Page 9 - link magazine

Community News

New music project at Swindon 105.5

(L-R) Musicians Lewis James and Nathan Baines record with Chris English

A team from Swindon 105.5 the community is welcome as long
community radio have launched a as they have fun. This is for those
new music project that hopes to people who want to make music
help budding musicians from all but thought they couldn’t for
backgrounds find their voice. whatever reason.
The project is based at Liden “We will be running a 10-week
Library and utilises the Sir Daniel training course with anyone
Gooch studio at Swindon 105.5 interested in using the recording
to record tracks with artists from equipment and creating their own
across the town, including staff tracks, and setting up events for
from the station itself. project users. This is a user led
An expression of interest from the service that focuses on people and
group has been put in to operate finding their musical voice.”
half of Liden library and expand The project kicked off their first
the project to include full recording live show at Bake ‘N’ Roll on
facilities, space for instrument Groundwell Road in early February
lessons and more. as part of the cafe’s new evening
Andy Watts, who has helped set opening hours, providing a well
up the project said: “Anybody from attended open mic session.
Minister visits pioneering schools

Minister of State for Schools, Nick
Gibb MP, insisted that Ofsted were
‘doing a very good job’ in the wake
of blanket criticisms of primary
and secondary schools by Ofsted
Regional Director Bradley Simmons.
The Minister, who was in town to
learn about pioneering approaches
taken by Swindon Academy and
Nova Hreod, refused to criticise
Mr Simmon’s controversial stance,
adding that Ofsted have an
“important job to do.”
Mr Gibb began his tour at
Swindon Academy, where he was
introduced to the school’s new
Grammar Stream programme which Schools Minister Nick Gibb
has been established in partnership
with Marlborough College. Academy which has been able
A total of 30 places have been to raise the percentage of pupils
offered to the most academically achieving 5 GCSEs graded A* to
able students in year 7 who follow C from 21 per cent in 2014 to 63
a challenging curriculum which also per cent in 2016 and under the
sees them visit Marlborough College leadership of Principal Darren
one afternoon a week, study Latin Barton, has transformed the culture
and work an extended school day. of the school by introducing a strict
Mr Gibb also visited Nova Hreod discipline policy.
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