‘Please take my piggy bank if you need more money, but don’t close my school’ – those are the words of 9-year-old Scarlett Maddison-Wigg whose school faces closure following an announcement by the Isle of Wight Council earlier this month.
As previously reported by Island Echo, it was at the beginning of September that the IWC announced that Arreton, Brading, Cowes, Godshill, Oakfield and Wroxall primary schools were all at risk of closure. Council bosses cited surplus school places as the reason for the announcement.
A pupil at one of the threatened schools, 9-year-old Scarlett enrolled at Arreton St George’s at the beginning of Year 2 having been the victim of bullying in a larger school. Upon joining Arreton, a change in her confidence was noticeable.
One of Scarlett’s stories was entered by the school into the Sight for Wight writing competition, where at age 7 she came in 2nd place in the Under 12’s group, the next year she achieved first place. Last year, Scarlett even had the confidence to be a Shanklin Carnival Queen last year, perform in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Likes of Us with Cowes Trinity Theatre and was even awarded her troop’s Cub of The Year award earlier this year. All of these feats are as a result of the support offered to her by Arreton Primary.
Scarlett’s mum, Sharon Maddison, has told Island Echo: said:
“As her mother, I cannot thank Arreton St George’s enough for everything they have done for Scarlett. Not only academically, but in terms of how they have rebuilt her confidence and given her such a love of learning. However high in life she flies, so much of it will be due to this amazing little school.”
Scarlett says:
“I love my school, my friends are scared and so am I, because we don’t want Arreton to close. I don’t want to lose my friends or my lovely teachers. Please take my piggy bank if you need more money, but don’t close my wonderful school.”
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