The Isle of Wight Council has made ambitious plans to give local children a world-class education with ‘the best opportunity to succeed’. The aim has been revealed in the Council’s draft education strategy, published yesterday (Monday). The strategy sets out a clear ambition to transform the school system from one that has consistently underperformed compared to national trends, to one that is nationally recognised for the quality of its education. By 2030, the council’s vision is that all children on the Island will be equipped with the skills and aspirations to access opportunities of their choice. The new draft plan provides an overarching blueprint of how this will be achieved, underpinned by 5 priorities:
- High aspirations from all and of all
- Enriching curricular experiences with meaningful pathways into adulthood
- High-quality special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision on Island for children and young people
- A well-trained workforce, with a range of continued professional development and clear career routes
- A sustainable school system
Ashley Whittaker, director of children’s services, explains:
“Every child growing up on the Isle of Wight deserves access to a high-quality education, whatever their needs and circumstances. “Education empowers children with the knowledge, skills and critical thinking abilities that are necessary for personal development. It promotes social mobility, reduces inequality, and encourages the cultural understanding and tolerance needed to foster a more inclusive and cohesive community. “Education equips children to grow into happy and successful adults who can make a positive contribution to society. “Our children are the Island’s adults of the future, and the Island needs a future workforce that is able to adapt and innovate for whatever that future might bring. “Ultimately, a high-quality education is a key building block for a future that is better for individuals and society as a whole. This is why a new Island education strategy, that guides us to the next decade, is so important. “Working together across the wide range of organisations involved, and in collaboration with families, and with children and young people themselves, we will deliver on our shared commitment to fully unlock the potential of the Island’s children and young people, and allow them to truly thrive.”
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This opportunity to shape a new vision for the Island is being led by a new, impassioned Island-based children’s services team, who are determined to drive forward improvement to ensure the very best for Island youngsters. Since taking over from Hampshire in February, the team has visited every Island school and worked closely with headteachers and governors to understand what is important to them. They have also met with children and young people and reached out to Island communities to gather their views. This combination of grounded and calm strategic thinking, balanced with due care, deep listening, transparency and empathy towards staff and students has been welcomed by school leaders who have given the team their full support. Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet member for children’s services, adds:
“I think this is a document that has been needed for a long time. “There are increasing challenges across the education field that need to be addressed and so it is essential that we have a clear overarching strategy to ensure that all sectors are borne in mind when decisions are being made. “In addition the aim of the new strategy is to ensure this is done with the key focus being upon ensuring the best possible provision for all our young people to enable them to access the best possible opportunities as they prepare for adult life. “We are determined to make a difference and ensure the Island’s education system flourishes.”
There will be a further opportunity for people to comment on the draft strategy over the Summer and throughout the Autumn, before it is finalised later in the year, or early 2025. Islanders can find out more by visiting the council’s website and are welcome to provide feedback by emailing [email protected].
Well they are starting from a very low point. Any improvement would be welcome.
About time, have you finally realised that many Caulkheads are
stupid.
Spin and more spin. Start off with how much extra your going to spend. Then tell us the actual changes your making. Try and ‘enrich’ the tax payer for a change.
Ha ha ha. Oh, you are being serious! Usual load of old flannel from the usual useless twits. Get Bacon out of the job. He is a waste oxygen and a total narcissist.
Since the dinny school shut which took all the impaired kids off to it in a gert yellow bus, schools have become much worse. we need the council to sort the wheat from the chaff to give the wheat a fighting chance. they can’t learn properly with some idiot shouting and larking about all day
The only reason the schools want such is they gets more funding from central gov to take in fools. that is the only reason for no one really wants them as they are a disruptive cumbersome liability but like their parents get more for having one, so do schools, so the problem gets worse as more are born to drugged at conception or carrying the fetus and are council tax goes up to pay for them all. bring back the yellow bus and dinny school
The pure irony of your post is so delicious it should be served in a Michelin starred restaurant.
Aside from sorting out ASB in schools, the schools need good teachers, and you know how you attract good teachers to the island? Sort the ferries out, or pay expenses for travel cost and time as done for councillors.
Also, dont let schools be a daycare for disruptive, troublesome kids, either let them bunk off, or seperate them.
Daycare seems to be what primary school are now ! There’s kids going to school still in nappies and now the council are putting changing rooms in schools !! Really!
They are opening a school in a tower block to give the kids a higher education
Let’s hope it’s a large tower block.
You are obviously an islander if you didn’t get the gag.
I got the gag. I am just saying it’s needs to be high
because Islanders are not the brightest sparks,
Hence the Higher, the better education
Lol
Fake news, how’s going to improve, council are taking away alternative provisions, ending EHCP and reducing funding to school’s. World Class? This mean 3rd World?
They want to give the kids a ‘world class’ education, but still using an abacus? You’d think they’d get with the times and use calculators.
It is a step up from fingers and toes. Part of the problem with educating islanders is that some have different numbers of fingers and toes due to inbreeding. The abacus will be a massive help going forwards.
Can IW Council pledge to have the speed limit reduced on the island
Speeding is the number 1 problem I see everyday on
Island Roads.
Am I the only one who sees this!
Why is no one on the island tackling the speeding problem,
surely Highways etc, should be on the case
More speed Camera’s and traffic calming measures need to be
Installed
The island needs a Sadiq Khan or Mark Drakeford at the helm.
What a truly awful thought. The country’s worst two socialists could only make things worse.
This will never happen with all the paperwork the teachers have to do
The time left for teaching is minimal.
Even less time teaching now they on nappy duty’s !! Come on parents get your kids out of nappies before they start school, that’s shocking!
One key way to improve things for the majority of children would be to create a special school for SEND pupils. The disproportionate time, effort, and money spent on them holds back other children.
Fully agree. IF any parents of such assume they deserve better, pay for private education by then get them to use the thousands extra a year these SEN parents receive in extra benefits, for, in honesty, just lumbering society with another costly person to keep forever.
So true, course where in a world of not facing facts, everyone’s the same but I’m afraid we’re not all the same and it doesn’t work mixing everyone together
They have their work cut out. There is not a single mainstream “outstanding” rated school on the Island. St. George’s school is our only SEND school, which is wholly inadequate for the whole island. Children with special needs are being let down as they are being forced to attend schools that cannot deal with the needs of children with high levels of learning difficulties. Certain authorities lie by stating the Island is already one of the best educational places in the UK.
Just like the Island towns, the island education system is also a crumbling wreck.
I read through the comments and someone made a comment about Councillor Bacon which I totally agreed with, when I scrolled back to look at it again it was not there are these posts being censored?
It is still there. Just refresh your page.
Thank you.