Page 14 - link magazine
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14 The Link Magazine • March 2006
Solomon Fate of West primary schools
New Courses Starting Soon: almost sealed
Training
Fifteen months after Swindon Council outlined plans to reduce
upport your child with English & Maths primary school places in West Swindon, the process of shutting two
rganise & manage household budgets schools could be nearing an end.
iteracy & Numeracy qualifications ^tearna;rn.,. Salt Way sliced up keen on the proposals. Tracey
The cabinet sent their decision to Clifford said she wants to see one
pen up the world of computers - an introduction
online close Salt Way to the independent new school serving the area. "It
astering the internet & e-mail
School's Organisation Committee, will bring the community together
verview of the metric system SOC, planned for early February. and provide the best education for
ew CLAIT & ECDL I.T. qualifications However the meeting was deferred all the children."
until 20 February so that commit- But Windmill Hill parents are
Returning to work? Learn to write your C.V.
tee members could attend a semi- not convinced. Parent Steven
nar on the council's school closure Witherby-Smythe said, "the coun-
Call Tricia now on 01793 610710 for details ^ programme. cil has not put forward a robust
www.solomontraining.co.uk
[email protected] Salt Way chair of governors financial model for funding these
Steve Spence is angry at the way changes to ensure the quality of
parents have been treated. "It's education is sustained. Windmill
been like slicing salami. First the Hill is one of the best performing
www.penhill-ic.co.uk council announced during the schools in Swindon and I don't
want to see it lost."
Easter holidays that the schol
Penhill Learning Centre would close in
^ ^cnrx January 2006,
Courses: Flash MX, Dreamweaver MX, causing wide-
spread panic and
Photoshop Elements, Premier Elements (video editing),
an exodus of chil-
HTML, E-Shop (all shops merchant integrated with dren and teachers.
credit card transactions.) They wanted chil-
dren to transfer to
All courses: £35 every six weeks. Take between
Shaw Ridge but
1 and 3 months to complete book based course with
then they realised
tutor support. Two hours in length each week. the timescale was
Available on Saturdays 9.30am to 1.30pm unrealistic and
said we would
Contact us on 01793 704931 close at the end of
for further information or via www.penhill-ic.co.uk the academic year.
Then the cost of
£2.1 million grew
to £4.8 million and
they decided to
entirely rebuild
Shaw Ridge, even Appealing to save their school at the Civic Offices.
though some of Jenny Brett and Marie Kirkham and Windmill Hill
our buildings are parents before the cabinet meeting on 8 February
actually newer.
"All along we've been asking New lamps for old
questions about catchment Gary Perkins, cabinet lead mem-
boundaries, the safety of walking ber for education, said, "our pro-
to and from Shaw Ridge, the in- posal is to build three brand new
creased traffic on the roads. The schools in West Swindon, at Shaw
answers are of interest to parents Ridge, Freshbrook and Toothill.
and to the whole community, but These will be fit for purpose and
they have not been forthcoming." allow staff to provide high quality
End of the road for battling education for the future."
parents? The council claims the West
Parents at Windmill Hill have been Swindon rebuilding programme
arguing for their school to stay will be self-financing but it has not
open since the West Swindon Fo- revealed the details.
rum in November 2004 when the It says savings will be made in
reorganisation consultation was running costs and there will be
first announced. income from selling the Windmill
Despite their fierce defence, the site, and building houses on parts
cabinet finally agreed on 8 Febru- of Toothill and Freshbrook school
ary 2006 that both Windmill Hill sites. What it plans to do with the
and Freshbrook Primaries should Salt Way site and parts of Shaw
close and a new one and a half Ridge have vet to be made public.
form entry school be built on the Next stages
Freshbrook School site to open in The SOC has to unanimously agree
September 2008. to a school closure. If it does not
Governors from both schools are the decision will be sent to the
discussing options. If they agree Government's Schools Adjudica-
on a merger the procedure could tor. Salt Way will be decided on 20
be accelerated and the new school February.
might open in September 2007. Freshbrook and Windmill Hill
Parents at Freshbrook School are will be discussed in March.
