I wonder what world Baggy Dave inhabits. Kingsdale borders several boroughs including Lewisham and is no further away from me, as a Lewisham resident, than either Forest Hill Boys or Sydenham Girls, neither of which I'd regard as comprehensive as they have too small a middle class intake. The (sink) school that is closest to me is full of children from other boroughs because its been evacuated by local parents. Prendergast and Askes operate covert systems of selection which cream off a lot of the brightest children and distort the intake to other schools in the borough. We now all inhabit a distorted educational marketplace which is not of mine or most other parents choosing. Kingsdale used to be a failing school with a disproportionate number of disadvantaged children, many of whom were not local in the first place. It's surrounded by independent schools in a very wealthy area. The fact that there are now parents who would otherwise opt for private school choosing Kingsdale is a testament to the extraordinary success of Steve Morrison and his team. Kingsdale has recognised the obvious truth - you need to transform the intake of a school to transform its culture and fortunes. There are now a substantial number of aspirational parents, not all of whom are white or middle class, favouring Kingsdale. It's a fantastic school which offers music and sporting facilities to rival the private and selective sectors, small class sizes in core subject (I haven't seen this on offer at any other state schools), express sets from the word go for the brightest kids and genuine opportunities to children who are less academically able. Take no notice of Baggy Dave. Visit it for yourself. Do believe the hype.