Page 12 - link magazine

12 The Link Magazine • March 2005
Reaching out to global citizens
Greendown School's connection with its partner school in South Africa has been strengthened over the February half term, thanks to West
Swindon based truck building firm MAN-ERF and South Swindon MP Julia Drown.
The company has paid the air are incredibly enthusiastic about
fares for three teachers and an IT learning, despite limited resources;
specialist to go to Moriteng High we are trying to do as much as
School in the Clarens district of the possible to offer our support and
Orange Free State over the Febru- expertise.
ary half term. "We will be working in class-
The groundwork for contact was rooms and taking laptop comput-
laid last October when Greendown ers to help set up a media centre in
teachers visited Moriteng to spend the school."
a week working with local teach- Trish Newman from MAN-ERF
ers and setting up computer links. at Blagrove said the company was
English teacher Cristina Bennett, very interested by the global citi-
who described the trip in the De- zenship programme at Green-
cember Link, said she was over- down. "This donation is our first
whelmed by the donation from venture into supporting local com- Cristina Bennett receives a cheque from Trish Newman of MAN-ERF, with from
left, Greendown chair of governors Andrew Basson, headteacher Steve O'Sullivan,
MAN-ERF. "Julia Drown was in munity projects. As a global com-
school some months ago and men- pany it seems fitting we are able to citizenship coordinator Janet Mason and students promoting Fairtrade products
tioned that the company was de- engage with activities which draw sistance from Moriteng. Greendown is now fundraising
veloping a grants policy and we children in different countries Julia Drown said she was de- so that Moriteng teachers will be
immediately put forward a request closer together." lighted that a company in her con- able to visit Swindon in the sum-
to develop our commitment to She added that she hoped that stituency was keen to promote edu- mer term. Other companies will-
Moriteng. MAN in South Africa would be cational opportunities in different ing to help should contact Ms
"The teachers and children there able to respond to requests for as- countries. Bennett on 874224.

Special needs evening Siblings could go in different directions
The Swindon Parent Partnership Service has launched its annual North Swindon families are going to be split up if the Swindon
SPIN (Supporting Parents Information Network) programme. Education Partnership Board meeting on 24 February does not sup-
On 8 March, 7.30pm — 9.30pm, at the Drove Centre, Julia Cook will port their call for siblings to attend the same school.
be talking about Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Swindon Parent Partnership Service provides parents of children Because of a lack of places, par-
aged 0 to 19 with SEN with support, information and advice. For details ents face the prospect of having to
of the evening and other dates later this year, call Sue Bennett or Gill take one child to one school and
Wells on 466515. another in the opposite direction.
In response to Swindon Coun-
cil's consultation school admis-
sions for 2006 parents living in the
Abbey Meads area formed
NoSPEL - North Swindon Parents
Education Lobby - to get their
message across that brothers and
sisters should be allowed to attend
the same primary school.
NoSPEL, formed in November, Caitlin Green andlennifer Wallage want
sent out questionnaires to a large to attend Bridlewood with their siblings
number of homes in North Swin-
don and gathered over 3,450 names ary 2003, after the admissions
on a petition to support a change deadline and without local knowl-
in the oversubscription policy that edge we happily accepted a place
all siblings of current children are at Bridlewood for our son. No-one
given priority, regardless of told us it was an out of catchment
whether they are in a school's school. Bridlewood is full for 2007
catchment area. and my daughter will have to at-
The group says all the primary tend Haydonleigh."
schools are within easy and safe To try and find a way forward
walking distance of most homes in the parents have had meetings with
the area, and argue it is not fair to North Swindon MP Michael Wills
force parents to deliver children to and Abbey Meads councillors
different schools in order to allow Justin Tomlinson and David
another parent a slightly shorter Renard but Swindon Education
journey with only one child. appears to be unmoved.
They also say that Swindon Several parents caught up in this
Council has manipulated catch- confusion are trying to sell their
ment areas to suit its own bureau- homes to move closer to their de-
cratic needs. In February's Link sired primary school.
Alison Carr explained that her fam- There will be more upheaval
ily moved into the Abbey Meads when two new primary schools
School catchment to find later her are due to open in September 2006.
home had been redefined into the NoSPEL would like to hear from
Penhill School catchment. parents in a similar situation who
Gary and Catherine Wallage say have not been in touch yet. Con-
many newcomers have been tacts: Nicola Green, tel: 638159;
caught out. "We arrived in Febru- Catherine Wallage, tel: 723460.