Page 12 - link magazine

12 The Link Magazine • October 2001
All aboard for Fairford School Railway realism at STEAM
The exodus of 90 Swindon children to Farmors School, Fairford in Children at Brook Field School in Shaw recently made a return trip to
neighbouring Gloucestershire, which was exclusively reported by Swindon's history courtesy of the Steam Museum.
The Link in May and August hit the local and national media head-
lines at the beginning of September when youngsters were pictured
climbing onto buses organised by parents.
Julie Little, who made the initial but I and others have no confi-
contact with Farmors in February, dence it will turn itself around in
had coordinated a group of par- our children's school lifetime.
ents dissatisfied with the second- "Stagecoach has been criticised
ary education available to their for their services elsewhere, but I
children, particularly the desig- have to give them credit for the
nated secondary school, Hreod way in which they have helped us
Parkway, which failed its Ofsted achieve our aim."
inspection in April. Before getting on the bus, Adam
She said it was an emotional Woodhall, said, "it's exciting and Some of the youngsters who visited Steam in front of their classroom display,
moment to see her son Neil get on scary to start a new school; there's from left, Tom Nightingale, Lauren Fuller, Kirsty Hargreave, Simon Sanghera,
the bus with other children, oppo- quite a few of us from Abbey Rebecca Kent, Isaac Steele
site Abbey Meads primary school. Meads. We liked the induction day
"After many months of sheer de- in July; I think we'll get on well." As part of their topic of studying museum provided an excellent
termination, I am so pleased local After his first day, Neil Little local history and geography year 4 springboard to the topic at the be-
parents have achieved a choice of said, "I feel really happy at children first visited the museum ginning of term. They were able to
secondary school for our children. Farmors. I enjoyed my lessons and in April to find out what it was like handle artefacts and they loved
"I feel for Hreod and its staff, have already made new friends." to live in the past. They found out the realistic models which helped
about life in Victorian Swindon, bring the topic to life.
Waiting for the bus to Farmors in Abbey Meads, opposite the primary school
many of the children left in July the conditions people lived and "The hands-on nature of the
worked in and how the influence museum and realising just how
of the railway has shaped the town. huge the steams engines are were
The Brook Field children were things they could not glean from
invited back free of charge when books.
staff at Steam were interviewing As well as being able to view the
candidates for an Education Offic- displays, the children also talked
er's post and needed a group of with former railway workers about
children for them to work with. life 'inside the works.'
This gave them a chance to take in The highlight for many was ex-
things they had missed first time periencing the foot plate simula-
around. tor. Catherine Pinner said, "I felt
Teacher Carol Sampey said, "the like I was really on a train."

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