The Chair of Governors of Godshill Primary School — one of the six earmarked for possible closure — has issued an Open Letter to the Isle of Wight council’s cabinet.
The cabinet will be meeting tonight (Thursday) and asked to approve the launch of a consultation into the closure of six primary schools on the Island, as well as reducing admission numbers to another two schools.
The plans are being put in place to address the ongoing issue of falling birth rates and the number of children entering the school system. Headteachers have been campaigning for action for several years and last year’s botched attempt at tackling the problem is now being dealt with by an entirely new team at the council.
Di Barker, Chair of Governors of Godshill Primary School, shares her Open Letter to the cabinet members below. In the letter she raises concerns about the loss of education provision in the rural centre of the Island and reminds the council that when Chillerton and Rookley School was closed, the parents and pupils were assured they would not be subject to any further disruption during their primary education.
Open letter to Isle of Wight council Cabinet Members
Cabinet Members,
Before sanctioning Godshill school as part of this proposed consultation, I would be grateful if Cabinet would take the following factors into consideration.
The inclusion of Arreton, Godshill and Wroxall in this proposal wipes out all primary provision in the rural centre of our Island for over 400 children.
Two schools already merged
As the former Stenbury Federation, Godshill and Chillerton and Rookley have already, this year, supported the local authority in reducing surplus places. In merging two schools in the rural centre of the Island onto one site has ensured deficits accrued over time were reversed.
Both schools came in on budget at the end of the last financial year.
Good ratings from Ofsted
Under the Executive leadership of Mark Snow, both schools received recent GOOD judgements from Ofsted and since the merger of both schools onto one site, the number on role is showing an upward trajectory with 150 on roll 4-11 and 177 on roll including the pre school provision.
Assured no further disruption
The children and families who joined Godshill from Chillerton and Rookley in January 2024 were assured in writing by the Isle of Wight council, that following that protracted consultation process, their children would not be subject to any further disruption during their primary education.
Proactively supported school place planning
Godshill School has spent the past five years proactively supporting the local authority in addressing school place planning on the Island in general; and in our own schools in the rural centre of the Island in particular. We work collaboratively with other schools, sharing resources and expertise.
A rural hub of education
We feel strongly that at least one school should serve our rural communities and we have already begun to reach out and explore an alternative proposal.
We would like to enable the children currently at Arreton, Godshill and potentially Wroxall to attend a rural hub of education within our local communities.
A sensible solution
Amending this proposal to safeguard the possibility of one GOOD rural community school would enable small school cohorts to merge as one viable cohort within the rural area, incur less disruption for over 400 children and minimise the cost of transporting those 400 children to schools much further away.
Diane Barker, Chair of Governors, Godshill Primary School
