Page 16 - link magazine

16 The Link Magazine • March 2003

PALM JOINERY Six school terms, not three: good or bad?
Sue Wilson. assistant business manager, at Swindon Council's education department asks for your views
Unit 10, Oaklands Ind Est, Braydon. Swindon
Are you aware of national and local publicity regarding possible changes to the traditional three-term
Tel/Fax: 01793 854 777
school year to one with six-terms?
Design, make & fitting services
The Independent Commission The objectives of the
Quality craftmanship
on the Organisation of the School six-term year include:
Guarantees available
Year, set up by the Local Govern- • Raising educa-
Let us help you unlock ment Association, has produced a
your imagination tional standards and
report, available at www.Iga. assisting pupils and
Fitted and freestanding furniture,
gov.uk/documents publication/ teachers through the
household items including:
Handmade bedrooms & kitchens, doors, 2002reportrecommendations. pd f avoidance of stress, a
windows, stairs, mouldings, The Commission is proposing for better environment
radiator covers and fire surround. 2004/05: for planning and
Flat packs assembled managing the cur-
Standard sizes and designs available • Six terms with the school year riculum and assess-
Please ask for items not listed beginning on the Wednesday after ment;
RL
Surveyed quotations, not estimates the August Bank Holiday; • Improving the
• Two extra holiday days in Octo-
t ber in order to relieve stress in the transition between
the stages of educa-
run up to Christmas
tion, especially from
• Good Friday and Easter Mon-
C IJy day are holidays, but within term school to higher edu-
Complete Pro erp ty 4 in the interest of equalising term cation;
Maintenance Services lengths • Standardisation
and predictability for
+ Kitchens • Training days — 190 teaching parents and teachers. flexible days within the holiday
days and two fixed / planned train-
•:• Bathrooms A number of neighbouring au- dates?
ing days, each on the day before
•:• Renovations thorities, namely Bath & North East 3. should the flexible 5 days be left
+ Industrial maintenance the beginning of a term i.e. 31 Au- Somerset, Somerset, South to the discretion of individual
gust and 4 January. The LGA rec-
+ Plumbing Gloucestershire and North Som- schools?
ommends that LEAs leave the de-
Electrical termination of the other three train- erset have suggested a six-term 4. should Swindon move to a six-
•:• Carpentry ing days (or aggregated 'twilight year for 2004/05. term year only if neighbouring
Floor & wall tiling hours' in lieu) to individual Wiltshire and Oxfordshire authorities do so?
+ Painting & decorating schools, subject to any advice that County Councils are currently We would particularly welcome
LEAs think appropriate; undertaking a consultation exer- comments on the above questions.
Mobile: 07785 522377 cise on the proposals. Please reply to consult@swindon
• Summer holiday of at least 5
Tel: 01793 616170 weeks and 1 day Swindon Local Education Au- .gov.uk, telephone Lorraine
thorit is keen to know the views Maloney on 463161 or write to her
y
of pupils, parents and teachers, at Sanford House, Sanford St,
regarding: Swindon, SN11QH, by 3 March.
1. do you agree with the proposal Feedback on the outcome will
to move to a six-term year?
• be published in a later edition of
•
r' t 2. should the LEA include the five the Link.
Al
People first in Japan
A group of people with learning difficulties from Swindon return
from a week long trip to Japan on 26 February after attending a
conference and sharing experiences on self-advocacy.
Three members of f
Swindon People First,
sation, promoting J I"
the user-run organi-
self-advocacy and
empowerment for
and by adults with
learning difficulties, SE4
and three supporters,
were invited to make
the trip by a Japanese t
university researcher 1^'
who visited the town
in 2000 to study how
people speak up for
themselves.
They stayed in To-
kyo university accom-
modation whilst at- O ff to Japan, from left, Gary Boulet, Swindon People
tending the confer- First director, Wendy Rowsell, vice chair, Gordon
ence and visiting the McBride, project worker, Elaine Turner, coordina-
tourist sites in and tor, Sharon Pygott, supporter. Not pictured, Uni-
around the city. versify of West of England researcherNeil Summers
Before departing,
Mieko Mouri, who lives in Swindon, provided guidance on Japanese
words, translating and forms of etiquette in preparation for the trip.