The photograph taken from St Andrews Ridge, shows two of the seven primary schools to built in North Swindon, Abbey Meads community school, front left, Catherine Wayte primary school, top left, and, top right houses at Taw Hill, two miles away on the west side of the Haydon 3 development

Swindon Council's cabinet on 19 July launched a consultation process on school provision in North Swindon, which includes a new secondary school in the Haydon 3 development, five more primary schools, rebuilding Hreod Parkway secondary on one site, possibly a new Moredon primary school and relocation of two special schools. Over the next fifteen years the cost will be around £60 million. Decisions on the way forward will be taken next May after an extensive round of meetings.

Hreod Parkway, the current feeder school for the northern development will have a roll of 1,350 in September. In 2004 the number of 11 to 16 year olds in its catchment of Moredon, Haydon Wick, Woodhall Park and the new housing areas is expected to be 1,620. As a stop-gap to accommodate the rapid rise in numbers, six new mobile classrooms were installed at Hreod in early July.

The report on secondary provision across North Swindon to the cabinet meeting highlighted the deteriorating condition of Hreod Parkway and the need to replace or rebuild it on a single site. There will be seven primary schools in North Swindon when house building is completed sometime between 2010 and 2015, two have already been built.

Speaking before the cabinet meeting, Swindon Director of Education Mike Lusty, stressed he was keen to see the new northern secondary school completed at the earliest possible opportunity and insisted that the nine month delay in starting Haydon 3 would make no difference. "Our timetable is on track. The report to cabinet on 19 July is the start of a consultation involving all stakeholders: teachers, the public and councillors. We aim to make our final decision in May 2001, which will ideally lead to the school opening in September 2003, though this may slip to 2004."

Mr Lusty added that the urgent requirements at Hreod would not have a detrimental impact on the timing of the new school.

However Abbey Meads parents Dave Pymer and Helen Brittain, are both extremely concerned that it could be subject to delays. Father of three, Dave said, "no one seems to want to give definite time scales. Big public projects often take longer than expected. This must not happen to our school; it's too important. Considering that the first Haydon 3 houses will not be built until mid-2001, we need to know how many houses have to be occupied before school building starts? And will there be delay if the housing market slumps?"

At the cabinet meeting council leader Sue Bates said education was the top priority and the council which was committed to dealing with a major backlog of repairs and maintenance inherited when Swindon took over education from Wiltshire, and to providing new schools for the growing population.

She encouraged as many people as possible to participate in the consultation process. The issue will be discussed at the North Swindon Area Panel on 17 August, 7pm at the Civic Offices, where the public can speak.

A North Swindon School campaign group was formed to focus on getting the school built by 2003, after a meeting on 28 June called jointly by Blunsdon and Haydon Wick Parish Councils when 2005 was suggested as a realistic completion date.

Parents interested in finding out more should contact: Dave Pymer on 701431 or Helen Brittain on 705338.

Anger that North school might not be built for five years

There was an outcry of anger from fifty North Swindon residents at a public meeting on 28 June when they heard that a new secondary school for the north is not guaranteed to be ready by the proposed date of September 2003.

Called jointly by Blunsdon and Haydon Wick Parish Councils, the meeting aimed to gather residents' views on the kind of school that should be provided. However, on being told that the school might not be built for five years, outraged parents accused Swindon Council at being more concerned about building more houses, pubs and the massive Wal-Mart shopping centre rather than their children's education.

Julie Batch of St Andrews Ridge said, "year 7 and 8 pupils at Hreod have to use outside toilets, I really do not think the school could cope."

Parents Paula Johnstone and Elaine Garner added, "surely our children's education will be affected by class size, if they are too large the pressure on teachers will be unacceptable. This is the most important time of our children's schooling, the authority must get it right."

Some felt the nine month delay in starting the Northern Orbital Road, held up after negotiations with Wal-Mart initially broke down, will inevitably cause further delay to the house building programme. Debra Ringham fumed "Why should our children suffer at the hands of developers?"