Yesterday afternoon, Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys hosted a meeting of local primaries, secondaries, Greenwich Services and the police to address concerns that we have raised about safety in the community.

Amongst those attendees, we were delighted to have Assistant Chief-Inspector Alex Baldwin, headteachers Lizaan Williams, Sarah Critchell and Jo Marchant, as well as Deputy Director for Children's Services Onder Beter, Senior Assistant Director for Inclusion, Learning and Achievement Vicki Cluff and Assistant Director for Community Safety and Environmental Health Lea Minahan.

We addressed serious concerns about our students', and wider community, safety in Thamesmead, replete with evidential bases for the need for change and improvement, which was universally recognised.

As a starting point to the necessary actions, Acting Chief-Inspector Alex Baldwin has committed to policing Thamesmead Town Centre when operationally available with the local schools and neighbourhood officers, having briefed his sergeants and teams. I am intensely grateful for this action as this visibility will start to improve the sense of safety in our neighbourhood. And with this commitment, both Ms Williams and I will begin to staff Thamesmead Town Centre to support. Police operational availability will only be impacted by being called to more pressing duties.

Beyond this, our next stages will be to invite Peabody so we can look into investing in town centre wardens, similar to the approach in Woolwich Town Centre, enhancing the visibility of authority in our area; I also suspect that Transport for London can assist with the provision of more buses to transport our students home quickly. It is also my ambition to engage with local residents once a more comprehensive package of measures is put in place.

One approach on its own is unlikely to change the reality; together, however, various approaches and commitments from our local community will make Thamesmead a safer space for us all.

Mr T Lawrence

Headteacher