Schools Minister Georgia Gould MP recently visited the Isle of Wight to meet education leaders, teachers and families as part of a visit focused on SEND provision and educational leadership.
The Minister for School Standards was welcomed to the Island by Richard Quigley MP , who organised the visit following a series of local roundtable discussions with SEND educators and parents.
Feedback gathered during those discussions was shared with the Secretary of State for Education in a formal letter outlining concerns raised by families.
During the visit, the Minister toured Lionheart School and Nine Acres Primary School before concluding the day at the Newport Family Hub.
She also met with representatives from Isle of Wight Council Children’s Services, alongside teachers and educational leaders, to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing schools on the Island.
The visit follows a recent £4million investment into SEND provision on the Isle of Wight.
Richard Quigley MP has said:
“It was such a pleasure to welcome Georgia to the Island.
“The Minister was absolutely blown away by the strength of leadership and sense of community on display across our schools, as well as how quickly the schools visited have implemented such positive changes.
“Importantly, the visit also gave her the chance to experience some of the day-to-day realities of living and working here, including the challenges of cross-Solent travel, which we know can have a real impact on families, staff and recruitment.
“At the same time, she saw first-hand the incredible opportunities our Island offers, from dedicated teaching staff to strong community support.
“Crucially, she also heard directly about the concerns that remain, particularly around SEND provision and the pressures facing families and educators.
“I’m really pleased she was able to see both the strengths we’re so proud of and the areas where we know more needs to be done.”
The visit also gave Quigley’s T-Level placement students – Tobey, Jack and Hayden – the chance to meet the Minister and discuss their experiences of education on the Isle of Wight.
Ashley Whittaker, Strategic Director of Children’s Services at Isle of Wight Council, has said:
“We were delighted to welcome Minister Gould to the Island.
“It is so important for government decision makers to understand the unique opportunities and challenges we have here, and we were pleased that she was able to talk to a wide range of colleagues from schools, the council and the voluntary and community sector, as well as children and young people.”
Labour need to fund this. Rather than being a major portion of our extortionate council tax