RECOMMENDATIONS have been made on the future of West Wight Schools — with one school closing and another relocating.

In a report set to go before cabinet next Thursday (October 10), Cllr Paul Brading, cabinet member for children's services, education and skills has recommended that a public notice be issued to close All Saints C of E Primary School from August 31, 2020.

A bid to tackle surplus school places in the West Wight has been ongoing, following plans to close Yarmouth CE Primary School were paused in the summer due to a possible legal challenge.

Council officers, along with the Portsmouth and Winchester CE diocese, suggest supporting governors plans to relocate Yarmouth Primary to the All Saints site in Freshwater for the start of the 2021 academic year.

However, in a letter sent to parents of Yarmouth School, this is something governors have 'reluctantly agreed in principle' to and is 'subject to consultation'.

The All Saints site is set to receive a multi-million-pound investment from the Department of Education to substantially improve the buildings.

A further report is to be brought before cabinet in January next year to approve the outcome of the public notice period on the closure of All Saints and consider the outcome of the consultation on the relocation of Yarmouth Primary.

Cllr Brading has said the educational needs of the children in the West Wight were at the heart of the report.

He said: “In my statement to cabinet on September 12, I set out mine and the council’s continuing commitment to finding the very best solution to the educational challenges we face in the West Wight.

“Central to that is the need to reduce the existing five primary schools in the area to four and ensure they are located where the highest density of children is living.

“Since that meeting, officers have been working with the governing body of the Federation of the Church Schools of Shalfleet and Yarmouth and Church of England diocese to see if a position could be reached whereby the governors, diocese and council could find a way forward that would allow Yarmouth CE Primary School to be relocated in the future to the Freshwater site.

“I am very pleased that position has now been reached which allows us to move forward collectively and seek to secure the best educational outcome we can.

“I believe this is a fantastic opportunity to deliver a high-quality, sustainable education platform for the West Wight for many years to come.

"I hope now we can all work together to achieve this.”

The final decision will now go for consultation.

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