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&N amimmm 0 a 00 GREENDOWN

A Newsletter from West Swindon's Local School • November 1997
See us at http://www.I-way.CO.uk/—swindonlink

Another pleasing set of exam results

With government and public interest in education increasing all the time, at Greendown we were once again delighted with our
students' success at GCSE and in National Curriculum tests at 14. We seek to help every child achieve the maximum they are capable
of and this year we were particularly pleased with the maths and science SATS results which were well above the national average.
At GCSE, in a year group where every student who entered an and 25% achieved 10 or more A- watchful care of Mr Chris Jones,
over 26% of our students had exam passed at least one. 45% of C grades. This last result is par- the teacher who steered them
some special educational needs, our students gained 5 A-C grades ticularly pleasing, proving that through their early entry.
we can help all our students no
This is the first year we have a
matter what their academic abil- full group working at Advanced
ity. level. But we are confident that
Our policy of pushing able with the quality of information
children to early success has once we now get from our primary
again paid off with 27 students colleagues about children's maths
taking maths a year early. Every skills and the setting we make on
one of them gained one of the entry to the school, we shall con-
top three grades. They are now tinue to have a set of high achiev-
studying A' level maths under the ers in maths in the years to come.
The students who passed GCSE Maths a year early under the
guidance of Chris Jones, rear left, and are now taking A' level

cE

Art talent to the fore. Six year 10 students gained top grades in
their Art GCSE last summer. And they did it in remarkable
fashion: they managed a two year course in just 5 months!
The students, who are now working for A' Level, pictured above,
rear left to right, Samantha Silverton, Sarah Lewis-Paul, Jenny
Pike. Front: Paul Wylie, Lucy Proctor, Nicola Sawyer

Demand strong
For the third year running, Greendown was chosen by more year 6
children and their parents than its nominal limit of 208 children. Two
hundred and thirty three new students joined us in September.

Welcome to new deputy head

Two of our deputy headteachers, James Williams and Phil May, were
promoted to headships in South Wales and Gloucester respectively
last Easter. It's tempting to paraphrase Oscar Wilde and observe that,
lose one (deputy). may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose two
looks like carelessness"!
But we have been more than fortunate to appoint Mrs Val Houldey
to take their place. Val grew up in Cardiff but went to study English
and Music at Sheffield University. She has taught in the Midlands, St
John's, Marlborough and most recently she was head of English and
Drama at Highworth Warneford.
Val is excited to be at Greendown: "I was impressed with Green-
down's real desire to raise achievement every year. The school has a
reputation in Swindon of an extremely caring staff with a tutor system
second to none.
New deputy Val Houldey, with year 9 students, left, Sarah Keene
and Della Bradley, and year 7 arrivals, right, Clare Hogan,
Daniel Lambert and Nick Hypolite