Potential School Closures Recognised As ‘Critical And Urgent’ On Isle Of Wight

Reducing the number of school places on the Isle of Wight – which could ultimately lead to school closures – has been recognised by councillors as a ‘critical and urgent’ priority.

However, no decisions will be made until after the local council elections in May.

Members of the Isle of Wight Council’s children’s services, education and skills committee agreed at a meeting on Thursday night (5th March) that their first meeting following the 7th May elections should consider recommendations on how to reduce surplus school capacity.

County Hall is currently implementing a new education strategy aimed at improving outcomes for children across the Island, according to a report presented by the council’s Strategic Director of Children’s Services, Ashley Whittaker.

A key part of the strategy involves aligning the number of available school places with the declining number of children living on the Isle of Wight.

Mr Whittaker told councillors the strategy focuses on five main priorities: raising aspirations, developing richer curriculum experiences, improving SEND provision, building a highly trained workforce and creating a sustainable education infrastructure.

School place planning – the focus of the report – relates specifically to that final aim.

Committee chair Paul Brading highlighted figures showing there will be 279 surplus reception places across 37 Island primary schools by September 2026.

He said if those places were filled, schools would receive significant additional funding.

“If they were all full, at just over £5,100 per pupil, that’s around £1.5million extra that would be in the coffers because schools are still funded per pupil,” he said.

“Only eight schools are going to be in financial surplus this year and those of us who are school governors, or visit local schools regularly, will know what pressure they are under."

The report also predicts that 23 maintained primary schools on the Island will be running financial deficits by 2026/27.

Empowering Islanders group leader Chris Jarman said the situation could only be solved in 2 ways, saying:

“The only way to change this materially – assuming the government doesn’t change the funding model – is either we have lots more children come to the Island or we close quite a large number of schools to balance the books”.

Independent East Cowes councillor Karl Love warned that financial pressures were already affecting educational standards.

“If a school is having to think about its finances as a priority just to stay alive, it’s not thinking about how we increase attainment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Very Broad Church councillor Clare Mosdell said the process of any future closures must be handled carefully.

“We all agree schools look like they will need to be closed, but we need to do it on a level playing field with understanding and lessons learnt, and with a much more nurturing process,” she said.

Green Party councillor Claire Critchison added that many parents feared losing important community institutions.

“We are going to lose that sense of community in some places and that is what parents are most scared of,” she said.

Liberal Democrat councillor Michael Lilley stressed the importance of working with key stakeholders before any proposals come forward.

“We’ve got to get all those stakeholders – the unions, the schools, the diocese and providers – on board,” he said.

Councillors will revisit the issue and consider potential proposals following the local elections in May.