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Deadline for 2014 school places
             Kumon’s maths and                                    Parents have until 31 October to submit their application for their child’s
             English study programmes                             secondary school place for September 2014, and until 15 January for a

             work to improve your                                 primary school place.
             child’s skills, develop their                         Swindon Borough Council stresses  one of their three preferences met.”
             confidence and inspire a                             the  importance  of  parents  putting   All  applications  received  by  the
                                                                  down a second and third choice of  deadline  dates  will  be  considered
             passion for learning.                                school when they apply, in case their  together using the same criteria. They
                                         Improve                  first choice school is oversubscribed. are not dealt with on a ‘first come, first
             Contact your local Instructor
             for a Free Assessment.    your child’s                This year, the council was able to  served’ basis.
                                                                                               But later applications may not re-
             Swindon West Study Centre   study skills             give 91 per cent of applicants their first
                                                                  preference for primary schools, and  ceive offers for any preferred schools.
             Mayumi Lewis 01249 760568
                                                                  99.7 per cent for secondary schools.   Apply  online  at  www.swindon.
                                                     kumon.co.uk   Commenting  on  the  council’s  gov.uk/schoolplaces  or  on  paper.
                                                                  performance,  cabinet  member  for  Forms  are  available  from  schools
                                                                  children’s services Cllr Fionuala Foley  or  the  council’s  One  Stop  Shop  in
                                                                  said: “This year, we were the fourth  Beckhampton Street.
                                                                  most successful council in the South   Offers for secondary school places
                                                                  West, and the fourteenth nationally,  will be made on 3 March 2014, and
                                                                  at meeting the first preferences for sec- 16 April for primary schools.
                                                                  ondary school applicants, while 97 per   For  details  contact  the  School
                                       English, Mathematics and Science
                                                                  cent of primary school applicants had  Admissions Team on 01793 445500.
                                       Fully qualified teachers
                                       Accelerated GCSE programme  School crisis looms across town from 2018
                                       11+ training and preparation  Parents of children in Year 3 and below should be concerned that their
                                       Free assessment and first lesson  choice of secondary school could be limited in a few years time.
                                       Boost your child’s confidence  Swindon Council predicts a short-  8pm on Thursday 10 October - Lydiard
                                                                  fall of 5.7 forms of entry (180 places)  Park Academy; Tuesday 15 October
                                                                  around the borough by 2018, rising  -  Isambard  School;  Wednesday  16
                                                                  to  27.7  forms  (900  places)  in  2026  October - Nova Hreod School.
               NEW
             Childcare
                                                                  and has launched a consultation on   The  dates  at  Isambard  and  Nova
            vouchers
           accepted
                                                                  the options for action.    Hreod are to be confirmed. See www.
                                                                   The council is looking at expanding  swindon.gov.uk
                                                                  existing schools, busing children out  •  Isambard  is  already  appealing  to
               Grittleton House School                            of town and new build. Parents are  North Swindon parents to support a
                                                                  being asked to consider what should  bid to set up a free school. Read more
                                                                  be done at presentations from 5pm to  at: www.bit.ly/northswindon11to19
                AN INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL FOR BOYS & GIRLS AGED 2-16
                                                                      Long distance Maths no problem
                                                                         for Shefali on the West Coast
                                                                  Former Swindon student Shefali Singh, who is now attending high school
                                                                  in Seattle following her family’s move to the United States in 2012, is
                                                                  studying Maths A/S level, with support from her Swindon-based tutor.
                                                                   Shefali  is  receiving  tuition  from
                                                                  David  Parkinson,  right,  of  Aspire
                                                                  at Basepoint Centre, and is proving
                                                                  that long distance study doesn’t pose
                                                                  a problem, as her Maths GCSE grade
                                                                  A shows.
                                                                   Explaining her experience Shefali
                 ✔  Traditi onal schooling   ✔  Academic excellence   said: “I took my Maths GCSE in June
                   for the modern age                             2012 at the end of Year 9, a couple of
                                      ✔  Scholarship & bursaries
                 ✔  Strong family values  available               months before we moved to the States.
                 ✔ Nurturing environment  ✔ School transport      It was a bit of a challenge persuading
                                                                  the exam body to send my certificate
                                                                  to America. I had to prove I was not  that I had to email David about certain
                                                                  just  someone  trying  to  get  an  easy  tricky questions. I try to dedicate at
                  Come         Open Morning           GHS         GCSE.”                     least an hour or two each weekend
                 and see for   Saturday 12th October               Shefali aims to take the A/S exam  for Aspire studies in addition to my
                  yourself      9.30-11.00am
                                                      TO STRIVE
                                                        IS  TO ACCOMPLISH  next year, and will then embark on a  programme of high school work.”
                                                                  full A level. Assessing the benefits of  • Shefali has written articles for Swin-
                    T: 01249 782 434 • www.gritt letonhouseschool.org  www.gritt letonhouseschool.org   long distance study, she said: “The  don Link comparing her education in
                      • Locati on: Near Chippenham: 5 mins J17 M4  study  books  are  incredibly  helpful  Britain,  India  and  USA. They  can  be
                                                 TO
                RIVE                             T                and I think it was only once or twice  found at www.swindonlink.com
                                                 TOAC
           16  swindonlink.com • October 2013


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