Page 18 - link magazine

18 The Link Magazine • November 2005
A year of turbulence for
NumberSense November will mark the first anniversary of the first ever West
Swindon Area Forum, set up to give residents the opportunity to
discuss community issues with the eight Swindon Borough Council-
Maths and English Learning Centre for 6-16 years olds lors representing the area.
The first agenda outlined Swin- were excited by the prospect of a
don Council's forthcoming consul- brand new school, but there were
Delivers help for your children at the time they need it
tation on improving education in differences of opinion in Fresh-
0800 028 3720 West Swindon. Last December's brook. "Windmill HillPrimaryhas
an excellent record and Freshbrook
Link reported the proposals to meet
the Government's extended has made tremendous improve-
www.numbersense.co.uk
schools agenda and the require- ments and recently recorded a high
ment on the council to reduce the scoreforaddingvaluetochildren's
number of surplus places across progress. The numbers of children
WordPerfect the town- a figure first put at nearly in the area do not justify having
900, later revised to around 600. two separate schools.

F .; www.penhill-ic.co.uk
p Aen ^ ` ^ Penhill Learning Centre

Courses: Flash MX, Dreamweaver MX,
Photoshop Elements, Premier Elements (video editing),
HTML, E-Shop (all shops merchant integrated with
credit card transactions.)
A//courses:£35 every six weeks. Take between
Not against each other. Parents from Windmill Hill and Freshbrook Primary
1 and 3 months to complete book based course with Schools after the cabinet meeting on 5 October.
tutor support. Two hours in length each week.
Council lead member for educa- "We need to build on the excel-
Available on Saturdays 9.30am to 1.30pm tion Gary Perkins told the meeting lence found at both schools."
last year that some schools might Fellow West Swindon council-
Contact us on 01793 704931 be knocked down and rebuilt, lor Nick Martin agreed it was a
for further information or via www.penhill-ic.co.uk whilst others would be closed and challenging decision. "All we're
land sold to generate income for trying to do is offer the commu-
school redevelopment. nity a brand new building."
The cabinet agreed an amend-
Last November most of the pub- ment put forward by Freshbrook
lic at the meeting were Windmill
3 Hill School parents, fearful that Greenhalgh that a shadow gov-
& Grange Park councillor Peter
the temporary school put up in
erning body for a new school be
1986 to accommodate West Swin-
don's baby boom was in the firing
set up to take a leading role in the
line for closure.
Councillors gave assurances that pre-statutory consultation. How-
ever this idea was quashed when
Windmill Hill had not been cho- Labour and Liberal Democrat
sen. But nearly a year later - after councillors voted it down at the
months of informal consultations - council's ratification committee on
r Swindon Council's cabinet on 5 11 October.
Child en 0-rL years Willi have frxi ftxl bi at Kidz AIOUd-
y -
(200o sa feet of soft play eg iprverl+ r ng an amazing b.5 me t es high, inelUdit'1g October agreed to proceed with a After the cabinet meeting cam-
a i lane astraslide, a dropslide, and The a erb twisting spiral slide. fl re is a pre-statutory consultation on re- paigning Windmill Hill parent
`
Seperate toddler area for the wee " Ones so Thai- building Toothill Primary School Chris Davison said questions from
3 large party rooms available
they can play safely too. Plenty of comfy seating is ^. 0M . , irk on its present site and combining the public were not dealt with sat-
available at the Kidz Aloud cafe, Which is Open all day {oott jr and ba*,etball par+ies Freshbrook and Windmill Hill pri- isfactorily and the cabinet had tried
for freshly epardd food and drinks; whether that's a maries into a new school on the to hide behind the proposal to set
treat for The kids or a coffee for the parents) Membership scheme coming soon! Freshbrook site. up a shadow governing body. "We
Throughout the year Windmill were incensed by Coun Perkins
Hill parents have been making suggestion that the weight of opin-
t 1 ' 1 ^ t 1
heard their view that their school ion generated by Windmill Hill
is happy and successful because it parents throughout this year did
is small and single form entry, and not count so highly when it comes
Opening Times the council should not shut it. to the pre-statutory consultation. I
9:30am - 6:30pm Sunday to Thursday In response to this pressure, am not confident that we will be
9:30am - 7pm Friday and Saturday
Last entry is 1 hour before closing time. Coun Perkins, in the lead up to the listened to in this next round of
cabinet meeting, revealed he consultation."
— would be happy for the new school However Gemma Roberts said
we uea L.tlif c, cle &a-fer 61ainess park
Grange to be called Windmill Hill and its Freshbrook School parents are
Pa `
" (formally AY1cb r &d-f r) Blagove Did Eat
Toothill staff transferred. This ensured an keen on the council's proposals.
Frartlard Road Swindon srs sYz
Freshbrook angry reaction from Freshbrook "We have kept a dignified silence
a at Of'f SUCt Ib on the My
es eR` School parents who have been less on these issues; there has been a lot
KIDZ vocal during the informal consul- of upsetting talk about which
M4 `- Blagrove Eateto ALOUD 01193 52 yb yb
J16 tation discussions. school is best. Each has its
By bus -catch the 54, 55 or 55A -operated by Stagecoach -
call 01793 521 415 and ask for customer services. Coun Perkins told the cabinet strengths. We want to see one new
that Toothill School and parents school catering for the whole corn-