A consultation is being launched on proposals to close Chillerton & Rookley Primary School.
Stenbury Federation, the Governing Body of both Chillerton & Rookley Primary Schoool and Godshill Primary School, has requested that a consultation be carried out on proposals to amalgamate the 2 schools with effect from 31st August 2021.
If the green light is given it means that Chillerton & Rookley Primary School would close its doors ahead of the next school year in September, with pupils being offered a place at Godshill Primary instead – 3.4 miles away by road.
Chillerton and Rookley Primary School currently has just 35 pupils on its roll of a maximum capacity of 91, which is expected to drop to 32 pupils in September. The school has received no first preference applications for the 2021/22 academic year. With such significant surplus places, it has been deemed that it is not financially sustainable to continue with the current situation with an estimated budget deficit of around £101,000 for 2020/21, which could grow to £225,000 by 2023.
Godshill Primary School currently has 128 pupils with 61 surplus places, which means that amalgamating the 2 schools is possible.
The proposal has been raised to ensure the continuation of high-quality education for the children in rural communities by effective and strategic use of existing staffing and resources and to reduce the risk of both schools closing due to budget constraints and falling numbers on roll.
Di Barker, chair of governors, said:
“Governors are committed to ensuring all children in the Stenbury Federation have access to high-quality education by sustaining and building on recent improvements through effective and strategic use of our hardworking staff and existing resources.
Article continues below this advertisement “We have therefore written to the council to ask that they take steps to consider the future of Chillerton and Rookley Primary School.”
Mark Snow, executive headteacher of the Stenbury Federation, added:
“Staff and pupils have worked tirelessly to support me to improve both schools and I am immensely proud of the progress and effort we have made in some very challenging circumstances.”
Councillor Paul Brading, Cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills, said:
“The governors have not reached this decision lightly but with the best interests of their children at heart.
“During the past few years, the Stenbury Federation has been through a period of leadership instability, deficit budgets and a requires improvement rating from Ofsted.
“However, since 2018, they have worked closely with the council to establish strong and consistent leadership, resulting in the rapid improvement of outcomes for their children.
“Now they believe a more sustainable educational offer should be considered and have therefore asked the council to start an initial consultation on the future of the school which we are happy to facilitate.”
COVID restrictions mean that a drop-in information event is off the cards, but instead, parents and other members of the local community are invited to email [email protected] to share views and queries. Comments can also be made in writing to Martin Shefferd, Strategic Development Officer, Children’s Services Department, Ell Court North, Winchester, Hampshire SO2 8UG by 19th March 2021.
Details of the consultation, including frequently asked questions, is being established at https://www.iow.gov.uk/Residents/schools-and-learning/Schools/School-Consultation.
More savings for this c ou ncil to engorge their salaries, pensions, expenses, and to create more positions for those family or friends in the ‘boys club’.
YET still despite all this ‘so called’ cost saving, and cut backs, despite building thousand more homes all paying c ou ncil tax, STILL are going to raise such.
See what they are, and vote them out next time around.
They are destroying everything nice, and STILL charging us more to have a worse standard of life here, whilst they grow ever richer on our loses.
3.4 miles away by road. Do they think they can go by rail, air or sea Hopefully free transport will be provided as it could come out of the money made from selling the school and its land.
Truth be known most pupils are delivered to Chillerton school by their parents in cars from all over Island. Chillerton residents will be breathing a sigh of relief at this news but not the same for Godshill residents
Don’t want too many outsiders coming into the village?
Do the same to nettlestone primary. Waste of money when there are local schools that can take the load,
Make a nice set of flats.
I expect the symbiotic ‘developers’ are already planning how to allocate the profits on such.
For those which our council tax pay handsomely have more than one source of ‘income’ and their children are at private education and health treatment so do you think they ‘care’ for the rest of society?
Vote accordingly next local election time.
Typing mistake ‘by 31st August 2021’ not 2020
Wait until the ‘baby boom’ following these periods of lockdown.
then there will be a shortage of school places.
It was not long ago the council were thinking of closing Wroxall primary school,now they are spending a fortune extending it. This council have no idea and as others mention let’s make sure we vote this load of trash out in this years elections.
And I have no doubt that if they are voted out, you and the rest of the serial moaners will be saying exactly the same about whoever is voted in because all people like you ever do is moan, whinge, whine and complain. I doubt if most of you lot will even bother to vote. Instead you will expect others to do it for you because you are too lazy and too thick to ever try and take control of your sad lives. Basically, if the current council are as bad as you think then you only have yourselves to blame.
What an ignorant vile person you are. If you are not ‘already’ you should apply to work with the current Council, although being out of touch with the people, and their very real reasons to complain, you, Sir are likely ‘over qualified’.
WW sees you are alright still I guess.
Chillerton used to be a busy, good and well attended school but has struggled since Ofsted gave it a poor report a couple of years ago. Since then pupil numbers have plummeted because parents just look at the Ofsted rating and send their children to the next nearest school with a better rating. In the mean time the school has worked hard to improve teaching but this is not reflected by Ofsted because they haven’t re-inspected. If they had and the school had improved, pupil numbers would have probably stabilised. Unfortunately the school will now probably be closed and local children will be forced to travel further afield and away from their community to attend school. It’s a sad day brought about by Ofsted.
Good opportunity to turn it into luxury apartments .
Plans likely already drawn up. Handy to have a close relationship with developers, and very lucrative too.
More BS from the arch whiner! Have you any evidence for your allegations? If you do maybe you should pass them on to the police, if not then you should shut the truck up.