Showing posts with label playground. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playground. Show all posts

Monday 16 May 2022

Petition launched to improve Harlesden's Bramshill Open Space

Back in January My London splashed a story headlined 'London's most pathetic children's playground' about the Bramshill Open Space in Harlesden.

Now a local resident has launched a petition to Brent Council calling for improvements LINK:

 THE PETITION

We the undersigned petition the council to Regenerate the open space by removing existing playground and modernising/ redesigning. Include an enclosed dedicated dog run. Green the space as much as possible and add more seating please. The current artwork needs replacing as it has graffiti on it and is now looking tired.

There is a fantastic opportunity to enhance one of the few green spaces in the Harlesden & Kensal Green Ward. A re-design would help to make the open space more welcoming especially with the current structure obscuring the raised beds from the surrounding roads. Safer equipment for the children is necessary. At present, dog owners utilise the space the most consistently out of the local community throughout the day so a dedicated space would be great for them.

Greening the space would help to reduce carbon emissions, would give some shelter for those affected by urban heat island effect and increase the health and wellbeing of the local residents and community. Additional tree planting would help to reduce associated flood risk for the area.

Started by: Yolande Dasouza (Bramshill Village & Open Space)

This ePetition runs from 11/05/2022 to 31/05/2022.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE



Wednesday 20 February 2013

Further delays in completion of Chalkhill Park

The view from one of the park entrances
Mud and flooding in the children's playground
People attending a planning meeting for the Festival to mark the opening of the new Chalkhill Park were dismayed to hear that there is likely to be further delay to the completion of the park - none more so than the local children who attended the meeting to feed in their ideas.

One begged, 'Can't it be ready for us to use in the Easter holidays?'

It appears not.

The Festival was due to take place on May 3rd and May 4th but the park now may not be ready until mid-June.  At one time it was promised to be ready by November 2012 after earlier delays.

After the wet winter much of the ground is waterlogged as can be seen from the picture of the children's playground (above) which was taken only yesterday.  Sand is being scattered on some flat areas to soak up the water that is covering the clay before turf can be put down.   Turf takes 6 weeks or so to bed in before it can be walked on

Clearly there is a balance to be drawn between rushing to get the park finished quickly and ensuring that turfing and planting takes place in the best conditions - otherwise further problems of flooding and subsidence of grass and asphalt surfaces will be emerge in the future.

Asked for a comment, Cllr Michael Pavey (Barnhill ward) said:
I was shocked to hear of these delays. It's an absolutely terrible shame. I'll be pushing the Council hard to ensure the Opening isn't delayed a day longer than absolutely necessary.

.

Monday 13 August 2012

Issues in the schools sports debate

The debate about school sports intensified over the weekend as the Olympics drew to a close with David Cameron's call for more compulsory competitive sport in primary schools drawing criticism from commentators who remembered, with horror,  being forced into physical activity by what they saw as bullying PE teachers.

Others drew attention to Cameron's political hypocrisy and opportunism in the wake of Michael Gove's cuts in the School Sports Partnerships. It is worth remembering the warning issue in November 2010 by leading athletes including Olympic Gold Medal winner Tessa Sanderson about this LINK
With one ill-conceived cut you are on the brink of destroying everything schools, clubs and the national governing bodies of sport are doing to ensure this and future generations embrace sport and physical activity, not shun it.

As past and present Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European athletes, we cannot stand by and watch as your government threatens to destroy any hopes this country has of delivering a genuine London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy.

The future health of all our children is at risk if you axe this funding. We urge you to act now, please, prime minister, and look again at the permanent withdrawal of funding for school sport partnerships before you condemn millions of children to a lack of sporting opportunities and therefore a bleak future of lethargy, obesity and unhappiness.
At a school level there are issues over the difference between compulsory sports activities, other physical activities (including the dance that David Cameron derided) and physical activity in free play during playtimes. Some research has indicated that children expend more energy, in crude terms 'sweat more', during their free playground games than during PE lessons. However there are gender differences in the level of exercise and differences between schools in terms of the amount of playtime and rules governing playtime. Pressure on the school day from the academic curriculum has led many schools to shorten lunch breaks and for junior age pupils afternoon playtimes are often a thing of the past. Further pressures emerge from concerns about health and safety and behaviour which can lead to bans on particular games which are seen as dangerous or causing conflict. The expansion of primary schools to take in more pupils leading to loss of play space is an additional factor in Brent.

The National Children's Bureau LINK published a Fact Sheet in 2010 on the Benefits of Playtime which described the restrictions and also outlined the benefits that go beyond exercise to promotion of pupils' in independent  negotiating skills and opportunities for mixing across age, social and ethnic differences.

Sonia Lannaman
The euphoria over the achievements of Black British athletes which has been a major aspect of this Olympics also has another side.

In the 1970s the achievements of athletes such as Sonia Lannaman (pictured) were seen as ground-breaking exemplars for a community suffering from racism and disadvantage, where black children were failing academically. There were reports that Sonia later regretted the impact of a concentration on sports on her academic achievements but I have been unable to locate a source for this.

Concern developed amongst black  parents that teachers with a stereotyped view of their children were steering them towards sports activities, rather than academic success.  At a practical level this often meant that they missed out on lessons because of training and fixtures, were not entered for key  examinations and therefore missed out on further and higher education.

An influential book Race, Class and Education by Len Barton and Stephen Walker LINK outlined the repercussions of this arguing that although for some children participation in sport represented a 'colonisation' of one part of school life where they could succeed, it produced unrealistic aspirations and expectations, which eventually led to their exclusion from the labour market.

Tessa Sanderson with primary pupils
 It is interesting to note that Tessa Sanderson, a 1984 Olympic Gold winner, was at pains to emphasise the importance of academic achievement alongside sports achievement. She has described how her parents and teachers kept her focussed on education: 'Education is the key to success'.  She went on to found the Tessa Sanderson Foundation and Academy to encourage your people into sport LINK.

 There are echoes of the 70s in her recent interview where she said:
With some young people today it can be a bit touch and go. I know some young black kids feel they are not worthy because there is no work, they just go home or hang around all day, which is why I am so pleased we have this academy because when they come in here, I can tell them, 'You are bloody worthy'. I've had Asbos come in, rough kids, but I know through sport they can become great kids.
The Foundation's Mission Statement makes the importance of education clear:
 The mission statement of The Tessa Sanderson Foundation and Academy is to create a unique youth sport programme in the London area for disabled and non disabled youngsters to enjoy all sports and the opportunity to participate at a higher and level without jeopardising quality learning and education.
As we discuss the Olympic legacy for Brent children we need to bear in mind the complexity of the situation.  Although Brent schools are doing well there remain concerns about under achievement of some groups and the Brent  School Improvement Service, the London Challenge, and projects such as ACES are doling valuable work. It is important that we invest in them as well as sports facilities and bear in mind the pitfalls outlined above.


Saturday 11 August 2012

More very large primary schools on their way in Brent

Map of phased developments
Apart from the decision to seek partnerships with free schools and academies (below), another controversial but undebated consequence of the School Review going before the Brent Executive REPORT is to increase the average size of Brent primary schools with some having more than 1,000 pupils (excluding nursery).

I continue with the view that 4-11 year olds need educating in a small and manageable learning community where staff are well-known to them and the geography of the building negotiable.  Such provision will now be rare in Brent with faith schools generally smaller than local authority schools.

There are plans to utilise closed down libraries to form annexes to existing schools, at some distance from the parent school. The Preston Library building will be removed from the Council disposal list to provide extra classes for Preston Park Primary and Kensal Rise Library will be reviewed for additional classes for Princess Frederica Primary.

Following the all-through schools at Ark and Preston Manor primary provision is being considered at Wembley High and Newman College.There is a proposal to co-locate Manor school for special needs pupils on the Braintcroft site where the Braintcroft building would be rebuilt.

The Report does not go into detail about the impact on playground and playing field space available to pupils when the schools are expanded but my Freedom of Information request earlier this year showed a reduction in space per pupil in the recent expansions LINK 

The following details are extracted from the report which includes notes and caveats on each proposal. My capacity figures do not include any temporary bulge classes or nursery classes.

 
Phase 1 by Sept 2013
Current capacity
Future
capacity
Barham
630
840
Fryent
420
840
Mitchell Brook
420
630
St Robert Southwell
315
420
Phase 2 by
Sept 2014


Wykeham
420
630
Uxendon
420
840
Preston Park
630
1050
Wembley High (new primary on site)
0
840
Vicar’s Green
(Ealing)
315
420
Chalkhill
420
840
Harlesden
420
630
St Joseph Primary
420
630
Leopold
420
630
Northview
210
420
Princess Frederica
420
630
Phase 3 by September 2015


Mount Stewart Inf nd Jnr
630
840
Elsley
420
840
Stonebridge
420
630
Malorees Inf and Jnr
420
840
Braintcroft
630
1,050
Carlton Vale Inf and Kilburn Park Jnr
420
630
Oriental City (new primary school)
0
420
Kingsbury Green
630
1,050
Phase 4 between Sept 2016 and Sep 2018


St Joseph Inf and Jnr
420
630
Quintain site-Wembley new primary school
0
420
Our Lady of Lourdes RC
420
630
John Keble C of E
420
630
St Andrew and St Francis
520
630
Newman College (Sec) – new primary school on site
0
420



The report forecasts  a 'significant' shortage of secondary school places by September 2014 and a report on this sector will be tabled in December. This seems rather last minute as the number of pupils in our primary schools has obviously been known for some time.




Tuesday 5 June 2012

"Heard it in the playground, not enough space!"



Mindful of current concerns about child obesity and the lack of outdoor play opportunities for children, I have been interested in how the current school expansions affected the play space available to children when at school. Following a Freedom of Information request I now have the figures which are tabulated below.

These show an overall reduction in the space (expressed in square metres) available per child after expansion. I have left out those for Mugas (Multi-use games areas) as these are likely to be used per class or after school activity, rather than shared. Clearly however access will be less because more classes will have to be timetabled to use it within the confines of the school day.

The amount of playground space available at break times and lunch times is of major concern. Recent research has shown that children use more energy then than when they take part in PE activities. The reduction in play space can be addressed by staggering break times so that different phases or year groups use the playground at different times, but this then reduces the time for their use for class games activities.

Over crowded playgrounds restrict the amount of space for 'tearing about' and using up surplus energy as well as increasing the number of collisions, bumps and scrapes. Competition for space, unless well supervised, can lead to more playground fights.

Mitchell Brook Primary has the additional resource of Gibbons Recreation Ground which it backs onto, but the other schools are less fortunate.


PLAY SPACE IN SCHOOLS SCHEDULED FOR EXPANSION (square metres to nearest 0.5)


FRYENT
Existing
(420 pupils)
Per pupil
Proposed
(840 pupils)
Per pupil after expansion
Habitat
262

310

Hard Play/Games Courts
2447
6.0
3325
4.0
Pitches/Soft Play
6714
16.0
4974
6.0
Muga
360

360

BARHAM
Existing
(630 pupils)

Proposed
(840 pupils)

Habitat
Playing field edge

Playing field edge

Hard Play/Games Courts
2501
4.0
3254
4.0
Pitches/Soft Play
4748
7.5
3713
4.5
Muga
254

254

MITCHELL BROOK
Existing
(420 pupils)

Proposed
(630 pupils)

Hard Play/Games Courts
3773
9.0
2738
4.5