Page 15 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • March 2002 1 5
West secondary crisis avoided ' " ! National
w
as council commits £3m
HUSH
, P . I SchoolwearCCL i -L - Y ® PUPPIES
to Greendown expansion
General schoolwear available Unit 39
The spectre of up to another sixty West Swindon children taking a in ages 3-16 Brunel Arcade
bus to secondary school from September has been avoided after Swindon
Swindon Council's cabinet decided on 13 February to spend between All sizes catered for all year round Tel: 01793 520843
£2 and £3 million on more classrooms, an assembly hall and dining
area, offices and toilets at Greendown School in Grange Park.
The council esti- ents that the Depart- D & L Bliiiids
mates that 150 extra I ment for Education
places are required Cit,endo5. and Skills recog- Rollers • Verticals • Venetians
for West Swindo 1 . t Scharr! that Green-
,1(1nln, .,,. Pleated Blinds • VEL.UX®
children over the down should ex-
next five years - pand, but had made Conservatory Blinds
thirty a year. it clear that the coun- QUALITY BLINDS AT
Greendown has cil would have to AFFORDABLE PRICES
1,264 pupils on roll find the cost from its Fast and reliable service
and a capacity of ,\ own resources. Evenings & weekends no problem
1,277, an intake of Mr Doherty said All blinds fitted free
255 children a year. the council had a
Choose from a wide range
The council is ask- statutory obligation
ing the school to take to provide school of fabrics from the comfort
285 children a year. A places and either of your own home
This September had to expand Contact Paul on 01793 619428
there is an even greater shortfall of Greendown orbus children all over FREE QUOTES NO OBLIGATION
places for children now in year 6 the town to schools such as Hreod
and the intake could be around 300. Parkway and Headlands where
The accommodation problem there are places.
has been building up and has been At the meeting Steve O'Sullivan,
discussed by council officers and above, Greendownheadteacher, said
school governors over the last three the school was completely full and
years. The decision by the cabinet more children would compromise
means most of Swindon Council's safety and the quality of education
£4.1 millionbudget for capital works on offer.
is absorbed, leaving schools all over Andrew Basson, chair of gover-
the borough desperate for major re- nors, said the problem was the BLOOMS
pairs and refurbishment. Other council's to sort out and welcomed
projects will be fighting for what's the decision to allocate the money of Bressinghom
left, including fitting out the North for new buildings.
Swindon library and youth centre, He added that governors had
improvements to social services agreed expansion could only take the place to be
care homes and replacing ice plant place on certain conditions. "In ,
equipment at the Link Centre. 1998 we agreed to increase the ' -is spring...
At a consultation meeting in school roll by 210 places. The'tem-
mid-January at Greendown, Swin- porary' buildings put up then cost Imaginative and stylish plants and
don Council chief executive Paul El.1 million, £250,000 over budget.
Doherty, who has taken over the Regrettably they are of substand- products from around the world
duties of the chief education of- and quality and are plagued with
ficer Mike Lusty who is recovering constant problems. The school now Affordable Garden Design and
from an accident, explained to par- has an expensive ongoing mainte- Patio Planting Service
nance programme.
"We are committed to working Lots of sound advice from our
with the council to take another friendly team
150 children, but we are not going
' to accept inadequate buildings
Come and enjoy fresh coffee in
which drain our resources and cre- our relaxing cafe
Kingsdown School ate difficulties for our teachers."
He added that the governors will
reunions require the council to provide
Pupils who left in July 1978 upfront funding for the extra chil-
Saturday 13 April, 7.30pm, dren. "Schools only receive money
Coleview Community Centre for the children on roll in April
Tickets £3, from Mandy Lister 875100, and Greendown does not have the
Deborah Miles 771438 or cash to pay for additional teachers
Lee Drinkwater 436096 and support staff to educate a fur-
ther 50 to 60 students for the seven
Pupils who attended between 1976 months from September to April.
and 1981 (1982) If the full council agrees the ex-
Saturday 4 May, 7.30pm - 11.30pm penditure, conversion of science
Grange Drive Community Centre labs will take place this summer,
Tickets: £5 including buffet & disco. and two mobiles will be installed
Proceeds to Prospect Hospice. for one year, whilst building work
Call Caroline 'Shirley' on 828813 takes place ready for September
or 0790 5834097 2003.