Page 24 - link magazine

New buildings for our,biggest ever intake

Just in time to answer Ofsted's concern about the lack of
space for our growing student roll, three new buildings
were erected at Greendown during the summer months: a
resource block, new music rooms and sports changing
facilities.
Extensive modifications to the existing building were
only just completed on time before school restarted, but
staff and students alike are pleased with the quality of their
environment. It has been well worth waiting for - particu-
larly as our numbers are the largest ever, due to the record-
breaking numbers of first choice year sevens who joined us
in September.
Greendown is still West Swindon's most popular choice
of school, so we expect further building modifications in
future.
Librarian Jenny Eagle working with students in our new hi-tech
integrated learning resource centre which will also be used by
our partner prima ry schools as part of our programme of ^^
liaison

Reward for investment in staff

A modern organisation is only as good as its staff and staff need training and
development. So it was a delight when earlier this year, Greendown was the first
school in the Swindon Education Authority to receive the Investor in People
Award.
To gain the award, all management systems were closely examined and senior
staff interviewed to ensure that the school is providing appropriate staff support.
Chairman of governors, Andrew Basson congratulated the school's manage-
ment team "The award is an endorsement of the commitment to the development
of staff as a central feature in the education of children at Green-
down." j
Daphne Milner from the Wiltshire and Swindon Training and Enter-
prise Council presents the award to Andrew Basson, centre, with
headteacher Ian Matthews and teacher and Investor in People coordi- —^^=
in
nator Sally Barker Investor Peopr

Bromcom keeps tabs on Students hear of hurricane disaster
At the end of January, the Nicaraguan Ambassador to Britain, Mrs
attendance and progress Nora Campos de Lankes took part in a year 8 Humanities lesson. She
explained how Nicaragua has been struggling for 30 years to over-
For over a year now, teachers computer, students in each class come one disaster after another and how her country had been
at Greendown have not marked are marked in and the data is devastated by Hurricane Mitch in November 1998 which killed over
attendance registers - at least not transmitted back, cutting out all 3,000 people. Greendown students went on to collect over 5500 for
with a pen. the manual labour needed to the hurricane appeal launched by the Swindon Ocotal Link. Later in
y
A new compact computer, the check 52 individual register the year they collected blankets an cur iv :il i ms four R ovo.
`Bromcom', has taken its place. books.
Simply pressing a key calls up Moreover, every student is reg-
each class register from a central istered at every class - not just
twice a day.
The system has huge potential
says Headteacher, Ian Matthews,
"The key issue for schools is to
get information on any one stu-
dent rapidly and efficiently. Each
student may have up to 12 differ-
ent teachers. Bromcom enables
us to rapidly collate information
about homestudy, attendance
and achievement for an individual
and communicate it to parents at
consultation."
Progress at the press of a button?
Head of Humanities, Peter Gould,
left, is more than satisfied