Page 10 - link magazine

10 SHAW & ROUGHMOOR
Roads nearly Shaw Ridge head sad to say farewell to school,
finished but not to leave the madness of education
The completion of the top surfac-
ing at the entrance to Tower Road Sitting in Keith Burke's tiny office at Shaw Ridge School surrounded by shelves of files, reports and
and the Chinese Experience res- papers, it's not hard to imagine why the bureaucracy of education today is driving him out of the
taurant at Peatmoor is being held profession. The evidence of central directives and demands on his time as an educator hide the children's
up because Bryant Homes believe work pinned to the walls and the photographs of a school outing.
they have paid Swindon Council ror arter ,ii years in ael Mak is doing well in the
for the work to be done. teaching, 25 as a head- national rhythmic gymnas-
However council officers re- teacher including fifteen tic squad. The football team
ported at the West Area Panel on 6 as the first and only head regularly performs well in
July that there is no evidence that of Shaw Ridge, Mr Burke the West Swindon schools
the money has been received. has said his farewells and league and two former pu-
is looking for a part-time pils now play profession-
job outside teaching with- ally, Jamie Mills with Swin-
out the stress and aggra- don Town and younger
vation imposed by cen- brother JP with Oxford.
tral and local govern- And Kelly Hillier-Bowden
ment. plays hockey for the South
"It's been a wonderful West ladies squad.
time at this school, work- Annually there are doz-
ing with some incredibly ens of visits by artists,
committed and hard drama groups and Keith
Councillor Douglas Stewart sug- working teachers and supportive children. No one is willing to say himself played a starring role as
gested that the cost of surfacing parents and governors, and of 'stop' and allow schools to get on the Duke of Milan in the schools
the road should be taken from the course super children," he said. with education." Shakespeare Festival in May.
£50,000 due to be repaid to Bryant "But the world of education has Keith opened the Shaw Ridge in "I set out to run a school with
from the underspend on construct- gone mad; every aspect of teach- 1985 with nineteen children. For high standards offering a broad
ing the Mead Way footbridge be- ing and school management the last five years there have been experience for all children, but at
tween Sparcells and Peatmoor last changes constantly with new cur- about 300 on roll. It has always the same time being welcoming to
year. Negotiations between the riculum amendments, perform- done well in the academic league children and parents," said Keith.
council and the builders continue. ance directives and consultation tables and it also has many broad "I've been very fortunate to have
The final surfacing of Swinley documents coming through all the curriculum and sporting opportu- had excellent teachers; together I
Drive will start in August, to be time. Teachers are not trusted to nities. think we've achieved our aim, and
completed in mid-September. deliver and headteachers are un- Keith ran a successful gymnas- I'm sad to leave them."
Footways on both sides of the road der immense pressure to protect tic club which entered Wiltshire Deputy headteacher Sally
are to be constructed at the same them so that they can maintain competitions and appeared in the Cowell has been appointed to suc-
time. stability and consistency for the All England finals. Ex-pupil Rach- ceed him.

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