Page 12 - link magazine

12 The Link Magazine • February 2002
Cut price quality kit for play park

Brand new play equipment aimed at Swindon Council landscape officer
children aged three to eight is to be tried Martin Hambidge said the equipment
out in a Toothill play area by one of the will have the usual exciting challenges
leading manufacturers. for children such as a climbing frame,
Designed for the US market, play equip- slide and rope ladder but it will look
ment company Kompan wants to find different to what has been installed in
out how children in the UK and Europe the past.
will take to the new range. Kompan guarantees the equipment
A deal has been struck with Swindon for 20 years and will replace defective
Council to install the equipment at parts. However, recognising that there
Whitehill Park playground, close to Oliver are vandals ready to ruin the fun for
Tomkins School, for half the normal price other children, the council and the com-
of over £10,000. pany have agreed an option to install
It will be one of four show sites around something different if the trial equip-
the country to be evaluated by the com- ment is repeatedly damaged.
pany and will be visited by potential pur- Kompan hope to have installed the
chasers. play area by the end of January.

^ Alkl[lill School surplus too high
Across West Swindon there are 770 empty prima ry school places and
Swindon Council is planning to take them out of use over the next
sions
F few years to reduce the cost to the hard pressed education budget.
Conversions A recent review of primary in numbers on a phased basis over
school places in the area high- the last five years.
Garage Conversions lighted the fact that the equivalent Swindon Council suggested in
Free quotations to two primary schools are stand- January 2000 that Tregoze School
ing empty. These places are mainly in Grange Park could reduce its
Best possible prices in temporary buildings at schools annual intake of forty to a more
where the 'baby boom' of the 1980s manageable single form entry of
Many local references and 1990s have passed through - thirty. At present children are
such as Brook Field, Freshbrook, taught in mixed-age groups and
Phone now for helpful friendly advice Shaw Ridge, Toothill and Westlea. there is not enough space for spe-
The surplus accounts for twenty
Tel: 01793 635000 percent of all primary school places cialist teaching. A computer suite
is housed in a central corridor.
in the area and is twice the level The council's education commis-
considered acceptable by Ofsted. sion has agreed to the reduction in
Last September's highly critical surplus places but it is not known
report recommended the council when the intake at Tregoze will
i wi take prompt action to remove take effect.
Relieved mum Tina Neate from
them.
However several schools such Grange Park, who lives just out-
4 as Shaw Ridge and Westlea still side the Tregoze catchment area,
said she was pleased that her son
have larger numbers than their
permanent buildings were de- Callum would be able to go to the
signed for and many children will school in September. "Many par-
YOUR LOCAL PVC-U MANUFACTURER continue to be taught in tempo- ents found places at Greendown
rary buildings. playgroup several years ago from
fl
Buy direct from Shaw Ridge School has received where many children move onto
our factory extra funds to manage a reduction Tregoze."
• We make it and
we fit it
• High security
* 10 year guarantee
B
Lowest prices
Why not let
us handle

everything
from start to

finish? A large metal orange container sitting outside Tregoze School in Grange Park
has been transformed into a bright box of mystery by children and artist Gordon
Call today 01793 790944 Dickenson of No Added Sugar.
The youngsters were asked to come up with their designs and Gordon
or 07973 232435 (evenings and weekends) transposed their ideas onto the container which replaced a sports equipment
The Marsh, Lower Wanborough. SN4 OAS storage shed burnt down by vandals in the summer holidays 2000.
Above, Gordon with from left, Emma Cook, Joanne Johnson, Nicola Faramarzi