Page 14 - link magazine

14 The virtual Link Magazine now online @ www.swindonlink.com

Search for Isambard staff begins
Rachel Mattey, headteacher at the Isambard Community School on
the North Swindon Learning Campus, has spent a busy few months
putting in the groundwork for setting up the new school, but admits
that life has been fairly quiet without any pupils around.

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property experience in Wootton Bassett, Purton, Isambard Community School which will be completed in May
Lyneham, Swindon and surrounding villages.
• Only 9% pcm for our Full Property Management “It feels rather strange to be on ordering books, fitting out the
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• Competitive one off fee for our Introduction Only used to the activities and bustle preparing detailed curriculum de-
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• Further discounts on multiple properties & I’m missing them. I’ve been visit- Isambard will open to Year 7
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ing the local primaries though, children in September. To prepare
• Advertising through the web & local publications
so that has kept me going.” the present Year 6 pupils for the
• No costs until a tenant has been housed Currently based at Orchid Vale move, Ms Mattey will be spending
• 7 days a week viewings Primary in Haydon Wick, Ms time visiting them and will work
Mattey is hoping to move to the with groups to draw up school
www.alanhawkins.co.uk 01793 855222 new building on the campus in policies, well in advance of their
January, although her office will arrival.
not be ready until later in the year. Although final figures of the
She has been drawing up cur- numbers signed up for Isambard
riculum and staffing plans and will will not be known until March, Ms
soon be appointing staff. First on Mattey said that indications from
the list will be her PA, followed by Swindon Council’s admissions de-
a business manager and assistant partment are that the majority of
head. A special needs co-ordinator the 240 places in the first year will
will also be appointed early to en- be accounted for, with a few spaces
sure a smooth transition for chil- available for families moving into
dren with statements transferring the area. She said that she was
from primary school. pleased that so many parents had
Next term, work will continue put their faith in the school.

Parents surf for school places
Online applications to secondary schools in Swindon have soared in
the second year of being offered to parents
The eAdmissions National Online school admissions are now
Project, the team which has led 150 available across the country to 1.5
local authorities in the delivery of million children and their parents,
online school admissions, reported making applications to over 21,000
in early December that 34 per cent schools.
of parents applying in Swindon Although all applications,
for secondary school places in whether paper or online, are proc-
2007, is considerably higher than essed at the same time, high take-
the national average of 18 per cent, up of the online service has been
and way above the 5 to 10 per cent driven by the significant benefits
target set by the Department for to parents, schools and local au-
Communities and Local Govern- thorities. Parents, for example, are
ment (DCLG). able to easily retrieve and amend
Last year when the service was the application as many times as
launched in Swindon only 8 per necessary right up until the dead-
cent applied online. line date. They also enjoy the peace
Swindon ranked fourteenth out of mind that comes with receiving
of the 150 authorities involved, an immediate confirmation of re-
with parents in Hertfordshire ceipt via email when the applica-
achieving over 68 per cent in its tion is completed.
fifth year of offering the service. www.eadmissions.org
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1 January 07 14 14/12/06, 3:06 pm