Will Michaela Free School be ready for 120 Year 7s in September?

I visited the Michaela Academy site at Arena House in Wembley Park yesterday and was concerned at the state of the building which 120 Year 7s are expected to attend in less than a month.

I am awaiting responses from Michaela and Wilmott Dixon, the builders, to my enquiries about building progress. (For response see LINK)

Any delay will follow the failure of two other free schools, Gateway and Gladstone, to open in Brent in September, which left those Year 7 pupils to find places in other local schools.

On its website Michaela says:

Whilst the refurbishment of the entire building is scheduled to be completed by early 2015, from September 2014 we will have the use of a substantial portion of the site with all the necessary facilities and resources to enhance the education of our first Year 7 pupils.

In our first year at Michaela we will only have 120 pupils and eight teachers, and it has always been our intention to limit our use of the building to the lower floors, with the upper levels opening as the school grows.

The photographs below were taken yesterday evening and I leave readers to judge for themselves:

The 'playground' beneath the building

A classroom?

External view?

Local backing for Tricycle Theatre in Film Festival row

As the debate over the Tricycle Theatre's decision to boycott official Israeli funding for the UK Jewish Film Festival reaches the national media, local people have expressed their support for the Tricycle's decision.

The following letter was published in the Guardian today:

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The London borough of Brent is one of the most diverse and tolerant parts of the UK, with a rich cultural heritage compromising many  ethnicities and religions, including the Jewish faith. As local  residents, we can say that the Tricycle Theatre, whose cinematic and  theatrical repertoire is broad and inclusive, reflects this diversity,  demonstrated by 8 years of hosting the UK Jewish Film Festival, as well  as works on Palestine by comedian Mark Thomas, and works by MUJU, the  Muslim-Jewish theatre company.

We support the Tricycle Theatre’s decision to refuse funding from the  Israeli Embassy, the UK representative of a state currently involved in  war crimes and potential genocide in the Occupied Palestinian  Territories. As the theatre has already offered to help find an  alternative sponsor, we hope this is not the end of the festival as your  article suggests. The theatre’s position cannot be construed as  anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish or political but is instead a cultural boycott  of a belligerent sponsor.

Martin Francis, Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign

 Sheila Robin, Jews for Justice for Palestinians

Aisha Maniar, London Guantánamo Campaign

Meanwhile an on-line poll on the Kilburn Times website LINK currently has 70% of respondents supporting the Tricycle's position, 29% against and 1% undecided.

Wembley Allocated Pubs for Community Shield Sunday August 10th

Local roads are expected to be busy on Sunday. Gates open 1pm K.O. 3pm

Man City
The Torch 1 - 5 Bridge Road, Wembley, HA9 9AB
Crock of Gold 23 Bridge Road, Wembley, HA9 9AB
Crystal Club (Silverspoon) South Way, Wembley
The Parish 120 Wembley Park Drive, Wembley, HA9 8HP
First Class Sports Bar 125 Wembley Park Drive, HA9 8HG
The Wembley Tavern 121 Wembley Park Drive, HA9 8HG
Flyers Last Stand 45 Blackbird Hill, NW9 8RS
Watkins Folly1 Empire Way, Wembley, HA9 0EW
Moore Spice Wembley Retail Park, Unit 2, Engineers Way, HA9 0EH
Blue Check Café 12 - 13 Empire Way, Wembley, HA9 0RQ
The Blend 5-6 Empire Way, Wembley, HA9 0XA
Alisan Bar The Junction, Wembley Retail Park, Engineers Way, HA9 0EG


Arsenal
The Green Man Dagmar Avenue, Wembley, HA9 8DF
Blue Room 53 Wembley Hill Road, Wembley, HA9 8BE
JJ Moons 397 High Road, Wembley, HA9 7DT
Thirsty Eddie’s 412 High Road, Wembley, HA9 6AH
Flannery’s 610 High Road, Wembley, HA0 2AF
Mannions 313 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA9 6BA
The Copper Jug 10 The Broadway, Wembley, HA9 8JU
Powerleague Olympic Way, Wembley
Fusilier 652 Harrow Road, Wembley, HA0 2HA
Liquor Station 379 High Road, Wembley, HA9 6AA
Station 31 299-301 Harrow Rd, Wembley
Masti 576 – 582 High Rd, Wembley, HA0 2A

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National Demonstration for Gaza Saturday 9th August

From Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Brent residents attending the demo are welcome to meet up with others at Kilburn Jubilee Line station (southbound platform) at 11.30 am on Saturday.

National Demonstration for Gaza Saturday 9 August. Assemble 12 noon outside BBC, Portland Place (tubes: Great Portland Street/Oxford Circus) marching to rally at Hyde Park via US Embassy

Please ask all your family and friends to join the demonstration on Saturday. Be a part of it! At the time of writing (Tuesday) over 1,814 Palestinians have been killed and 9,536 injured.  UN OCHA says "Children continue to bear the brunt of the crisis". The number of children killed stands at 408 with at least 2,877 children injured.

An Israeli missile attack on Sunday against an UNWRA school has been condemned by the UN  as 'criminal act.' Yesterday (Monday), Israel broke its own ceasefire, killing an eight year old Palestinian girl and flattening her family home. The Israelis then launched an attack on another home> Whole neighbourhoods have been flattened, and almost half of the Strip was already a 'no go zone', before the bombardment of Rafah. Palestinians are struggling to dig out the bodies of the dead, hospitals struggling to cope with the bloodshed and death, and shelters struggling to cope with the hundreds of thousands attempting to seek refuge. Ambulances, hospitals and UN schools sheltering refugees have all been targeted by Israeli bombs. International outrage has escalated, with thousands blocking the streets outside the Israeli Embassy in London over the weekend, and protests taking place across Britain. But even now, the BBC is determined to 'defend Israel'>  We need to increase the pressure even further - and ensure that our voices are heard. Please ensure that nobody can say that they didn't know about the demonstration this coming Saturday - forward this email on to family and friends, and bring them along. Tell Cameron - NOT IN MY NAME! STOP ARMING ISRAEL! STOP THE MASSACRE! Take action - sign our letter to the Prime Minister>  Join us on Saturday - and spread the word! Click here for the facebook event page.