The IW Council is reminding Island residents that they have until Friday 22nd February to fill in the questionnaire about the options for change to the Island’s education system.
There is however more time to receive representations from individual school governing bodies.
The questionnaire, which can be completed on paper or online at www.iwight.com, asks a series of questions, including which option you think will achieve the best improvements in educational standards for most young people on the Island. One completed questionnaire per person may be submitted. The results of this survey will inform the thinking of councillors when reaching a decision on 19th March about which structure is best for the future of Island education.
Whilst the deadline for the submission of the questionnaire is this coming Friday, the council is highlighting that there is more time for school governing bodies to make a case for keeping their own school open under the different options. Council Leader David Pugh has written directly to all chairs of governing bodies making clear that the local authority can receive their submissions right up until 13th March.
Cllr David Pugh said: “The decision on 19th March is primarily about which structure is most suitable for the future of Island education, and the results of the questionnaire will inform our thinking in making this choice.
“That is why we encourage all Island residents with an interest in education to fill in the questionnaire and let us have their views about which structure is best for the Island.
“However the debate has understandably become focused in many quarters about the future of particular schools, given our transparency in, for the first time, outlining the potential school-by-school implications of each option.
“Whilst the formal school-by-school considerations will take place in June and July, we recognise that some governing bodies, in many cases on behalf of concerned parents, wish to put forward a case at this stage in the process to argue for the retention of their school under the different options.
“That is why we have given school governing bodies until 13th March to put their cases forward. Following receipt and consideration of these submissions, it will give us the opportunity, when making a decision on 19th March, to ask officers to undertake further work regarding the distribution of schools.
“This will form part of our decision in choosing an option — by asking officers to consider revisions in relation to particular school sites. In doing so, we will give the clearest possible indication of the likely distribution of schools across the Island, subject to further work by officers and the formal consultation in the summer.”
Cllrs Pugh and Alan Wells, cabinet member for children and young people, are currently visiting all the schools which are proposed for closure under any option, to meet with the headteacher and chair of the governing body to explain and discuss the decision-making process leading up to 19th March and beyond.
