Information supplied by interested third parties in South Swindon
Swindon Borough Council’s Lead Member for schools, and a North
Swindon Councillor to boot, is oft in the Press and on the radio chuntering on
about the need for schools places. The residents of North Swindon would echo his sentiments but are at
a loss to understand the process which he has applied to date in the hope of
addressing this.
So let’s paint a picture of 2 existing developments in Swindon...
Case
Study 1
North Swindon has around 10,000 homes and 540 reception school places for
a forecast of 585 children in 2012. There are no spare reception spaces and the
evidence shows that most children live
close to school.
Quite how many primary places exist in North Swindon overall is a bit of
a mystery as officers’ sums don’t seem
to add up.
Case
Study 2
East Wichel , South Swindon, is planned for 838 homes of which ~600
have been built and it has 60 reception spaces for 31 children in 2012. There
are 19 spare reception spaces and 16 children come from >500 metres of the
school.
East Wichel is already on school number 2 . School #1: the Temporary East
Wichel School on Croft had 60 reception places, opened in 2010 with 3 and closed
with 15 pupils few of whom came from the area.
School #2: the brand spanking
new 420 pupil primary school opened for all year groups in 2011 and has ~150
pupils in 2012.
And then
there is Tadpole Farm
Another new development, this time for 1700 homes. The Lead Member for Schools has agreed that a
primary school is not needed for Tadpole Farm until 565 homes have been
occupied. That would be around 130 children.
And where is Tadpole Farm? Well, it is adjacent to North Swindon,
where there are no spaces and it is not clear just how many primary places
actually exist.
Just how
do Children’s Services plan for new
developments?
North Swindon has already been given the cast off temporary School
from East Wichel but that only has 2 classes. Where are the children from North
Swindon and Tadpole Farm supposed to go?
Mouldon Hill has already been shown to be a messup. What’s next, buses to East Wichel or Croft?
Time for the Lead Member and North Swindon Councillors to stand up
for our children and be open and transparent about exactly what is going on.
Or is there 1 rule for South
Swindon and another for the North?
