PARENTS say they are being charged £63 per day to send their children to Lanesend Primary School in Cowes, after it closed for a two week half term break to enable its staff to prepare for the return of years 1 and 6, and those in reception. 

They were given seven days notice of the school's plans to stop lessons and to replace classroom time with a paid-for holiday club.

The Love Lane school said it has acted to protect its staff - allowing them time to prepare for the government's new measures which are expected to start on 1st June. 

**update at 2.46pm**

Further to its earlier statement, the school says the club costs £31.50 per day - or £3.50 per hour - per child.

It means parents with two children are facing a cost of £63 per day.   

Read more: School reopening: Isle of Wight Councillor explains more

Key workers say they have been reliant on the school during the coronavirus crisis.

"Working through a pandemic is stressful enough, without an added childcare dilemma."

- Parent


One parent said they felt ‘defeated’ because they need the care given by the school to allow them to work on the coronavirus frontline.

Another was 'disappointed' and felt key workers were not being supported.

One parent told the County Press, ‘working through a pandemic is stressful enough, without an added childcare dilemma,’ saying it had been too late to juggle shifts at work. 

In a statement, Lanesend Primary praised its staff and said they needed time to prepare and to be with their families.

Headteacher Caroline Sice said: “These are very unusual times and as a school the team have been supporting brilliantly all key worker and vulnerable children, putting themselves and their families at risk. 

“The team have gone above and beyond in supporting our families and providing emotional and wellbeing support, learning opportunities and delivering food hampers, as well as adapting to new and different ways of working. 

“With the government’s announcement that schools may return on the 1 June, the school took the decision to close for its half term break so that we are ready to open in line with the country, if this goes ahead. 

“The support for my team and their wellbeing is very important to me and they needed time to prepare for the opening and also have time with their own families before returning to school. 

"The team needed time to prepare for the opening and also have time with their own families"

- Headteacher 

“With this in mind we made the decision to close the school but offered an alternative provision, in line with the government guidelines, which is a self-funded childcare provision so that we can continue to support our key worker families whilst the school is closed.”

The Isle of Wight Council said it does not control Lanesend Primary School because it is an academy. Instead, it is overseen by the Regional Schools Commissioner.