Protests against plans to close five schools

Hundreds of people have gathered to protest against council plans to close five primary schools on the Isle of Wight.

Proposals will see schools in Cowes, Arreton, Oakfield, Brading and Wroxall shut from August.

Demonstrators of all ages rallied in Newport against the plans, which unions say have "terrified" pupils and will see more than 200 members of staff made redundant.

The local authority previously said it is seeking to address a significant decline in pupil numbers due to a falling birth rate, which is causing a financial strain on the council.

It said nearly there were 1,900 unfilled places in mainstream schools as of October 2023 and it projected that figure to rise to 3,056 by September 2027.

A four-week consultation period is set to come to an end on Friday before the council makes its final decision on the closures in late February or early March.

Mark Chiverton, branch secretary for Unison on the Isle of Wight, said: "There are over 200 jobs at risk, of both teachers and support staff of various types.

"They are extremely anxious about their futures but also very much concerned about the impact of these proposals on children, on families, particularly those children who may have special needs and be particularly vulnerable."

The council has said buildings could be repurposed to expand SEND provision on the island.

Peter Shreeve, a member of the National Education Union (NEU) on the island, who was at the protest, said: "If you listen to our staff, everyone is really worried about their pupils."

He added that students also spoke at the event and they "are just terrified" about the closures.

"They are frightened to move miles away to a new school that they can't walk to, that is probably going to be overcrowded."

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