Last night I attended an Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting which looked at the provision of Primary school places in East Dulwich and Peckham Rye area.

This has been a big issue over the summer and one that I’ve been talking to the council and parents about for months. Many parents have contacted me with their experiences and it’s been very useful to hear their views. Goodrich and Lyndhurst schools both expanded (by one class and half a class respectively) to meet demand locally. The head-teachers were at the meeting last night and it sounded like they had to work flat out to get the classes ready, so thanks go out again to them.

The purpose of the committee last night was to question council officers about the admissions process this year, how it can be improved next year, and what actions and preparations are being taken over school places in forthcoming years. It was also intended to clear up some confusion over certain issues.

It was a very detailed meeting, and I look forward to reading the committee’s summary. But check on the East Dulwich Forum for my full thoughts, and a huge discussion of the issues around this:http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,323614,page=7

Steps are being taken so that our local schools can be much more flexible to changing local demand, with bulge classes used each year. Over the next few years however, it’s crucial that pupil number predictions are closely monitored and scrutinised.