Islanders have another opportunity to have their say on proposed primary school closures – even though it appears to be a done deal.
Following Cabinet approval last month, Public Notices have today (Friday) been published for Arreton St George’s CE, Brading CE, Cowes, Oakfield CE and Wroxall primary schools.
If approved in late February or early March, which appears likely to happen, these closures would come into effect from 31st August 2025. This means pupils will need to find new schools for the 2025-26 academic year.
Additionally, a Public Notice has also been published proposing a 12-place primary resourced provision for children with Autism Spectrum Conditions at The Bay CE Primary School.
Following the publication of the notices, there will now be a statutory 4-week consultation on the proposals with residents encouraged to share their views through the council’s website, via email, or by post.
The proposed closures are a response to a significant decline in birth rates both locally and nationally over the past 5 years. Currently, the Island has 10,724 primary school places available, but the number of children needing these places is projected to fall significantly by 2027. The overall number of primary pupils is expected to decrease from 9,300 in 2017, to 7,640 in 3 years’ time.
The consultation will run until Monday 3rd February 2025. You can comment online at www.iow.gov.uk/schoolplace, by emailing [email protected] or by post to Naomi Carter, Service Director, Children’s Services Department, Floor 3, County Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1UD.
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet member for children’s services, has said:
“We want to hear from everyone in the community. Whether you are a parent, teacher, pupil or resident, your voice matters.
“Please take this further opportunity to share your views with us.”
Mistake closing schools, utilise empty classrooms for SEN children, nusery children, office space, must be altrenatives,
All the schools already have space and dedicated classrooms and teachers for SEN kids, and yet they’re closing them.
It’s short-sighted by the Council. Birthrates may be declining, but they’re planning to build more and more houses, mostly for families – 830 homes at Pennyfeathers alone, enough for over 2,500 people. I wonder where all the children in that estate will be expected to go to school when the Council are closing the local Primary School at Oakfield?
If savings must be made, then so be it.
Us pensioners have took it on the chin with
our winter fuel allowance taken away.
Cannot pay for empty classrooms, use the money saved
on the schools being closed down on the ones that remain open.
I’m a pensioner and have never had any link to the school but my concern is that this same council spend over 2 million pounds on upgrading Wroxall school only a couple of years ago and some of the figures they produced to justify closure were challenged by parents at the cabinet meeting in December. The parents were met with responses of ‘shut up’ or ‘we’re not doing this now’ and not given a clear answer as to whether the disputed figures were wrong data submitted or typo’s. To me as as a tax payer I’m dreadfully concerned about how they chose the 6 schools for closure, the criteria seems unclear – it all seems to being done at break neck speed before the cabinet are disbanded in May.