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This from Steve Cowley. Ed
Paul Brading seems confused about what he is doing regarding the West Wight School Places.
He gave the impression at the last Cabinet meeting that he still had the power to move Yarmouth Primary, which is a school of choice for many, to the All Saints’ site, despite our group having received a letter from the IWC legal department saying that only the Yarmouth School governors could do this.
We know, from a letter sent to Cllr Brading, that the governors are totally against such a move, on educational and financial grounds.
Plans to still close a school
He also said, confusingly, that he wanted to refurbish All Saints and to shut one of the five West Wight Schools, but he did not say which one.
There are major barriers to closing rural schools that are both educationally ‘Good’ and financially sound as is Yarmouth, and Shalfleet with which it is federated.
Admission numbers reduced
Since the start of the consultation both All Saints and Brighstone have agreed to reduce their Pupil Admission Numbers (PAN) which will go a long way to address the need to reduce pupil places.
If he decides to close All Saints to refurbish it, it will have to reopen as an Academy which will be strongly opposed in the West Wight; Island wide Academies are failing our children. With All Saints PAN now reduced to 15, giving a school of only 105, the DfE will not fund a 210 pupil school.
Blighted by conflicting messages
This fiasco has been going on for too long, our children’s education is suffering, parents cannot plan their children’s education and schools are blighted by Paul Brading’s conflicting messages.
