Decision on closing island schools delayed

A decision on the fate of five Isle of Wight primary schools has been delayed.

Councillors agreed to defer the vote on whether to close Oakfield in Ryde, Brading, Cowes, Wroxhall and Arreton primary schools.

But they reassured parents the council would still be able to meet a deadline of mid-April to assess and decide applications for September 2025 school starters.

Isle of Wight Council officers have argued school closures are necessary to improve education standards and make schools financially sustainable.

A statutory four-week consultation for people to have their say on the proposals ran until 3 February.

The corporate scrutiny meeting of councillors on Tuesday said it had not had enough time to read and digest a 1,700-page report given to them three days before their meeting.

The cross-party body said "any effective and meaningful scrutiny" of the cabinet's expected decision to close the five primary schools would be "open to ridicule".

Accepting the recommendation to delay, cabinet member for education, Councillor Jonathan Bacon said he regretted "any anxiety" the delay would cause to school communities concerned.

He added staff would now have two weeks to finalise school place allocation before national offer day for primary education on 16 April.

The vote will now take place on 20 March after a corporate scrutiny meeting two days before.

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