The fate of six Isle of Wight primary schools could be decided at County Hall tonight (Thursday).
Isle of Wight Council leader Phil Jordan and his seven other ruling Alliance administration cabinet colleagues will vote on recommendations to close Cowes Primary School, Arreton St Georges CE Primary School, Brading CE Primary School, Godshill Primary School, Wroxall Primary School and Oakfield CE Primary School.
The proposals have been put forward in a report signed by Councillor Jonathan Bacon, cabinet member for children’s services, education and corporate functions, and Ashley Whittaker, director of children’s services.
Closure at end of the school year
Their paper proposes a closure date of 31st August 2025 and also includes a recommendation to establish a 12-place primary resourced provision for children with Autism Spectrum Condition at The Bay CE Primary School.
It said.
“The council is in the process of developing a new education strategy for the Island to improve educational outcomes for all children.
“A vital element of this emerging strategy, a draft version of which was published on 8th July 2024, is aligning the number of primary school places with the changing population size.
“Having a certain level of surplus places across our schools provides flexibility; allows for movement onto, and around the Island, and helps meet parental preference.
“However, the consequences of having too many surplus places can be severe.
“The main impact on schools of surplus places due to falling rolls is the resulting reduction in individual school income, which without a corresponding reduction in costs, results in a deterioration in the school’s overall finances.”
Improving educational standards
The report said the ‘main principle’ of education provision is to provide schools with ‘high quality’ standards and which are ‘financially sustainable’ in the long term.
Included in the council’s statutory duty to provide a ‘sufficiency’ of school places for all Island children is a requirement to ‘give priority’ at all ages to ‘meet the needs’ of children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), learning difficulties and disabilities up to 19 years of age and in some instances, 25.
Public consultation
A major consultation on reducing surplus school places, including the school closures, and expanding SEND provision was held between 20th September and 1st November 2024.
The council’s plans have faced a significant backlash from concerned parents and campaigners over the last few months.
Concerns have been raised over the provision of faith education, longer commuting distances, financial difficulties, Island academy schools outside of the council’s control not being included in the process, children with SEND and the effect of school closures on communities.
Defences of the performance of schools included on the council’s list have also been made.
Public opposition
Areas due to be affected by the proposals have seen demonstrations, public meetings and petitions organised and towards the end of October, parents and children marched through Newport’s town centre to County Hall in protest.
The leading trade unionist Mark Chiverton, secretary of Unison’s Isle of Wight branch, attended the march and at the time said the “flawed” plans would be met with trade union resistance in their current form.
Hughes: Process has been ‘deeply flawed’
Jen Hughes, a parent representative and prominent campaigner against the closure of Oakfield CE Primary School, said the “entire” place planning proposal as it currently stands should be removed by the cabinet today.
She said,
“The process that they’ve used and the report they have produced based on the consultation is deeply flawed. Due process has not been followed.
“There are multiple data points they are using that don’t illustrate the whole picture and when they’re put under scrutiny they don’t hold up.
“After speaking with our local councillor at length today, we’ve drawn the clear conclusion that if they were to forward this motion, multiple schools would have a case for a judicial review.
“It’s absolutely something we as a school will be pushing for.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
