"The school also changed its name from Hreod Parkway when the old buildings either side of Akers Way closed and it merged onto one site in April."
Ah well , that would explain it then!!?

who dat? wrote:
"The school also changed its name from Hreod Parkway when the old buildings either side of Akers Way closed and it merged onto one site in April." Ah well , that would explain it then!!?

Agreed. And I fail to see how moving premises has anything to do with the level of pupil improvement. Did they leave all the hard working and intelligent pupils behind in the old building?!

Moving schools can be traumatic for kids I know that from experience.

However you must not forget the results are of the kids. the old adages of you can't make a silk purse out of sow's ear and you can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink also apply.

For many of these kids the only stable part of their life is school and the only support for learning is at the school. It is no wonder that the school has trouble meeting targets. You can't just keep blaming the teachers.

In regards who dat and Grimaldi. Do your children go to that school? if not know the facts before commenting on something you know nothing about.

My son and daughter go to that school and both are above their tagart for their age group. And since moving from a run down old buildings of the old Hreod parkway site on Akers way to the new site in Akers way, the children when ever i've been in the schoool seem much happier and my children say that bullying has stopped greatly since the move to the new site. My son was struggling in one subject and the school informed us of the problems my son was having in the suject concerned. We had meeting with the school and set a programme to help my son and now he's above target if that's failing god knows what is. If Nova Hreod such a failing school please explain why they have a very long wasiting list to get your child into Nova hreod.

jamesswuk wrote:
In regards who dat and Grimaldi. Do your children go to that school? if not know the facts before commenting on something you know nothing about. My son and daughter go to that school and both are above their tagart for their age group. And since moving from a run down old buildings of the old Hreod parkway site on Akers way to the new site in Akers way, the children when ever i've been in the schoool seem much happier and my children say that bullying has stopped greatly since the move to the new site. My son was struggling in one subject and the school informed us of the problems my son was having in the suject concerned. We had meeting with the school and set a programme to help my son and now he's above target if that's failing god knows what is. If Nova Hreod such a failing school please explain why they have a very long wasiting list to get your child into Nova hreod.

I think you could do with a stint there yourself judging by the the amount of spelling mistakes.

Mellish wrote:

jamesswuk wrote: In regards who dat and Grimaldi. Do your children go to that school? if not know the facts before commenting on something you know nothing about. My son and daughter go to that school and both are above their tagart for their age group. And since moving from a run down old buildings of the old Hreod parkway site on Akers way to the new site in Akers way, the children when ever i've been in the schoool seem much happier and my children say that bullying has stopped greatly since the move to the new site. My son was struggling in one subject and the school informed us of the problems my son was having in the suject concerned. We had meeting with the school and set a programme to help my son and now he's above target if that's failing god knows what is. If Nova Hreod such a failing school please explain why they have a very long wasiting list to get your child into Nova hreod.

I think you could do with a stint there yourself judging by the the amount of spelling mistakes.

I think you need your eyes tested soon..

jamesswuk wrote:

Mellish wrote:

jamesswuk wrote: In regards who dat and Grimaldi. Do your children go to that school? if not know the facts before commenting on something you know nothing about. My son and daughter go to that school and both are above their tagart for their age group. And since moving from a run down old buildings of the old Hreod parkway site on Akers way to the new site in Akers way, the children when ever i've been in the schoool seem much happier and my children say that bullying has stopped greatly since the move to the new site. My son was struggling in one subject and the school informed us of the problems my son was having in the suject concerned. We had meeting with the school and set a programme to help my son and now he's above target if that's failing god knows what is. If Nova Hreod such a failing school please explain why they have a very long wasiting list to get your child into Nova hreod.

I think you could do with a stint there yourself judging by the the amount of spelling mistakes.

I think you need your eyes tested soon..

&;o)

No Mellish, Jamesswuk is quite correct, your spelling and grammar are both atrocious.

jamesswuk wrote:
In regards who dat and Grimaldi. Do your children go to that school? if not know the facts before commenting on something you know nothing about. My son and daughter go to that school and both are above their tagart for their age group. And since moving from a run down old buildings of the old Hreod parkway site on Akers way to the new site in Akers way, the children when ever i've been in the schoool seem much happier and my children say that bullying has stopped greatly since the move to the new site. My son was struggling in one subject and the school informed us of the problems my son was having in the suject concerned. We had meeting with the school and set a programme to help my son and now he's above target if that's failing god knows what is. If Nova Hreod such a failing school please explain why they have a very long wasiting list to get your child into Nova hreod.

I think the headmaster was implying that standards and results have dropped since they moved, not improved. Im sure your children are doing very well, but that doesnt disguise the overall results.

And Mellish is right - your grammar is appalling.

Let's be honest - on the whole Swindon schools are appalling.

Even the "best" school for GCSE results, Ridgeway, is only slightly above average schools in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire - and that's if you get out alive.

thutch wrote:
No Mellish, Jamesswuk is quite correct, your spelling and grammar are both atrocious.

Right up there with your sense of humour then.

I don't think we should be taking swipes at people for having bad grammar or not being able to spell. Personally I blame the increased use of PC's as it has made us all very lazy, mine has certainly gone downhill since I left school all those years ago and began to use a computer at work and home. I also went to school with a fair few people who were dyslectic and had issues with reading and writing. I know things are supposed to be better nowadays but I would imagine there are a few people in my age bracket( 30 yrs ) who had no help on this front and for whom it was not even picked up on. I would like to think I am fairly educated and I have a good job in marketing but even my spelling is bad on occasions, plus it is quite easy to mistype!

I'm not so sure. I think we SHOULD be taking cheap shots at people who make spelling mistakes so that this thread looks nice and neat. Somebody wake up Voice of Reason and get him involved. He'll sort it out once and for all. And with a bare minimum of fuss, I'll warrant.

I attended Hreod, and I personally think that people are dwelling too much on the negative happenings. As mentioned the school has exceeded national results in English. Also the school has actually sent out some very successful pupils over the years that have gone on to great things because of the teachings they received. I will stand by Andrew Fleet all day long, and may even offer my teaching expertise to him for free in certain subjects!

Charlieboy wrote:
I attended Hreod, and I personally think that people are dwelling too much on the negative happenings. As mentioned the school has exceeded national results in English. Also the school has actually sent out some very successful pupils over the years that have gone on to great things because of the teachings they received. I will stand by Andrew Fleet all day long, and may even offer my teaching expertise to him for free in certain subjects!

As would I! I currently teach music to the masses and would love the opportunity to provide some free lessons to people who may show an interest.

Ronnie43cats - cracking name by the way - I think we should criticise grammar and spelling on this site. I cant actually make any sense of some postings due to the lack of punctuation. If people have a valid point to make but no-one can understand it - what good is that?

Mellish wrote:
I'm not so sure. I think we SHOULD be taking cheap shots at people who make spelling mistakes so that this thread looks nice and neat. Somebody wake up Voice of Reason and get him involved. He'll sort it out once and for all. And with a bare minimum of fuss, I'll warrant.

LOL LOL... WHAT CAN ONE SAY ABOUT YOU MELLISH.
ONE THING FOR SURE,I DON'T GIVE A TOSS WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT MY SPELLING.. TAKING CHEAP SHOTS SHOWS HOW CHILDISH SOME PEOPLE CAN BE ONLINE.
BLOODY HELL I GOT MY CAPS ON LOL..

jamesswuk wrote:

Mellish wrote: I'm not so sure. I think we SHOULD be taking cheap shots at people who make spelling mistakes so that this thread looks nice and neat. Somebody wake up Voice of Reason and get him involved. He'll sort it out once and for all. And with a bare minimum of fuss, I'll warrant.

LOL LOL... WHAT CAN ONE SAY ABOUT YOU MELLISH. ONE THING FOR SURE,I DON'T GIVE A TOSS WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT MY SPELLING.. TAKING CHEAP SHOTS SHOWS HOW CHILDISH SOME PEOPLE CAN BE ONLINE. BLOODY HELL I GOT MY CAPS ON LOL..

All right. All right. You don't have to shout it at me.

Let's all calm down and meet up at The Flag for a relaxing pint and debate the non-existence of ghosts or something.

As usual these days, no resignations for such a dismal overall performance. Nobody really taking responsibility, merely blaming things on the school's name changing.

This is the whole problem with the UK today - zero accountability.

All we get is the headteacher who has presided over these appalling results saying how things will get better. I fail to see how that is going to happen without a change of leadership or a sudden increase in the intelligence levels of the children at the school... and, realistically, only one of those can happen.

Much like Gordon Brown, the head teacher will no doubt claim he's staying in place to 'continue his vision and improve things', rather than do the decent thing and admit it's time to go.

"Of course we plan to improve for next year" says Andrew Fleet.

Well, Mr Fleet, in case you didn't quite understand this latest report, it's technically not possible for you to get much worse.

Big Mac wrote:
As usual these days, no resignations for such a dismal overall performance. Nobody really taking responsibility, merely blaming things on the school's name changing. This is the whole problem with the UK today - zero accountability. All we get is the headteacher who has presided over these appalling results saying how things will get better. I fail to see how that is going to happen without a change of leadership or a sudden increase in the intelligence levels of the children at the school... and, realistically, only one of those can happen. Much like Gordon Brown, the head teacher will no doubt claim he's staying in place to 'continue his vision and improve things', rather than do the decent thing and admit it's time to go. "Of course we plan to improve for next year" says Andrew Fleet. Well, Mr Fleet, in case you didn't quite understand this latest report, it's technically not possible for you to get much worse.

Maybe you should look up the word loyalty in the dictionary, people may want to stick by the headteacher. I assume you know him and Gordon Brown personaly to be able to make such bold statements about how they should run their school and the country.

I guess you will be running for the next election?

As usual these days, no resignations for such a dismal overall performance. Nobody really taking responsibility, merely blaming things on the school's name changing.

I wouldn't be so sure on this one - wink, wink, nudge, nudge!!

Charlieboy wrote:
I attended Hreod, and I personally think that people are dwelling too much on the negative happenings. As mentioned the school has exceeded national results in English. Also the school has actually sent out some very successful pupils over the years that have gone on to great things because of the teachings they received. I will stand by Andrew Fleet all day long, and may even offer my teaching expertise to him for free in certain subjects!

Rose tinted spectacles spring to mind here.

Charlieboy wrote:
Maybe you should look up the word loyalty in the dictionary, people may want to stick by the headteacher.

Loyalty is a great quality and something to be encouraged.

Misplaced loyalty is the exact opposite.

Charlieboy wrote:
I assume you know him and Gordon Brown personaly to be able to make such bold statements about how they should run their school and the country.

I don't need to know Gordon Brown well. He released a press statement and did plenty of TV interviews where he stated exactly what I quoted above.

It's the modern day mantra for those who know they've failed, 'I'm going to stick around and try and improve things'.

Very admirable - unless you're one of the main reasons they went wrong in the first place.

Sorry Mellish, I was actually doing some work for once lol. I was never very good at grammer to be honest or punctuation I did rather poor at school and I know it was my own fault not the schools.I think a lot of these schools that are failling etc have done nothing wrong I think a lot of it is the Government setting unrealastic targets. I think they set people up to fail..

Ironically, VoR, the government have deliberately dumbed down exams in order to show how record numbers of students pass them every year.

It's quite a good little wheeze until the employer's associations turn round and ask why none of their new school recruits can read or perform simple maths.

Is that why the little scrotes do nothing but hang around street insulting people and vandalising everything. I still think we should bring back National Service.

I went to Hreod many years ago. I left after a short time as i hated the school. I have three children,one of which is fast approaching senior school age,and she certainly will not be going there. As far as i am concerned,you can change tha name of the school and build a fancy new building,but it is all only masking the underlying problems of the school.Some of the teachers there are the same as when i was there sixteen years ago. Unless they update their teaching practices and move with the times,then this school will never produce good results. My children currently attend Moredon Primary,which is a high achieving school and i think it is a shame that many of the pupils will then have to then progress to Hreod.

Voice of Reason wrote:
Is that why the little scrotes do nothing but hang around street insulting people and vandalising everything. I still think we should bring back National Service.

Don't be a cone VoR. You would ahve to quadruple the defence budget in order to hugely increrase the size of the armed services, and that my friend simply isn't going to happen.

P S Altery wrote:

Voice of Reason wrote: Is that why the little scrotes do nothing but hang around street insulting people and vandalising everything. I still think we should bring back National Service.

Don't be a cone VoR. You would ahve to quadruple the defence budget in order to hugely increrase the size of the armed services, and that my friend simply isn't going to happen.

Who's this joker?

My children are not yet old enough to attend school but when they are I shall not be sending them to this travesty of a learning centre. Oh no. I'd just as soon they be schooled at the Shanghai Restaurant on Faringdon Road. Nowhere else can you find such a perfect fusion of Chinese, Thai and Malaysian cuisine and ambience under one roof, nor find more courteous and helpful staff.

It's me Mellish, look you must remember me? Yes I know I look much older, but don't you recall those days in the shop at Neasden? You know the emporium of scandal, lies and tittle tattle.

Good Lord! P S Altery! How could I forget? I thought you'd moved to Isleworth and doing rather well for yourself selling second-hand ovens. I didn't recognise you without your wizard's hat.

Ah, those days are long since gone, I do a rather nice line in Jabado de Quimpers and Windforms now - Grimaldi will tell you!!

Yep he certainly does Mellish. If you ever need your Spoonharp, Melba Fence, Devil Bass or your Moon Lute re-tuning then P S Altery is your man. He also does a rather nice line in ceremonial antlers.

And if he's not in his shop he will no doubt be chugging around the country lanes in his 1915 Conklin Gypsy Van.

Hi,
In response to Mum of Three's comments. Many of the primary schools that feed Hreod have been high achieving for quite some years ( Greenmeadow, Haydon Wick, Haydonleigh etc)so as you say, many children with level 5s in their year 6 SATS will be attending the school. I don't know where it is going wrong, but having had personal dealings with Mr Fleet about school matters (my son attends) I can say he is very hard working and diligent. The previous school building was apalling and not a conducive learning environment. The last set of results were achieved by children who had almost left school by the time the new building was complete. So on that note, I can sympathise. Some very high results have been achieved by individual pupils over the years who have attended Hreod and Headlands(which of course is another story). Going back to high achieving primary schools, the children really are on a regime of learning geared to passing SATS, but maybe it is much harder to motivate teenagers who perhaps haven't the parental support to succeed at school. Let's face it, when we were at school (err, I am 41 so I am assuming there may be more 40ish aged people reading this) you didn't go by league tables you all just went to the nearest school, unless of course you were privileged or directed by the results of your 11+ to a grammar or secondary modern. I agree if there are teachers there failing the children then that is a travesty, however, while children's parents are sending their children to other schools because they think they are too clever to attend the local school then the results will never improve.

Fascinating!

It's been a pleasure but I have to dash off for now. I'm booked for a late luncheon at the Shanghai Restaurant on Faringdon Road. This beautifully outfitted restaurant is dedicated to serving food of the highest class and prides itself on its reputation for quality and excellence. I understand that the stir fries are uncommonly delicious and the seafood a delight. In fact everything about the Shanghai is refined and an inspiration.

For Chinese food it is without question, one of the best in Swindon.

Sounds like a job for...........Super Snelly!!!!

Voice of Reason wrote:
Malkym..TUT TUT that was a bit of a low blow ( no pun intended) about Ridgeway bit out if order to be honest. Quick WEB TEAM CENSOR THIS COMMENT.....?

Well yes VOR but fortunately the victim has recovered well and those who perpertrated the cowardly attack will get their just desserts and I'm not talking school dinners! We or rather the LEA should focus more perhaps on the general consensus of opinion as to why Hreod is not highly rated by parents or so it would apprear from this messageboard.

yes the school has slipped but it must be and is very difficult to improve on things that have improved so much over the last few years. I have 2 sons at hreod ,they love it and are progressing well. The staff are excellent and so are the facilitys. Hold your head up high Hreod staff most parents salute you for all your work

Trouble in all schools is that the yobbos drag everyone else down. My kids go to another Swindon secondary school and they are forever moaning that there classes are being interrupted by kids constantly causing havoc in classrooms.

Pains me to say it, but this just did not happen when i was a kid and the threat of a good caning awaited anyone who p*ssed about in class

dalekdave wrote:
Trouble in all schools is that the yobbos drag everyone else down. My kids go to another Swindon secondary school and they are forever moaning that there classes are being interrupted by kids constantly causing havoc in classrooms. Pains me to say it, but this just did not happen when i was a kid and the threat of a good caning awaited anyone who p*ssed about in class

I agree with you dalekdave. The kids need sorting out. Too many parents either couldn't give a **** and know no better, or are afraid to deal with their kids in this "nanny state". Some kids have no respect for their teachers or their fellow pupils and end up getting "special treatment" because of their poor behaviour. Give them the dap I say!

Can I just remind people that the Headlands school results were not included this year or they would have had their usual place at the bottom of the table. Hreod has obviously suffered from the new academy!!

i left (what was hreod parkway then) in september.

i was in the new building for about...3 months'ish'

i have to say it is a much better environment to work/learn in then the state of the old building.
it's impossible to 'skive' and do anything from smoking up to fighting without definatly getting caught.
so in a way this must have a upside to the learning that the pupils recieve.

hreod is not as bad as all thinks it is.
i myself got into new college doing A levels.
along with alot of the other pupils that were in my year.


i agree with some of the posts about some 'yobs' dragging down the rest of the class.
and that is 100% true,i had to put up with it for the whole 5 years i attended hreod in maths every single year.
me and a couple of people complained about this to staff,did anything happen? no.
but all in all i still got the grades i needed.

Mumstheword wrote,

Give them the dap I say!

Didn't Do Me Any Harm.

Much as I agree with you but we would have to change the law to allow it.

As the (stupid) situation stands at the moment Parents and Teachers risk arrest if they do anything to infringe on the rights of the child (yob, near do well etc).

After reading this article on Nova Hreod I can only say that it is sad to read all the negativity surrounding this new school. My eldest son did attend Ridgeway, which is apparently a top school in Swindon, unfortunately I did not find this to be the case and moved my son from this school to Nova Hreod. What I can say is that since my son has attended Nova Hreod his results are well above the national average and he has come on leaps and bounds. I don't think you should tar every pupil with the same brush as after all we are all individuals and as with any school you will get pupils who want to learn and those who either find it harder or don't have the inclination to learn. I don't believe you can put all the blame on to Mr Fleet as it takes more than one person to make a good school, this means the teachers, the pupils and the parents need to work together to be able to get the best results from every pupil. The school did move to new premises last year and the teachers and headmaster made the move as smooth as possible under the conditions which obviously were disruptive, as anyone who has moved home or office can appreciate. You also have to remember that alot of the catchment area for Hreod Nova are in the more deprived areas of Swindon, from large council estates such as Moredon and Pinehurst, and although I know many people from this area who are lovely people, you only have to look around to see that some of the families on these estates don't show any real interest in what their child is attaining at school as their expectations from life are low. Their should be a big push to get parents and pupils involved with the success of this wonderful new school and hopefully the community as a whole will pull together to make this successful, instead of this negative image of Swindon and its schools we need to remember the positives and instead of being too quick to jump on the band wagon of negativity lets try and move forward and change things by being more cooperative and working together to improve the image of Swindon, the people that live here and its schools.

Lastly I would just like to say a big thank you to Mr Fleet, Mr Nash and all the other brilliant teachers who have helped my son to achieve moret han he ever could have at Ridgeway. I would recommend this school to anyone who has a child with dyslexia as the help and support my son has received at Hreod has enable him to get above national standard scores.

Can I just say the school has only recently been changed and the scores for GCSE's will have dropped in this school because of the move from school to school. The school would of been affected and it was quite obvious that the school levels would have dropped. There is no point becoming increasingly angry when i'm sure that next year scores will be back up.

Has anyone ever truly thought about why students are not improving? Consider the following:
Could it be that students are lazy? Could it be that they can't be bothered to think for themselves? Could it be that the teachers put in 50 hours a week only to have lessons destroyed by kids who don't care about themselves or others? Could it be that targets are too high? Could it be that schools are asked to do too much by the Government? Should parents not work WITH schools rather than blame them? Schools only spend 7 hours a day with kids. There are 24 in a day....