By Isle of Wight Observer
Cowes Primary School has now closed after more than a century of serving the local community.
The school, which was founded in 1907 and relocated from Denmark Road to Edinburgh Close in 1990, closed its gates for the final time on Thursday, July 24. The decision followed a March vote by the Isle of Wight Council to close the school.
Headteacher Stephanie Praetig said: “While there is immense sadness in closing the school gates for the final time, there is also incredible pride in everything our school community has achieved. I want to say one final huge thank you to the staff, governors, volunteers, families and of course the children.”
The school’s final Key Stage 2 SATs results, released in July, showed significant improvements. Sue Cox, chairman of governors, praised the staff’s resilience and commitment, saying: “It is a testament to Stephanie and her whole team that educational attainment has continued to improve, even during this extremely difficult period.”
The school marked its final term with a horticultural show, a farewell BBQ, and an emotional last-day assembly. Governors paid tribute to all who had contributed to the school’s legacy and offered a final message to the pupils: “We hope that one day, you will look back on your time at Cowes Primary and feel that in some small way we helped you get there.”
Mal Butler