Page 8 - link magazine

8 HAYDON WICK & WOODHALL PARK
Listening and support skills at Primary school has
curriculum forefront expansion ideas

Students belonging to Hreod Parkway School's Youth Action The governors of Haydonleigh
Group took a day off from normal school on 15 January to School want parents in Abbey
develop listening and counselling skills. Meads and Haydon Wick to vote
in favour of extending their
Working with volunteers from Lorna Slack, coordinator with school. Clerk to the Governors,
DO YOU Connections youth counselling, Crime Concern project Youth Ac- Sue Law explains why.
the youngsters in years eight to 10 tion Swindon, said the group fea-
WANT TO LET discussed some of the problems tured in the August 1997 edition of Swindon Borough Council will be
fellow students have, bullying is- The Link were now concentrating building a school (near the village
YOUR HOUSE? sues and relationships with friends on exams and younger students centre) to take children from the
and parents. They also took part were taking their place to provide top half of Abbey Meads from Sep-
- Free impartial advice on all in confidence raising games and peer group support to others in tember 1999. They then wish to
aspects of residential letting. either expand Haydonleigh or to
exercises designed to promote the school. "Although the group is
- Management of all repairs communications and a positive still called BIBOs, 'Bully In, Bully build a school on Elstree Way to
and maintenance to owners outlook. Out, the members have widened open in September 2000.
The Council are in the process of
asking the public to decide which
option to take and their consulta-
tion document is being circulated.
Haydonleigh was originally to
be built on the Elstree Way site.
Due to the closeness of the power
lines and concern of their effect on
children, these plans were rejected.
The Governors believe that ex-
pansion of Haydonleigh (option 2)
is in the best interests of the local
children for the following reasons:
1 Haydonleigh has just received
an excellent OFSTED inspection
report and this is a sound basis on
which to expand the school.
2 Expansion would provide a
greater range of subject expertise
with which to raise standards.
3 Expansion would allow more
extra-curricular activities.
4 Expansion would allow for sin-
gle year classes with less need for
class reorganisation.
5 Haydonleigh has a good basis
of teaching and learning resources,
a larger school would offer a
greater range and quantity of re-
sources for children.
6 Haydonleigh has excellent fi-
nancial and management struc-
tures and an experienced govern-
ing body in place.
7 Alargerprimary school would
make the transition from primary
to secondary education easier for
the children.
The Governors believe that the
disadvantages stated in the con-
sultation document against ex-
tending are irrelevant; teachers
would know and relate to pupils
in a school of 420 pupils, and a
slightly shorter journey will not
discourage parents from driving
their children to school.
The Governors have drawn up a
list of additional reasons to extend
Haydonleigh which has been
posted on the school notice board.
Please also note that if the expan-
sion gets the go-ahead the gover-
nors will press the Council to bring
the date for expansion forward.
We believe a vote for option 2
will mean better education for lo-
cal children.