Freshwater primary school recommended for closure

Isle of Wight Council previously said falling numbers in west Wight meant a primary school could close

A primary school on the Isle of Wight is being recommended for closure while another is expanded and relocated.

Revised plans suggest All Saints' Primary School, Freshwater, should shut in April 2020 and pupils moved to Yarmouth Primary School.

A new, larger school would be built on the All Saints' site and the expanded Yarmouth school will be permanently relocated there in 2021.

The recommendations will go before the council's cabinet next week.

Isle of Wight Council previously said admissions were predicted to halve at the Anglican All Saints school and it hoped a nearby Catholic school would admit pupils instead.

But in the new report, councillors are being asked to agree the expansion and subsequent relocation of Yarmouth, an Anglican school which is rated good by Ofsted.

Children's services councillor Paul Brading said: "Given [that] only seven children attending Yarmouth actually live in the town and 69 live in Freshwater and Totland, it makes logical sense to propose the move to relocate Yarmouth CE Primary on to the All Saints site.

"Given that schools are largely funded on a per-pupil basis, having one less school in west Wight would mean the remaining four are more financially sustainable."

If the recommendations are agreed by cabinet, a nine-week consultation will follow and a final decision will be made on 10 October.