Page 14 - link magazine

14 The Link Magazine • August 2005
Cabinet agrees Salt Way closure
0 / to
School's Minister interested in council's plan
For a Quality Installation 2 -1
Ever since Swindon Council made the shock announcement during
the Easter holidays of their proposal that Salt Way Primary School
-1
w m should close at Christmas, things have been looking grim for the
school. But now the attention of Government is being drawn to the
CC way the council is conducting its consultation procedures
0°
0
Many parents "
I- driven topanicby
the uncertainty T i
from have secured -
•
places for their
For free & friendly advice on our Y BLAYLOCKS P
full range of Gutter/Fascia systems children in other
y Q Bath Road Corner > l,.
professionall installed and guaranteed. call primary schools, r
Old Town, Swindon to the extent that _ c^^
Swindon 855700 / 855800 0
Tel: 534271 the council is now
1 nil 23 & 24 Oakland, hid. Fsr. Graydon. Swindon
suggesting that / "^
the Salt Way is no
longer financially l
viable.
The council's On the prove. Youngsters front Charlotte Forsdick's class
cabinet on 13 July getting ready for a whole school trip to Longleat on 15 July
considered officer's recommenda- statutory consultation and will
Professional Tuition 3 For ages 6-16 tions that: hear a report in the Autumn. The
in English & Maths 3 Individual Workplans • a completely new pre-statutory final decision will be made by the
consultation take place to close on independent Schools Organisation
3 Qualified Teachers
Free Assessments 3 SATS/GCSE/Exam Prep Salt Way on 31 August 2006 and to Committee in mid-January.
expand Shaw Ridge Primary to ac- After the meeting Swindon
3 Unique programmes cept the remaining children; South MP Anne Snelgrove reacted
Kip McGrath - Swindon
3 Proven Success • • the present nursery on the Salt angrily to the cabinet's decision.
Unit 83. Basepoint Business Centre. Way site continues; "Despite my requests to involve
Nivermead Drive. Westlea SN5 7EX. 3 Affordable Rates
• a feasibility study takes place to the democratically elected Mem-
establish a children's centre on the ber of Parliament, the council is
Salt Way site and also to provide keeping me in the dark. I have
for special needs education, raised the Salt Way situation with
If the closure goes ahead, the Schools Minister Jacqui Smith.
cabinet will spend £2.4 million on "Extended schools are not a rea-
new buildings and the remodel- son for closing schools.Indeedspare
ling of existing facilities at Shaw capacitycanbeusedforcommunity
Spend £35 on any hair Ridge to accommodate two forms services where appropriate; it would
make Salt Way viable - as parents
of entry. This includes£700,000for
temporary buildings on the site have been arguing."
or beauty treatment from September 2006. She also questioned whether the
It also agreed to replace mobiles council will be able to continue
and receive £5 discount at Brook Field Primary with new runningtheexistingSaltWaynurs-
cry without launching another
classrooms costing £500,000.
Before the cabinet made its deci- separate consultation exercise.
at sion Salt Way chair of governors
Steve Spence told members that Thanks for the hard work
III(O PARTNERS 1111 the extended school consultation
and the announcement to close Salt
Way had been badly handled. He
-HAIR & BEAUTY- pointed out that the procedure for
school closure as set out in the
council's own Schools Organisa-
tion Plan had not been followed.
BEAUTY HAIR He called on the cabinet to clearly ` y r
BEAUTY
explain why Salt Way cannot con- -, -
• Manicures & Pedicures • Cuts
tinue as a one form entry school, and 'ta
• Nail Extensions • Colour to present transparent costings and ' -
• Waxing • Colour Corrections analysis for closing Salt Way and
• Facials Perms expanding Shaw Ridge.
Lead member foreducationcoun Salt Way parents Tracey Farley
• Make overs Extensions Ga ry Perkins told cabinet col- and Jackie Edwards presented act-
(Bridal/Proms/Parties/ etc leagues that Swindon's problem is ing headteacher Penny Wood with
Any Special Occasions) to provide school places where the a token of appreciation at the end
population is growing, but in West of term for all her effort in holding
Swindon there will be 650 surplus the school together in the difficult
West Swindon Centre places by 2009. "Government is months since April.
pressing us to remove surplus Apart from closure worries. Mrs
Tel: 01793 870462 places. Our policy has been Wood also had to contend with
o mmended by a Minister in Par-
visits by Her Majesty's Inspector of
liament." Schools. It is understood that Salt
The cabinet accepted the recom- Way has been commended for the
iir
mendation to carry out a new pre- improvements it is making.