First AGM of the St Martin’s Tenants & Residents Association

ChalliceWayResidents of the St Martin’s estate in Tulse Hill, which includes Challice Way in Brixton Hill ward, are holding the first AGM of their Tenants and Residents Association. The St Martin’s TRA AGM will be on Tuesday 30th September, 7pm to 9pm, at the St Martin’s Community Centre, Abbots Park.

At the meeting the TRA will elect its committee and give residents a chance to raise issues that Metropolitan Housing or other bodies should be dealing with. A full agenda is here.

Chuka Umunna: New free school on Brixton Hill not best use of site or public money

Chuka_Umunna-5DOur local MP has written for Brixton Blog about the new ‘Catholic-ethos’ free school that has opened on the Lambeth College site on Brixton Hill (and will be part of the new development on the site). He states that the free school ‘is not the best use’ of the site and that ‘a new school on that site has neither been necessary, or the best use of the taxpayers money’. Continue reading

Take a look around the new secondary school City Heights now open on Christchurch Road

Screenshot 2014-09-17 15.10.56

As pressure on school places locally grows and the Coalition government makes it ever harder for Councils to directly open new schools, it’s great to see a new non-selective secondary school open serving the southern end of Brixton Hill.

City Heights E-ACT Academy is now open on Christchurch Road. It describes itself as ‘a non-denominational, non-selective school, welcoming girls and boys from all backgrounds from the local community.’ It opened last September with just 110 Year 7 students and has now taken in a second year-group in its permanent new site next to Fenstanton Primary School. It specialises in language skills, particularly Spanish, which will be welcome to the growing Latin American community in the area and their neighbours.

The school is taking part in Open House Weekend on 20 September so residents can have a look around. Tours must be pre-booked 10-12.30 – more details here.

Inevitably a new school with, eventually, 1,100 11-18 year olds will be the cause of some concern for local residents. The St Martin’s Estate TRA, which covers Challice Way in Brixton Hill ward as well as the rest of the estate in Tulse Hill, is organising a meeting where locals can raise any questions or issues with Jim Henderson of the school. The meeting will be on Tuesday 23rd September, 7:30pm, at the St Martin’s Community Centre, Abbots Park. Further details here.