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Front, headteacher Julie
Carr and pupil James Thompson. Back, school business
manager Kate McFarlane; Peter Harper and Richard Strange,
of Steele Davis builders; the chairwoman of the governors
Marcia Glass; the Rev Anthony Fletcher, of Lyneham
Parish Church and Squadron Leader Dominic McEvoy, of
RAF Lyneham |
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Building work in progress at the school |
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Digging in for new start at
village school
Swindon Advertiser
www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk
1st October 2007
by Hayley Court
YOUNGSTERS in Lyneham have broken the ground at their new
combined school. Lyneham Junior and Infants schools in
Preston Lane is now one primary school for children aged
four to
11. New headteacher Julie Carr took over from the two acting
heads at each school on September 1.
New signs and minor alterations were carried out in July
when the two schools closed for the summer holidays. The
two schools have space for 510 children but construction
work on another building joining the two began yesterday
and is due to be complete by March.
Mrs Carr said: "The new building will very much support
the school reaching its vision of every child getting a
flying start to their learning."
Mrs Carr, who has
moved from Grove Church, of England Primary School, in
Wantage, said: "The school community is thrilled to
see the start of the building that will bring the past
two schools together. Much partnership work has already
taken place with the schools, Wiltshire County Council,
contractors and
architects to get to this stage."
Research carried out in Wiltshire in 2004 found that separate
infants and junior schools, on average, achieved between
six and seven per cent below that of primary schools in
the county.
Parents attended a public consultation meeting at the
schools in October 2006 and were given the opportunity
to have their say. The infants school had suffered falling
numbers, which led to staff redundancies.
Governors expect
the formation of the primary school to absorb the decrease
in pupil numbers and increase job security
for staff. |
