Page 3 - link magazine

See us on the net @ www.i-way.co.uk/-swindonlink The Link Magazine • March 1998
High expectations for education

dashed as windfall cash dwindles 'WE COME TO YOU'
* Free collection
Headteachers at Swindon schools believe the public has been misled into thinking an extra £3.4 million & delivery
ge
being made available to Swindon Council by the government will be spent on improved education. * callout
charge
charge
They say the extra cash has been 2.6% to be met, heads predict At Greendown School,where 25 * No job too
eaten away to meet last year's higher class sizes. more year 7 children are expected, BIKE small
DOCTOR
£600,000 overspend, and another Hreod Parkway headteacher headteacher Ian Matthews was
£1 million will be lost because the Andrew Fleet said everybody more forceful in his criticism. "It is
government continues to give a should be concerned. "The gen- a travesty that this government
higher level of funding to Grant eral public has been given the im- continues to give Grant Maintained * Slightly marked cycles:
Maintained Schools which opted pression that there is a significant Schools more money than local up to 50% off
out of local authority control un- increase in the money going into authority schools. The LEA can't * Used cycles (with warranty)
der the previous regime. education. The situation is very be blamed for not having enough
The growth in pupil numbers worrying. The government is de- money, but they cannot claim there
and Swindon Council's need to manding higher standards but is sufficient money to cover teach-
spend more money on its educa- with schools not able to meet the er's salaries. The cash is indequate
tion advisory service to meet the teachers pay rise and more chil- and schools will struggle to raise
requirements of the new Educa- dren coming into the system, we're standards."
tion Bill also means less money going to see a higher ratio of pu- Primary schools will be in an
going into schools. pils to teachers." even more desperate position as
Local authority secondary Hreod will accomodate an extra they receive less money per pupil. We have two large
schools have been allocated an ex- 66 children in September which Keith Burke, head of Shaw Ridge barns full of top
tra 2%, but with inflation at over will mean recruiting more teach- School, said, "our numbers keep quality furnishing
2.5% and a teachers' pay rise of ers or expanding class sizes. going up and with the extra de- fabrics (often more ENDS
mands the government puts on us, than 50 metres) which
there is no extra cash available.
Mechanics Trust to try again Last year we were underfunded; are the ends of ranges.
this year we're not getting enough Also wallpapers. All are from
to cover the pay rise. leading manufacturers at
"The only way we can make sav- greatly reduced prices.
ings is to appoint younger, less Why not come and see us?
experienced teachers if staff leave. Sue Cutcliffe. Giles Green,
"It is an absolute scandal that Brinkworth, Nr Chippenham.
Grant Maintained Schools con- Tel: 01666 510685
tinue to get more for doing the Open Monday - Saturday gam - 1pm
same job."

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