New Portobello High School- Where and how?

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 27 Apr 2006, 16:58

bbbrown wrote:gemini....it kind of looks from the council map that some one has got a bit carried away with the pencil...(unless MeadowBank really is in the catchment area..which could open up a whole new can of worms)

move PHS to Meadowbank anybody?

I do not know what actually defines the area of Meadowbank but the map above appears to show that the stadium and immediate vicinity, such as the cycling track, is actually outside the catchment boundary they have drawn.

Stephen McIntyre · Post by **Stephen McIntyre** » 27 Apr 2006, 17:16

Wangi, on your map, how is the catchment delineated?

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 27 Apr 2006, 17:24

bbbrown wrote:so.......

how about......

the Jewel and Bingham........

they aint been discussed much have they?

pros and cons anyone?

I guess the clearest difficulty I can see with them is they are more on the fringe on the catchmment. Also there would be the old funding gap issues to resolve.

nads · Post by **nads** » 27 Apr 2006, 17:26

the Jewel has been discussed before, wasnt it gifted land something with a stipulation thst it was used for recreational purposes? have to say though I personally think that road is far too small ans busy with the trafic to and from the Fort.

Post by **wangi** » 27 Apr 2006, 17:30

Stephen McIntyre wrote:Wangi, on your map, how is the catchment delineated?

Shading - the full colour area is the catchment area and the half visible bits are outwith the catchment, but there for context

The map was made using http://www.geoshare.org.uk/ (currently offline) and http://www.schoolcatchments.edin.org/ as sources - it's accurate

Stephen McIntyre · Post by **Stephen McIntyre** » 27 Apr 2006, 18:08

Thanks, I am hopeless at Maps.

nads · Post by **nads** » 27 Apr 2006, 19:16

sorry excuse the typing on my earlier post I had my 6 month old nephew on my knee at the time

Gemini · Post by **Gemini** » 27 Apr 2006, 20:29

Donald Anderson

Highlights from this monthâ€™s
Leaderâ€™s Report:

Parks and Gardens Strategy
The most significant investment for 40 years has been made in the cityâ€™s public parks and gardens. This reflect the importance to quality of life that 85% of residents consider our parks and gardens to make

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 27 Apr 2006, 21:42

Parsons Green is a feeder primary so some of the Meadowbank area must be in the catchment area, i'd have thought? But some of the kids at PG do have a struggle to get into PHS because their homes lie just outwith the catchment.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 27 Apr 2006, 23:04

Gemini wrote:Donald Anderson

Highlights from this monthâ€™s
Leaderâ€™s Report:

Parks and Gardens Strategy
The most significant investment for 40 years has been made in the cityâ€™s public parks and gardens. This reflect the importance to quality of life that 85% of residents consider our parks and gardens to make

You look good in bold.

bbbrown · Post by **bbbrown** » 28 Apr 2006, 12:13

judging by the debate then, a very unstimulating report............
it does, after all, just identify big green spaces to develop......
are they going to pick the green space that throws up the least opposition?
or build on Portobello Park anyway?

there are elections next year are there not?
have our local councillors all dried up on the issue?
still sitting on the fence?
I know Maureen is for the Portobello Park proposal but
dont seem to be hearing much from any of them at the moment....

maybe they are going to play it like Joke McConnell on the Nuclear thingy...

hopefully as the consultation process drags out everything will become crystal clear...

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 28 Apr 2006, 13:04

bbbrown wrote:judging by the debate then, a very unstimulating report............

Unstimulating - what were you expecting? It is a report not a essay.

bbbrown wrote:it does, after all, just identify big green spaces to develop......are they going to pick the green space that throws up the least opposition?....or build on Portobello Park anyway?

I cannot see what the surprise is here. Minor or major refurbishment were never viable options and rebuilding on the existing site is totally unsuitable with regard to current size requirements and decanting issues. Brownfield sites are either too small, on edge of catchment or not owned by the Council.

Stephen McIntyre · Post by **Stephen McIntyre** » 28 Apr 2006, 13:12

Pal of Porty wrote: I cannot see what the surprise is here. Minor or major refurbishment were never viable options and rebuilding on the existing site is totally unsuitable with regard to current size requirements and decanting issues. Brownfield sites are either too small, on edge of catchment or not owned by the Council.

Reality sucks.

bbbrown · Post by **bbbrown** » 28 Apr 2006, 15:02

http://news.scotsman.com/leaders.cfm?id=620292006

they say there is no money for new schools etc....
maybe somewhere in this Â£1.5 billion there might be a few million that could be released to local councils to fund building schools such as PHS,
(if, of course the Labour govt really was interested in education, education, education...)

should we not be demanding the release of funds from our politicians...

Stephen McIntyre · Post by **Stephen McIntyre** » 28 Apr 2006, 15:13

bbbrown · Post by **bbbrown** » 28 Apr 2006, 15:18

Â£1.5 billion unspent Scottish Executive cash, frozen by the treasury.
This money being held by Gordon Brown till the government is happy with it being spent on government objectives.

As a community we have to build houses on parks to raise funds to replace crumbling schools.

In what way is the issue a red herring?

Stephen McIntyre · Post by **Stephen McIntyre** » 28 Apr 2006, 15:26

bbbrown wrote:This money being held by Gordon Brown till the government is happy with it being spent on government objectives.

In what way is the issue a red herring?

Paying for local authority schools is not a government objective.

bbbrown · Post by **bbbrown** » 28 Apr 2006, 16:00

Right as always Stephen...

I was just thinking that if the treasury released that money, maybe the exec might give a few bob to the Local Authorities for to replace our crumbling schools...

i'm just a hopeless fantasist.....

repeat after me...

there is no money..there is no money.....

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 28 Apr 2006, 16:05

bb brown, I'm in agreement with your sentiments. But If as a community we say to our council do not build PHS until we've persuaded our national government to release extra funds for a new schools building programme then we would be waiting forever. Then after the wait, there is still the issue of where to build the school.

Stephen McIntyre · Post by **Stephen McIntyre** » 28 Apr 2006, 16:15

bbbrown wrote: Right as always Stephen...

I was just thinking that if the treasury released that money, maybe the exec might give a few bob to the Local Authorities for to replace our crumbling schools...
repeat after me...

there is no money..there is no money.....

BB I'm in no way you suggesting that your sentiment is wrong, in fact there's merit in your argument. However, we have an imminent need and don't have time to reverse governmental monetary mechanisms/policies, there is no guarantee we can succeed.. It lives in the same place as diverting money from the war in Iraq. Thanks for the "right as always "comment, anyone that knows me knows that's a red herring.

bbbrown wrote:i'm just a hopeless fantasist..........

Don't be so hard on yourself, you are an accomplished fantasist.

bbbrown · Post by **bbbrown** » 28 Apr 2006, 16:25

Indeed, utter lunacy......
bring on the house builders...

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 29 Apr 2006, 00:09

bbbrown wrote:Indeed, utter lunacy......
bring on the house builders...

I would rather have aschool than a house

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 01 May 2006, 16:41

From the EN, 29 April 2006:

Plans to site school in Portobello

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 01 May 2006, 16:50

From the EN, 1 May 2006:

Don't sacrafice (sic) park to cover shortfall

Dave Connelly · Post by **Dave Connelly** » 01 May 2006, 17:42

You can stand on the golf course with banners trying to save the park.
You can write to the council and demand explanations.
You can dress your children up in their Sunday best and parade them.
You can sign and get others to sign petition after petition after petition.
You can argue that the authorities have or have not got the money to carry out their statutory obligations.
You can argue, you can blame, you can provoke, you can lobby.
You can in fact say or do whatever you like, but the reality is this, (and I echo the quoted chain store, who know about building on green space)
<p>
â€œWhen itâ€™s gone itâ€™s goneâ€

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 01 May 2006, 19:45

Unfortunately its probably also a foregone conclusion

Rex_Mundi · Post by **Rex_Mundi** » 01 May 2006, 20:00

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs
and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
but make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
or being hated, don't give way to hating,
and yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
and treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
and stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
and never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
to serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!

R.K.

seanie · Post by **seanie** » 01 May 2006, 20:08

I must return to the sea again

To the lonely sea and sky

I left my vest and socks there

I wonder if they're dry?

S.M.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 01 May 2006, 22:09

Rex_Mundi wrote:If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs

...then you've underestimated the situation.

Stephen McIntyre · Post by **Stephen McIntyre** » 02 May 2006, 14:06

"If we had on-site playing fields I would have more training for the football team. I'm sure many more kids would play and more teachers would help out"- Kenny Walker, Physics Teacher and Coach of the senior football team at Portobello High School.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 May 2006, 14:11

Heya Tom, itâ€™s Bob from the office down the hall
Good to see you buddy, howâ€™ve you been?
Thing have been OK for me except that Iâ€™m a zombie now
I really wish youâ€™d let us in
I think I speak for all of us when I say I understand
Why you folks might hesitate to submit to our demand
But hereâ€™s an FYI: youâ€™re all gonna die screaming

All we want to do is eat your brains
Weâ€™re not unreasonable, I mean, no oneâ€™s gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
Weâ€™re at an impasse here, maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
Weâ€™ll all come inside and eat your brains

I donâ€™t want to nitpick, Tom, but is this really your plan?
To spend your whole life locked inside a mall?
Maybe thatâ€™s OK for now but someday youâ€™ll be out of food and guns
And then youâ€™ll have to make the call
Iâ€™m not surprised to see you havenâ€™t thought it through enough
You never had the head for all that bigger picture stuff
But Tom, thatâ€™s what I do, and I plan on eating you slowly

All we want to do is eat your brains
Weâ€™re not unreasonable, I mean, no oneâ€™s gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
Weâ€™re at an impasse here, maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
Weâ€™ll all come inside and eat your brains

Iâ€™d like to help you Tom, in any way I can
I sure appreciate the way youâ€™re working with me
Iâ€™m not a monster Tom, well, technically I am
I guess I am

Iâ€™ve got another meeting Tom, maybe we could wrap it up
I know weâ€™ll get to common ground somehow
Meanwhile Iâ€™ll report back to my colleagues who were chewing on the doors
I guess weâ€™ll table this for now
Iâ€™m glad to see you take constructive criticism well
Thank you for your time I know weâ€™re all busy as hell
And weâ€™ll put this thing to bed
When I bash your head open

All we want to do is eat your brains
Weâ€™re not unreasonable, I mean, no oneâ€™s gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
Weâ€™re at an impasse here, maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
Weâ€™ll all come inside and eat your brains

bluebanana · Post by **bluebanana** » 02 May 2006, 14:23

The following may be of interest. Having experienced travelling from one site to another as a member of staff in a decanted school I'd support implication that travelling between sites is not conducive to an good schooling environment.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edi ... 964700.stm

Comments?

Blue Banana

Stephen McIntyre · Post by **Stephen McIntyre** » 02 May 2006, 14:43

When the existing PHS was built and for approximately the first 20 years of operation not only was it a the largest secondary school in Europe but the largest secondary school in Edinburgh on what was and is the smallest footprint, with no on-site playing fields, it was also a split site facility.

It is time the children of this community got the educational facilities they deserve and the best that we can afford. We can give them playing fields and a single site, so why not?

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 02 May 2006, 14:52

Dadaist, is everything o.k.?

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 May 2006, 14:53

When I was at Heriots, our playing fields were on the other side of town way down at Goldenacre.

We also used the Meadows for jogging.

With the obvious difference of Heriots being private aside - how did we manage to produce the likes of Dougie Walker and the rest of the rugby, cricket, hockey etc stuff?

What's the difference between the split-site P.E. at Heriots and that of PHS?

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

New Portobello High School- Where and how?

spilt site secondary criticised