The council is clearly braced to expect an outcry from parents over the closure proposals. That has already started, with Facebook groups and petitions set up to oppose the plans for individual schools.

However, opposition from some Island headteachers might not be as enthusiastic. The IW Headteacher Executive Group (which does not include all local heads), has repeatedly advocated for the closure of small Island schools, describing them in September 2022 as “a weight that drags other schools down due to the excessive funding needed to sustain them.”

At least three heads of the six schools earmarked for closure were then supporting the calls for school closures: Stephanie Praetig from Cowes, Mark Snow from Godshill and Vikki Reader from Oakfield.

After a botched attempt to close three schools last year, the group wrote again to the IW Council on June 7, expressing “utter dismay and disappointment in the cabinet’s decision to withdraw the report.” They added: “No headteacher willingly would choose for the school that they lead to close, but each of us understand that the closure of some schools is necessary for the benefit of all the children on the Isle of Wight.” We reported on this issue last year: iw.observer/school-closures.

During Wednesday’s scrutiny meeting, an officer revealed that they had already received a letter, believed to be from the same group, congratulating them on the work they had done on the closure plans.