SNT are urging supporters to write to Alan Wells and David Pugh asking them to recommend Option 3 of Appendix Q to the Cabinet for approval at Monday night's Cabinet meeting.
This will give Ventnor a community school in addition to a Joint Faith Voluntary Aided School thereby offering parents a choice of faith and non-faith school and would completely answer our concerns regarding choice and diversity and address issues over the fairness of providing only a single voluntary aided option.
Appendix Q page 17 contains the option wording:
Option 1 (recommended by officers)
Approve the proposal of 3 June 2008. Closure through amalgamation of St Wilfrid's, St. Boniface CE VC and St. Margaret’s CE VC Primary Schools. The new school to be a VA joint faith school and established initially using the three sites of the existing schools. In the long term the school will utilise a new build on the Ventnor Middle site. Establish the new school by the Diocesan Authority seeking a waiver to competition under the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
Option 2
Amalgamate St. Boniface CE VC Primary School and St. Wilfrid’s RC VA Primary School, as a one form entry VA school, using initially the two existing sites with an eventual move to the St. Boniface site. This achieves a primary school provision in lower Ventnor and builds on the existing relationship between the two schools. Enlarge St. Margaret’s CE VC Primary School to a one form entry 4-11 age range school for upper Ventnor.
Option 3 (recommended by SNT)
Amalgamate St. Boniface CE VC Primary School and St. Wilfrid’s RC VA Primary School, as a one form entry VA school, using initially the two existing sites with an eventual move to the St. Boniface site. This achieves a primary school provision in lower Ventnor and builds on the existing relationship between the two schools. Close St. Margaret’s CE VC Primary School and establish by competition, under the Education and Inspections Act 2006, a new one form entry 4-11 age range school for upper Ventnor on the Ventnor Middle site. This provides both provision for upper and lower Ventnor and diversity within the school provision for Ventnor Town.
Please send emails to alan.wells@iow.gov.uk and david.pugh@iow.gov.uk please copy your emails to us for security.