Campaigners hoping to prevent the closure of Brading CE Primary School have met with Cllr Joe Robertson MP – ahead of a critical Cabinet vote on Thursday.
The Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight East told the meeting of locals on Friday (14th March) that he believes Brading Primary has a very strong case for staying open.
The meeting at the Brading Community Partnership hub on the town’s High Street was organised by Nick Binfield and Kate Benson, and attended by 20 campaigners.
The group is calling on the Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet members to look very carefully at issues of deprivation and social impacts on Brading’s families; and the quality of the consultation process.
Local campaigner and parent with 2 children at the school Nick Binfield says:
“There is huge concern around the proposed closure from the parents and families that I speak with on a regular basis around the lack of transparency and a constant moving of the goalposts for the criteria.
“Deprivation is a serious concern – 50 per cent of children at Brading receive free school meals and there are also issues with transport to the two alternate schools, both under the 2-mile radius so there will be very limited help for families with transport costs, significantly impacting the most disadvantaged.
“We feel that Brading has been singled out and our concerns have not been listened to or considered in any depth.”
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Campaigners say they have consistently applied pressure by writing to councillors, submitting questions, asking questions at council meetings.
Joe Robertson MP says:
“I’ve taken a position on each of the schools in the East Wight which are due to potentially close. My view is that none of the three of them should close, but for different reasons.
“Brading has a very strong case for staying open and I’ve made my opinions very clear both publicly but also behind the scenes directly with the Council.”
Also attending the meeting was a representative from the Diocese of Portsmouth, which owns the school.
Rob Sanders, Deputy Director of Education, indicated that should the decision to close Brading go ahead, the body would challenge the process through the education adjudicator and judicial review.
He says:
“Our position has been very clear throughout that we object to the selection of our three schools, the Bishop has been very public in his opposition and we’ve had some very robust meetings with councillors.
“We understand the Council’s challenge and that there is a need to review surplus school places but there’s been no clarity of criteria for identifying schools and there’s been no consistency.
“We are very serious about our intentions to challenge that decision, should it be made.”
The campaign group intends to rally the many local supporters to fundraise towards helping the Diocese fund any Judicial Review.
This council need a kicking, and let’s hope this isn’t just a photo op, just like what Sausage Bob used to do, remember him.
If classrooms are empty, schools must close.
Other option move families with children from the
mainland to fill the empty classrooms.
Classrooms are NOT empty. Where does it say that classrooms are empty, the only thing empty is you head.
That is why they are closing down unnesseccary
schools.
Stop being a Numpty, savings must be made
hence such closures taking place.