Council considers closing six schools

Cowes Primary School is one of six at risk of closure

A council has said it may close six primary schools in an attempt to improve "extremely poor" results in comparison to other areas.

Isle of Wight Council announced it is considering a recommendation to close Cowes, Arreton, Oakfield, Brading, Wroxall and Godshill primary schools.

The authority is being consulted on the potential closures - which if approved would not happen before September 2025.

A council spokesperson said a falling birth rate had left nearly 1,900 unfilled places in mainstream schools as of October 2023, putting financial pressure on the authority.

If the closures go ahead, buildings could be repurposed to expand SEND provision on the island, where demand is increasing according to the spokesperson.

The council said the number of unfilled mainstream school seats was projected to rise to 3,056 by September 2027.

Unfilled places cost schools money, make staffing difficult and mean schools struggle to maintain a high-quality curriculum, the council said.

A falling birth rate has left hundreds of places in mainstream schools on the island unfilled

Councillor Jonathan Bacon, cabinet member for children's services, said the island's school results were "extremely poor in comparison to other areas" and had been "for many years".

"This is the only way to ensure that we can minimise the long-term negative impact on the Island’s education," he said.

He said the plans were not the fault of schools, their leadership, or staff.

"The problem stems from the national decline in the birth rate," he said.

"It is an issue across the entire country."

The recommendation will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on Thursday 12 September.

The council said the cabinet was only being asked to approve a consultation period at this stage, and not make a decision on closures.