Page 20 - link magazine

EDUCATION MATTERS
20
FIFTH VILLAGE
Toothill School says 'Good-bye' to head.
SCHOOL IN
West Swindon's longest serv-
ing headteacher is moving on to DOUBT
new challenges. After ten years A primary school for West
and one term, Toothill County Swindon's fifth 'urban village' at
Primary School head Mrs. Anne Roughmoor is going to be de-
Newton is to take up a lecturing layed and may never be built.
post at Westminster College, With a slowing down of house
Oxford, training teachers for fu- building as the area nears com-
ture generations of children. pletion and continued restric-
Mrs. Newton was one of the tions on local government fi-
first professionals to work in nance, there is a chance that
Swindon's 'western expansion funds may not be allocated in
area' when she was appointed in future years.
early 1978 to prepare for the Roughmoor is the northern-
opening of the new school the most development of West Swin-
following September. don beyond Shaw. People
Barely 500 households had started to move into the Sparcells
been occupied since the first area of Roughmoor last summer
families arrived in April 1976 but the next phase of house
and conditions were awful when Mrs. Anne Newton with Toothill School children (from left) Carry Harvey, building between the new flood
compared to today according to Kerry Plumb, Emma Calt, Stuart Brown and. (in front), Nicky Lea, David water lagoon and the Moredon to
Mrs. Newton. "The families out King, Christopher Barber at the 101 hAnniversary Fete on 25th June. Purton road will not take place
here were really pioneers. The With 470 children in the school moved over to the community until 1989.
hut in Dunwich Drive was used now its more difficult to get to centre in 1984 where there was The sites for Roughmoor vil-
more room for their growing lage centre and a primary school
as a shop and in the other half a know people as well."
community centre. Buses were The pressure of ever rising numbers. lie within this area and these
few, there was no proper foot- numbers has caused Mrs. New- facilities can only be provided
"I'll always remember Toot
path into Swindon, no street ton some worries as more and the school mascot. He gave the after the roads and sewers are
lights and mud everywhere. more children arrived to take the children something to identify built. The recent decision by the
"1 had been a head of two school roll way past the 280 with and he still takes part in Secretary of the State for the
other schools in Swindon but I places the permanent facilities school life, as a guide on road Environment that Thames-
applied for the post at Toothill were designed and built for 10 safety for the young ones and a down's growth should be kept
because I knew the area would years ago. At present there are supporter at sports matches. I within its boundaries and not be
grow. At the time the western seven mobile classrooms on site wonder how many people real- allowed to spill over into North
expansion was in North Wilts. with few prospects of a second ise that the 'Toot & Whistle' pub Wilts. on the Ridgeway Farm
and wasn't considered part of school being built to replace name comes from the school. We site, on the other side of the
put the name forward in a corn- Moredon to Purton road, has also
Swindon. It was a challenge to be them.
petition run by the brewery and upset the development process.
in at the beginning and I wanted Same Core Facilities
to welcome the newcomers who "Obviously the large num- won. They put on a lovely party The economic viability of a vil-
were arriving from all over the bers using the same core facilities for the children as a prize." lage centre and the size of a
"Perhaps what I regret most, school are likely to be affected by
country. I felt like a pioneer as as we had when we opened has
well, and the people here wel- meant a strain on everybody. For apart from the lack of accommo- the reduced population living in
comed me warmly." example, its not possible to have dation, is the fact that nursery Roughmoor.
Mrs. Newton based herself in a whole school assembly. But the provision has not been intro- Revising Plans
a house above the present Tooth- parents and staff have been very duced during my time at Tooth- Assistant Director responsible
ill Pharmacy and also at Park understanding and perhaps we ill. I respect what playgroups do,
for planning future schools at
North Infant School so that she have worked harder to find ways but the opportunity for rising Wiltshire County Council Edu-
could meet parents. At the time round the problem. Unfortu- fives to experience a nursery
cation Department Christopher
children were bussed across nately I can't see numbers drop- class assists the early years at
Swindon from their first day at ping below about 450 children school no end." Perraton confirmed that the
school. for a long time." Education Committee was hav-
Unjustified Reputation
Two Hundred Children Happy memories crowd in on ing to re-consider its priorities.
Having been in at the begin-
"The Committee's plan for pri-
"It wasn't possible to predict Mrs. Newton as she prepares to fling Mrs. Newton has seen many mary school provision in West
numbers to join the school and hand over the reins to Mrs. Too- stages in Toothill's development. Swindon includes a school to be
the authority thought there good, who taught at Toothill "It was sad that one or two mci- built at Roughmoor in 1989/90.
dents and the lack of facilities
might be 200 children. There School between 1980 and 1984. However the site will not be
may have been that number in "1 will remember having the generally gave people outside available until 1991 and with the
the area, but they were not of Good Companions Pensioners the area the wrong impression. rejection of the Ridgeway Farm
school age. We started with 17 club meeting in the community Toothill's 'reputation' is quite proposal, the school will be
and five staff who were all so room next to the school. The unjustified, I have had only smaller than originally envis-
eager that the children had a pensioners formed their group friendship and kindness. aged."
"The physical development
great deal of attention. By Christ- six months after the school With funds allocated in the
mas though, more had joined opened; they had a deep effect on of the area finished some time budget for a school in West Swin-
and we had four small classes. school life. They were so happy ago; the people living here now don for the next financial year, a
"Numbers did not start rising in their social activities and to are developing it as a better proposal is to be put before the
until the second year but people have an older generation in a community for their children to Education Committee that an-
probably don't remember that new community without strong grow up in. I think its got a lot other school should be built next
we were only taking infants, jun- family ties was a stabilising influ- going for it and as I will continue to Brookfield Primary in Shaw in
iors were bussed across town ence. Children used to perform to live in Swindon and Mrs. order to cater for children mov-
until 1983. for them and some club members Toogood is a good friend of mine, ing into houses which will be
"It was lovely in those first visited classes, and they always I'll be keeping in touch." built in Shaw afid Roughmoor
years because we knew every had their Christmas parties in the during the next two years.
family as well as the children. school hall. It was sad when they (continued on page 21)