Over the next few years there will be an increasing gap between the number of children leaving primary education and the number of places available in secondary education. At its peak over 1 in 3 parents will be forced to educate their children outside of the local area. This presentation introduces the issues and discusses options for delivering a new school in the area to help bridge the gap and provide parents with a real choice for both secondary and 16+ education provision.

1. Giving Families Choice
NORTH SWINDON
POST-PRIMARY EDUCATION
PROVISION

2. Parental Choice
• All families are able to choose a high quality
secondary school for their children that is:
– Local
– Safe
– Caring
– Active in the community
– Meeting the educational needs of each child

3. Giving Families Choice
WHO ARE WE?

4. Who are we
• Kevin A Gray
• Rachael Mattey
• Justin Tomlinson
• Mark Dempsey
• Sean Davey
A local parent
Head of Isambard Community
school
MP for North Swindon
Labour Councillor
Liberal Democrat representative
• Together we are concern, knowledge and
influence
• We hope, today, to convert that into action

5. This meeting
• Everyone needs to be clear exactly what the
issue is and what is being proposed
– What is the Issue?
– Who will it affect?
– What are we proposing?
– What can you do?
• This is a community issue, the solution needs
to be driven by that community

6. Giving Families Choice
WHAT IS THE ISSUE?

7. Projected Secondary Places
Sept 2012 Intake
Isambard
Nova
Primary Places
Out of Area
1000
800
240
240
511
31
600
Sept 2016 Intake
400
Isambard
Nova
200
2012
2014
2016
Nova + Isambard
2018
Required
2020
240
240
Primary Places
Out of Area
717
237

8. What are these figures based on
• Current Priory Vale and Abbey Meads
development commitments (10,000 houses)
• It does not include:
– Moredon Bridge
– Tadpole Lane
– Nova School Development
• Primary school place demand peaked in 2012
at 850 places
• Projections to 2018 show need for 770 places
(3 secondary schools)

9. Giving Families Choice
WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN OVER 16

10. Choices Today for 16+ Education
College Options
Location
Students
Buses
Distance
Travel Cost
New College
3000
2
5.5 miles
£320
Cirencester
1800
1
15 miles
£500
Swindon College
5500
1
4.1
£320
• 6th Form Options
Location
Students
Buses
Distance
Ridgeway
250
2
7.5 miles
St Josephs
200
2
5.1 miles
Farmors
250
1
3 miles
1
2 miles
Swindon
Academy

11. Options local to North Swindon
None

12. Giving Families Choice
WHO WILL THIS AFFECT

13. Giving Families Choice

14. Probability of Selection
1 in 3 families will need to choose a
school outside of North Swindon
The Local Authority have no issue with this
They are happy to have the overspill handled
by:
The Swindon Academy
Warneford High School
Bradon Forest

15. Secondary is no longer just 12 to 16
Every child currently in Key Stage 1, 2, 3 or 4
today will not leave education until they are 17
Every child currently in Key Stage 1, 2 or 3 today
may not leave education until they are 18
• Education means:
– College (Academic)
– College (Vocational)
– Apprenticeships
– Training while working

16. 16+ Education
• In a typical secondary school approximately
50% of an intake will take academic studies
• That means over 200 children in 2013 will
leave secondary school and have to find
further education outside the area
• That will climb to 350 children by 2020
• By adding a 200+ facility in North Swindon will
would provide students and families with a
clear choice

17. Giving Families Choice
WHAT ARE WE PROPOSING

18. 12 to 19 Education facility
• We want to make a Free School bid
• To request the capital for a new School for
North Swindon
• The bid would be build by the community for
the community
• The new establishment would be an
independent school within the umbrella of the
new Academy trust

19. A Free School Bid
• The bid would be submitted in January
• With the support of local councillors and MP’s
and members of the community
• It would aim to:
– open in September 2015
– phase opening (year 7, year 12)
– Complement existing provision
• Early years facilities may be provided by
Isambard due to the need to open rapidly

20. A New School
• The school would be independent
• It would have its own
– Headteacher
– Senior Management Team
– Governing Body
• It would use the Academy Trust to share
common facilities (for example)
– Administration
– Emergency Cover for Teachers

21. Building Towards 2018 Fulfillment
Sept 2012 Intake
Isambard
Nova
Primary Places
Out of Area
800
700
600
240
240
511
31
500
400
300
Sept 2018 Intake
200
2012
2014
Nova + Isambard + 1
2016
Required
2018
Isambard
Nova
New School
240
240
240
Primary Places
Out of Area
798
78

22. Giving Families Choice
SO, HOW CAN I HELP?

23. 10 Volunteers
• Most new schools start with a temporary
governing body
• We need something before that - A Free
School Working party
• Members of the community working together
to define:
– Ethos, structure, specialism, curriculum
– Budget Projections, HR structure
• It would communicate with the community

24. 360 names
• One of the first tasks it to prove Will in the
community
• If there is to be a 240 student intake in year 1
then we have to provide the government with
360 names of local people who would be
willing to send their child to that school
• We must demonstrate that that would not
reduce the population of other local schools

25. Parental Choice
• All families are able to choose a secondary
school for their children that is:
– Local
– Safe
– Caring
– Active in the community
– Meeting the educational needs of each child
• Help us ensure that North Swindon families
get that choice

26. Giving Families Choice
I HAVE QUESTIONS