult to deny to future children and their families if there is a genuine, growing need for more places. We are aware that many parents have raised a number of questions about the decision making process and the value of parent's input into it. In response to this, the governors are inviting parents, staff and prospective parents to have their say on Monday 16th November from 2.30pm to 8pm. During the afternoon and evening, governors will be in the new classroom pod in the ex staff car park to listen to all the your views about the proposal to expand Belleville. You will also be asked to fill in a questionnaire prepared by governors which will be reviewed by us in addition to the formal responses many people have already sent to the Council. We hope that we will be able to answer your questions but where not, we will seek to ensure that they are put to the Council for a response. In making our final decision on whether we can support the principle of expanding the school, the views of the head teacher, staff and parents will be taken into consideration by the governing body. We will meet to discuss the comments that we will have received and be seeking to make a final decision on whether the proposal is supported. This governors meeting will take place on Thursday 19th November. The decision that will be made at this meeting is whether the school will proceed to the next stage of the consultation process or not. It is important to understand that this decision would be the first stage in the consultation process. Following this, there will be a further stage of consultation on the detail of the changes to the school buildings as well as a formal consultation run by the local authority as part of the planning application process. At every stage, the governors will ensure that parents and staff are listened to as part of the process. Further information is available on the school's website, including details of how to contact the governing body and questions and answers about the proposal. A copy of our questionnaire will soon be available to download if you are unable to drop in next Monday. We look forward to seeing you on Monday 16th.

Architects' Plans

2009-11-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

Download them here

The council's Feasibility Study

2009-11-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

Download it here

Council answers some questions

2009-11-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

Belleville School - Reasons for Proposals

1. When did the Council identify the need for additional primary school places? Why has the Council chosen Belleville School for expansion? Have alternative schools been considered? Why is a new school not being built?

The Council has been monitoring demand for primary places over a number of years with particular regard to the increase in the birth rate, which has risen significantly since 2006. The rising trend in births is expected to continue. In the light of demand for Reception places, the Council approved proposals to add primary school places at some schools for September 2009, including Belleville.
A study has indicated that it would be feasible to extend the main Belleville school building onto the car park area and into the area occupied by the school keeper’s house, without loss of playground.
The investment in the school would be in the region of £6million and would offer considerable benefits to school facilities. Consultation is also taking place on proposals to add additional places at Beatrix Potter School in Earlsfield, Hotham School in Putney and St Michaels CE School in Southfields. Further proposals are
being discussed with other schools across the Borough. There is demand in the area to justify the addition of 1 form of entry at a local school.

2. Will the expansion just create more demand at Belleville and not actually reduce waiting lists? Will the expansion go all the way through the school to Year 6?

There is already significant demand for places at Belleville and applications for Reception places far exceed the capacity of the school. These are new places so they will enable more pupils to find a place at their preferred school.
The proposals would mean that the school would admit an additional 30 pupils in each year group and expand from its current capacity of 630 to 840 pupils over a period of seven years. The additional pupils will only be admitted at Reception age.

3. How will the expansion benefit Belleville?

The school could benefit from the addition of substantial new and remodelled facilities including:
• nine new classrooms
• a brand new integrated nursery class, and associated facilities;
• significantly more toilets, which will be modern and well equipped and available on each floor;
• additional support spaces;
• a double height multi purpose hall;
• improved external facilities;
• lifts will provide access both in the Victorian and new building.
There will be additional funding that will go directly to the school in the light of the increase in pupil numbers. This will provide the school with additional resources for teaching, learning, ICT and general support. The school will have more money to recruit good teachers. There will be good quality facilities to enable the school to cater for all needs.

The Consultation Process

4. Can the consultation and approval process for the expansion be outlined? Why has moredetail not been given at this stage? More information is needed, for example, the feasibility study

It is necessary to go through a statutory consultation process for any school expansion. The Council is keen to hear views on its proposals from anyone with an interest in Belleville School. The Council decided to consult on the proposals for Belleville School at the end of September 2009.
The consultation period was due to end on 27th October, but this has now been extended to 16th November to take account of parents’ views and enable the proposals to be considered at the Council’s Executive on 23rd November. The Executive will decide whether to:

a. publish a notice for the proposed expansion at Belleville School;
b. undertake further consultation;
c. or not to proceed.

Should the decision be taken to publish a statutory notice setting out the Council’s detailed proposals, there will then be a four week period after publication for comments and objections to be made to the Director of Children’s Services. The Council’s Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee will review the comments. A final decision will be made by the Council’s Executive on
whether to approve the proposals.
The feasibility study demonstrates that the proposed expansion at Belleville is feasible and workable but detailed plans will need to be developed during the next stage, once the principle of expanding the school has been agreed.

The Building Works

5. What exactly are the proposals?

The Council proposes to permanently enlarge the physical capacity of the school to accommodate extra pupils. Thirty pupils would be added to the reception year group each year. The current admission number for the school is 90, and the proposed admission number will be 120.
The proposal includes the following new accommodation:

1. a new double height multi-purpose hall of 120m², with an adjacent dining hall of 62m². The two halls can be used together to form a dining hall of 180m² or separately. This will be in addition to the three existing halls;
2. nine new classrooms;
3. a new nursery class;
4. new modern toilets
5. support rooms;
6. three lifts two in the new building and one in the existing building;
7. a multi use games area and other external improvements
8. a new kitchen.

There would be minimal closure of facilities. The approved contractor would have an area outside the proposed building for a construction compound. Additional playground space will become available with the demolition of the existing nursery building.

6. What temporary accommodation will there be and how long will it be needed for?

Initially, additional suitable temporary classrooms will be provided to accommodate the extra pupils, until new permanent accommodation is ready in 2012. The extent of the temporary accommodation will depend on the exact final scheme but at present it is expected that 4 temporary classrooms will be needed.

7. How will the scheme be Project Managed?

A Project Manager in the Council’s Children’s Services Department will work with the appointed Design Team, the contractor and the school to manage the building work at every stage. Whilst we will ensure that there will be full support from the Council, it is recognised that building works can impact on a Headteacher’s time. The school already has an organisational structure to ensure that the school’s focus remains on teaching and learning. This will continue to be the main priority for the
Headteacher.

8. How long will the building works last?

The draft programme has construction starting in June 2011 with two building phases. The first will be complete in September 2012, and the second phase in 2013.

Health & Safety

9. What assurances can the Council give about the Health and Safety of the children during the building works?

The building works will be carried out in accordance with the statutory regulations. The construction area will be kept separate at all times. The school will review and consult on procedures for managing the start and end of day. An additional entrance will be opened from November 2009 to help improve picking up and dropping off arrangements. As part of the planning application the school will need to work with the Council to prepare a travel assessment and a ‘green travel plan’. Parents will be encouraged to take a full part in this process. The Headteacher and the Council will take ultimate responsibility for Health and Safety at all times.

Impact on Existing Resources

10. How will the school manage the additional pupils? For example lunchtimes, playtimes, timing of the school day.

The proposal will provide an additional dining hall of 182 m². The school will ensure that lunch times and playtimes are phased. Additional staff will be employed to help manage pupils.

11. How will the expansion affect the culture of the school?

Belleville School has grown and improved over the years. It thrives as a large, vibrant and ambitious school. There is a strong emphasis on the quality of teaching and learning. Children, parents and staff enjoy life at Belleville School.

12. How will the excellent educational standards at the school be maintained?

Belleville School is an outstanding school and has been praised for outstanding leadership and vision by HMI in October 2009. Standards at the school are significantly above the national average in all areas. Previous growth at the school has had a beneficial effect on teaching and learning. The school will be able to broaden the curriculum offer using the resources that will come with the additional
pupils. This will include resources for pastoral care and support of all children to meet their needs.

13. What about secondary school places?

The Council’s Building Schools for the Future plans will provide sufficient secondary school places for the next decade.

Outdoor Space

14. How will the works affect the school’s outdoor space?

The impact on existing outdoor space will not be significant. The existing nursery building will be demolished, adding to playground space. Although new buildings will take up some space, overall area will not change. It is expected that the school will have to phase playtimes to manage the additional children. There will be increased opportunities for indoor and outdoor recreation with the new games and multi purpose hall.

Funding

15. How will the expansion be funded?

The main source of funding for these expansion schemes is expected to come from Government grant funding.

Labour councillor talks about Belleville expansion

2009-11-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

Read it here

Letter from a parent group to council & governors

2009-11-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

2 November 2009

Attention: Council Members, School Governors and Decision Makers for Belleville School

Regarding: The permanent expansion of Belleville School

From: Parents

To Whom It May Concern,

We support and encourage the continued transparency of the consultation and voting process in regard to the permanent expansion of Belleville School.

The enclosed petition was drafted by concerned parents in response to the Council’s ‘Consultation on proposed permanent expansion of Belleville Primary School’ letter given to parents on October 6, 2009.

For many parents, this was the first point of inclusion to the proposed expansion and it was felt that there was insufficient information to base a decision either in support for or against expansion of Belleville School. It was also felt that the consultation process did not allow adequate time to consult fully with the wider parent community, nor did it deliver the level of transparency appropriate for such a major decision.

The signatures were obtained in the playground and therefore may not include many of the working parents. This significant number of signatures obtained over a short period of time demonstrates the high level of concern regarding the disruption and viability of school expansion.

The petition represents 236 Belleville parents
The petition represents 387 Belleville children

The Council has yet to offer parents evidence that by expanding Belleville School to the extent of being the most densely populated primary school in the country, that Belleville School will be able to maintain or enhance our children’s current level of education.

For the next three years, hundreds of children at a very critical stage in their development and learning will be striving to achieve in a major building site, some housed in temporary classrooms.

There is a real possibility that current and future students will suffer at the Council's proposed expansion of Belleville to four-form entry.

We hope that once the council has presented its case for expansion that it will encourage a secret ballot vote of all parents and staff before the governor’s vote.

Yours sincerely

Eileen Kiernan
Parent

Questions from concerned parent to Bruce Glockling - pre meeting

2009-11-02T23:41:00.000-08:00

[Some of these questions were dealt with or at least touched on at the meeting of 2nd Nov]

QUESTIONS CONCERNING PROPOSED EXPANSION OF BELLEVILLE

Outdoor space
1. What is the current average play space per pupil (total outdoor play area in square metres divided by number of pupils).
2. What is the predicted average play space per pupil during the expansion works (with reference to temporary accommodation, see below).
3. What is the predicted average play space per pupil after the expansion and all related work is completed.
4. Is there a recommended average play space per pupil nationally, or, if not, what does the Council regard as an appropriate amount?

Health & Safety
5. What Health & Safety advice has the School/Council received about the impact of the expansion on health and safety for children (1) in the playground (2) at mealtime (3) at drop off and collect (particularly given the likely increased traffic) (4) hygiene and access to appropriate toilet/hand-washing facilities (5) evacuation in the event of an emergency.
6. What is the Health & Safety assessment of the dangers to the children of the building works themselves.

Impact of the building work
7. What temporary accommodation will be required during the building works?
8. How long will it be needed for, and where will it be sited.
9. Will any existing resource be lost during the building works (eg temporary closure of outdoor space or other facilities)?
10. Which school staff will be diverted from their existing duties to project manage the building works? Or will a full-time project manager be appointed?
11. How long will the works go on for? Presumably they will not be full-time 2010-2013? Could you share the project plan with us?
12. What is the Council’s assessment of the impact of the works on the local community?

Impact on existing resources/provision
13. Will there be any loss to children at the school of other resources either during the building works or afterwards? Eg art room, IT suite, library, access to after-school clubs/extra-curricular activities and/or wrap-around care facilities etc
14. How does the school propose to deal with seating the additional pupils during lunchtimes (I understand lunchtime already starts at 11.30am in order to accommodate everyone)?
15. How does the school propose to address management and running of year-wide or school-wide events in light of the additional number of pupils? E.g. assemblies, school plays, as well as PTA run events such as the various fetes/fayres
16. What is the Council and the Schools’ assessment of the impact of the expansion on the culture of the school?
17. Is it proposed in the future to prevent parents from entering the playground at drop-off/collect and using the opportunity to talk to staff?
18. If not, how will the school manage the additional number of parents/carers/siblings at drop off and collect whilst retaining the valued opportunity to talk to staff etc?
19. How will the proposed changes impact the class size and attention given in Year 6, where we understand the existing three forms are divided into 4 classes? What will be the consequential impact on career advice and support provided to children and parents?
20. How will the proposed changes (both during the building work and after) impact on the timing of the school day, bearing in mind that many parents may have siblings at other pre-schools or schools?
21. How will the school administration manage the additional communication and associated impact of 180 children?

Funding
22. Will the expansion be fully funded by the Government/Council?
23. What is the likely level of funding and how is this being allocated?
24. Does the Government/Council have a requirement to allocate a budget in this financial year and is that driving a particular timetable?
25. Of the funding to be received, what benefits will the school/pupils see beyond the additional classrooms? For example, will some of the funding be used to improve/replace existing provision, or will there be additional indoor communal space?
26. Will there be funding for additional teaching resources, IT, clubs, playground and lunchtime assistance or office administration?

Alternative options
27. What alternative options has the Council considered for providing the additional places needed in the Borough?
28. In particular, has the Council considered improving/expanding Alderbrook, Wixs Lane or Highview Primaries, and what were the pros and cons in each case? And has the Council considered building a new school?
29. What is the average site size per pupil (total site in square metres divided by number of current pupils) of each of Belleville, Alderbrook, Wixs Lane and Highview?
30. What is the current (09-10 reception intake) catchment area in square metres of Belleville, Alderbrook, Wixs Lane and Highview.
31. Overall, why is it that Belleville has been chosen for expansion rather than pursuing any of the other options?
32. When did the Council first realise that additional primary school places would be needed from 09/10 onwards?
33. Could this demand have been anticipated by an analysis of the trends of births in the Borough?

Reply from Peter Dawson about size/density issues

2009-11-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

Further to your earlier email which asked: 'My main concern is the fact that you are planning to squeeze 840 pupils into an area that is, according to government guidelines, only fit for 379 pupils. This is based on figures from 'The Briefing Framework for Primary School Projects - Incorporating primary school revisions to BB82: Area guideline to schools', I thought the following information that I have been sent by Council officers might be helpful.

With regards to the specific points raised, the area guidelines of BB82 have in fact been superseded by the BB99 guidelines. There will be significant improvements in building area.

The current area is 3029m2 for 655 pupils i.e 4.6m2 per pupil.
The proposed is 4140m2 for 865 pupils or 4.8m2 per pupil.
These will meet the recommended gross area for 865 pupils.

I have summarised the additional accommodation proposed below:

New multi-purpose double height hall 120m2
Additional single storey dining hall 62 m2
New Kitchen 97m2
New Nursery class 108m2
7 classrooms each at 63m2
2 multi-use classrooms each at 63m2
2 small group rooms each at 15m2

Though the external area will be below the requirements for a 4FE school this is not uncommon for many schools in London.

One parent's question

2009-11-01T14:54:00.001-08:00

"There is a convincing body of research evidence from the UK and US that large schools do not provide the positive learning environments that mid-size schools do or the wellbeing outcomes and at least 2 studies show that the quality of the school environment is crucial to performance in standardised tests. Has your feasibility study concluded that expansion as proposed will not adversely affect standards of achievement or pupil well-being either during the building phase between 2011 and 2013 or thereafter. If so - What supporting evidence do you have for this conclusion - or is it simply blind hope."

Report by the Director of Children’s Services on the proposals to provide additional Primary School Places

2009-10-30T01:28:00.001-07:00

Read it here

Letter from John Grove

2009-10-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Parent /Carer,

Re: Consultation regarding permanent expansion of Belleville Primary School

I wrote to you recently about Wandsworth’s proposal that Belleville expands to four form entry. This has generated a good level of debate among parents and carers. A number of you have also spoken with, emailed and/or attended meetings with me.

As headteacher I want to ensure you are fully informed of developments. Many issues have been raised. Several people have raised the following three issues:

o the amount of information available,
o the time scale for consultation,
o when will governors take a view.

I have, therefore, tried to address each of these issues. I have raised these issues on your behalf with representatives of Wandsworth Council and they have agreed to hold a meeting for parents/carers, staff and governors on Monday 2nd November at 6:30 pm at Belleville School. In attendance at this meeting will be:

o Councillor Tracey - Cabinet Member for Children & Young People's Services; Lead Member for Children's Services
o Councillor Dawson - Northcote Ward; Chairman of Children & Young People's Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
o Adrian Butler - Assistant Director (Planning and Resources)
o Bruce Glockling - Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Project Director
o Bernard Burke - Principal Development Officer

It is hoped that these people will be able to answer your questions and address your concerns.

As a meeting has been organised for 2nd November, the Local Authority has also agreed to extend the consultation period until 9th November 2009.

The governing body has similarly agreed to wait until after the meeting on 2nd November before taking a decision as to whether to back the Council’s proposal.

Yours,

John Grove

Petition latest

2009-10-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

236 Number of parents who signed the petition
387 Number of children represented on the petition

These signatures were obtained in a fairly short space of time. Working parents not approached.

Government Guidelines

2009-10-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

Read the guidelines here (takes time to download so be patient)

Article in the Daily Mail online

2009-10-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

Read it here

Article in the Times

2009-10-29T06:38:00.001-07:00

To read it click here

Research from the US on school size

2009-10-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

Click here for research from the US on school size

Letter from parent to council - against expansion

2009-10-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

To: Bruce Glocking

Re the proposed expansion of Belleville School:
I am the parent of two children at Belleville School and I am extremely concerned by the proposed expansion.
In your consultation Q & A sheet you say that your proposals would 'enable more pupils to find a place that their preferred school', but I believe that if you implement your proposals there would be a very real danger that Belleville School would no longer be the school of choice for local people.
My main concern is the fact that you are planning to squeeze 840 pupils into an area that is, according to government guidelines, only fit for 379 pupils. This is based on figures from 'The Briefing Framework for Primary School Projects - Incorporating primary school revisions to BB82: Area guideline to schools' [calculations attached to this email].

The fact that the figure of 379 is so far removed from the figure of 840 is a genuine cause for concern. I am concerned that what you are planning is really an experiment based on little more than a need to solve a problem as quickly and cheaply as possible without due diligence and transparency.

Can you tell me of any other successful primary schools in the UK that have such a high density of pupils as that which you propose?
I have heard that you have looked at very large primary schools in Singapore but, according to a Belleville parent with knowledge of these schools, they are new builds with a much lower density than the 'super-school' proposed for Belleville, built away from busy urban centres. Also, Singapore is a culturally and socially very different from the UK. We would like to know of any like-for-like comparisons that are run successfully, in the UK.

It may be that you believe you aim to serve the community by allowing more families the benefit of the excellent schooling that Belleville provides. But is it not likely that in creating a giant overcrowded school you face the real possibility that you harm the very things that make Belleville such a popular and successful school in the first place? And if Belleville suddenly becomes under-subscribed as local parents go down the private school route or move away (as many are threatening to do) then you will have a massive long term problem on your hands and will have wasted the £6million.

I am also concerned that if this project does not come to fruition you might penalise the school by the withdrawal of recently acquired provision for extra teachers for art, music, french and sport. Can you assure me that this would not be the case?

Yours sincerely

REPLY FROM PETER DAWSON:

Many thanks for your recent email about the proposal to expand Belleville school.
I have asked Council officers to look into the points you raise and I hope to be in a position to respond more fully before the meeting for parents next Monday evening.
Thank you for letting me know about the issues that are of concern to you.
Yours sincerely
Peter Dawson
Councillor Northcote Ward Battersea
Tel 020 7223 7542

PS I have copied this email to my Northcote Ward colleagues Martin Johnson and Philip Beddows.

Rejection of similar scheme by Brentside Primary School, Ealing

2009-10-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

To read about it click here

And the detailed response is here

Letter from Bruce Glockling - BSF (Building Schools for the Future) Project Director

2009-10-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

Wandsworth Council
Children’s Services Department
Town Hall Wandsworth High Street
London SW18 2PU

Please ask for/reply to: Bruce Glockling
Telephone: 020 8871 8311
Fax: 020 8871 7212
Minicom: 020 8871 8275
Email:bglockling@wandsworth.gov.uk
Web: www.wandsworth.gov.uk

Our ref: sa/Belleville consultation
Date: 6 October 2009

Consultation on proposed permanent expansion of Belleville Primary School

Wandsworth, like many other London boroughs, is experiencing an exceptionally high demand for reception places in many of its primary schools. School roll projections suggest that the current situation is not a temporary increase but part of a continuing upward trend.
In order to meet demand, the Council created temporary additional places at a number of popular and oversubscribed schools for September 2009.
The main reason for the increase in demand is the rising birth rate in much of the London area. The Council’s pupil place projections show that the demand for extra places will continue to rise over the next few years.
The Council is therefore proposing to expand Belleville School and is seeking your views on its proposal.

Proposals for Belleville School

Following a feasibility study of the building works required at Belleville, the Council proposes to permanently enlarge the physical capacity of the school to accommodate extra pupils. Thirty pupils would be added to the reception year group each year. The current admission number for the school is 90 and the proposed admission number will be 120.
Extensions to the school would provide additional classrooms, extra dining facilities, toilets and storage. The detailed proposals would be developed in consultation with the school and local residents. The proposals will minimise the loss of playground space.
Initially, additional suitable temporary accommodation will be provided to accommodate the extra pupils, until new permanent accommodation is ready in 2013.
The Council welcomes views from all those with an interest in Belleville School and I look forward to receiving your comments and suggestions.

Yours sincerely

Bruce Glockling
BSF (Building Schools for the Future) Project Director

Proposal from the council

2009-10-29T05:25:00.000-07:00

Download it here