Today (30th April) is the deadline for sharing your views on the future of 11-16 and post-16 education provision on the Isle of Wight.
The Island Innovation Trust, who are responsible for Carisbrooke and Medina Colleges as well as the VI Form (Nodehill) have shared their response with OnTheWight.
As many are aware and have heard through the public meetings, the Isle of Wight is still recovering from the 2011 school reorganisation. The lack of confidence felt within the community has been echoed by the Trust in their response.
“Another ‘reorganisation’ would undermine progress made”
A number of issues have been highlighted by the Trust in their response:
- School leaders confirm that the legacy of the reorganisation is still deeply felt in their school amongst staff and especially in families and children who went through the heart of the change and that generation is still in our schools.
- Another ‘reorganisation’ through any merger at this time would undermine the progress made in both Medina and Carisbrooke in improving outcomes for children and in rebuilding confidence in families, staff and the wider community including local businesses.
- The deep affection for the institutions of Carisbrooke and Medina passionately and strongly expressed at the public consultation meetings.
- Parents felt they were not listened to during the last consultation.
VI Form Campus a success
Moving onto the future of post-16 provision, the Trust explains how successful the VI Form campus has been.
The college is well-placed in the heart of Newport and has been successful in attracting pupils and A-Level teachers.
The Trust highlights a strategic commitment from the University of Portsmouth – an Island Innovation Trust partner – to provide “ladders of opportunity for people on the Isle of Wight and elsewhere in the region to take part in higher education”.
The University, the Trust say, is keen to explore the potential for a higher education presence with the Island Innovation Trust.
Full details of the response can be found in the document embedded below.
Have your say
If you haven’t shared your views with the council yet, there is still time. Head over to the Council’s Website.
Image: Biblio Archives under CC BY 2.0
