Parents are invited to a public meeting to find out more about the challenge of surplus primary school places.
It follows the authority’s U-turn over the potential consultation to close Cowes Primary, Wroxall Primary and St Mary’s Catholic school.
The council had suggested those schools should close to combat the hundreds of surplus places in the primary school system. It quickly withdrew proposals after fierce backlash, saying it would find a different approach, and has now arranged a public meeting where council officers will explain more.
Parents told the authority they still had questions as to why those schools, in particular, were picked and asked to know more about the reasoning and process behind the decision.
While officers will delve deeper into the surplus places challenge, the council has stressed the public meeting is not a consultation and there will be no opportunity to discuss anything relating to individual primary schools.
In a letter sent to parents, from the council through headteachers, the authority says officers are not authorised to discuss the previous proposals as they have been withdrawn. Instead general questions would be welcome.
The meeting will clarify the place planning process; recruitment and financial challenges and how they can be overcome; and why surplus places must be managed. If any proposals are brought back for consideration, the council said there would be an opportunity for everyone to engage.
The meeting will be held at 18:30 on 11th July at Medina Theatre, it will last around 90 minutes.
The authority has been criticised for its handling of the situation and lack of solution to the surplus places issues.
1 school governor said it had been almost a year since the matter was first raised meaning it had been another year to which the surplus places had been to the detriment of children’s entertainment. The future of Chillerton and Rookley Primary School is still hanging in the balance as the council is still considering closing it.
The authority wants to amalgamate it with its sister school in Godshill, where pupils have been taught since January, as there is no teacher at Chillerton and Rookley.
Rope a dope. Softened people up with the bombshell and now going softly softly until the inevitable closure of all three schools within a couple of years. More to come after that too.
Too much cash wasted in giving a choice to people. Go private or home educate if you are fussy. You get too much free now from long suffering tax payers just by adding your choice of another burden on society
Yes these parents get overly paid in child allowance, child tax credits, working tax credits OR universal credit of thousands extra a year on top of their wages for working 16 short hours per week.
THEN they get free or heavily subsidised rent and council tax too.
Then they get free school meals, free prescriptions and dental treatment for the entire family.
Then free school transport and uniform
Then extra hep with energy costs and food.
They pay in nothing yet take the most already out of the pot, so NO choice should be theirs to make imo.
I don’t understand the above ‘it had been almost a year since the matter was first raised meaning it had been another year to which the surplus places had been to the detriment of childrens ENTERTAINMENT’ – apart from the obvious boob – how can surplus places impacton their education?