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This from Louise Baird on behalf of Isle of Wight Education Matters. Ed
We at Isle of Wight Education Matters are writing to express our deep concern that it took escalation by the Diocese of Portsmouth, to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator to finally acknowledge what parents, educators, and community members have been saying for months: that the Isle of Wight Council’s school closure consultation process was fundamentally flawed.
This outcome—now confirmed by the Schools Adjudicator—should never have required intervention from a national regulator. A functioning local authority should have had the integrity and capacity to identify and correct its own mistakes. Instead, we saw a pattern of defensiveness, dismissiveness, and failure to engage meaningfully with legitimate concerns raised from the outset.
Formal complaint not upheld
On 28th October 2024, we submitted a formal complaint to the council, detailing serious procedural failings. That complaint was not upheld by the officer. We escalated it to Stage 2, where a senior officer also chose not to uphold it, despite further evidence and repeated explanation of the flaws in the process.
In public meetings, senior officers publicly dismissed the concerns of campaigners and councillors who had taken the time to analyse the consultation process and present clear, evidence-based objections. What we believed to be a confrontational and defensive tone, stood in stark contrast to the professionalism and objectivity this process demanded.
Flawed consultation
It is now officially recognised that the consultation did not meet the standards expected. Yet the damage has already been done. Schools that were named in the closure proposals have suffered reputational harm.
Staff, pupils, and families have been subjected to months of unnecessary anxiety and instability. The financial costs of this failure will also be significant—but the emotional toll is immeasurable.
Trust has been badly broken
This is not just about policy—it is about trust. And trust has been badly broken.
When ordinary citizens are able to spot glaring issues in a process that professionals either missed or ignored, serious questions must be asked about competence, accountability, and leadership.
Call for public accountability
We believe this situation demands more than quiet internal reflection. There must be visible consequences. We are calling for public accountability. We urge the local authority to take responsibility for what has happened, to apologise without qualification, give financial compensation to the schools damaged, and to commit to a more transparent, competent, and respectful approach to public engagement in the future.
