Page 17 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • July 2010 17
Lack of North school places problem continues e Kirsty Farrow
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Beverley Kimber, a child-minder from Priory Vale, is facing losing half her income and taking on the cost bance Academy
of learning to drive and keeping a second car, after failing in her appeal for her four year old son Ben to Classes for children
be allocated a place at Red Oaks Primary School, just yards away from her home.
and adults
"Despite living so close to Red car park instead of more school "Mrs Kimber was offered the Pre School • Ballet
Oaks, Orchid Vale and Oakhurst, buildings? next closest school which had a Modern Tap • Musical Theatre
Ben's been allocated a place at "I'm worried about the future. place which was Haydon Wick Adult Jazz/Fitness and Tap
Haydon Wick primary," said Bev- My son might have to travel even Primary School. An appeal was sub- Street Jazz
erley. "It will take an hour there and further away to secondary school, mitted, but due to infant class size Now in our own premises
back on two buses each way, which which is ridiculous when we have restrictions, the panel upheld the de- at Headlands School
means that I will no longer be able Isambard right on our doorstep." cision to refuse a place at Red Oaks. with branches in Hook Village
to mind children after school." A spokesman for Swindon "The School Admissions Team Hall and Lechlade Memorial Hall
Beverley was so angry about the Council said, "when there are recognise that certain schools in the First class FREE of charge
situation that she set up a Facebook more applications than places at Northern Sector are oversubscribed Tel: 07980 918192
group 'More school places in North a particular school, the published but maintain there were enough (Miss Kirsty ISTD CDE)
Swindon' which has 39 members. oversubscription criteria are used. spaces to accommodate those living Email: [email protected]
She added, "the traffic problems Within each criteria, applications in the catchment area."
in Priory Vale are bad already and are then ranked in a straight-line
we've no space to keep a second distance from the home address
car. Houses are still being built even to the school.
though there aren't enough school "While Mrs Kimber's preferred Bringing Learning to Life
places available locally. I'm sure if schools were in her particular
they really tried the schools could catchment area, unfortunately
accommodate more children. Why there were more children who lived
does Red Oaks have such a huge closer to these schools.
Expansion for two primaries in North Swindon
Oakhurst Primary's mobiles will be dismantled at the end of July when
it moves to a permanent building, to be reassembled to provide more
temporary classrooms at Catherine Wayte Primary School, Abbey Meads.
Work on building an eight classroom extension at St Francis Church
of England Primary School, Taw Hill will start later in the year on the
present car park on Aitken Road. The land was originally designated
for a church which was to have shared a hall with the school until the
Diocese of Bristol dropped the proposal in 2004.
Anew car park will be built on land earmarked for a community centre
between the school and medical centre.

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Pre Prep now open

Now welcoming boys
and girls aged 3 - 13 years
Visits welcome at any time.

Open Door Day
Friday 1st October 2010
9.30am - 3.30pm

Open Morning Come and find out more about our
Saturday 2nd October 2010 university-level courses
9.30am - 12.00 noon • Talk to staff about our courses
• Explore the campus
• Attend a School of Art Seminar
Let us know you are coming by logging on to:
'I www.degreesinswindon.com
For more information please call
Freephone: 0800 731 2250
Swindon College, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1 DY