New £50m Stanley Park High School given the seal of approval

Pupils at Stanley Park High School cut the ribbon to officially open their £50m state-of-the-art new school. Students were joined by Sutton Council leader Cllr Sean Brennan to carry out the opening ceremony last Thursday 9 February, before showing parents, local residents and dignitaries around the new building. It was the community’s first chance to see for themselves some of the new facilities, which include a full-size running track, a sports hall the size of four badminton courts, extensive IT facilities, drama studios, a car workshop and a beauty salon.  The Headteacher said: “It was great to be able to welcome parents, local people and some of the people who helped to make our school a reality to have a look around the finished building. We’ve been teaching here for a few weeks now and the students absolutely love it. “A lot of the facilities, including the gym and sports pitches, are available for the use of the wider community, so today was a chance for them have a look at the first class facilities they’ve now got right on their doorstep.” Cllr Kirsty Jerome, Executive Member for Education and Schools at Sutton Council, said: “This is the first school of its kind. The new building is absolutely stunning and is going to make a real difference to students in Sutton for generations to come. “We were lucky to be one of the last boroughs to receive funding before the Government withdrew the Building Schools for the Future programme, and it came at an absolutely crucial time. “We’ve worked closely with the school and our local community and we’re all really excited about what the future holds.” Mayor of London Boris Johnson later toured the school and gave it his seal of approval. He said: “The practical work ethic espoused by Stanley Park High has already proved to be an enormous success story for the young people of Sutton, and because of these wonderful new facilities the benefits are also soon to be felt by adult learners in the borough. “The school is working to equip people with the skills they need to enter the challenging world of work, which is essential if we are to avoid letting a generation of talent go to waste in this difficult jobs market.” Under its unique “four in one” approach, students are assigned to one of the four schools when they first start at the school but can take options within the other schools, which are themed to focus on different talents and abilities. The World school specialises in the humanities and foreign languages, Performance in PE, Dance, Music, Drama and Media and Trade in a large number of vocational subjects plus Technology and Art and Design. The fourth school, Horizon, is a small school for children with Autism. This innovative way of learning, partially inspired by schools in Denmark and the US, has already produced outstanding results. By incorporating elements of it into the curriculum in preparation for moving into the purpose-built school, results shot up and Stanley Park High is one of the most improved schools in the country. This means teachers get to know their students well and students don’t get ‘lost’ in the anonymity of a big school. The school was five years in the making and boasts some of the most high-tech features of any school in the country. Its approach aims to equip students for the real world. In the first two years of school, about 50 per cent of students’ time is spent learning a skills-based curriculum in classrooms designed to resemble the workplace.

154 Bus Route: Sutton Council’s Latest Suggestions to TFL

154 Bus in Carshalton Road in times gone by... with our thanks to the photographer...!

The following is Sutton Council’s suggestion to Transport for London about the 154 Bus Route Morden – West Croydon.

“We consider that the frequency and hours of operation of this service are satisfactory. However, we would like consideration to be given to converting this route into a 24 hour service. The gap between the last and first bus is only 4 hours, so a half hourly service during these hours would not require too many additional journeys and this would help to plug the gap left by the withdrawal of the N44 and N213 night bus services between Morden and Carshalton and Sutton and Croydon respectively. If this was done it is essential that the 154 night workings connect with the N155 at Morden and N44 at Rosehill or Sutton. If connections are not maintained with these routes, passengers from Central London will be inconvenienced and discouraged from using public transport for nights out. It might also be worth considering varying the night time route slightly in Sutton town centre to take it up Throwley Way and along Carshalton Road to better serve the night time entertainment venues which are concentrated at the southern end of the town centre although I accept that this conflicts with TfL’s preference not to vary day and night time routes. This route variation would, however, assist the police in their efforts to disperse night time revellers as quickly as possible This service gets particularly crowded at school times along Stanley Park Road and so additional services may be required at school times.” Jill, Alan and Hamish certainly agree!

Free help to keep warm this winter

As freezing temperatures continue grip the borough, Sutton’s elderly and disabled residents are being urged to see if they qualify for free help to keep warm this winter.

Sutton Council’s Warm Room scheme offers practical help to those who need it most. Residents who qualify for the scheme will receive a visit from the council to see if any simple changes can be made to their living room or bedroom to keep them warm and healthy. This could include things like draught proofing for windows, thick lined curtains, rugs for bare floors, emergency electricity supplies, extra duvets or blankets and having chimneys sealed. All of these measures can be provided free of charge by the council.

Cllr Colin Stears, Executive Member for Adult Social Services and Health at Sutton Council, said: “We all know how important it is to keep warm during the cold weather if we want to avoid falling ill. This is especially important for our more vulnerable residents who might be worried about rising energy costs. The Warm Room scheme can help to find simple ways to keep warm this winter; whether it’s providing extra blankets or duvets or things like draught excluders or thick curtains to keep the cold out. If you know anyone who might benefit from this free service, please pass on our details; it might make a real difference to their health this winter.”

To qualify for the scheme vulnerable residents must be on an income or disability related benefit.

For more information call 020 8770 5070.

Local Hospitals Trust Merger Abandoned

St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust have decided that they cannot proceed with their bid to merge with St Helier and Sutton Hospitals.

St Helier Hospital

However, due to the financial challenges facing hospitals in south west London and the inability to pre-empt the outcome of the Better Services Better Value review, which is looking at how NHS services are provided across south west London, they do not feel able to proceed at this time. This is because the review, which will be open to public consultation, could have a significant impact on the financial income of all hospitals involved.

St George’s Hospital have however expressed a full commitment to working closely with St Helier and Sutton Hospitals in the future.  Jan Sawkins is the Independent Chair of the special Board set up to help St Helier, Sutton and Epsom hospitals to achieve foundation trust status. She said: “Whilst we have always been aware that a bidder could withdraw during the process, at this stage in the transaction it is obviously very disappointing news.

“The Transaction Board has a meeting scheduled (7 February 2012) and we will use this to consider the options and agree a way forward. This may include re-opening tenders for St Helier and Sutton hospitals.”

Matthew Hopkins, Trust Chief Executive said: “This is disappointing news, but St George’s have been clear to us that their decision is not based on our staff, nor the quality of the services we provide at St Helier and Sutton hospitals.

“As you would expect, the Trust Board and those working on the transaction have been looking at other options in case this happened and we look forward to discussing these with the Transaction Board next week. Whilst we are making decisions about the long-term future of our hospitals, our priority will – as ever – continue to be ensuring our patients and local people receive the very best services.”

Asked what this means for Epsom Hospital, Jan added: “It is the current belief that, subject to Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust being confirmed as the Preferred Partner for Epsom Hospital, the de-merger could continue whilst we make alternative arrangements for St Helier and Sutton.

“Whilst this would, of course, need further investigation and approval by the Transaction Board, the Trust Board and others, it is felt that this would be in the best interest of Epsom Hospital, its patients, staff and local people. However, I would emphasise that the priority remains to secure the future of Epsom, St Helier and Sutton hospit

Benhill Recreation Ground Improvements Planned

Jill, Alan and Hamish report:- “We’re told that there are to be further welcome improvements being planned for Benhill Recreation Ground which has an entrance off Harold Road, itself a turning off Westmead Road. These include:- 

A New Lavender Bed. The parks department of the council are to organise the flower bed to be dug and prepared for the lavender by early March. It is hoped to put together a planting party for the 1st or 2nd week in April this year. If you are interested in joining the planting party, please let one of us know.

A New Picnic Bench. This was approved by the Council’s Sutton Local Committee last week (Thursday, 2nd Feb.).

The Queen

HM The Queen

The start of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Year took place today. Echoing the famous words she delivered when a young princess in the 1940s, she vowed to “dedicate myself anew to your service”. The anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession is normally recognised privately as it is of course the day her father, King George VI, died in 1952.

In a heartfelt Diamond Jubilee message to the nation, the Queen thanked all those who had given “wonderful support and encouragement” to her and the Duke of Edinburgh over the past six decades.

She said that she and Prince Philip had been “deeply moved” by the many kind messages they had received about her 60-year milestone, and her statement carried a unifying message as she hoped this “special year” would remind the nation of the “convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness”.

The 85-year-old’s statement of intent to continue to serve the nation reveals she has lost none of her desire to fulfill her role as head of state despite her advancing years.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

Former Stanley Park High School, Carshalton

The former Stanley Park High School looks set to be transformed to provide hundreds of much-needed primary school places for local children.  The council’s Executive Committee is due to consider the proposal which, if agreed, could provide extra primary places as soon as September 2013. 

A baby boom, coupled with Sutton schools’ excellent reputation, means more and more families are applying for places in the borough’s schools. It is anticipated that up to an extra eight forms of entry will be needed by September 2013. The council has been expanding existing schools for the past few years, and another five are set to add extra classes in time for the start of the next school year.

The new, four form entry facility is likely to use the existing school building to allow it to open sooner. The site would also provide facilities for pupils with Special Educational Needs.

Plans to earmark the site for future educational use are due to be considered by the council’s Executive Committee at a meeting on 6 February.

Cllr. Kirsty Jerome, Executive Member for Education and Schools at Sutton Council, said: “This is an ideal opportunity to provide some of the extra primary school places we so desperately need in Sutton.

“If the Executive agrees, over the coming months we will be getting some more detailed proposals together and looking at the ways to best use the land.

“Space is a serious issue in planning extra school places across London, so we are fortunate to have the opportunity to consider reusing these school buildings – many of which are still in good condition.”

The interior of the existing buildings would be renovated, with some of the temporary buildings demolished.

The Council’s Cold Weather Advice

With the temperature set to drop even lower over the next few days, it’s a good idea to take precautions to keep you and your family safe from the cold.

It’s very important that you keep an eye on friends and neighbours who might be more vulnerable to the cold. In extreme cases, cold weather can lead to an increase in serious health conditions, which is more likely to affect the elderly or those with pre-existing conditions. You can help by looking in on vulnerable neighbours, making sure that they have enough food, medicine and heat and offering to pick up shopping if it is difficult for them to leave the house.

Forecasters don’t expect the cold to become severe enough to threaten normally healthy people, but there are still steps that you should take to keep warm. Make sure that you have an adequate supply of any medications, choose hot food and drinks, wear lots of lighter layers rather than one big layer, keep active and make sure that you wrap up warm if you go outside.

If you have any health concerns during the cold weather, call NHS direct on 0845 4647 or visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

War Memorial – Quote in The Sutton Guardian 02.02.12

The following has been printed in yesterday’s (2nd Feb.) edition of Sutton Guardian newspaper:

Cllr. Hamish Pollock, Chair of Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Committee, said: “We are committed to an outdoor memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War II. The recent theft of brass plaques from the World War I memorial shocked our community and was a stark reminder of how much residents value these monuments so, while we understand the frustration in the time taken to procure it, we need to create a memorial which is in keeping with its setting in the Carshalton Conservation Area and which will stand proud as a lasting monument to Carshalton’s fallen for decades to come.

“The last thing anyone wants is for a new memorial to be vulnerable to vandalism and, following the recent thefts, we have had to reconsider designs involving metal plaques. The memorial is too important a monument to put at risk, and we are now working with the British Legion to design a fitting memorial incorporating stone plaques to match the repaired World War I monument.”

Down in St. Phil’s Alley – Short’s Road to West Street

The Focus Team have reported the recent resumption of dog fouling situation in the alleyway between St Philomena’s School and St Mary’s Infants School that runs between Shorts Road and West Street, Carshalton. The problem has suddenly deteriorated in the last week or so, and appears to be caused by the same owner(s). The fouling is rather large in extent and seems to be caused by a large animal(s) during the night or early morning, and is therefore a nuisance to commuters and schoolchildren who walk down this path in the morning.

Jill says: “I noticed such fouling on my way to Carshalton Station on Wednesday scattered throughout the alleyway. In one case someone had put down a grass covering over an existing pile of dog dirt, yet the owner of this dog(s) had apparently last night or early this mourning allowed its dog to do another mess over the existing pile. The stop dog fouling notices seem to be deliberately flouted by this dog owner. We have asked the council whether action be taken to apprehend and prosecute this owner? This sort of thing is unacceptable near to schools.  Jill has also reported that there is a street light that is not working in the middle of the alleyway and that one of the dog dumps has been done under or close to this light and she has asked that this be attended to.

Update 3rd February: Jill reports that the Council has already put down new “scoop-a-poop” signs on the alley pathway to (hopefully) deter dog owners.