THE diocese of Portsmouth has challenged the method by which primary schools on the Isle of Wight have been chosen for closure, arguing that insufficient consultation has taken place.
Three Church of England primary schools are among the many five schools which have been scheduled for closure by the Isle of Wight Council (News, 13 September, 2024).
The decision was made by the Council’s cabinet, and, in January, was narrowly opposed in an advisory vote of the entire Council.
A final decision is attributable to be made by the Council’s cabinet on 6 March; but, on Thursday of last week, a proper “letter before claim” was sent, setting out the diocese’s case ahead of possible legal proceedings.
The diocesan director of education, Jeff Williams, said in a press release that the method had been “flawed from the beginning”.
“The reasons the council have given for college closures have been unclear, inconsistent, and risk doing further damage to communities which have already been hit hard by these ill-informed plans,” he said.
Mr Williams said that the diocese had previously been in discussions concerning the closure of C of E schools, and “don’t object to the closure of C of E schools every time”.
In this case, nonetheless, “if the Cabinet agrees to those closures, it could set a precedent for future school closures on the Isle of Wight — that they will arbitrarily select schools for closure without fair and objective criteria getting used,” Mr Williams said.
Among the objections listed by the diocese are: a failure to seek the advice of before the faculties were originally identified for closure last September; a scarcity of clarity and consistency concerning the criteria used to make the choice; and the dearth of explanation about why C of E- school places are over-represented within the proposed closures.
The Diocesan Board of Education (DBE) also notes that the five schools scheduled for closure are among the many top nine on the Isle of Wight by percentage of youngsters with special educational needs (SEND). The proposals “contain little information to deal with concerns concerning the displacement and increased travel time for vulnerable SEND pupils”, the diocese says.
A spokesperson for Isle of Wight Council said in a press release: “We have received the correspondence from the [DBE] and can digest its contents. Throughout the School Place Planning process, we’ve got actively worked with all stakeholders to make sure everyone seems to be involved in the longer term of School Place Planning on the island. We are unable to supply further comment presently.”
The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Revd Jonathan Frost, previously lodged his objection to the proposed closure of Oakfield C of E Primary, Brading C of E Primary, and Arreton St George’s C of E Primary, in a submission to the consultation process last October (News, 8 November 2024).
He wrote that he opposed the move “within the strongest possible terms”, arguing that it might result in “damaging, unintended consequences on the broader economies of the affected communities”. He wrote that two of the faculties served a number of the most deprived areas of the Isle of Wight.
He also wrote that it was “profoundly unhelpful” that suggestions for alternative uses of the college sites had already been stated. “Any use of our land and schools would must be approved by the DBE and on this case with the support of the Diocesan Bishop,” Bishop Frost wrote. “In the absence of consultation, I cannot imagine a situation where I’d give my support.”
Besides the “letter before claim” issued last week, which may lead to a judicial review of the method, the DBE is preparing a case that might be submitted to the Schools Adjudicator if the Council’s Cabinet decides to proceed with the present proposals.
