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Invitation to go back to school
Bloomin’ Beautiful
Parents and carers will get a taste parents are very important for the
Require an experienced of modern school life when they children’s education,” said admin-
register for an open day at St istrator, Sandra Collis. Parent help-
self-employed hair stylist Francis Primary in Taw Hill on 28 ers are welcomed and there is an
to rent a chair June. active PTFA.
in their busy Old Town Families looking for a place in The school, which opened in
one of the junior classes are also 2005 has filled its infant classes but
Beauty & Hair salon invited to pay a visit. will have vacancies in Years 4 to 6
This will also be a chance for from September.
For details please contact
families with children already in Places for the open day have to
Caroline 07971 415774 the school to learn more about their be booked in advance. To make an
or Rachel/Caroline on daily routine. They will watch les- appointment, call 727624.
01793 537569 sons and sample a school dinner. www.stfrancis.sch.uk
St Francis regularly runs work-
28 Victoria Road shops giving an insight into how Right, looking forward to seeing parents
Old Town, Swindon literacy and numeracy are taught. in their school, Ife Oyeniran and Joshua
Hutchinson
“We feel that strong links with the

The Springboard to Testing times for families seeking
Confidence for your child school places in North Swindon
Families in Priory Vale who bought into the dream of a village-like
Britain’s leading National Active Physical Play community have been devastated to be offered primary school places
programme for children from 6 months to 7 years.
miles from home.
Your child will learn agility, balance, climbing,
co-ordination appropriate to his or her age. Rebekka McGhee, having 2004. However rapid population
moved to Oakhurst expecting a shifts, probably due to finanical
Structured programmes designed to build
self confidence and develop essential place at Red Oaks Primary for her enticements from developers in
listening and language skills. four year old daughter Cailin, was North Swindon, has seen more
distraught when she was offered a families moving to the area. With
Supervised by trained staff in a fun and
caring environment. place at Cheney Manor Primary, siblings having priority for places,
three and a half miles away. Ad- more families with first children
Tumble Tots now in your area!
mission regulations meant they have lost out.
For information about local centres call
were also ruled out of nearby Or- Haydon Wick coun David
Charlotte Boyes-Corfield chid Vale or Bridlewood. Renard said, “the number of pri-
on 0844 800 0219 Rebekka and husband Dean mary school pupils has not in-
have now accepted a place at St creased. What we seem to be see-
Mary’s in Purton, a 5 minute drive ing is that children are moving
from home in Mayfly Close, but from West to North Swindon.
Rebekka continues to campaign for
a place in Priory Vale.
In May she raised an online pe-
tition to the prime minister’s web
site, calling for a temporary infant
class to be added to Red Oaks and
for a school to be built in Oakhurst
as originally planned.
“This isn’t just about our daugh-
ter; it’s affecting lots of other fami-
lies,” said Rebekka. “I feel every
parent in Priory Vale deserves a
place at their local school. It baffles
me how the council planners didn’t Rebekka with Cailin, who will now be
know how many children there going to school in Purton
would be.”
“It’s been a complete nightmare. “With people moving around
I’ve been worrying about how I’m the country quickly and in such
going to drive Cailin to school and large numbers, planning is very
get myself to work on time. We difficult. I don’t think the problem
want to be able to talk about school is going to go away. We probably
and be part of our community, but do need the Oakhurst School.”
we can’t.” At April’s cabinet meeting, coun-
Despite an extra 52 reception cillors discussed creating 30 more
class places being created in Janu- places at Red Oaks, possibly by
ary, 46 North Swindon families moving a Year 6 class into
were not offered their first choice Isambard School. But this option
of school; including thirty who was ruled out, partly because of
chose Red Oaks. restrictions in the PFI school man-
Swindon councillors believed agement contract. An alternative
that the lack of provision had been is providing a further 26 places at
overcome by doing away with Haydonleigh Primary.
school catchment areas when the Council officers are to take a look
problems of places at Abbey at long term solutions, including
Meads, Catherine Wayte and building on the site reserved at
Bridlewood primaries occurred in Pioneer Road, Oakhurst.
www.rovesfarm.freeserve.co.uk

1 June 07 18 17/5/07, 2:51 pm