Oasis academy gets third principal in less than two years

Posted on January 18, 2018 by insidecroydon

There’s been an unusually rapid turnover of senior leadership staff at the Oasis Arena Academy in South Norwood, as GENE BRODIE reports

A secondary academy that opened on its new site in September 2016 is already on to its third school principal.

And Oasis Arena Academy, built at a cost of £22million to the taxpayer to be a six-forms-of-entry school, currently has just 357 pupils.

The new school is operating with just three year groups at present, but that ought to mean 540 pupils – meaning that it is currently operating well below the capacity. Oasis Arena Academy was built to accommodate 900 pupils once fully operational.

In a statement to Inside Croydon this week, Oasis Community Learning, the multi-academy trust which runs the school, said, “The Academy is opening gradually, filling year by year until we offer our full provision in September 2019.  We currently have 357 students on school roll, across three year groups.” Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Oasis Academy, Schools, South Norwood, Woodside | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Oasis chief gets 20% pay rise as academies warn over finances

Posted on January 18, 2018 by insidecroydon

Education correspondent GENE BRODIE on an eye-watering salary hike for the man in overall charge of some of Croydon’s biggest schools

The leader of a church-linked multi-academy chain which operates five large schools in Croydon has just been awarded a £25,000 pay rise.

Careers advice at Oasis academies ought to be to get a management job with a multi-academy chain

John Murphy is the chief executive of Oasis Community Learning, a rapidly growing chain which has derived considerable benefits from what has been, effectively, the outsourcing of state education over the past two decades.

Croydon Council, as a local education authority, no longer operates any secondary schools in the borough. Instead, they are all operated by academy trusts or as free schools, with the buildings built and paid for by the tax-payer and their budgets funded from the Department for Education.

The Oasis chain, which has its head offices next to a church in Waterloo (but which maintains that it does not have a “religious ethos”), is the country’s third largest, running 49 state schools in England and Wales, with five of them in Croydon.

According to a report by the Education Uncovered website, based on the academy chain’s annual accounts, Murphy’s remuneration has gone up from £170,000-£180,000 in 2015-2016 to £205,000 in 2016-2017. Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Gareth Streeter, Oasis Academy, Oasis Academy Coulsdon, Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Schools | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Tower block owners refuse to pay to remove fire-risk cladding

Posted on January 18, 2018 by insidecroydon

Residents in one of Croydon town centre’s newer blocks of “luxury apartments” are reported to be “terrified” of the risks of a fire, similar to that which happened at Grenfell Tower, as the owners have handed them a £2million bill to remove the deadly flammable panels that encase the building.

Citiscape, on Frith Road: the cladding is similar to that used at Grenfell Tower

The Guardian last night reported that Citiscape, on Frith Road, close to the Centrale shopping centre, is blighted with the same cladding that is widely regarded as having contributed to the high death toll in the Grenfell Tower fire in Kensington last summer, when 71 people died. Hundreds more lost their homes and possessions, and many still await re-housing.

Grenfell Tower was a council-managed residential block. Citiscape is a privately run set of 93 apartments, where two-bed flats until recently sold for £350,000.

But faced with a massive bill to remove the flammable cladding, Citiscape’s owners have determined that their leaseholders must pay – presenting them each with bills of more than £30,000. Continue reading →

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Honeywood Museum Book Club, Carshalton, Jan 21-Apr 22

Posted on January 18, 2018 by insidecroydon

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Mayor’s charity fish and chips lunch, Forestdale, Feb 6

Posted on January 18, 2018 by insidecroydon

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History of public transport, Honeywood Museum, Feb 22

Posted on January 18, 2018 by insidecroydon

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#SouthernFail: 94% of Croydon rush hour services are late

Posted on January 17, 2018 by insidecroydon

JEREMY CLACKSON, our transport correspondent, on a report that confirms the bleedin’ obvious

94% of trains on rush hour services through East and West Croydon stations were late or cancelled

A National Audit Office report has confirmed what Croydon commuters have known for more than three years: they daily endure the worst train performance in the whole of Britain.

And worse: because of the failures of Tory minister Chris Grayling’s Department for Transport, it looks like taxpayers are going to be paying “tens of millions” more each year for the privilege of Govia Thameslink’s failing services.

In the week of the multi-billion-pound collapse of outsourcing specialists Carillion, the NAO report on the railways highlights more serious failures in the Government’s approach of using taxpayers’ money to create massive private profits, while providing a failing service for the public.

“These latest delay statistics and the National Audit Office report show that there are fundamental problems with this rail franchise,” Sarah Jones, the Labour MP for Croydon Central, said today. “It should be handed over to Transport for London as soon as possible, something a clear majority of Londoners want.” Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Central, East Croydon, Sarah Jones MP, TfL, Transport, West Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Reader offer: Save 20% on price of award-winning Buggi Lights

Posted on January 17, 2018 by insidecroydon

Inside Croydon, in association with Buggi Lights, is delighted to offer our readers a special money-off deal on the award-winning and innovative new safety product, which has been developed by a Coulsdon-based mum.

Buggi Lights are a terrific aid for parents with young children who want the peace of mind of knowing that they can be safely seen by others when they are out on dark winter nights, or on wet or foggy days.

Hippychick’s brand new range of Buggi Lights are ladybird-shaped flashing lights that help make your baby buggy visible as well as safe.

Buggi Lights clip easily to the buggy and come boxed in pairs. One Bug has a white forward-facing LED, the other a backwards-facing red LED – just like the lights on a car. The lights are bright and easy to turn on and off. Simply press on the back of each bug to take it through three flash settings.

As well as their primary function as a safety light, Buggi Lights will also appeal to your kids. Babies will love the lights’ tactile nature and older children like using them for their bikes and scooters. Continue reading →

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Meningitis charity offers chance to run in The Big Half

Posted on January 17, 2018 by insidecroydon

National charity Meningitis Research Foundation has a fantastic opportunity for anyone who wants to get a place to run along with Mo Farah and thousands of others on March 4 in The Big Half – a new even from the organisers of the London Marathon. Continue reading →

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Croydon Bach Choir performs Dvorak and Gounod, Mar 24

Posted on January 17, 2018 by insidecroydon

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Alice In Wonderland, Whitgift School, Feb 7-9

Posted on January 17, 2018 by insidecroydon

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CAMRA’s South Norwood Beer Festival, Feb 8-10

Posted on January 17, 2018 by insidecroydon

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Croydon Minster lunchtime music recitals, Feb 2-Mar 23

Posted on January 17, 2018 by insidecroydon

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How Tories used Form 696 to ban black music from our clubs

Posted on January 16, 2018 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Our local council has had a racist licensing policy for the past nine years. Now it’s time to celebrate, and enjoy, black music in Croydon’s night clubs, writes Councillor CALLTON YOUNG

An underground campaign against Croydon’s Bashment ban recalled the hostile and racist landlord signs of the 1950s

In 2008, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport conducted a review of a piece of Met paperwork called Police Form 696. This form was meant to aid the prevention of crime and disorder through the assessment of risk posed by music events.

Nothing wrong with that, you might say, but Form 696 quickly became associated with racial profiling. Club owners and event promoters did not have to look hard for clues. The form explicitly asked what music style will be played at proposed events, “e.g. Bashment, RnB, Garage”.

And as if this was not bad enough, it also asked, “Is there a particular ethnic group attending?”

Considered advice was at hand. The Parliamentary Committee in its findings roundly rejected any suggestion by the police of a link between music and crime and disorder; and acknowledged the form’s disproportionate impact on black music and culture. The committee’s chairman, the Conservative MP John Whittingdale, spoke of the concern that the police form was “being used to target black music events” and of the “deep resentment among certain communities”. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Business, Callton Young, Crime, Croydon Council, Dance, Music, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brick by Brick causes anger over Coulsdon housing plans

Posted on January 16, 2018 by insidecroydon

BARRATT HOLMES, our housing correspondent, reports on the latest deeply unpopular development being inflicted on Croydon by the council-owned Brick by Brick venture

Another week and another controversial Brick by Brick scheme, pushed through relentlessly by the Town Hall husband and wife team of councillors Paul Scott and Alison Butler, to the bitter resentment and anger of the people living near the affected site.

Lunchtime in Coulsdon in January, and not a space to be had in the Lion Green car park – despite the council’s ‘research’

This time, it seems that the whole of Coulsdon is up in arms over proposals to build flats on Lion Green Road car park, and to redevelop the former CALAT site off Malcolm Road and the Community Centre off Chipstead Valley Road.

The influential Old Coulsdon Residents’ Association issued a monthly newsletter this week and said, “There are flaws in all these proposals.”

The main fear in Coulsdon is over the lack of car parking for local businesses. When Lion Green Road car park was closed previously, for the abortive supermarket and health centre development put forward by the Tories’ CCURV project, several local businesses folded, blaming the lack of parking for the loss of trade. Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Cane Hill, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Croydon Council, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Paul Scott, Planning, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Croydon Scouts seek commissioner as French stands down

Posted on January 16, 2018 by insidecroydon

Croydon’s Scouts are seeking a new district commissioner, as Steve French, who has been the area’s head scout since 2009, is standing down.

Croydon is one of Britain’s largest Scouts districts

“At the ripe age of 57 and having been involved in Scouting in Croydon for nearly 40 years, I hope to continue supporting Scouting in Croydon in another equally satisfying role,” French told Inside Croydon.

The Scout Association generally makes appointments to senior roles for a maximum five-year period. Sometimes, people are able to serve a second term, and French is coming to the end of 10 years in the position. “I admit to having a very heavy heart when I think about handing over the district to someone else in a few months’ time,” he said.

“However, for the Scout Association to be relevant it needs to move with the times. To coin a phrase from Baden Powell himself, ‘Scouting is a movement, because it moves forward. As soon as it stops moving, it becomes an organisation and is no longer Scouting’.

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Council warning that Watson’s whim is dangerous structure

Posted on January 16, 2018 by insidecroydon

The warning sign was placed on Watson’s whim last week

Less than a month since Mark Watson, the senior Labour councillor, heralded it as “a popular addition” to the town centre, his latest costly piece of whimsy in the High Street has now effectively been declared as a hazard and public danger – by Croydon Council.

It was on December 21 that the council’s propaganda department put out a press release which sang the praises of their installation, which had been put together by a “multidisciplinary design collective whose projects aim to reconnect the physical elements of a place with its social dimension”.

The council claimed that this latest Watson whim would “rejuvenate the newly formed space”. They described as a “new public seating structure”.

And former fraudster Watson gushed enthusiastically, “The creation of newly crafted seating through the transformation of street space is an exciting concept that will nicely complement the town centre’s evolving street scene. I’m sure the new seating in this area will prove to be a popular addition to the space when the warmer weather arrives.” Continue reading →

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Baby and Children’s Market, Coulsdon, Feb 10

Posted on January 16, 2018 by insidecroydon

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Winter Bird Walk, Sydenham Hill Wood, Feb 11

Posted on January 16, 2018 by insidecroydon

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Victorian Valentines, Honeywood Museum, Feb 14-15

Posted on January 16, 2018 by insidecroydon

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Council takes back public libraries as Carillion collapses

Posted on January 15, 2018 by insidecroydon

GENE BRODIE, our bookish gyms correspondent, on Croydon’s prompt response to the collapse of outsourcing giant Carillion

Croydon Council moved quickly this morning to take back control of the borough’s libraries from contractor Carillion.

Carillion went into liquidation this morning, with a mountain of debt and serious concerns over the state of its retired staff’s pensions. Carillion was best known as a building and public works contractor, and in recent months had been handed many millions-pounds-worth of contracts for the Tory Government’s HS2 rail project and Crossrail in London.

In Croydon, they somehow landed the contract to manage the borough’s public libraries, after Tim Pollard’s Conservatives, who then controlled the council, outsourced the service in 2012. Continue reading →

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‘Pizzagate’ mystery sends Bradmore Pond’s ducks quackers

Posted on January 15, 2018 by insidecroydon

Was it a form of “dirty” protest against Brick by Brick building on the site of Old Coulsdon’s derelict care home at Homefield House?

Just who is the mystery pizza dumper of Old Coulsdon?

Was it someone with an odd approach to feeding the local ducks?

Or were they giant toadstools? Was it another piece of council-funded “art”, or the latest outbreak of fly-tipping around the borough?

These were the questions residents in Old Coulsdon raised, as Bradmore Pond found itself repeatedly the scene of mysteriously dumped pizza bases.

Bradmore Green is where there is a village pond which was paid for by the widowed Matilda Crowe in 1836, in memory of her husband Philip. Since the 1980s, locals have helped the council keep the pond cleaned and cleared of debris, with Chris Wright, soon to retire as a Conservative councillor, often in the lead.

But in all the pond’s delightful and often quaint history, nothing had been encountered before to match the spate of unsavoury events which have been dubbed, inevitably, “Pizzagate”. Continue reading →

Posted in Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Charity and unions fear 1m children to lose free school meals

Posted on January 15, 2018 by insidecroydon

One million children living in poverty in England will miss out on free school meals as the Tory government rolls out its Universal Credit proposals, according to findings from The Children’s Society.

And London will be the worst-hit region by the changes proposed by the government, with 212,000 children projected to miss out on free school meals according to the charity’s research.

Today, the GMB, the union that represents school catering staff, has responded to the Department for Education’s consultation on free school meal entitlement under Universal Credit and warned that the government’s proposals will leave children hungry and could cost jobs, describing the plans as a “cut disguised as a kindness”.

As Universal Credit has been rolling out, all families in receipt of the new benefit have been automatically entitled to free school meals. However, the government is planning to introduce means testing for free school meals, which The Children’s Society warns will fail to reach 1 million children in poverty and will create a “cliff-edge” where many families would be better off taking a pay cut. Continue reading →

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Pirates of Penzance, St Matthew’s Chichester Road, Feb 10

Posted on January 15, 2018 by insidecroydon

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Circle Dancing sessions at St Matthew’s, Chichester Road

Posted on January 15, 2018 by insidecroydon

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