Page 44 - link magazine

44 The Link Magazine • December 2000
Headteacher to leave on a high

Ian Matthews, headteacher of Greendown Community School in Grange Park, has announced he will be leaving at the end of the school
year in August 2001 to pursue new challenges in the education system, applying his skills as an Ofsted inspector and a headteacher
performance assessor.
Appointed in early 1985, he teaching body and the education standards right across the age and
moved with his family to live in of the children. ability range at Greendown is very
West Swindon when the school "Following the good Ofsted re- pleasing, so is the performance by
building was just a steel frame. port in 1999, a new person will boys at GCSE.
When Greendown opened in Sep- have the time to get their feet un- "Our investment in the Future
tember 1996, there were thirteen der the table and drive the school School computer based maths tui-
teachers, two support staff and 125 forward to build on the achieve- tion system to cope with teacher
year 7 children. Now there are ments over the last 15 years." shortages which affect all schools,
1,230 children and 120 people em- He added that recent develop- and our involvement in the broad-
ployed on site. ments at the school made it par- band internet project puts Green-
Ian explained that the school was right appointment and the transi- ticularly attractive to applicants for down at the forefront of innova-
at a successful point in its develop- tion to a new head can be as smooth the job. "Education is under enor- tion. Underpinning this is the com-
ment and he wanted to give gover- as possible. The important thing is mous pressure from all sides," he mitment from enthusiastic staff
nors and a new appointment as to minimise the disruption to the said. "But the improvement in and solid management systems."
much time as possible to prepare
for the future.
"Greendown has the largest roll Disquiet at North school parents meeting
in its history and this summer's According to a senior Swindon Council education official it would be a 'catastrophe' if the North
GCSE results with fifty four per Swindon secondary school does not open in September 2004 at the latest.
cent A to C passes were the highest
ever. This is probably the best Education officer Norrie Porter Mr Porter, right, said from Woodhall Park
point to make changes; the gover- told parents at a meeting held at there were five new pri- said this was inad-
nors have the time to make the Abbey Meads primary school on mary schools planned, equate as the present
15 November that 'there would be with one managed as a accommodation at
a crisis in the council' if the dead- Church of England Hreod is sub-standard.
Dave Rogers line was not met. Aided school at Taw A number of parents
The packed and sometimes Hill. The Catholic expressed anger when
P^c^ocee' er rd Deeo^cata^c
heated meeting heard the coun- Church may also be re- Mr Porter said the new
cil's proposals to build anew school sponsible for one. How- school was likely to
Interior in Haydon 3, rebuild Hreod Park- ever the next primary open with year 7 and
decorating carried out to way on one site and provide five school to be built will be possibly year 9 only.
a high standard including: new primary schools. either next to the sec- There was further
• Painting • Wallpapering With adequate publicity more ondary school in Haydon 3 or ad- disquiet when he told the meeting
• Coving • Tiling people could have attended. Apart jacent to the Redrow development, that children attending Abbey
• General Maintenance from a story in the November Link, near Lady Lane. Meads and Catherine Wayte
parents were only informed of the His announcement that it is not schools might not have the auto-
• Gardening
meeting in a letter sent out via programmed to open until Sep- matic choice of the new school. A
primary schools two days before- tember 2002 caused upset, as this decision would be made by the
For a prompt friendly hand. And as it was held in a small would involve erecting up to three council closer to the opening date.
professional service room, some people were seen to mobiles each at Abbey Meads and The council is to circulate a con-
leave because they could not get in Catherine Wayte schools. sultation document to parents via
Telephone: 875354
and take part. He said the building of the first schools, to be returned by early
Mobile: 07970 483393 houses in Haydon 3 by late 2001 January. A decision to proceed on
would release the land for the sec- the proposals will be made by the
ondary school, but it would be a cabinet in February, to be followed
'catastrophe' if it did not open in by a three month period for objec-
RALEIGH September 2004 at the latest. tions.
There will be a need for 540 sec- Final decisions will be made by
ondary school places and the coun- the end of the academic year.
fL SARACEN cil proposes to rebuild Hreod Park- Hreod parents get the chance to
Hica^clgs way on one site, but work would discuss the council's plans on Mon-
not start until 2003. Alison Jarvis day 4 December, 7pm.
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