PROPOSALS that could see Yarmouth Primary School closed and relocated to Freshwater have gone to public consultation today (Tuesday).

Islanders have four weeks to have their say on the plans, which have been drawn up following a previous consultation.

The Isle of Wight Council had originally intended to close All Saints’ CE Primary School in Freshwater, due to falling student numbers in the West Wight area.

The school had just eight pupils enrolled to start in September and had not been judged ‘good’ by inspectors for more than a decade.

However, following protests from parents, the council announced a new preferred option — to close All Saints on December 31 and transfer pupils to Yarmouth.

A year later, the Yarmouth site would close and all the children would be moved back to a newly redeveloped All Saints.

The name of the proposed new school has not been decided.

Not everyone is happy with the plans, however, and Yarmouth parents have organised a meeting to discuss them.

Yarmouth mayor, Steve Cowley, speaking in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the town council, said: “The threat to close Yarmouth Primary School is an injustice for a school that is Ofsted rated ‘Good’.

“It is a school that parents choose to send their children to because of its ethos and is a school which is at the heart of the community of Yarmouth.

“Part of the reason the Yarmouth school is so good is its engagement with the community of Yarmouth. Various organisations and groups regularly raise funds for the school, organise events such as the pancake race, the Easter duck race, Yarmouth carnival and carols in the square.”

Cabinet member for education, Cllr Paul Brading, said ‘extensive work’ would be done on the new site, with money secured from the Department for Education.

Cllr Brading said: “It’s enough for a partial rebuild or a full rebuild.

“The [Yarmouth] school headteacher and governing body were receptive to exploring the idea.

“What has come forward from the previous consultation is how much parents and pupils love the All Saint’s site.

“The site is probably the best school site in the entire of the West Wight area.”

The consultation is available online.

A public meeting will be held at the Yarmouth community hall next Tuesday (May 21) at 6.30pm to discuss the plans.

Two further public meetings will Wednesday May 22 between 6pm and 8pm, at Yarmouth CE Primary School and on Thursday June 6 between 6pm and 8pm, at All Saints’ CE Primary School.