Page 14 - link magazine

14 The Link Magazine • April 2005
Parents and councillors secure
VACANCY
more primary places in the North
Headstarts Day Nursery
A long battle to provide parents in North Swindon with more school places close to where they live has
in Delta, Westlea
resulted in Bridlewood Primary School being told by the Swindon Education Partnership Board (EPB)
requires a to accept another 27 children in September 2005.
Part-time Nursery Assistant And from September 2006 there were small, one in September, five
to work in our lively will be a single catchment area cov- in 2006. Catherine Wallage said
Toddler Unit from 9am - 3pm, ering Abbey Meads, Catherine parents had been forced into a fight
Monday to Friday Wayte, Bridlewood, Haydonleigh, for a common sense solution "No-
(we are open all year) and the yet to be built Haydon End body is guaranteed a place, but the
and Priory Vale primary schools. decision makes siblings more equal
Telephone •QQ Parents will be able to choose any in the allocation process."
Alison Barrett school and siblings will be treated Claire Presdee said everybody
on 01793 with equal priority. had helped the siblings campaign. i ii A
877779 Parents with children at "The MP Michael Wills, our local
for details Bridlewood had campaigned for councillors, the admission team at
their younger children to attend Swindon and Mrs Rodbourn, the
Looking forward to going to the same
the same school as their brothers head of Bridlewood have all been
school as their older brothers and sisters
or sisters. The numbers involved helpful in resolving this problem." Caitlin Green, Annie Presdee, Jennifer
On a wider front, parents un-
Happy happy at the lack of schools in the Wallage
Bunnies VACANCY area had been putting pressure on argued against increasing the in-
Childcare Shaw Ridge Primary School the council to come up with more take from September 2005. It means
the school, which started out in
places. Abbey Meads councillor
A Caretaker/Site Manager is required
Prices from from mid-June 2005, Justin Tomlinson said he and his mobiles in 2003 before its perma-
f2 per hour only! colleagues had been working hard nent buildings were ready injanu-
to carry out caretaking, cleaning, ary 2004, will see a temporary class-
Collection/drop offs to your home or supervisory and handyman duties. with Swindon Education Depart-
school - any Swindon area ment and the Education Partner- room return to the site. By 2008 the
30 hours per week. Annual salary: £11,286 ship Board for more local provi- school is expected to be over ca-
Early morning club: 7.30am - 9am
Pre-school creche: 9am - 2pm (pro-rata) (Scale 1 point 6) sion. "There was a shortfall of 75 pacity and governors are worried
After school care: 3pm - 6pm Closing date: 28th April places at Abbey Meads, Catherine that education will suffer because
Flexible extra hours after 6pm Further details and application form from: Wayte and Bridlewood schools for children will be taught in mixed
HIGH QUALITY CARE Mrs J Morkot, Shaw Ridge Primary School, this September and the extra 27 age groups.
places will ease the situation. Many But cabinet lead member for
Ridge Green, Swindon SN5 6PU
Please call Branch Manager education coun Gary Perkins said
after 11th April. Tel: 01793 871601 more children will receive educa-
Maria 01793 704089 the EPB decision to increase the
or 07749 498938 Visits to school welcome tion in their own community."
However people at Groundwell number of places at Bridlewood
are not included in the new ar- and create a single catchment area
rangements (see below). in North Swindon had been the
Hayden Wick councillor David sensible solution. "This means over
Renard said, "I have spent many 70 per cent of parents in Swindon
hours over the last year fighting to now have their first choice of
JPN CLEANING get these places for the parents school, instead of fifty per cent.
O,,,,/la C.1e ,w,g 5/IC Prid, & r a and children of North Swindon so "Parents have won the argu-
I am delighted with this result." ment and I'm sure the schools will
Governors at Bridlewood School manage the situation for the ben-
efit of the children."
• Office Cleaning daily, nightly &wee
Try before you buy
Groundwell excluded
• Ironing proms show Although new housing at
With the prom becoming a school Groundwell, east of Abbey
• Window Cleaning tradition, Hreod Parkway Parent Meads, has been built as part of
Teacher Association will be host- the Northern expansion, it does
ing a Prom Fayre & Fashion Show not fall within the new single
• Household Cleaning North Swindon catchment area.
on Thursday 14 April.
Represented will be businesses This means children living in
•Specialist Carpet Cleaning offering gowns, menswear hire, the area will go to Penhill Primary
hairdressing, make-up, flowers, School under the new Swindon
• jewellery and limousine hire. catchment area agreed in January.
National Contracts
Exhibitors include Carriages at Until September 2004 families were
Three and Jensons Menswear, who in the Abbey Meads School catch-
FREE You, Elite Fashions, Jason Paul Pho- happy by the offer of Penhill
ment.
are supplying gowns and suits for
Contact Us Fora the fashion show, Moss Bros, Suits Some parents, known to be un-
School, have decided to sell their
tography, Lynette Tiaras and First
Class Limos. houses and move to areas served
Quotation Tickets at £2 per adult, £1 per by different primary schools. One
child or £3 for a family ticket are on parent unwilling to be named said
Tel/Fax: ra y a: sale from Hreod. she had reduced the price on their
Doors open at 7.30pm with the 4 bedroomed house by £35,000 but
01285 657210
show starting at 8pm. still could not find a buyer. She has
The PTA are planning other en- been told by estate agents that
tertainment for the evening, pro- Groundwell is an undesirable area,
viding refreshments and running even though the houses are less
a prize draw. than five years old.