Page 13 - link magazine

Getting a broad picture
1V1y Sch"l Louise Wilkes, pictured below wants to be a journalist.
She went out and interviewed staff and parents.
And now I
So here I am, a 5th
year at the newest
cate subject of
and certainly the come to the deli-
most modern exams. Not
(could we go so far something I'm
In the first of our visits to the four secondary schools as to say trendiest?) looking forward
serving West Swindon, students at Greendown Community school in Swindon. to. Well can you
School take over a page to describe what it's like Although it's had blame me? The
its fair share of pressure is made
stardom, Green- worse by a weight
The newcomers view down has been at we all feel hang-
the top of every- ingoverus. After
Three firstyears give their impressions after theirfi rstfew body's criticism list being the guinea
weeks at one time or an- pigs for 5 years,
other since it will we be able to
Rebecca Nobes: opened. So I prove ourselves to
When I first went to Greendown it thought here is an the world? Can
seemed I would never find my way ideal opportunity for me to get the we win the respect of those who are
around, but after a couple of days I public's view of the school and at the looking atus through narrowed eye-
could without getting lost. I am same time set straight a few dubious brows and thinking 'I have serious
getting to know lots of different rumoursthatseem to beflyingabout. doubts as to whether this newfangled
people. Ontheflrstdayl onlytalked I spent time talking to people way of learning is actually going to
to the people I knew but soon I whose children are reaching second- work'? Well time will tell.
started making new friends. ary school age. I learnt that the main An optimistic Mr Matthews con-
I enjoy learning French and doing worry in many parents' minds is the firmed my suspicions:
Science because it is new and inter- fact that everything is so advanced "It's cruel justice, but exam re-
esting. All the teachers are nice and and vastly different to when they sults are what the public judge a
friendly. All my sisters friends come were atschool. One parent summed school by. The most important
up tome when lam eating my lunch up for me why she felt some people thing is that the individual pupils
and stare and laugh at me. Some of disapproved of the school: achieve their own personal aim.
the 5th years look like giants. They "Because Greendown is so new But if exam results are bad then
tower above me. and the teaching methods different, the public will say, 'An that doesn't
I also like to choose enrichments people don't fully understand it. work, we always said it wouldn't,
it is better than just being told what Rebecca Nobes, sitting, and They can't see how the pupils can be and ifexam results are good then the
we have to do. Angela Phillips in the Resource learning anything as it is such a public will say 'Look at all the advan-
I like Greendown better than my Centre change from the education available tages they had'. So as far as the
primary school because there are when they were at school. Because school is concerned it can't win".
more interesting and exciting things Angela Phillips: of this I think people automatically However to finish on a lighter
to do. I like Thursdays best because Greendown is very big but it's also assume that it is wrong." note I'm glad to say the feed back I
we have Personal Development all fun. It gives you a lot of freedom OK, that's what people have to received from the public wasn't all
day. I also like Art because the because you can choose a lot of say about the school, but what do bad.
teacher is funny and talks a lot. things. On a Monday we finish at they think about the pupils? "There is a good atmosphere
21 Op. in. Three days awcekwc have One very critical mother had this around Greendown, the teachers and
Enrichments and on a Thursday we to say, "Making regular trips to and pupils are polite and friendly and
have Recreations. from Grecndown, taking my child everyone is treated as an equal,which
On a Tuesday I have picture book to playgroup, I have seen a variety of I find very impressive," was one
Shona Redpath: making, on a Wednesday I have pupils and quite frankly their behav- comment that cheered me up con-
When I saw Greendown for the first language learning base, on a Thurs- iour appalls me. They are rude and siderably.
time I thought the school was huge day I have netball and on a Friday I insolent and the way they talk to the O.K., so my life at Greendown
but now I have actually started at it have parachute making. teachers is very distressing. I am not hasn't exactly been a fairground of
does not seem so big. Greendown is very modern and criticising the teachers particularly, fin and happiness. But I will always
All my teachers arc really nice. you learn things without knowing it. but surely the fact that the discipline be gratefulfor all all the opportunities
Best of all I like French. I have Dike Humanities because the teacher is so slack, it has an effect on the way I have been given to achieve my
wanted to learn it for a longtime. I is friendly and because we can do the pupils behave." many hopes and ambitions for the
also like Science, especially the ex- things howwc like. It doesn't matter WOW! What do you make ofthat future. For example, if it wasn't for
periments. if it's cartoon pictures or serious then Grecndown? I presented my the backing I received from the
I think that gym at Greendown is pictures as long as we do our best. I findings to the head Mr Ian school to fulfill my love for rock
much better than it was in my pri- like French too because it's not just Matthews for his reaction: climbing I don't think I would be
mary school, so is netball. I also like learning numbers and words, it's "People always criticise new anywhere near the standard I am
having Enrichments which is being drawing and speaking a lot. And we schools. It's partly jealousy and today.
able to choose our own lessons from play bingo in french numbers and partly the fact that they don't fully Also my dream to become a writer
2.15 till 3.30. sing songs. That's the hard bit be- understand what we're trying to seems to be one step closer, begin-
The only thing I do not like at cause it's hard to sing about things achieve here. We're not a utopia; if ning with the work experience
Greendown is when it is home time, you don't know the meaning of. we were then I think it would be placement I have been allocated in
break time or time to change a les- I don't like Maths but at Green- time for me to retire. People have November.
son. The stairs are always blocked down everything seems fun. I like this annoying habit of criticising But right now, life out there in the
and when you try to get down them Art even though I'm not that good things before they have had a chance big bad world seems too far away to
you are always pushed and shoved. at it. It's exciting art that seems very to achieve their objectives. It takes fully take in. Howl will feel when I
It's nice seeing everyone in Green- easy to do. 10 years for a school to establish finally walk out of the school gate for
down wearing school uniform be- On a Thursdayin gymnasticswe've itself and we're not even half way the last time I don't know. Maybe
cause in primary school you did not been practising forward rolls and in there yet, but the future looks prom- I'll write an essay entitled 'Life after
have to wear it so hardly anyone did. Netball we've been practising skills. ising." Greendown...'.
Next month, we visit Bradon Forest School, Parton