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GUITAR LESSONS Start on new school for Toothill
FOR BEGINNERS Youngsters at Toothill Primary School turned up at the beginning of
July to see diggers and dumper trucks at work in their school grounds.
Electric and
acoustic for
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any style
From Rock to Pop,
Blues to Jazz
Lessons in your home
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(01793) 872425,
07790 852870 or
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Martin Cowell and pupils welcome the start of work on their school with Toothill
councillors Mary Martin and Steve Wakefield
The £6 million one form entry school with community facilities
should be ready for occupation in September 2008, exactly 30 years after
Toothill, West Swindon’s first primary, opened.
Headteacher Martin Cowell said he was delighted to see diggers on
site. “It’s great to be able to plan for a new building which will become
the hub of community life.”
He added children will be involved in designing an environmental
play area next to the new buildings to be completed by the contractors.
Newts hold up Shaw Ridge
The discovery of Great Crested Newts on the Shaw Ridge Primary
School site in May has meant a delay to the start of building works.
Construction should start by early November with completion due by
Easter 2009.
New build for Millbrook
Outline plans for the brand new building for Millbrook Primary School on
the Freshbrook Primary site were displayed to parents in mid-July.
Subject to planning permission, work could start next Spring with
completion in 2009.

Special teacher says goodbye
Looking back over her 21 years at Westlea Primary School, Gwen
The Blackthorn School of Photography Metcalfe finds it impossible to single out the high points, saying that
Evening, day and weekend courses in our there have been so many.
Until three years ago, Gwen was
specialist teaching centre near Cricklade responsible for the unit for chil-
dren with physical disabilities, as
well as being the co-ordinator for
Special Educational Needs and
music. She has been winding down
with part-time work since then and
said goodbye at the end of term.
Westlea was one of the first pri-
mary schools in Swindon equipped
Booking now for courses starting September 2007 for children with physical disabili-
ties which Gwen believes contrib-
utes to the school’s ethos of caring
Evening, day and weekend courses: and valuing the individual. “I feel
passionately that if children can be
• Digital photography and Photoshop appropriately provided for in She said retirement was made a
• Traditional darkroom techniques mainstream the important thing is little easier knowing she was leav-
to be with their peers. It’s been a ing things in the safe hands of spe-
• Portraiture and landscape great privilege to work here.” cial unit co-ordinator Marla Carroll
Her other great passion is music and music teacher Sarah Sumner.
Courses for beginners, intermediate and and she has enjoyed playing piano “I’m going to miss the team spirit
advanced photographers in all the school productions over and my colleagues at the school so
many years. The school orchestra much, but it’s lovely to know the
performed its usual end of term folk who are carrying on my work.”
www.photography-courses.com concert and played their own ver- Gwen is looking forward to see-
sion of Any Dream Will Do from ing more of her four children and
Tel: 07920 116492 this year’s production, Joseph, eleven grandchildren and has
which was specially arranged by plans to start a youth band at her
Gwen. church in Highworth.

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